About the Ganges River Cruise

There can be few rivers in the world so revered as the sacred Ganges - and perhaps few as charming as the Hooghly.

Cruise upstream along both rivers from Calcutta through beautiful scenery and wonderful ‘off the beaten track’ rural villages, visiting stunning palaces, stupas, gardens and ancient battlefields all the way to Patna.

From here, travel by rail to Varanasi for a two-night stay, including a fabulous sunrise boat trip passing the famous Ghats on the Ganges.

Cruise aboard Assam Bengal Navigation's MV Rajmahal, whose knowledgeable and friendly hosts will reveal India’s incredible and glorious history.

Day 1: Depart the UK

Overnight flight UK to Calcutta.

Day 2: Calcutta

On arrival you will be met and transferred to your hotel in Calcutta, with the rest of the day to relax.

Overnight Calcutta. Breakfast included.

Day 3: Calcutta

Today enjoy a morning tour of Calcutta, including a visit to the marble-white Victoria Memorial, St Paul’s Cathedral and Mother Teresa’s House.

The rest of the day is at leisure for your own independent explorations.

Overnight Calcutta. Breakfast included.

Day 4: Calcutta – Cruise

You will be collected from your hotel in the late morning. Embark the Rajmahal at midday and sail upstream past the old Danish colony of Serampore to Barrackpore.

Moor and take a walk through the cantonment past the Semaphore Tower, Government House, the Temple of Fame, and Flagstaff House, its garden housing many of the British statues removed from central Calcutta.

Overnight On Board. All meals included.

Day 5: Chandernagore

Sail to Chandernagore, a French possession until 1950, and visit the 18th century church and Dupleix’s House containing a small museum.

Sail on past the old Dutch settlement of Chinsura and visit the imposing Imambara at Hooghly before re-boarding the Rajmahal and cruising upstream to an overnight mooring near Kalna.

Overnight On Board. All meals included.

Day 6: Mayapur

Take a cycle rickshaw 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 small shrines.

Continue on through the countryside to Mayapur, its skyline dominated by the vast new ISKCON temple. Moor near Matiari tonight.

Overnight On Board. All meals included.

Day 7: Matiari

This morning visit the brass working village of Matiari where you can see the primitive process of beating out brass water pots.

Cruise through countryside and visit the battlefield of Plassey where in 1757 Clive’s defeat of Siraj-ud-Daulah changed the course of Indian history. Tonight moor close to Murshidabad.

Overnight On Board. All meals included.

Day 8: Khushbagh

Walk to the Khushbagh, a peaceful Moghul-style garden enclosing the tombs of Siraj-ud-Daulah and his family.

Continue a little way upstream to where the Nawab’s great Hazarduari Palace, built by an English architect in 1837, dominates the waterfront.

Inside are an extensive collection of pictures, china, weapons and other objects. Also visit the great Katra Mosque and drive to two imposing late 28^th century buildings, the Nashipara Palace and the Katgola Palace.

Both were built in classical Georgian style by rich local merchants and represent the other side of the coin of the “White Moghul” period when English and Indian cultures came close to fusion.

Overnight On Board. All meals included.

Day 9: Baranagar

Moor at the delightful sleepy village of Baranagar with its three gorgeous miniature terracotta temples. It’s a great little walk to these temples through the fields - this is rural India at its most idyllic.

Continue up the Hooghly, here 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. All meals included.

Day 10: Gaur

Enjoy a full day excursion by road to Gaur, near the town of Malda.

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

There are many remains of mosques, palaces and gateways. Visit a number of the most interesting before rejoining the ship in the evening at Farakka.

Overnight On Board. All meals included.

Day 11: Pandua

Enjoy an excursion by road to Pandua and visit the great 14th century Adina Mosque before returning to Farakka where the ship will have passed through the lock at the barrage.

Overnight On Board. All meals included.