Cruise the Ganges

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- Arrival transfer
- 4 night twin share hotel accommodation
- 7 nights accommodation on-board riverboat
- 12 breakfasts, 6 lunches & 7 dinners
- All transport to/from included activities & between destinations
- Assistance of a Chief Experience Officer (CEO) throughout
- Excursion to Rajmahal
- Visit Bateshwar and Vikramshila Buddhist Monastery, Jehangira Island, Pawapuri Lake and a Jain temple
- Patna city tour
- Explore the Mahabodhi temple complex and meet with a local monk
- Orientation walk of Varanasi
- Lecture on the Ganges
- Sunset and sunrise boat trips on the Ganges River
- Rickshaw excursion to Monghyr
- Explore Nalanda Buddhist Monastery and museum

** Allow USD135-175 for meals not included. Drinks & tips on board not included.

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Kolkata

Arrive at any time & transfer to your hotel. Arrival transfer included.

Kolkata/Farakka

Catch a train from Kolkata to Farakka & embark on the riverboat this afternoon.

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Farakka/Manihāri Ghāt

Sail upstream to Rajmahal, a village with a fantastic local atmosphere. Explore the remains of palaces, forts, & mosques submerged in vegetation before sailing on as far as Manihari Ghat.

Manihāri Ghāt/Kahalgaon

Cruise upriver to idyllic Bateshwar & visit 6th century rock carvings. Afterwards, drive a short distance to the impressive ruins of a Buddhist monastery at Vikramshila.

Kahalgaon/Sultānganj

Keep an eye out for South Asian river dolphins this morning as you sail to Bhagalpur, a centre of silk production. Visit a mansion & silk-weaving village. Continue on to Jehangira Island & enjoy an excursion to view ancient Hindu rock carvings.

Sultānganj/Sita Kund

Sail to Munger & take a rickshaw ride through the town to view the remnants of a Mughal fort & an East India Company cemetery. Visit the local bazaar, Pirpahar Hill, &  Sitakund hot springs. Walk through the village & fields before getting back on-board.

Sita Kund/Bārh

This morning pass under the great bridge at Mokama, where the naturalist Jim Corbett spent his working life overseeing the ferry crossing. Stop to visit a bankside village &  stretch your legs. Cruise on to Barh & moor for the evening.

Bārh/Patna

Enjoy a full day excursion to Nalanda. Visit an excavated Buddhist monastery & stupa, & the picturesque Jain temple at Pawapuri. Continue to Patna & reboard the boat for the night.

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Patna/Bodh Gaya

Disembark & discover Patna on a morning tour visiting the Golghar granary, the great Sikh temple, & the State Museum. Afterwards, transfer to the small town of Bodh Gaya to explore the Mahabodhi Temple Complex, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Meet with a monk to discuss the history of the area & visit the spot where the Buddha found enlightenment.

Bodh Gaya/Varanasi

Drive to Varanasi, the quintessential Indian holy city. This afternoon, enjoy a lecture at the Ghats of the Ganges by a Research Scholar from Benaras Hindu University, & talk about the river's significance spiritually, socially, economically & politically. After, embark on a boat trip on the sacred Ganges at sunset. Enjoy a candle & flower ceremony accompanied by sitar & tabla playing, & observe an evening aarti (prayer) ceremony.

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Varanasi

Rise early for a sunrise boat ride along the Ganges to observe the dawn rituals of bathing & burial. After, have breakfast at Open Hand, a vocational training cafe & one of G Adventures' grassroots partners. Learn about this social enterprise whose mission is to provide dignified & meaningful job opportunities to underprivileged people in India. This afternoon take an excursion to Sarnath, a pilgrimage site where it is said the Buddha preached his first sermon.

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Varanasi

Depart at any time.