Enjoy the ultimate India River Cruising experience with back to back Ganges and Brahmaputra River Cruises with Pandaw.

Cruise up the Lower Ganges from Calcutta through the lush, West Bengal countryside, visiting temples, palaces and local villages en route.

Return to Calcutta for a night before flying to Assam to explore one of the least visited but most exotic regions of India on a Pandaw Cruise along the Brahmaputra River.

The mighty Brahmaputra River in Northern India originates high in the Himalayas before flowing through the scenic Assam Valley where UNESCO protected national parks and remote rural communities provide the traveller with the most wonderful and authentic expedition.

Enjoy exploratory safaris by small boat, jeep and even elephant in search of the Greater One-Horned Indian Rhinoceros and Indian tiger.

With fascinating visits to ‘Mishing’ people who live on the world’s largest river island, tea plantations and many exotic Satras to explore, this Assam adventure will leave lifetime-lasting memories.

This itinerary can be tailored to fit your requirements, with any number of pre and post cruise explorations, including northern or southern India tours, visits to the Sunderbans, Bhutan or Sikkhim tours or beach extensions in Kerala or South East Asia.

Day 1: Depart the UK

Fly from UK to Calcutta.

Day 2: Calcutta

Arrive Calcutta and transfer to  hotel. The rest of the day is at leisure.

Overnight Calcutta. Breakfast included.

Day 3: Calcutta - Cruise

Transfer from your hotel to embark and sail at noon. Sail past the old Danish colony of Serampore to Barrackpore to land and take a walk through the cantonment – past the Semaphore Tower, Government House, the Temple of Fame and Flagstaff House.

Overnight On Board. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included.

Day 4: Chandernagore

Sail up to Chandernagore, a French possession until 1950.

Visit the 18th century church and Dupleix’s House, the erstwhile Governor-General of French India.

Sail upstream past the old Dutch settlement of Chinsura before landing to visit the imposing Imambara at Hooghly.

With verses from the Koran written on its walls, the Imambara is an opportunity to step back in time and relive a slice of Islamic history in Bengal. Sail into the night to a mooring near Kalna.

Overnight on board. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included.

Day 5: Kalna

Sail upstream and, after breakfast, land at the country town of Kalna and take cycle rickshaws to see a group of some of Bengal’s most attractive terracotta temples, as well as the unique Shiva temple with concentric rings made up of 108 lesser shrines.

Continue on through the countryside to Mayapur to visit the vast new ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) temple which dominates the skyline.

As the headquarters of ISKCON or the Hare Krishna movement, the temple receives over a million singing and dancing devotees a year from around the world. Sail on through the night to a mooring near Matiari.

Overnight on board. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included.

Day 6: Matiari

This morning visit the brass-working village of Matiari, a charming riverside village.

Interact with the locals and witness the whole process of beating out brass water pots and other vessels.

Later, cruise on and visit the battlefield of Plassey where, in 1757, Robert Clive, the Commander-in-Chief of British India, defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah, the last independent Nawab of Bengal, to change the course of Indian history. Moor close to Murshidabad for the night.

Overnight on board. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included.

Day 7: Murshidabad

This morning, walk to the Khushbagh, a peaceful Mughal-style garden that encloses the tombs of Siraj-ud-Daulah – the last independent Nawab of Bengal – and his family.

Continue a little way upstream to where the great Hazarduari Palace dominates the waterfront. Built by an English architect in 1837, the palace hosts an extensive collection of pictures, china, weapons and other objects.

Carry on to visit the great Katra Mosque and Nashipara Palace before driving out to see the Katgola Palace.

Built in classical Georgian style by rich local merchants, Katgola Palace represents the other side of the coin of the 'White Mughal' period when English and Indian cultures came close to fusion. Moor overnight on the riverbank across from town.

Overnight on board. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included.

Day 8: Baranagar

This morning, walk through the fields of the delightfully sleepy village of Baranagar to visit its three gorgeous miniature terracotta temples.

This is rural India at its most idyllic. Continue up the lower Ganges (or the Hooghly), which transforms into a charming waterway twisting and turning between banks lined with mustard fields and mango orchards.

Carry on up a long canal section to a mooring close to the Farakka Barrage.

Overnight on board. Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner included.

Day 9: Gaur

During breakfast, cruise to a mooring by the Farakka lock. Disembark and go on a full-day excursion by road to Gaur, near the town of Malda, or English Bazar.

This quiet, deserted place was once one of India’s great cities, first under the Hindus in 12th century, then as the Muslim capital of Eastern India from the 14th to the 16th century.

Life on Board Pandaw

Life on board a river cruise is quite different from ocean cruising. Things are very much more informal, with no ‘Captain’s Table' or dressing up for dinner.

Unlike ocean cruising, all excursions and most other things are included in the price, such as drinks and tips for the crew.

With one member of crew per two passengers, the service on board is incredibly high and very personal.

Things are very relaxed on board a Pandaw River Cruise - with no unnecessary and wearisome PA announcements and no disturbing TV’s from neighbouring cabins.

Pandaw Club Members

Cruised with Pandaw before?

Then make sure you sign up as a Pandaw Club Member with us to receive further discounts and benefits on your next Pandaw Cruise holiday with Jasmine Holidays.

Benefits include:

• Exclusive Members Club Cruise Discount
• Unlimited in-house wine package worth up to $220
• Free Laundry Service worth $50
• Pre-post Expedition Discount

Remember that we guarantee a better price than booking direct and your holiday can be completely tailor made and will always be ATOL Protected if your holiday is flight inclusive.