In Brief
Flight - 1 night. Delhi - 2 nights. Varanasi - 2 nights. Cruise - 6 nights. Kolkata - 2 nights.
Day 1 Fly overnight from London Heathrow via Dubai to Delhi.
Day 2 Transfer to the Oberoi Maidens for two nights.
Day 3 Sightseeing of New and Old Delhi, including Qutab Minar.
Day 4 Fly to Varanasi for two nights at the Radisson Hotel. An evening visit to the Ghats to see the Ganga Aarti and Pooja ceremony.
Day 5 Early morning boat ride on the Ganges to watch the morning prayer ceremonies before visiting the temples and Ghats. Visit Sarnath, one of the major sites of Buddhism.
Day 6 Full-day drive to Patna (9 hrs) to join the RV Sukapha. There will be a short visit en route to the mausoleum of Sher Shah at Sasaram (packed lunch provided).
Day 7 Morning tour of Patna visiting the extraordinary 18th-century Gola Ghar granary and the rich collections of the State Museum. Moor at Barh.
Day 8 Visit the ancient university of Nalanda and the excavated Buddhist monastery. In Jan/Feb 2012 there is the alternative option of Boddh Gaya (3 hrs) the place where the Buddha gained enlightenment.
Day 9 Visit tranquil Monghyr with its British Cemetery and a fine Mughal Fort. Sail to the colourful pilgrimage centre of Sultanganj.
Day 10 Cruise the waters inhabited by the Gangetic Dolphin and on to Bhagalpur, where there is the monument to Augustus Cleveland. Sail past the Buddhist and Hindu cave temples at Colganj and drive inland to the ruins of the 8th century Vikramshila University.
Day 11 Sail to Rajmahal, founded by Emperor Akbar as his eastern capital and the place where Shah Jehan, the Mughal ruler and builder of the Taj Mahal, spent most of his youth. Moor close to the Farakka Barrage.
Day 12 Transfer to Farakka station for the train to Kolkata (6 hrs). Cross the iconic Howrah Bridge to the Oberoi Hotel for a two-night stay in the heart of Kolkata. Alternatively, stay on board for the seven-night Hoogly Cruise commencing with a full-day tour to Gaur and ending in Kolkata.
Day 13 Morning sightseeing includes the Victoria Memorial, St. John’s Church, Mother Teresa’s mission and atmospheric South Park cemetery.
Day 14 Fly via Dubai to London arriving later the same day.
To cruise between Farakka and Calcutta please see ‘Along the Banks of the Hoogly’.
To combine ‘Along the Banks of the Hoogly’ and ‘The Holy Ganges’, please see ‘Grand Ganges Voyage’.
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