What a magical night. I am so thankful for this experience.
I cannot speak highly enough of the guide Soham. He was overly accommodating, grew up in the neighborhood he is showcasing, and made sure everyone had a fantastic time on the walk. He explained the history of things, both from a West Bengali cultural perspective and also from his personal family history. He also took extreme care to ensure nobody was overwhelmed by spice and good hygiene was maintained.
You will navigate packed streets and tight alleyways and really feel the energy of the people. You will truly experience Old Calcutta. We went on a weeknight and at 9pm it felt like the energy of Times Square New York. There are also people in extreme poverty. This is a reality of the area that you should be prepared for.
You'll also see endless stray dogs that all look identical...Calcutta Street Dogs I called them.
The food experience from start to finish is fun, delicious, interesting, and always catered to your personal needs or level of preferred spice. To make the most of it, I strongly recommend fasting that day until dinner time. Your hunger will elevate all the flavors, and if you do not fast you will probably have leftovers to take home. It's a lot of food!
Final thought - the public bathrooms available on the tour are not absolutely terrible, but they are not good either. I would hate to be a woman and need to use them. Don't drink a lot of fluids before the tour to help avoid this issue...
If you're interested at all in this tour, odds are you will absolutely love it and take home some real memories.