Historic Lower Ganges River Cruise

Days 1-2 Calcutta  
Upon arrival transfer to your hotel. The next day enjoy a half day tour of this wonderful city (officially renamed Kolkata), whose strong colonial heritage contrasts dramatically with the successes and struggles of modern India.  

Days 3-9 Lower Ganges River Cruise  
Board the ABN Rajmahal and set off upstream. Highlights of your cruise include taking cycle rickshaws through the countryside in Kalna to discover some of Bengal’s most attractive terracotta temples as well as a visit to the battlefield of Plassey. It was here in 1757 that Robert Clive, the Commander-in-Chief of British India, defeated the last independent ruler of Bengal, and in doing so changed the course of Indian history. The latter part of your voyage takes you through rural India at its most idyllic as the mighty river transforms into a charming waterway lined with sleepy riverside villages, mustard fields and mango orchards. There is also an excursion to the spellbinding ruins of Gaur, once one of India’s great cities, first under the Hindus in the 12th Century, then as the Muslim capital of Eastern India until the 16th Century.                 

Day 10 Farakka to Calcutta    
This morning disembark and transfer back to Calcutta by train.

Day 11 Calcutta    
Transfer to the airport.