DAY 1 ARRIVAL NEW DELHI
Welcome to India! Transfer from airport to your hotel and enjoy the rest of your day at leisure.
Rest of day at leisure.
DAY 2 CITY TOUR OF DELHI
We start our exploration in India with a Heritage Walk around Delhi with a twist. The tour will be guided by former street children who have overcame adversity thanks to the work of Salaam Baalak Trust. We visit India’s largest Mosque ‘Jama Masjid’ built in 1644 AD showcasing finest Islamic style of architecture and explore real life of Old Delhi through maze like streets of the iconic Ancient Bazaar ‘Chandni Chowk’ and Asia’s largest Spice Market before saying goodbye to our morning guides from the Salaam Baalak Trust.
In the afternoon, we experience colonial-era Delhi at Lutyens Delhi including the Mahatma Gandhi Museum - Birla House and the Bangla Sahib Gurudwara temple. At the temple we also volunteer inside its Holy Community Kitchen that daily feeds over 10,000 devotees, pilgrims and homeless. We then visit the ceremonial boulevard Raj Path to witness Sir Edwin Lutyens’ finest works from 1920’s British Raj Era including colonial government buildings, India Gate, President House and Parliament House. We end the day at Connaught Place named after the Duke of Connaught and surrounds the central park of Delhi.
DAY 3 AGRA
Drive to Agra, the Mughal Era city that is home to the wonder of the world Taj Mahal! After check-in at the hotel, continue with a Heritage Walk inside India’s finest Mughal fortress The Red Fort of Agra, an acclaimed UNESCO heritage site and the imperial residence of 16th century rulers of the Mughal Dynasty. In late afternoon we visit Mehtab Bagh or moonlit garden where some of the best views of the Taj Mahal can be found without the crowds. Built in the traditional Charbagh style of Mughal gardens by Emperor Babur, the first emperor of the Mughal dynasty.
DAY 4 TAJ MAHAL - JAIPUR
Start the day with a Sunrise Grand Tour of the Taj Mahal, which was built in 1630 by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal who died giving birth to their 14th child. Combining Islamic, Persian, Ottoman Turkish and Indian design elements, it’s an awe-inspiring structure of elegant domes and white marble, which changes colour along with the light – pink at sunrise, pearly white in the afternoon and silver-gold in the full moon. Return to the hotel for breakfast before checking out.
Continue the jewel of India’s crown, the royal heritage state of Rajasthan, and arrive in its pink coloured capital city Jaipur. Enroute visit spectacular Underground Step-wells Chand Baori that lie hidden deep in the village of Abhaneri. This 10th century built zigzagged stepwell is a geometric wonder where Royals used to picnic, and today a popular spot thanks to the film Best Exotic Marigold Hotel. Check-in at your hotel in Jaipur.
DAY 5 JAIPUR
We begin the day early with a visit to the flower market before breakfast. Travel by electric tuk tuk operated by another local NGO The Pink City Rickshaw Company who provide employment and training to women from low-income households in Jaipur.
After breakfast at the hotel we visit some of the most famous sport in Jaipur, including Jaipur City Palace, Palace of Winds, Jantar Mantar Observatory, Amer fort plus spend some time roaming the local bazar. Following a full day of adventure, return to your hotel and enjoy the evening at leisure.
DAY 6 JAIPUR - DEPARTURE
Check out of your hotel and transfer for your domestic flight to your departure point. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel and enjoy the rest of the evening at your leisure before you join your expedition in the morning.
DAY 7 KOLKATA - BARRACKPORE
Check out of your hotel and transfer for your domestic flight to your departure point. Upon arrival, transfer to your hotel and enjoy the rest of the evening at your leisure before you join your expedition in the morning.
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 8 CHANDENAGORE
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 9 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 10 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 11 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 12 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 13 AJIMGANJ - 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 14 FARAKKA - RAJMAHAL
Today pass through the Farraka Barrage onto the Ganges proper. In the afternoon we explore the quaint town of Rajmahal.
DAY 15 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 16 BHAGLAPUR – 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 17 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 18 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 19 BARH
Explore Barh, a town famous for Hindu ritual cremation at Urmanath and the Alakhnath Temple.
DAY 20 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 21 DISEMBARK SHIP - ARRIVE 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.
Overnight: Taj Ganges Hotel Varanasi
Meals: None
DAY 22 VARANASI
Take rowing boats for sunrise over the bathing ghats along the Ganges. After breakfast, visit the old city and explore the labyrinth of narrow streets, visiting Kashi Vishwanath temple and witnessing local weavers in action. After lunch, visit Sarnath where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon at the Deer Park. Finish the day with a walk along the Ghats to witness the Aarti rituals before feasting on the local delicacies at the Kebab Factory.
Overnight: Taj Ganges Hotel Varanasi
Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
DAY 23 ONWARD TRAVELS
After breakfast in your hotel, check out and transfer to the airport for your onward journey.
Meals: Breakfast