Cruise the sacred Ganges and discover India's golden triangle

Itinerary

1. Day

   1

   Depart the UK

   New Delhi, India

   Depart the UK

2. Day

   2

   Arrive in New Delhi

   New Delhi, India

   Today you'll arrive at New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport where you will be greeted by a representative and transferred to the Oberoi New Delhi hotel.

3. Day

   3

   New Delhi

   New Delhi, India

   Today you'll explore New Delhi by rickshaw, travelling down the broad boulevards laid out by the British in the 20th century. The city was also the capital of the Mughal Empire for centuries, so it hosts spectacular examples of Mughal architecture, including Humayun's Tomb, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

   Your comprehensive tour includes a look at the enormous fort where the emperors lived as well as Raj Ghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi, the founder of modern India.

   You have some free time after your tour to explore this exciting city on your own-you'll find goods from all over India in bustling Connaught Place, in case you want to indulge in some shopping, and the National Museum displays 5,000 years of India's arts and artefacts. You may opt for the optional tour to Qutab Minar and the Jagannath Hindu Temple.

   Meals - Breakfast
4. Day

   4

   Travel to Agra

   Agra, India

   This morning you will check out of your New Delhi hotel and head south via motorcoach to Agra, the site of Shah Jahan's best-known building project, the exquisite Taj Mahal.

   You'll be staying at the luxurious Oberoi Amarvilas tonight, where you'll have lunch and then check into your room, where you will be delighted to discover that your room-indeed, every room-has a view of the Taj Mahal

   You'll visit the Taj Mahal this afternoon and stay for sunset and marvel at the monument's changing colours.

   Meals - Breakfast, Lunch
5. Day

   5

   Agra and Jaipur

   Agra, India

   This morning you'll wake up early this morning to see the Taj Mahal aglow with the rosy tinge of dawn at sunrise. The gates open as the sun lifts above the horizon, and you'll enter the exquisite grounds, which you can explore at your leisure.

   You'll return to your hotel for lunch before you head by motorcoach to the third city in the Golden Triangle, Jaipur. Capital of the state of Rajasthan, strewn with massive palaces, it was founded and carefully planned in the 18th century by Maharaja Jai Singh II, who gave the new city its name.

   Your next two nights will be spent at the beautiful Oberoi Rajvilas, a luxury hotel with 32 acres of landscaped gardens built around an ancient Shiva temple.

   Meals - Breakfast, Lunch
6. Day

   6

   Jaipur

   Jaipur, India

   Today you'll tour the Amber Palace in Jaipur, followed by a visit to another of Jai Singh II's architectural projects, the Jantar Mantar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site devoted to astronomy. Each of the curious structures, called yantras, in this observatory without telescopes enabled court astronomers to study the heavens, measuring various celestial phenomena-eclipses, the position of stars-or the time of day.

   Take the afternoon to explore on your own. Shuttles will be available to carry you to and from the hotel to the major shopping district. Jaipur's bazaars are famous for their traditional Rajasthani crafts-jewellery, pottery, hand-printed textiles and carpets-so go and enjoy the swirl of colours even if you aren't interested in buying souvenirs.

   Meals - Breakfast
7. Day

   7

   Fly to Kolkata

   Kolkata, India

   Today you'll check out of your Jaipur hotel and fly to Kolkata, where you'll board the Ganges Voyager II and settle into your beautifully appointed suite.

   Meals - Breakfast
8. Day

   8

   Kalna

   Kalna, India

   Today you'll stroll along the streets of Kalna as you head to the Rajbari temple complex. The Pratapeshwar Temple, built in 1849, is embellished with exceptional terra-cotta carvings depicting myths and rituals, as well as scenes of everyday life (see if you can spot the girl in typical Victorian dress with a violin among the hundreds of figures).

   Lalji, the oldest temple in the complex, dates to 1739; the three-storied structure is topped with 25 distinctive pinnacles. Next to it is Krishna Chandra, built in a similar style.

   Across the street you'll find the amazing Naba Kailash, two concentric circles of intricately carved temples dedicated to Shiva. The inner circle is made up of 34 white temples symbolising pure thought; the outer circle contains 74 temples symbolising the everyday world.

   Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
9. Day

   9

   Matiari

   Matiari, India

   Today you'll travel to the authentic artisan village of Matiari, where Artisans have been making ornamental brass objects - vases, lamps, figurines, platters - for more than a century.

   It's no wonder that production is so well-organised and the craftsmen so skillful.

   Scrap metal is melted in the village foundry and pressed into new sheets of brass, which are then turned into various objects. Each craftsman specialises in a different step of the process, so one artisan might cut the metal, while another shapes it into a wide tray, and yet another etches an intricate pattern onto the surface.

   The sound of hammer on brass will fill the air as you stroll from workshop to workshop to see each step of the fascinating process.

   Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
10. Day

    10

    Murshidabad and Baranagar

    Baranagar, India

    Today's adventures take you to a duo of Bengali towns - Murshidabad and Baranagar - each one boasting surprising and beautiful architectural monuments closely linked to the ruling families of the area.

    You'll climb aboard a horse-drawn buggy for a ride to Katra Mosque, built in 1723 by the first nawab, Murshid Quli Khan, who gave his name to the town. Your visit continues in Murshidabad, long ago the capital of Bengal and an important administrative centre during the Raj. You'll see the Hazarduari Palace, a massive neoclassical building erected in the mid-19th century for British officials.

    You'll then return to the ship for lunch and cruise to the town of Baranagar, with its beautiful brick temples built in the 18th century. Goats frolic among them now and vines cover them, but the terra-cotta carvings are considered among the best in Bengal and the temples are well-tended.

    After your tour, if time and weather allow, you can learn a bit about India's favourite sport, cricket.

    Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
11. Day

    11

    Khushbagh and Mayapur

    Mayapur, India

    Today you'll visit Khusbagh, which literally translates to "Garden of Happiness" - the garden-graveyard of the Nawabs of Bengal. Take a walk through the village here, with a visit to see the mausoleum and the arcade verandah that surrounds it.

    You'll also get to watch as a skilled practitioner of mehndi demonstrates how the intricate henna patterns are created, and discover the meanings of the traditional motifs.

    Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
12. Day

    12

    Mayapur

    Mayapur, India

    Few places of worship exist on such a head-spinning scale as what you will witness today in Mayapur, the centre of the international Hare Krishna movement and home to the new Temple of the Vedic Planetarium, still under construction. Most students of history know a thing or two about the British colonial powers in India, but few are aware that the French had colonies here as well. You'll visit this former French outpost today.

    This evening, enjoy a Farewell dinner and take in a lively cultural dance performance, complete with music and dancing.

    Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
13. Day

    13

    Kolkata

    Kolkata, India

    The city of Kolkata is synonymous with the enduring legacies of Mother Teresa and the colonial-era British Raj, both of which you learn more about today.

    But your first stop will be a visit to the captivatingly colourful Flower Market. Located adjacent to the Howrah Bridge, this vibrant and bustling market is filled with vendors and buyers exchanging money for flowers to be used in festivals, rituals, weddings and more.

    You'll see Kolkata's varied architecture as you walk from palaces and tenements, new developments and modern office buildings, to grand hotels and parks. The city's historic architecture reflects its status as the longtime administrative heart of the British Raj.

    Meals - Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner
14. Day

    14

    Kolkata

    Kolkata, India

    Your incredible India adventure ends early this morning, as you disembark and transfer to the Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport for your flight home or extend your journey with an optional extension to Varanasi.

    Meals - Breakfast
15. Day

    15

    Return to the UK

    Kolkata, India

    Travel back to the UK. You have the option to extend your adventure with an immersive journey to Varanasi (not included - please enquire for more information).