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EXPLORE INDIA FURTHER

THE UPPER GANGES & BRAHMAPUTRA RIVER

19 NIGHTS FROM US$9,866.00
NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT ON SELECTED DATES

New 19 night combo cruise

Join us for a grand tour of India sailing 19 days along the glorious Ganges & mighty Brahmaputra rivers. Inclusive of flights and transfers between Kolkata and Guwahati, Pandaw's newest combo cruise invites you to experience the best of India's waterways aboard our timeless colonial vessels. Add on one of our pre and post-cruise packages to Dehli & the golden triangle for a truly 'All India' experience.

CHECK AVAILABILITY & BOOK ONLINE

or call TOLL FREE 1-877-872-6329
represented by Sayang Holidays
19 NIGHTS FROM US$9,866.00
NO SINGLE SUPPLEMENT ON SELECTED DATES

New 19 night combo cruise

IMAGES

EXPEDITION MAP

YOUR SHIP

OPTIONAL EXTENSIONS

PRE CRUISE EXTENSIONS

Delhi & Taj Mahal & Guwahati 4 Nights Pre Tour

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Ancient Kingdom Of Bhutan Pre Tour 6 Nights

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6 Night India's Golden Triangle Pre Tour

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POST CRUISE EXTENSIONS

Delhi & Taj Mahal 3 Night Post Tour

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Varanasi 2 Night Post Tour

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The Land of Buddha: Varanasi, Gaya and Nalanda 4 night Post Tour

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OPTIONAL PACKAGE ADDONS

Pre-Bookable House Wine Package (India - Upper Ganges)

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Free Flow Drinks & Wine Package (India - Upper Ganges)

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Free Flow Drinks (India - Upper Ganges)

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ITINERARY

Upstream      Downstream

DAY 1 GUWAHATI

Transfer to ship from airport and explore this pleasant Assami city visiting the Nilachai Hill temple and Commonwealth Graves. Late afternoon cast off upriver.

More about Guwahati
Guwahati
Guwahati

DAY 2 SAILING

Sail all day making headway against strong currents through the lush Assami countryside stopping for some exercise in a village of market gardens.

DAY 3 TEZPUR

Exploring the town by trishaw we visit the De Parbatia temple with its richly carved portals and Cole Park with its collection of medieval carvings collected from across the region.

Tezpur
Tezpur

DAY 4 NAMERI NATIONAL PARK

After an early breakfast, drive for some two hours to the Nameri National Park at the foot of the blue hills of Arunachal Pradesh, the old North East Frontier Agency. Here, we take a float trip of around two hours down the Jia-Bhoreli River through the park. There are excellent bird-watching opportunities here (look out for the great Hornbills) and, perhaps, the chance of sighting wild elephants. After lunch, take a village walk before returning to the ship. Continue upstream, passing below a seemingly endless new bridge across the vast width of the riverbed, to moor at Silghat.

DAY 5 KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK

Jeep safari to Kaziranga an area of approximately 430 sq kms, this UNESCO World Heritage is home to the world’s largest population of the Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros as well as the Indian Wild Water Buffalo. It has the highest density of Royal Bengal Tigers withone every five sq. km. The park an incredibly rich biodiversity hotspot with its marshy swamps and thickets of elephant grass, this park supports large populations of Indian elephants, Indian bison, swamp deer, and capped langurs.

Besides wildlife, Kaziranga National Park is also a birding paradise. A few of the bird species found here are the oriental honey buzzard, black-shouldered kite, white-tailed eagle, himalayan griffon to mention a few.

More about Kaziranga National Park
Kaziranga National Park
Kaziranga National Park

DAY 6 TEA GARDENS

Return downstream to visit a tea estate and historic plantation house on the way. Learn about the tea production process from start to finish in this idyllic setting.

DAY 7 SUALKUCHI SILK VILLAGE

Sailing down past Guwhati moor here in the afternoon to see silk production from the cocoon, to spinning and weaving to make the typical saree worn by Assami women.

Sualkuchi Silk Village
Sualkuchi Silk Village

DAY 8 GUWAHATI

Disembark in the morning and transfer to airport for your flight to Kolkata. Overnight in a hotel in Kolkata.

DAY 9 KOLKATA

Transfer from your hotel or airport in Kolkata to embark on your Pandaw ship. Set sail down the Hooghly River, an important distributory of the Ganga to Chandernagore, a French possession until 1950. Stroll along the riverside promenade, visit the 18th century church and Dupleix's House, the erstwhile Governor-General of French India. Return to the ship and continue upstream past the old Dutch settlement of Chinsura and the Portuguese settlement of Bandel.

Kolkata
Kolkata

DAY 10 KALNA

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. On the way back to the ship explore the colourful local market full of fruit sellers and fish mongers. Continue sailing towards Mayapur to explore the vast new ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) temple which dominates the skyline. As the headquarters of ISKCON or the Hare Krishna movement, the temple receives over a million singing and dancing devotees a year from around the world.

More about Kalna

DAY 11 MATIARI

Set off to discover the brass-working village of Matiari. Interact with the local artisans learn how these skilled craftsmen all specialise in a different process – from beating the metal, to etching the designs. Witness the whole process involved to create brass water pots, trays and other vessels Later, cruise on past 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.

Matiari
Matiari

DAY 12 MURSHIDABAD

Take an early 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 cruising towards Murshidabad to where the great Hazarduari Palace dominates the waterfront. Explore the city, a hidden architectural gem along the river with dramatic, whitewashed, colonial-era structures including Katra Mosque and Katgola palaces.

More about Murshidabad

DAY 13 FARAKKA

Cross from the Lower Ganges or Hooghly River to the Ganges itself through the Farraka canal and lock, that was constructed 1963-75. Passing into the great river the great Farraka barrage will be visible just downstream. This effectively dams the Ganges and strategically controls the flow of water into neighbouring Bangaladesh. Enter a section of river rich in bird life, before stopping at Samtaghat, otherwise known as Raj Mahal.

Farakka
Farakka

DAY 14 BATESHWARSTHAN

Passing the confluence of the Kosi river that flows down from Nepal, moor at the pretty town of Bateshwarsthan to uncover the 8th century Buddhist site of Vikramshila, one of the two most important centres of learning in India during the Pala Empire, along with Nalanda.

DAY 15 BHAGLAPUR

Sailing along this stretch of the river provides an opportunity to spot the rare Gangeatic dolphins. Land at Bhaglapur, a centre of silk production, and visit the 18th century mansion of the Collector, Augustus Cleveland.

Bhaglapur
Bhaglapur

DAY 16 SULTANGANJ

Contunue to Jahanigra Island, a place of pilgrimage with many rock carvings in high relief dating from the eighth century depicting aspects of Siva and Vishnu. In the evening moor off 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.

Munger
Munger

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.

Barh
Barh

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 PATNA TO 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.

Patna To Varanasi
Patna To Varanasi

DAY 1 GUWAHATI

Transfer to ship from airport and explore this pleasant Assami city visiting the Nilachai Hill temple and Commonwealth Graves. Late afternoon cast off upriver.

More about Guwahati

DAY 2 SAILING

Sail all day making headway against strong currents through the lush Assami countryside stopping for some exercise in a village of market gardens.

Sailing
Sailing

DAY 3 TEZPUR

Exploring the town by trishaw we visit the De Parbatia temple with its richly carved portals and Cole Park with its collection of medieval carvings collected from across the region.

DAY 4 NAMERI NATIONAL PARK

After an early breakfast, drive for some two hours to the Nameri National Park at the foot of the blue hills of Arunachal Pradesh, the old North East Frontier Agency. Here, we take a float trip of around two hours down the Jia-Bhoreli River through the park. There are excellent bird-watching opportunities here (look out for the great Hornbills) and, perhaps, the chance of sighting wild elephants. After lunch, take a village walk before returning to the ship. Continue upstream, passing below a seemingly endless new bridge across the vast width of the riverbed, to moor at Silghat.

Nameri National Park
Nameri National Park

DAY 5 KAZIRANGA NATIONAL PARK

Jeep safari to Kaziranga an area of approximately 430 sq kms, this UNESCO World Heritage is home to the world’s largest population of the Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros as well as the Indian Wild Water Buffalo. It has the highest density of Royal Bengal Tigers  withone every five sq. km. The park an incredibly rich biodiversity hotspot with its marshy swamps and thickets of elephant grass, this park supports large populations of Indian elephants, Indian bison, swamp deer, and capped langurs.

Besides wildlife, Kaziranga National Park is also a birding paradise. A few of the bird species found here are the oriental honey buzzard, black-shouldered kite, white-tailed eagle, himalayan griffon to mention a few.

More about Kaziranga National Park

DAY 6 TEA GARDENS

Return downstream to visit a tea estate and historic plantation house on the way. Learn about the tea production process from start to finish in this idyllic setting.

Tea Gardens
Tea Gardens

DAY 7 SUALKUCHI SILK VILLAGE

Sailing down past Guwhati moor here in the afternoon to see silk production from the cocoon, to spinning and weaving to make the typical saree worn by Assami women.

DAY 8 GUWAHATI - KOLKATA

Disembark in the morning and transfer to airport for your flight to Kolkata. Upon arrival transfer to the ship for embarkation. Set sail down the Hooghly River, an important distributary of the Ganga to Chandernagore, a French possession until 1950. Stroll along the riverside promenade, visit the 18th century church and Dupleix's House, the erstwhile Governor-General of French India. Return to the ship and continue upstream past the old Dutch settlement of Chinsura and the Portuguese settlement of Bandel.

Guwahati - Kolkata
Guwahati - Kolkata

DAY 9 KALNA

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. On the way back to the ship explore the colourful local market full of fruit sellers and fish mongers. Continue sailing towards Mayapur to explore the vast new ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) temple which dominates the skyline. As the headquarters of ISKCON or the Hare Krishna movement, the temple receives over a million singing and dancing devotees a year from around the world.

More about Kalna

DAY 10 MATIARI

Set off to discover the brass-working village of Matiari. Interact with the local artisans learn how these skilled craftsmen all specialise in a different process – from beating the metal, to etching the designs. Witness the whole process involved to create brass water pots, trays and other vessels Later, cruise on past 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.

Matiari
Matiari

DAY 11 MURSHIDABAD

Take an early 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 cruising towards Murshidabad to where the great Hazarduari Palace dominates the waterfront. Explore the city, a hidden architectural gem along the river with dramatic, whitewashed, colonial-era structures including Katra Mosque and Katgola palaces.

More about Murshidabad

DAY 12 FARAKKA

Cross from the Lower Ganges or Hooghly River to the Ganges itself through the Farraka canal and lock, that was constructed 1963-75. Passing into the great river the great Farraka barrage will be visible just downstream. This effectively dams the Ganges and strategically controls the flow of water into neighbouring Bangaladesh. Enter a section of river rich in bird life, before stopping at Samtaghat, otherwise known as Raj Mahal.

Farakka
Farakka

DAY 13 BATESHWARSTHAN

Passing the confluence of the Kosi river that flows down from Nepal, moor at the pretty town of Bateshwarsthan to uncover the 8th century Buddhist site of Vikramshila, one of the two most important centres of learning in India during the Pala Empire, along with Nalanda.

DAY 14 BHAGLAPUR

Sailing along this stretch of the river provides an opportunity to spot the rare Gangeatic dolphins. Land at Bhaglapur, a centre of silk production, and visit the 18th century mansion of the Collector, Augustus Cleveland.

Bhaglapur
Bhaglapur

DAY 15 SULTANGANJ

Contunue to Jahanigra Island, a place of pilgrimage with many rock carvings in high relief dating from the eighth century depicting aspects of Siva and Vishnu. In the evening moor off 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 16 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.

Munger
Munger

DAY 17 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 18 BARH

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

Barh
Barh

DAY 19 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 20 PATNA TO 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.

Patna To Varanasi
Patna To Varanasi

WHATS INCLUDED

Cruise Price Includes: Transfer to/from/between Ship, 1 night hotel accomodation in Kolkata (Upstream), entrance fees, guide services (English language), gratuities to crew, main meals, local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas & tisanes.

Price Excludes: International flights, laundry, all visa costs, fuel surcharges (see terms and conditions), all beverages except local mineral water, jugged coffee, teas & tisanes, tipping for guide and drivers.

Please Note:

  • Entry to the Bihar School of Yoga is subject to approval and may not always be possible.
  • We suggest to change money at a bank at the international airport before exiting (currently there is shortage of new money bills in India).
  • 1st Class train tickets are subject to availability.

Weather Condition Warning

River cruising on the Lower and Upper Ganges can be severely affected by fog during the months of December and January. This may impact the sailing schedules and the planned excursions. While every effort will be made to make up time and include all activities this is not always possible. Similarly temperatures can drop significantly overnight and in the early mornings, though during the day warmer temperatures can be expected. Winter temperatures can be below average with many destinations in Bihar and Uttar Pradesh experiencing long spells of cold.

TRANSFERS & JOINING

DAY 1 GUWAHATI

Transfer from your hotel or airport in Guwahati to your Pandaw vessel.

Please note flight arrival should be before 13.00.

DAY 8 GUWAHATI

Disembark after breakfast 08.30. Transfer to Guwahati airport (15km / 30 min) for your flight to Kolkata. Transfer from Kolkata airport to the port to embark the ship.

DAY 9 KOLKATA

Transfer from your hotel or airport in Kolkata at 10:30am to the port to embark the cruise.

DAY 21 PATNA TO VARANASI

Check out after breakfast. Transfer to Patna Train Station. Train to Varanasi & transfer to your hotel or the airport for your onward flight.

DAY 1 GUWAHATI

Transfer from your hotel or airport in Guwahati to your Pandaw vessel.

Please note flight arrival should be before 13.00.

DAY 8 GUWAHATI - KOLKATA

Disembark after breakfast 08.30. Transfer to Guwahati airport (15km / 30 min) for your flight to Kolkata. Transfer from Kolkata airport to the port to embark the ship.

DAY 20 PATNA TO VARANASI

Check out after breakfast. Transfer to Patna Train Station. Train to Varanasi & transfer to your hotel or the airport for your onward flight.

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