Ganges River Cruise Encompassed

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- Arrival transfer
- 1 night twin share comfort hotel accommodation
- 13 nights accommodation on-board Varuna riverboat
- 14 breakfasts, 13 lunches & 13 dinners
- All transport to/from included activities & between destinations
- Assistance of a Chief Experience Officer (CEO) throughout
- Visit Pirpahar Hill & Sitakund Hot Springs, Sultanganj, Mansion & silk-weaving village, Bateshwar Temple, 8th-century Buddhist stupa ruins & monastery, Rajmahal, Baranagar village & temple, Hazarduari Palace, Katra Mosque, Nashipara & Katgola palaces, Battlefield of Plassey, Brassworking village of Matiari, Hare Krishna temple, Shiva temple, Imambara, Chandannagar & Barrackpore
- Patna city tour
- Rickshaw ride to a Mughal fort & the East India Company cemetery (Munger)
- Full day excursion to Malda
- Cycle rickshaw excursion to the Khushbagh
- Cycle rickshaw excursion to terracotta temples (Kalna)

** Allow USD55-75 for meals not included. Drinks & tips on board not included.

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Patna

Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer included.

Patna

Enjoy a free day to explore Patna before a 4pm embarkation.

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Patna/Bārh

Enjoy a morning tour of Patna, visiting the extraordinary 18th-century Golghar granary, the great Sikh temple, & the State Museum. Continue on by ship, passing near the old East India Company opium warehouses & cruise down to moor for the evening at Barh.

Bārh/Mokāma

Enjoy an excursion to the excavated Buddhist monastery & stupa at Nalanda, with a visit to the adjoining museum. After, visit the Pawapuri Jain temple, situated in the middle of a lake. Return to the vessel & continue to the bridge at Mokama, where earlier the famous naturalist Jim Corbett spent his working life overseeing the ferry crossing.

Mokāma/Sultānganj

Sail down to Munger. Take a rickshaw ride through the town to view the remnants of a Mughal fort & the East India Company cemetery. Visit the bazaars with the locals before exploring Pirpahar Hill & Sitakund Hot Springs. Continuing walking through the village &  fields before getting back on-board. Continue on to anchor near Jehangira Island at Sultanganj, a pilgrimage spot with early Hindu carvings in the rock.

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Sultānganj/Bhāgalpur

Spend the morning sailing a stretch of the river where South Asian river dolphins may be seen to Bhagalpur, a centre of silk production. Visit a mansion & silk-weaving village. Continue on close to the island shrine at Colganj, boasting Hindu & Buddhist cave temples. Visit Bateshwar Temple with 6th-century Hindu carvings, & the nearby ruins of an 8th-century Buddhist stupa & monastery at Vikramshila. Anchor for the night near the confluence with the Kosi River coming down from Nepal.

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Bhāgalpur/Farakka Barrage

Sail downstream to Rajmahal, a village offering both points of interest & fantastic local atmosphere. Shah Jehan, builder of the Taj Mahal, spent much of his youth here. Explore the remains of palaces, forts, & mosques submerged in vegetation before continuing on down to the Farakka Barrage.

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Farakka Barrage/Farakka

Continue on to Farakka & set off for a full day excursion by road to Gaur, near the town of Malda (English Bazaar). Visit a number of sights from the 12th-century Hindus &  14th-century Muslims. Rejoin the ship in the evening.

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Farakka/Jangipur

Sail down the canal to Jangipur. In the afternoon, explore this small country town on foot.

Jangipur/Murshidābād

Sail down the Hooghly River en route to the small village of Baranagar. Walk through the fields to reach the terracotta temples & get a taste of rural Indian life. Continue to Murshidabad to visit the Nawab’s great Hazarduari Palace. Visit the Katra Mosque before driving to two 18th-century buildings – the Nashipara Palace & the Katgola Palace.

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Murshidābād/Matiari

This morning, travel by cycle rickshaw to the Khushbagh, a peaceful Moghul-style garden. Continue on the river past Berhampur, to a rural mooring near the battlefield of Plassey & opt to walk to the commemorative obelisk. Cruise on to a mooring near Katwa for the night.

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Matiari/Māyāpur

Start the day with a visit to the brassworking village of Matiari to witness their ancient techniques. Later continue to Mayapur with a visit to the Hare Krishna temple. Enjoy a few of the older temples & see a giant banyan tree.

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Māyāpur/Chunchura

Explore the country town of Kalna. Take cycle rickshaws to see a group of some of Bengal’s most attractive terracotta temples & visit a Shiva temple. Continue to Chinsurah, to visit the historic Dutch cemetery. After, take cyclos to the Imambara before reboarding the vessel.

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Chunchura/Bārākpur

Sail to Chandannagar, a former French possession, to explore. Continue to Barrackpore. Disembark for a walking tour around the main sights.

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Bārākpur/Kolkata

Cruise under the Howrah Bridge to central Kolkata to disembark. Transfer to central Kolkata or the airport. Tour ends on arrival.