Ganges River cruise: luxury journey from Kolkata

Itinerary in brief: 

• 2 nights Delhi
• 1 night Agra
• 2 nights Varanasi
• 2 nights Kolkata 
• 3 nights Ganges River Cruise 
• 1 night Kolkata

Day 1: Depart UK

Depart the UK from your chosen airport.

Included: International flights 

Day 2: Arrive Delhi

On arrival, you’ll be met at the airport and driven to your hotel, checking in for two nights. 

Included: Transfers, 5* hotel 

Day 3: Delhi

You’ll spend your first morning in India exploring Old Delhi, a maze of crowded markets and tiny shops, crammed with some of the oldest businesses in the city. You’ll explore with a renowned chef, visiting around 8 different food spots, tasting some of the city’s best street food and learning about the different cultures and traditions that have created such delicious cuisine. 

Spend the afternoon in the contrasting New Delhi, an area designed by the British in the 1920s - it’s home to government buildings set along wide boulevards and green parks and gardens. Visit monuments including the Qutub Minar, and Humayun’s Tomb, and drive past the impressive India Gate, a popular hangout for locals.

Included: Breakfast, guiding, 5* hotel     

Day 4: Delhi to Agra

After breakfast in Delhi, you’ll be driven to Agra where the Taj Mahal awaits. In the afternoon you’ll visit Agra Fort, where you’ll wander through the chambers of this ancient royal residence. The country was once governed from here, as well as containing the largest treasury and mint. Dignitaries and ambassadors from far off lands would be brought here, each one participating in the history of India. 

In the evening you’ll head off on a Mughal Heritage walk, followed by a visit to Mehtab Bagh. You’ll walk though the village and meet the locals who live in the shadow of the Taj Mahal. You’ll chat to one of the village boys, enjoying chai and a pakora on the rooftop of a nearby house overlooking in the monument and learn about how tourism has benefited the local community. The money from this tour all goes to the village, providing education for women, initiatives for children and sanitation for the whole community.

Included: Breakfast, transfers, guiding, 5* hotel                

Day 5: Agra to Varanasi

An early start this morning will get you to the Taj Mahal for sunrise. Spend the morning exploring this mighty building. As you learnt a lot about the history of the mausoleum last night, today you’ll be free to wander through the complex alone and really soak up this awe-inspiring wonder of the world. Built by an emperor in memory of his beloved queen, it took 18 years to complete, with craftsmen working around the clock on the intricate and romantic design. 

With perfect proportions and distinct femininity, legend says that once the construction was completed, Shan Jehan ordered the architect’s hands cut off, and blinded, so he would never be able to duplicate the structure. 

Leaving Agra behind, you’ll travel back to Delhi for a late afternoon flight to Varanasi. On arrival, you’ll be taken to your hotel, checking in for two nights.

Included: Breakfast, guiding, transfers, internal flights, 5* hotel                

Day 6: Varanasi

Start your day with a sunrise boat ride along the River Ganges. Varanasi is situated on the west bank of the river, extending back from the riverbank Ghats to a winding maze of picturesque alleys and tall houses, dotted with temples and shops. The city is a centre of education and art, as well being a religious centre. After your cruise along the river, you’ll head to the magnificent Krishna Balarama Temple, where Hare Krishna devotees come from all around the world to worship. 

After breakfast back at your hotel, you’ll head off to explore Sarnath, around 10km from the centre of the city. Sarnath symbolised the birth of Buddhism – it was here that Buddha revealed his doctrine and founded his monastic community. The museum in Sarnath is one of the most important in India and contains carvings representing a whole range of styles, covering work of sculptors as far back as the 3rd Century BC. 

In the evening you’ll visit the Ghats to witness the even Aarti. Aarti is a Sanskrit word which stands for homage or devotion. The aarti or offering of the lamps is observed at prescribed hours of the day and night to invoke the gods. It is believed that the gods physically present themselves before devotees at this ceremony. The lamps are revolved before the idols in a clockwise manner along with the chanting of hymns. This recitation is accompanied by drums, blowing of the conch-shell and tolling of the temple bells. At the end of the `aarti’, the priest takes a handful of water which he revolves around the god's idol.

Included: Breakfast, guiding, 5* hotel     

Day 7: Fly to Kolkata

This morning, you’ll be driven to the airport for your flight to Kolkata, where you’ll be met at the airport This frenetic city is the gateway to Eastern India, with a rich intellectual and cultural heritage.

Included: Breakfast, transfers, internal flight, 5* hotel    

Day 8: Kolkata

After a delicious breakfast, you’ll head out for a full day tour of Kolkata. You’ll start at the Flower Market, filling your nose with the sweet scent of the colourful flowers and seeing the city come to life in the early morning. Then you’ll stop by the Howrah Bridge to view the impressive structure before heading to the Dakshineswar Kali Temple. Built in 1847, this twelve-spired temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and is associated with Ramakrishna, who achieved spiritual wisdom here. You’ll finish the day at the College Street Book Market, famous for its vast array of titles. The largest second-hand book market in the world, you’ll be sure to find something to take home as a souvenir.

Included: Breakfast, guiding, 5* hotel  

Day 9: Board your Ganges River Cruise    

This morning you’ll be collected from your hotel to board the ship by 11am. Sailing upstream, you’ll pass 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 experience a slice of Islamic history in Bengal. After the visit, reboard the boat and start sailing, leaving the urban sprawl of Kolkata far behind. 

Included: All meals, cabin onboard the ABN Rajmahal   

Day 10: Ganges River Cruise

Enjoy breakfast as you soak up the ever-changing views along the river, before landing at the country town of Kalna. Here you’ll take cycle rickshaws to see a group of some of Bengal’s most attractive terracotta temples, as well as the unique Shiva temple with its concentric rings made up of 108 shrinelets. 

After this, the cruise will 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 downstream as dusk falls to a mooring near Kalna.

Included: All meals, cabin onboard the ABN Rajmahal   

Day 11: Ganges River Cruise

​This morning you’ll sail downstream and visit a saree-weaving village before continuing to Chandernagore. A French possession until 1950, this old colonial town offers a chance to visit an 18th century church as well as Dupleix Palace, the erstwhile residence of the Governor-General of French India and now a fascinating museum. In the late afternoon, you’ll sail on down to Kolkata.

Included: All meals, cabin onboard the ABN Rajmahal   

Day 12: Disembark Ganges River Cruise

After breakfast, you’ll wave goodbye to the ABN Rajmahal and her crew and head back to your hotel in Kolkata. Spend the afternoon relaxing by the pool or head out into the city to explore anything you missed on your first visit. Why not head out to enjoy a delicious dinner tonight and toast your fantastic trip along the Ganges. 

Included: Breakfast, transfers, 5* hotel                  

Day 13: Depart Kolkata

This morning you’ll be driven to the airport in time for your flight home.                 

Included: Breakfast, transfers, international flights         

Day 14: Arrive UK