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The All Ganges River - India River Cruise

15 day river cruise through India

In 2019 we inaugurated an ‘all Ganges’ voyage of one thousand miles from Kolkata to Varanasi. Due to the challenges of navigation and the obstruction of numerous pontoon bridges it has been decided to sail as far as Patna and then overland to Varanasi.

The sailing does though cover the best of the Ganges from the colonial splendours of Kolkotta, through the enchanting rural arcadia of West Bengal along the Hoogly and the great expanse of the Ganga itself with its pristine bird and wildlife and cultural treasures dotted along the banks. Though in the days of the British Raj paddle steamers plied this route on a regular basis, with the advent of the railways in India river navigation was abandoned and the rivers were allowed to silt up. Now thanks to a multi-million dollar investment from the Indian Government channels have been dredged and buoyed and hi tech GPS based aids installed enabling seasonal navigation.

Varanasi, said to be the oldest inhabited city on the planet is the most sacred city of Hinduism and a place of overwhelming beauty at the same time poignantly moving with its cremation ghats. Varanasi is surely the goal of any ‘passage to India’ and at the other end of the holy river stands Kolkata, in all its Raj-like magnificence. Between lies several of the most important Buddhist sites in the country, fascinating cities great and small as well as expanses of empty river teeming with bird life, not to mention the Gangeatic dolphin.

No vessel could be more appropriate for a voyage on ‘All the Ganges’ than our ultra shallow draft Pandaw K class ships.

Your tour highlights

• Barrackpore: Begin your journey in Kolkata, sailing to Barrackpore. Explore the cantonment, including landmarks like the Semaphore Tower, Government House, the Temple of Fame, and Flagstaff House.
• Chandenagore: Sail upstream to Chandernagore, a former French possession. Visit the 18th-century church and Dupleix’s House, the residence of the erstwhile Governor-General of French India.
• Mayapur: Explore the village of Mayapur, headquarters of the ISKCON movement, with a temple comparable in size to the Vatican. Interact with Krishna followers and stroll through the pilgrims’ bazaar.
• Murshidabad: Visit the Khushbagh, a Mughal-style garden enclosing the tombs of the last independent Nawab of Bengal and his family. Explore the Hazarduari Palace, Katra Mosque, Nashipara Palace, and Katgola Palace, representing the ‘White Mughal’ period.

Tour itinerary

Day
1
Kolkata - Barrackpore

Transfer from your hotel or airport in Kolkata to embark and sail at noon. Sail past the old Danish colony of Serampore to Barrackpore to land and take a walk through the cantonment – past the Semaphore Tower, Government House, the Temple of Fame and Flagstaff House.

Day
2
Chandernagore

Continue sailing upstream to Chandernagore, a French possession until 1950. Visit the 18th century church and Dupleix’s House, erstwhile Governor-General of French India.

Day
3
Kalna

After breakfast sail upstream and land at the country town of Kalna and take rickshaws to see a group of some of Bengal’s most attractive terracotta temples, as well as the unique Shiva temple with concentric rings made up of 108 lesser shrines. Sail on through the night to a mooring near Matiari.

Day
4
Mayapur

Explore the village of Mayapur, the headquarters of the ISKCON movement with a new temple comparable in size to the Vatican and largely funded by Alfred B. Ford, the great grandson of car maker Henry Ford. Meet Krishna followers and walk through the pilgrims’ bazaar.

Day
5
Matiari

Visit the brass-working village of Matiari, a charming riverside village. Interact with the locals of Matiari and witness the whole primitive process of beating out brass water pots and other vessels. Continue cruising upstream and time permitting visit the battlefield of Plassey where, in 1757, Robert Clive, the Commander-in-Chief of British India, defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah, the last independent Nawab of Bengal, to change the course of Indian history. Moor close to Murshidabad for the night.

Day
6
Murshidabad

This morning, walk to the Khushbagh, a peaceful Mughal-style garden that encloses the tombs of Siraj-ud-Daulah – the last independent Nawab of Bengal – and his family. Continue a little way upstream to where the great Hazarduari Palace dominates the waterfront. Built by an English architect in 1837, the palace hosts an extensive collection of pictures, china, weapons and other objects. Carry on to visit the great Katra Mosque and Nashipara Palace before driving out to see the Katgola Palace. Built in classical Georgian style by rich local merchants, Katgola Palace represents the other side of the coin of the ‘White Mughal’ period when English and Indian cultures came close to fusion. Moor overnight on the riverbank across from town.

Day
7
Farakka

Continue up the Hoogly which transforms into a charming waterway twisting and turning between banks lined with mustard fields and mango orchards. Morning walk through the fields of the delightfully sleepy village of Baranagar to visit its three gorgeous miniature terracotta temples. This is rural India at its most idyllic. Visit the Jain temples at Azimganj before continuing on to the Farakka Barrage.

Day
8
Farakka - Raj Mahal

Today pass through the Farraka Barrage onto the Ganges proper. In the afternoon we explore the quaint town of Rajmahal.

Day
9
Sailing

We sail up the mighty Ganges river toward the confluence with the Koshi river. Stop along the way for a short village walk and enjoy our onboard entertainment.

Day
10
Bhagalapur - Sultanganj

We sail early morning toward Bhaglapur, a hub of silk production. We witness the silk weaving and explore this small town before returning to the ship for lunch. In the afternoon we visit Sultanganj with its pair of great granite rocks, one crowned with a mosque and the other a small temple dating from the 16th century.

Day
11
Munger

Munger is now a large and industrialised city but has an interesting history. In 1762, Mir Qasim, the Nawab of Bengal, shifted his capital from Murshidabad to Munger, and established a firearms manufacturing centre here. Explore the Mughal fort, East India Company cemetery and step inside the Bihar School of Yoga founded in 1964 by Satyananda Saraswati. One of the leading yoga schools in the country. The institution has developed yogic techniques through a synthesis of traditional yogic, vedantic and tantric practices and contemporary health science.

Day
12
Mokama

Stop at Mokama, once home to Jim Corbett the naturalist and protector of the Indian tigers. Surrounded by farmlands, Mokama has the second hightest production of lentils in the country. Learn about the freedom fighters from Mokama such as Lalldin Saheb, whose during the freedom struggle was sentenced to jail during the British rule.

Day
13
Barh

Explore Barh, a town famous for Hindu ritual cremation at Urmanath and the Alakhnath Temple.

Day
14
Patna

Enjoy a city tour of Patna, capital of Bihar state including a visit to The Golghar, a large stupa styled granary built in 1786. Farewell dinner with your crew.

Day
15
Patna - Varanasi

Disembark your Pandaw vessel ready and transfer to Patna station for your 1st class train to Varanasi. Upon arrival to Varanasi, transfer to your hotel or the airport.

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Tour pricing:

from $14,150

per person twin/double share*

To secure your place now:

Phone: 03 364 3400 or 0800 747 737
Email: [email protected]

Contact Us for details

Tour Inclusions:

• Voyage on board in selected cabin category
• Welcome cocktail party
• Signature hors d’oeuvres at cocktails each evening
• Afternoon tea with cakes or cookies when cruising
• Celebration cake and gift on birthdays and anniversaries
• Cookery demonstrations and classes using local produce
• All scheduled excursions
• At least two cultural performances per cruise
• Tour of the engine rooms, galley and working parts of the ship
• Film presentations on local culture and history
• Local mineral water
• Cold towels on deck all day
• Jugged coffee, tea and tisanes on deck from sunrise till sunset
• Crew gratuities are included in your cruise program price

Not included:

• International and domestic flights • Travel insurance • Passport and visa costs • Gratuities for land guides/drivers • Spa service including foot, head and body massages (Mekong only) • Personal laundry service • Local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas & tisanes are all complimentary. All other drinks will be charged.

Conditions:

This itinerary passes through the state of Bihar. In this state it is illegal to serve any drinks containing alcohol. For this reason we will not be able to serve alcohol onboard the ship while in the state of Bihar. This will affect the Upstream itinerary from day 8 until arrival in Varanasi and for the Downstream itinerary upon arrival to Patna until day 8.
We had an amazing time in India, loved it. Thank you for your recommendation and for making all the arrangements for us. Our Intrepid guide was fantastic - I think he won best Intrepid guide for India in 2023.
India, Paul & Sheila
Our trip was fabulous!! Every aspect was extremely well organised and so easy. GAdventures and our tour guide, Tam, had a well planned and great itinerary so while we got to see some amazing sights, it was still really well paced and relaxing. The timing for everything that you and the GAdventures tour organised for us was perfect. We had no glitches at all and would highly recommend all of the options to others. Thanks so much for all of your efforts for us; they were much appreciated. Hopefully we can arrange another wonderful trip with you again in the not too distant future.
Vietnam & Cambodia, Chris & Robyn
We have had an excellent holiday and a much-needed break. Thank you for your part in making our holiday a success.
Indonesia, Jane & Richard
Our trip was outstanding, our guide was great and we had a whole lot of optional extras that we took the opportunity to enjoy. Everything was seamless and well organised, we had a fantastic group that was just 11 people through Vietnam and 1 extra joined us through Cambodia. I couldn't speak highly enough of G Adventures and their staff. It was a truly memorable experience and I would certainly recommend. Many thanks for all your help and yes we are slowly readjusting to the freezing weather here!
Vietnam & Cambodia, Robyn
My trip to India was fabulous and went without any issues. Thank You!
India, Janine