Cruising the Lower Ganges

Fly to Kolkata

(N)

Meal basis:

As per itinerary – B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner, N: No meals.

Kolkata

Arrive in Kolkata and transfer to the Oberoi Grand Hotel for one night. (N)

Serampore & Barrackpore

Transfer to the 22-cabin ABN Rajmahal ship for a seven-night cruise. Sail past the old Danish colony of Serampore to the cantonment of Barrackpore, where a walk provides you with insight into India’s journey to independence. (B, L, D)

Chandannagar

Visit an 18th-century church followed by the Dupliex Palace, former residence of the governor general of French India. Sailing upstream, you pass the old Dutch settlement of Chinsura before visiting Hooghly Imambara, a 19th-century Shia mosque and congregation hall. This evening, you continue your cruise towards Kalna. (B, L, D)

Mayapur

Travel by rickshaw to visit a unique Shiva temple, whose concentric rings are formed by 108 smaller shrines. Visit a muslin weaving centre before continuing through the countryside to Mayapur. Here you visit the dominating, blue-domed ISKCON Mayapur Temple, among the largest temples ever built. (B, L, D)

Matiari & Plassey

Visit the riverside village of Matiari to witness the traditional metalwork process local craftsmen use to produce brass pots. Continue to the Plassey battlefield, where the decisive defeat of the last independent Nawab of Bengal began nearly two centuries of British rule in India. (B, L, D)

Khushbagh & Katagola

Visit Khushbagh, the tranquil Mughal-style garden encompassing the tomb of Siraj-ud-Daula, the last independent Nawab of Bengal. Further upstream, visit the Italianate Hazardurai Palace, then continue to Katra Mosque and Katagola Palace. (B, L, D)

Baranagar

Walk through the serene fields of Baranagar to visit the miniature terracotta temples. You continue sailing up the lower Ganges – known as the Hooghly – as it transforms into a scenic waterway, then moor close to the Farakka Barrage. (B, L, D)

Gaur

Disembark for a full day excursion by road to Gaur (Gauda), a historic city that was once the capital of the Bengal Sultanate. Here you can see the remains of mosques, palaces and gateways – glimpses of Gaur’s golden age. (B, L, D)

Kolkata

After transferring to Farakka railway station, travel by train to Kolkata. Stay overnight at the Oberoi Grand. (N)

Fly to the UK

Transfer to the airport for your flight to the UK (B)

Meal basis:
As per itinerary – B: Breakfast, L: Lunch, D: Dinner, N: No meals.