Enjoy this river cruise in the Legendary River Ganga the most holy river of the world. This 13 Days Tour will take you to the different city where river Ganga flows and explore the cities.
Visit: Kolkata – Chandannagar – Kalna – Murshidabad – Farakka – Raj Mahal – Bateshwar Sthan – Sultanganj – Simaria – Rajgir – Varanasi
Duration: 12 Nights / 13 Days
Tour Itinerary
Day 1 Arrive At Kolkatta
Arrive in Kolkata and transfer to the Taj Bengal Hotel.
Meals included: Dinner
Overnight: Taj Bengal
Day 2 Kolkata – Chandannagar
This morning visit the city of Kolkata. The morning tour will take us to the Colonial parts of Kolkata; we will drive a section of the Heritage Buildings of Kolkata covering Writers’ Building, The General Post Office, The High court, The Raj Bhawan, The Town Hall, Council House, Treasury Building, The Reserve Bank of India also visit the Dalhousie Square and the drive past St. John’s Church.
Lunch will be at the local restaurant.
In the afternoon drive to Bandel to board the Ship en-route to visit Chandannagar.
Chandannagar was established as a French colony in 1673, when the French obtained permission from Ibrahim Khan, the Nawab of Bengal, to 
establish a trading post on the bank of the Hooghly River. Bengal was then a province of the Mughal Empire, and it became a permanent French settlement in 1688. On arrival at the former French colony, we will walk through French Colonial buildings and along the promenade, passing the former French Governor’s residence now converted into a museum, (we will visit if open), the church and the old bakery. Some of the other buildings have now been converted into college and schools. The Hoogly Imambara in Bandel is one of the famous Shiya pilgrimage centre in West Bengal. The building was started in the year 1841 by Haji Mohammad Mahasin and was completed in the year 1861. The two storied building consisting of ranged rooms having a wide entrance of main gate flanked by two giant towers. The gravelly gong of the Victorian-era clock, the winding key of which reportedly weighs 20kg, breaks the reverie. Eighty-five large chandeliers, including Persian ones and 165 smaller lamps light up the Imambara’s gorgeous halls and passages every Muharram, when pilgrims descend on the famous Shia pilgrimage site. Today it houses Hamza-e-Ilmia, Higher Religious Education Centre. Drive to the landing site and take a local boat to approach and board the Bengal Ganga and sail.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight – On board
Day 3 Kalna
After breakfast arrive at Kalna – Here enjoy a ride Rickshaws to visit the enchanting Rajbari complex that has the maximum concentration of temples.
The complex contains a unique mixture of Bengal’s temple architecture. On one side of the road lies the Nabakailas Temples. Built in 1809 by the Bardhaman Maharaja, the complex contains 108 ‘aat – chala’ or “eight sloped roofed” Shiva temples arranged in two concentric circles. The outer circle consists of 74 temples of alternate black and white lingams while the 34 temples of the inner circle have only white lingams. Due to its ingenious planning all Shiva lingams can be seen from the centre of the temple.
On the other side of the road lies a walled complex, containing the most diversified form of Bengal’s temple architecture. The Pratapeshwar Temple, built in 1849 contains terra cotta plaques depicting themes of Hindu epics, mythical life of Sree Chaitanya, images of Durga and various aspects of day to day life. The other temples are the Lalji temple built in 1739, the oldest in the complex, Krishnachandra temple built in 1751 is similar to the Lalji temple. The complex also houses a flat roofed temple of Giri Govardhan.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight – On board 
Day 4 Murshidabad
After breakfast we visit the Hazarduari Palace, built during the reign of Nawab Nazim Humayun Jah (1824 – 1838 AD) by an English architect, McLeod Duncan following the Greek “Doric” style. The palace has more than a thousand real and false doors in the vast corridors.
Inside the palace museum one can observe a wide collection of antiquities including various kinds of weapons, oil paintings of Dutch, French and Italian artists, marble statues, metal objects, porcelain and stucco statues, farmans, rare books, old maps, manuscripts, land revenue records, palanquin mostly belonging to eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Also visit the Katra mosque.
After Murshidabad, sail past the Temples of Baranagar to Jangipur. The Temple complex was built in 1714 – 1793 by Rani Bhabani, the landlord of Natore. The brick-built temples are considered to be amongst the best examples of Bengal Terra cotta art.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight – On board
Day 5 Jangipur – Farakka
Morning visit the village of Akbarpur, where local weavers make cotton textile sheets as a cottage industry. Later we enter the Farakka feeder canal and anchor before the lock gate.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight – On board
Day 6 Farakka – Raj Mahal
In the morning enter the lock gate and through the connecting canal to the Ganges revealing vast Panoramas. We can see the Farakka barrage which regulates the Ganges water into Bangladesh and India. We sail past Raj Mahal, once known as Akbarnagar, founded by the Mogul Emperor Akbar as capital of Bengal in 1592. Shah Jahan, builder of the Taj Mahal, spent a part of his youth here. After arrival we walk around and explore ruins of palaces and the mosques, we also walk through the areas where China Clay is mined.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight – On board
Day 7 Raj Mahal – Bateshwarsthan
Full day cruising; time permitting we will explore some of the local villages and towns situated near the banks of the Ganges. This area is rich in bird life. Large flocks of water birds including Common Cranes can be seen here.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight – On board
Day 8 Bateshwarsthan – Sultanganj
This morning visit the Vikramshila University. Established by King Dharampala in late 8th or early 9th Century A.D. Vikramshila University was one of the two most important centres of Buddhist learning in India during the reign of the Pala dynasty along with Nalanda University. Vikramashila was one of the largest Buddhist universities having more than one hundred teachers and about one thousand students. Subjects like theology, philosophy, grammar, metaphysics and logic were taught here.
Later cruise through the Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin sanctuary, established for the protection and conservation of the Ganges River Dolphins. The area also supports a rich diversity of other wildlife, many of which are threatened with extinction. These species include the Indian smooth-coated Otter, several species of hard, and soft, shell turtles, and an astounding variety of migratory and resident migratory birds.
Sail past Sultanganj conspicuous for two great rocks of granite, one of which on the river bank is crowned by a mosque. The second and larger one is occupied by a temple of Ghaibinath Siva. During the rule of the Mauryas, Guptas and Palas many works of art and architecture were raised at Sultanganj. Excavation near Sultanpur has yielded ancient relics like stupas, seals, coins, terra cotta and Hindu and Buddha images. Many carvings can still be seen in the Sultanganj hills.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight – On board
Day 9 Sultanganj – Munger – Simaria
This morning visit Munger. Munger has remnants of a Mogul fort, as well as an 18 century British Cemetery.
Visit Bihar School of Yoga: Established in 1963 by Swami Niranjanananda Bihar School of Yoga in order to preserve and regenerate the total scope of yogic science by combining academic and scien¬tific methodology with a spiritual vision.
Later sail for Simaria.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight – On board
Day 10 Simaria – Nalanda – Rajgir
Today visit Nalanda & Rajgir.
Nalanda perhaps is the oldest seat of learning in India. It treasures a glorious past, rich spiritual herit¬age and some extraordinary architectural ruins believed to be established in 5th century by the Gupta Kings. Continue to Rajgir, the first capital of the Magadha Empire. Buddha not only spent many years in Rajgir, but also delivered important sermons here.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight – On board
Day 11 Patna – Varanasi Via Bodh Gaya
Early morning, leave for Varanasi. En-route, visit Bodhgaya – a UNESCO World Heritage Site one of the most important and sacred Buddhist pilgrimage centre for the Buddhists. It was here, under a banyan tree, “the Bodhi Tree” Gautama attained supreme knowledge to become “Buddha”, the Enlightened One.
Later continue to Varanasi. Upon arrival, check in at hotel – Gateway hotel on Ganges. In the evening, visit the Ghats to view the Aarti on the Ganges.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight: Gateway hotel on Ganges
Day 12 Varanasi
This morning visit the ruins and Museum at Sarnath. The city is famous as the seat where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon after attaining enlightenment in Bodh Gaya. Archeological Museum of Sarnath contains a large collection of sculptures that stand testimony to the fervent artistic and religious activity for more than a thousand years.
Meals included: Breakfast, Lunch & Dinner
Overnight: Gateway hotel on Ganges
Day 13 Depart Varanasi
After breakfast, transfer to airport for your flight to onward destination.
Package Inclusions:
- Hotel accommodation and all meals as indicated by the programs
- Indian Brand Mineral Water at the time of meals
- Sightseeing as described in the Itinerary
- English Speaking Guide
- All Entrance Fees
- Transfers by car/minivan/coach as per programs
- Camera fees (still)
- Local assistance
- Government Service Tax
- Fuel surcharges if applicable (*)
Package Exclusions:
- International or domestic flights
- Wine and Spirits or Beverages
- Personal laundry
- All visa costs
- Gratuities to staff
- All items of a personal nature
- Health, accident, baggage or travel protection plan outside the ship’s boundaries
For More Info: http://www.hi-tours.com/india/cruises/cruise-details.aspx?CPName=incredibly-on-the-ganges