Kolkata Embarkation(L, D)

Morning embark the ship at the Botanical Garden Jetty in Kolkata and enjoy lunch on board. The afternoon excursion includes a visit to Mother Teresa’s Home and Tomb (closed on Thursdays). Mother Teresa started the Missionary of Charity in 1952, then lived and worked here until her death in 1997. The permanent exhibition includes a visit to her personal room, we learn her life story, and see her charity that is still active. We continue by foot a short distance to her orphanage, SishuBhawan (Children's Home), where one of the sisters will lead us on a tour. Then we return to the ship for overnight. Enjoy cultural performance onboard.

Overnight onboard Ganges Voyager.

Kolkata / Bandel / Kalna (B, L, D)

Guests embark on an early-morning city tour, featuring a Panoramic Tourof the well-preserved British colonial buildings in Kolkata: Writer's Building, General Post Office, High Court, Raj Bhawan (Governor's House), Town Hall, Council House, Treasury Building, Reserve Bank of India and Dalhousie Square. The day continues with a visit to St. John's Church, the oldest Anglican Church in Kolkata, built in 1756. The tour features the oldest functioning pipe organ in India and several tombs of British Generals who died during the Siege of Kolkata by NawabSiraj-ud-Daula in 1756. Then we visit the recently renovated Victoria Memorial Museum, which houses the largest collection of British colonial historical artifacts in India.

We then return to the ship for lunch and begin our journey upstream. The river ship sails through areas where various European settlers had established East Indian Companies, leaving many remnants of their settlements from the 17th through 19th Centuries. Later in the day, we take an excursion boat to the shore of Bandel. We visit the Hooghly Imambara, one of the famous Shiya pilgrimage centers in West Bengal, built in 1841 by Haji Mohammad Mahasin. The two-story building and surrounding rooms provide housing for pilgrims as well as classrooms, or Madrasa that teach the Koran. The structure contains a Victorian-era clock with a winding key weighing 20kg. Large Persian chandeliers and lamps light the Imambara's stunning hallways and passages.

Overnight onboard Ganges Voyager.

Kalna / Matiari (B, L, D)

This morning we enjoy a rickshaw ride through the city center of Kalna en route to the enchanting Rajbari complex, with the highest concentration of temples in the region. Bengal's mixture of temple architecture includes the Nabakailas Temples. Built in 1809 by the Bardhaman Maharaja, the complex contains 108 eight slope-roofed temples – 74 in the outer circle here and another 34 making an inner circle. Another complex features diverse architecture, including the Pratapeshwar Temple, built in 1849. Terra cotta plaques depict themes of Hindu epics, mythical life of SreeChaitanya, images of Durga, and various aspects of day-to-day life in the region. Other temples on the site include Lalji Temple, the oldest in the complex (1739), and Krishnachandra Temple (1751).

Overnight onboard Ganges Voyager.

Matiari / Khushbagh (B, L, D)

Enjoy an early morning walk to the shore-side village of Matiari, which is known for manufacturing beautiful handcrafted brass items, utilizing traditional methods passed down for generations. These master craftsmen utilize recycled copper to create exquisite pots, platters and more from their workshops in the village.

We then continue our journey upstream, sailing past the battlefield of Plassey, where Robert Clive of British East India Company defeated the Mogul Nawabs in 1757. The rulers of Bengal and their French allies established the company rule in India, which spread through much of South Asia for the next 190 years.

Early evening visit the charming village of Khushbagh, passing through scenic fields to arrive at the to the peaceful Moghul-style gardenbuilt by Nawab Ali-Wardi-Khan, housing his family's private mosque. It also encloses the tomb of the last Nawab of BengalSiraj-ud-Daula who was defeated by the British East India Company at the Battle of Plassey in 1757.

Overnight onboard Ganges Voyager.

Khushbagh / Baranagar / Murshidabad (B, L, D)

Post breakfast cruise to the sleepy village of Baranagar where you’ll take a walk to experience rural India at its most idyllic. A lovely example of life in rural India, this village is home to several temples dating from the 18th century (1714-1793). Built by Rani (Queen) Bhabani, the landlady of Natore. The brick temples are considered to be among the best examples of Bengal terra cotta art. We then return to the ship and sail downstream, passing by charming countryside villages where locals greet us from the banks.

Once you're back on board, enjoy the afternoon to unwind as the ship glides along the Lower Ganges, twisting and turning between banks lined with mustard fields and mango orchards to arrive at Murshidabad, a hidden architectural gem with dramatic whitewashed colonial era structures. We visit the Hazarduari Palace, which dominates the waterfront, built during the reign of NawabNazimHumayunJah (1824-1838 AD) by an English architect, McLeod Duncan, in the Greek “Doric” style. The palace has more than a thousand real and false doors in the vast corridors, and is filled with colonial era antiques,artwork and manuscripts. Opposite to the Palace is a vast Imambara – built by the Nawab for worship. We then take a scenic ride by local buggy to the Katra mosque. Built by the first Nawab of Murshidabad – MurshidQuli Khan in the 1724 – 25, this mosque has distinctive minarets from which the muezzin calls the faithful to Friday prayers.

Overnight onboard Ganges Voyager.

Murshidabad / Mayapur (B, L, D)

After a restful morning, observing the local life along the riverbanks, we stop in the village of Mayapur. Known as the birthplace of Sri ChaitanyaMahaprabhu (1486) and considered an incarnation of Lord Krishna. Mayapur is also the headquarters of the International Society of Krishna Consciousness (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 pilgrim’s bazaar.

Overnight onboard Ganges Voyager.

Mayapur / Chandernagore / Kolkata (B, L, D)

Morning sail to Chandernagore, established as a French colony in 1673. The French obtained permission from Ibrahim Khan, the then Nawab of Bengal to establish a trading post on the riverbanks of this city, which became a permanent French settlement in 1688.

Afternoon we will explore the French colonial buildings along the promenade, including the former French governor's residence (now converted to a museum that features an exhibition of items that depict life during this period). We then will visit the Sacred Heart Church of Chandernagore. We then return to the ship and continue our journey downstream to Kolkata.

Overnight onboard Ganges Voyager.

Kolkata Disembarkation (B)

Following breakfast disembark the ship and transfer for your onward journey.