Day 1: Kolkatta

This morning, you will be collected from your hotel to embark the ship by 11 am. Sail upstream past the old Dutch settlement of Chinsura before landing to visit the imposing Imambara at Hooghly. With verses from the Koran written on its walls, the Imambara is an opportunity to step back in time and relive a slice of Islamic history in Bengal. After the visit, reboard your cruise and start sailing, leaving urban sprawl behind.

Day 2: Kolkatta - Kalna

Sail upstream and, after breakfast, land at the country town of Kalna and take cycle 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 shrinelets. Continue through the countryside to Mayapur to visit 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. Sail downstream as dusk falls to a mooring near Kalna.

Day 3: Kalna - Kolkatta

This morning, sail downstream and visit a saree-weaving village before continuing to Chandernagore, a French possession until 1950, to visit the 18th century church as well as Dupleix’s House, the erstwhile Governor-General of French India. Later, sail on down to Kolkata.

Day 4: Kolkatta

After breakfast, disembark and transfer to airport or hotel in Central Kolkata.

Tour Price Per Person: From US$ 1020 on double sharing basis

Day 1: Guwahati - Sualkuchi

Meet at Guwahati airport and embark your ship by mid-afternoon. Enjoy lunch while cruising downstream to the little town of Sualkuchi, where the clatter of looms gives a clue to the town’s industry. Post-lunch, walk through the village and visit its silk-weaving workshops and observe the whole process of silk manufacture, from cocoon and spinning to dyeing and hand-weaving into exquisite mekhela chadars (a two-piece sari, the traditional attire of Assamese women).

Overnight on onboard.

Day 2: Sualkuchi - Pandu

This morning cruise upstream and disembark at Pandu docks for a short sightseeing tour of Guwahati. Drive up Nilachal Hill to the holy Kamakhya temple, though with its tantric rites and animal sacrifice, the more squeamish may prefer to content themselves with its exteriors. Visit the poignant Commonwealth War Graves cemetery and a shop selling local crafts. Cross by country boat to the mid-stream Peacock Island with its population of Golden Langurs before reboarding and cruising past Kurua on the north bank.

Overnight on board.

Day 3: Pandu - Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary

Today cruise upstream past jungle-covered hills and turn into the Mayong River. Then take a country boat for a kilometre or two to the roadhead from where you’ll be driven to Pobitora Wildlife Sanctuary.

This small park has a dense population of the Indian One-Horned Rhinoceros and it would be unlucky to not spot some of these armoured beasts on a jeep safari around the park. Those departing today are picked up from the park and driven for 4 ½ hrs to Kaziranga National Park.

Return to the ship in the afternoon and cruise to a riverside village, which you can explore on foot. Later, sail downstream to spend the last night close to Kurua.

Overnight on board.

Day 4: Kurua - Pandu Port

Cruise down to Pandu port. Disembark after breakfast and transfer to Guwahati Airport for your departure.

Tour Price Per Person: From US$ 1455 on double sharing basis

Route: Kolkata - Bandel - Kalna - Matiari - Khushbagh - Baranagar - Murshidabad - Mayapur - Chandernagore - Kolkata

Day 1: Arrive Kolkata, Embarkation

Morning embark the ship at the Jetty in Kolkata and enjoy lunch on board.

This afternoon, visit 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. Visit her personal room, learn her life story and see her charity that is still active.

Optional: Continue by foot a short distance to her orphanage, Sishu Bhawan (Children's Home), where one of the sisters will lead you on a tour.

Return to the ship. Enjoy a cultural performance by Baul musicians, whose music represents a long heritage of preaching mysticism through songs in Bengal. The Baul tradition has been included in the list of Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity by UNESCO.

Overnight onboard.

Day 2: Kolkata - Bandel - Kalna

Breakfast. Go on an early-morning city tour, featuring a Panoramic Tour of the well-preserved British colonial buildings in Kolkata. Visit St. John's Church, the oldest Anglican Church in Kolkata, built in 1756. It houses the oldest functioning pipe organ in India and several tombs of British Generals who died during the Siege of Kolkata in 1756. Visit the imposing Victoria Memorial Museum, which houses the largest collection of British colonial historical artifacts in India.

Sail upstream to Bandel, founded by Portuguese settlers who built the Church and a Monastery around 1660. Afternoon, visit the Hooghly Imambara, one of the famous Shia pilgrimage centres built in 1841 by Haji Mohammad Mahasin. 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. Sail to Kalna.

Overnight on board.

Day 3: Kalna - Matiari

Breakfast. This morning enjoy a rickshaw ride to visit the enchanting Rajbari Temple Complex, which has the highest concentration of temples in the region. Visit the Nabakailas Temple, which contains 108 eight slope-roofed shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva. Other temples in the complex feature diverse architecture and terra cotta plaques depicting themes of Hindu epics, mythical life of Sri Chaitanya, images of Durga, and more. Also visit a local weaver’s home to see the traditional weaving of fine Muslin cloth.

Return to the ship walking through the local market and sail on to arrive at the shore-side village of Matiari.

Overnight onboard.

Day 4: Matiari - Khushbagh

Breakfast. Early this morning enjoy a walk in the village to see craftsmen manufacturing beautiful, handcrafted brass items, utilizing traditional methods passed down for generations.

Sail to the village of Plassey, site of the famous battlefield, where Robert Clive of British East India Company defeated the Mogul Nawab Siraj-ud-Daula 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 Khushbagh, a charming riverside village surrounded by scenic fields. Walk through farmland to visit the peaceful Khush Bagh, the Moghul-style Garden built by Nawab Ali-Wardi-Khan. The complex houses his family's private mosque and the tomb of the last Nawab of Bengal Siraj-ud-Daula.

Overnight on board.

Day 5: Khushbagh – Baranagar – Murshidabad

Breakfast. Sail to the sleepy village of Baranagar and take a walk to experience rural India at its most idyllic. This village is home to several temples dating from the 18th century. The Char Bangla temple here is among the best examples of Bengal terra cotta art.

Once you're back on board, unwind as the ship glides along the Lower Ganges to arrive at Murshidabad, a hidden architectural gem with dramatic white washed colonial era structures. Visit the Hazarduari Palace (closed on Fridays), on the waterfront, built 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, is a vast Imambara built by the Nawab for worship. Ride the local buggy (horse cart) to the Katra mosque built by the first Nawab of Murshidabad – Murshid Quli Khan in the 1724-25.

Overnight onboard.

Day 6: Murshidabad – Mayapur

Breakfast. After a restful morning, stop in Mayapur village, known as the birthplace of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (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.

Day 7: Mayapur – Chandernagore – Kolkata

Breakfast. Morning sail to Chandernagore, established as a French colony in 1673 which became a permanent French settlement in 1688. Explore the French colonial buildings along the promenade, including the former French governor's residence, now converted into the Dupleix Museum (closed on Thursdays & Saturdays) exhibiting items that depict life during this period.

Also visit the Sacred Heart Church, designed by French Architect Jacques Duchatz and inaugurated in 1884. It stands for over two centuries to mark the beauty of French architecture. Return to the ship and continue downstream to Kolkata.

Overnight on board.

Day 8: Kolkata Disembark

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

Cruise Dates:

Cruise Price Per Person:

Ship: Costa Serena

Adult Cruise Fare From:

Sailing Route: Mumbai - Goa - Mumbai

Sailing Route: International Waters Mumbai – Cruising – Mumbai

Ship: Costa Serena

Adult Cruise Fare From:

Sailing Route: Mumbai - Cruising - Goa Mormugao - Mumbai

Sailing Route: Mumbai - Goa Mormugao - Goa Mormugao - Mumbai

Ship: Costa Serena

Adult Cruise Fare From:

Sailing Route: Mumbai - Cruising - Cochin - Agatti Island, India (Lakshadweep) - Cruising - Mumbai

Sailing Route: Mumbai - Cruising - Cochin - Cruising - Goa Mormugoa - Mumbai