19 Nights 20 Days
Varanasi To Kolkata
Downstream Cruise
aboard MV Ganga Vilas
Thu Feb 26 2026
Tue Apr 07 2026
6 Cabins
6 Cabins
*$1510
The Itinerary
Following the Ganges river’s course downstream from the holy city of Varanasi to Kolkata through several tributaries. A journey traversing through historical, archaeological, and cultural sites.
Includes
Fine dining
Meals and complimentary beverages, daily breakfast and fine dining experience served onboard
Excursions
All excursions including exclusive use of the onboard.
Private Guide
A dedicated tour guide, whose itinerary can be tailored towards your preferences
Kolkata
Kolkata, also known as Calcutta
(its official name until 2001), is the
capital and largest city of the Indian state of
West Bengal. It lies on the eastern bank of
the Hooghly River, 80 km (50 mi) west of the
border with Bangladesh. wikipedia
Kalna
Kalna or Ambika Kalna is a town in the Purba
Bardhaman district of West Bengal, India. It is
the headquarter of the Kalna subdivision, situated
on the western bank of the Bhāgirathi river. The
town is more popularly known as Ambika Kalna,
named after the goddess Kali,Maa Ambika.wikipedia
Matiari
Matiari is a census town and a gram panchayat
in the Kaliganj CD block in the Krishnanagar Sadar
subdivision of the Nadia district in the state of
West Bengal, India. wikipedia
Murshidabad
Murshidabad ,is a town in the
Indian state of West Bengal. This
town is the headquarters of Lalbag subdivision
of Murshidabad district. It is located on the
eastern bank of the Bhagirathi River. During the
18th century, Murshidabad was a prosperous and
cosmopolitan town. wikipedia
Farakka
Farakka is a town, with a police station and
a post office, not identified in 2011 census as a
separate place, in the Farakka community
development block in the Jangipur subdivision
of Murshidabad district in the state of West Bengal,
India. It is also known as the northernmost point
of Ganga Delta. wikipedia
Bateshwar Sthan
Bateshwar Sthan ( Sanskrit: बटेश्वर स्थान ) is an ancient
site related to the Vedic sage Brahmarshi Vashishtha
at Kahalgaon in Bhagalpur district of Bihar, India.
It is believed as the Taposthali ( penance place )
of the sage Vashishtha where he established Shivlinga
known as Bateshwar Nath Mahadeva. wikipedia
Munger
Munger, formerly spelt as Monghyr,is a twin city
and a Municipal Corporation situated in the Indian
state of Bihar. It is the administrative headquarters of
Munger district and Munger. Division. Munger was one
of the major< cities in Eastern India and undivided
Bengal during Mughalperiod and British Raj. wikipedia
Nalanda
Nalanda was a renowned Buddhist mahavihara
(great monastery) in medieval Magadha (modern-day
Bihar),eastern India. Widely considered to be among
the greatest centres of learning in the ancient world
and often referred to as "the world's first residential
university wikipedia
Bodh Gaya
Bodh Gayā is a religious site and place of pilgrimage
associated with the Mahabodhi Temple complex,
situated in the Gaya district in the Indian
state of Bihar. It is famous for being the place
where Gautama Buddha is said to have attained
enlightenment (Pali: bodhi) under
what became known as the Bodhi Tree. wikipedia
Patna
Patna (Hindi: Paṭanā, pronounced, historically known
as Pāṭaliputra,is the capital and largest city of the
Indian state of Bihar. According to the United
Nations, as of 2018,Patna had a population of
2.35 million, making it the 19th largest city
(97 sq mi) and over 2.5 million people wikipedia
Buxar
Buxar is a nagar parishad city in the state of Bihar, India,
sharing border with Balia and Ghazipur district of
Uttar Pradesh. It is the headquarters of the eponymous
Buxar district, as well as the headquarters of
the community development block of Buxar wikipedia
Ghazipur
Ghazipur, is a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh,
India. Ghazipur City is the administrative headquarters
of the Ghazipur district, one of the four districts that
form the Varanasi division of Uttar Pradesh. wikipedia
Varanasi
Varanasi (Hindi pronunciation: also Benares, Banaras
Hindustani pronunciation, or Kashi, is a city
on the Ganges river in northern India that has
a central place in the traditions of pilgrimage,
death, and mourning in the Hindu world. wikipedia
day 1
Arrive Varanasi, Embarkation
Embarkation: 04:00 PM
Meet and greet at the airport or hotel and transfer to the jetty in Varanasi for embarkation. Welcome followed by safety briefing.
Overnight onboard Ganga Vilas
- Dinner
day 2
Varanasi
Morning after breakfast, visit to the excavation site of Sarnath, the seat where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon after attaining enlightenment in Bodhgaya. Thereafter, visit the Ghats by walk to experience the activities and hustle-bustle in the by-lanes. Continue to the riverside and witness the evening “Ganga Aarti” ritual.
Overnight onboard Ganga Vilas
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
day 3
Varanasi – en route to Ghazipur
Today we sail full day towards Ghazipur enjoying breakfast and lunch onboard. Ghazipur was established by the British East India Company in 1820 as an opium factory. It still produces the drug for the global pharmaceutical industry. We anchor en route to Ghazipur.
Overnight onboard Ganga Vilas
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
day 4
Arrive in Ghazipur
A further sailing in brings us to Ghazipur while we enjoy breakfast and lunch onboard. Post lunch visit to the Tomb of Lord Cornwallis, one of the major figures of Indian and British history
Overnight onboard Ganga Vilas
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
day 5
Ghazipur – Buxar
A further sailing in brings us to Ghazipur while we enjoy breakfast and lunch onboard. Post lunch visit to the Tomb of Lord Cornwallis, one of the major figures of Indian and British history
Overnight onboard Ganga Vilas
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
day 6
Buxar – Ghaghra Mod
Enjoying breakfast onboard we sail in the morning to cross the historic Farakka Lock Gate. After crossing the Lock Gate, we cruise through the connecting canal to the Ganges and continue to sail towards Samtaghat.
Overnight onboard Ganga Vilas
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
day 7
Ghaghra Mod – Patna
Sailing in the morning enjoying breakfast we arrive in Patna, the capital of the State of Bihar. Post lunch proceed to visit the Golghar (from outside as remains closed on Mondays), a beehive-shaped granary built in 1784 by Warren Hastings, the British Governor General of India. Also visit the Patna Sahib Gurudwara that commemorates the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs in 1666.
Overnight onboard Ganga Vilas
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
day 8
Patna - Simaria
We sail towards Simaria today enjoying breakfast and lunch onboard. In the late afternoon, walk in the riverside village to see the daily activities of the local people.
Overnight onboard Ganga Vilas
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
day 9
Simaria – Munger
Enjoying breakfast onboard we continue our journey further downstream to arrive in Munger. In the late afternoon visit the Munger Fort and the local market popular for fruits, vegetables, textiles, and readymade garments.
Overnight onboard Ganga Vilas
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
day 10
Munger – Sultanganj
After breakfast visit the Chandika Sthan Temple, which is dedicated to Goddess Shakti. Return to ship for lunch and begin sail towards Sultanganj.
Overnight onboard Ganga Vilas
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
day 11
Sultanganj – Bateshwarsthan
After breakfast visit the Chandika Sthan Temple, which is dedicated to Goddess Shakti. Return to ship for lunch and begin sail towards Sultanganj.
Overnight onboard Ganga Vilas
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
day 12
Bateshwarsthan – Samtaghat
After breakfast drive in cars to the 8-9th century excavation site of the Vikramshila University and walk around the ruins. Vikramshila University was an important Buddhist centre of learning. We return to the ship and sail towards Samtaghat.
Overnight onboard Ganga Vilas
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Enjoying breakfast onboard we sail in the morning to cross the historic Farakka Lock Gate. After crossing the Lock Gate, we cruise through the connecting canal to the Hooghly River, the lower Ganges. We continue sail towards Jangipur.
Overnight onboard Ganga Vilas
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
Samtaghat – Farakka – Jangipur
day 13
day 14
Jangipur – Murshidabad
We sail full day towards Murshidabad enjoying breakfast and lunch onboard. We arrive in Murshidabad by the evening. Murshidabad is a hidden architectural gem with dramatic whitewashed colonial era structures.
Overnight onboard Ganga Vilas
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
day 15
Murshidabad
After breakfast ride the Toto (e-rickshaw) through the countryside to the Katra mosque, which has distinctive minarets. Thereafter visit the Hazarduari Palace, which dominates the waterfront. Built 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.
Overnight onboard Ganga Vilas
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
day 16
Murshidabad – Matiari
We sail full day towards the shore-side village of Matiari enjoying breakfast and lunch onboard. We arrive in Matiari by the evening.
Overnight onboard Ganga Vilas
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
day 17
Matiari – Kalna
Early this morning walks in the village to see and experience the craftsmen at work. These master craftsmen utilize recycled copper to create exquisite pots, platters, and more from their workshops in the village. Return to ship for breakfast and sail onward to Kalna, arriving by the evening.
Overnight onboard Ganga Vilas
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
day 18
Kalna - Kolkata
After breakfast ride e-rickshaws to visit the enchanting Rajbari Temple complex. The Nabakailas Temple contains 108 eight-slope-roofed shrines dedicated to Lord Shiva. Other temples in the complex feature diverse architecture. Return to the ship walking through the local vegetable market. Begin sail towards Kolkata and arrive by the evening.
Dinner & overnight onboard Ganga Vilas
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
day 19
Kolkata
After breakfast, visit the Flower Market and Kumartuli, a traditional potters’ quarter renowned for its sculpting prowess. Return to the ship for lunch. Thereafter visit Mother Teresa’s Home and Tomb.
Dinner & overnight onboard Ganga Vilas
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
day 20
Kolkata Disembarkation
Following breakfast disembark the ship and transfer for your onward journey.
Disembarkation Time: 09:00 AM
- Breakfast
- Lunch
- Dinner
reservations
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