Explore North India & the Ganges

16 days, Delhi to Calcutta

Traveller shooting photos at the Taj Mahal
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Trip Code: AHLFNG

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Travel Style: National Geographic Journeys

Greater exploration, insider access, and the freedom to roam – all without sacrificing comfort.

Service Level: Upgraded

Quality accommodations and more inclusions than on other G Adventures tours, like meals, private transport, and activities.

Physical Rating: 2 - Light

Light walking and hiking suitable for most fitness levels. Nothing too challenging.

Trip Type: Small Group

Small group experience; Max 24

Age requirement: 18+

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This specific trip is no longer running.

Trip Code: AHLFNG

Need a flight? We can help.

Call us to book your flights! We'll find you the best option!

See how your trip uplifts communities

In a number of impactful ways, your adventure directly benefits the local people and places we visit.

Trees for Days

Help us spread love around the world with Trees for Days. Together with Planeterra, we'll plant one tree in your name for every travel day.

Trees planted for this trip: 16

...The Taj Mahal must be seen to remind us that the world is real, that the sound is truer than the echo, the original more forceful that its image in a mirror. The beauty of beautiful things is still able, in these image-saturated times, to transcend imitations…” —Salmon Rushdie, “50 Places of a Lifetime,” National Geographic Traveler

Map of the route for Explore North India & the Ganges

Places visited

Itinerary

Day 1Delhi

Arrive at any time. Arrival transfer included through Women on Wheels, a G Adventures-supported project.

Exclusive Inclusions:

Your Welcome Moment Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group

Day 2Delhi/Āgra

Walk through the backstreets of Delhi with a young adult taking part in the G Adventures-supported New Delhi Streetkids Project. Later, explore Old Delhi with your CEO before an afternoon drive to Agra.

Exclusive Inclusions:

Your G for Good Moment City Walk

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 3Āgra

Spend the day visiting the highlights of the walled city of Agra including the famed Taj Mahal, Baby Taj, and Agra Fort.

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 4Āgra/Jaipur

Drive to Jaipur, visiting the deserted Mughal city of Fatehpur Sikri and the village of Abhaneri, which has one of India's deepest and largest stepwells (tank gardens).

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 5Jaipur

Explore the "Pink City," known also as Jaipur, including the Amber Fort, City Palace, and the Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds). Listen to a local historian/scholar discuss the spirituality, social fabric, customs, and traditions of India.

Exclusive Inclusions:

Your Journeys Highlight Moment Meet a Local Historian

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 6Jaipur/Sāwarda

Drive to the rural village of Sawarda where we stay in a heritage home. Exploring this traditional village is like stepping back in time. Walk and meet with locals and explore how urbanization affects village life, modernization and its benefits and disadvantages, as well as simple village customs and traditions.

Exclusive Inclusions:

Your Journeys Highlight Moment Local Village Immersion

Meals included:

Breakfast | Dinner

Day 7Sāwarda/Delhi

Drive back to bustling Delhi. Opt to join your CEO for a group dinner.

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 8Delhi/Calcutta

Fly to Kolkata and transfer to your hotel.

Meals included:

Breakfast

Day 9Calcutta/Bārākpur

Transfer to the boat and once on board, explore the riverboat and settle in. As the trip gets underway, sail up past the old Danish colony of Serampore, and head out to explore Barrackpore.

Meals included:

Breakfast | Dinner

Day 10Bārākpur/Kālna

Sail to Chandannagar, a former French possession, to explore. Continue to Chinsurah, to visit the historic Dutch cemetery and the Imambara before reboarding the vessel. Moor near Kalna for the night.

Meals included:

Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

Day 11Kālna/Matiari

Land at the country town of Kalna and take cycle rickshaws to see the terracotta temples, as well as the unique Shiva temple. Later, explore Mayapur, with its skyline dominated by the vast ISKCON temple. Sail on through the night to a mooring near Matiari.

Meals included:

Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

Day 12Matiari/Murshidābād

Start the day with a visit to the brassworking village of Matiari to witness their ancient techniques. Continue on the river to a rural mooring near the battlefield of Plassey and opt to walk to the commemorative obelisk.

Meals included:

Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

Day 13Murshidābād

Explore the Khushbagh this morning, a peaceful Moghul-style garden housing several tombs. Continue a little way upstream to Murshidabad to visit Hazarduari Palace and Katra Mosque before driving to two 18th-century buildings — the Nashipara Palace and the Katgola Palace.

Meals included:

Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

Day 14Murshidābād/Farakka

Explore the rural village of Baranagar and walk through farmers' fields to visit three miniature terracotta temples. Continue up the river and take in the scenery as you cruise to a mooring near the Farakka Barrage.

Meals included:

Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

Day 15Farakka

Enjoy a full day excursion by road to Gaur, near the town of Malda (English Bazaar). Visit a number of sights from the 12th-century Hindus and 14th-century Muslims, including mosques and palaces. Rejoin the boat in the evening.

Meals included:

Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner

Day 16Farakka/Calcutta

Transfer to Farakka station at dawn to catch the morning train and journey back to Kolkata. Tour ends on arrival in Kolkata.

Meals included:

Breakfast
View full itinerary

What's Included

  • Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Meet a Local Historian, Jaipur
  • Your Journeys Highlight Moment: Local Village Immersion, Sāwarda
  • Your G for Good Moment: City Walk, Delhi
  • Your Welcome Moment: Welcome Moment - Meet Your CEO and Group
  • Arrival transfer included through the G Adventures-supported Women on Wheels project
  • Tour of Old Delhi
  • VIsit the Taj Mahal, Baby Taj, and Agra Fort
  • Excursion to Fatehpur Sikri and the Abhaneri step wells
  • Explore Jaipur
  • Explore Barrackpore
  • Visit Chandernagore and the imambara at Hooghly
  • Excursion to Kalna by cycle-rickshaws
  • Visit Mayapur
  • Excursion to the brass-working village of Matiari
  • Entrance to Khushbagh Mughal-style gardens and Hazarduari Palace
  • Visit the Katra Mosque, Nashipara Palace, and Katgola Palace
  • Internal flights
  • All transport between destinations and to/from included activities

Accommodations

Hotels (7 nts), heritage hotel (1 nt), riverboat (7 nts)

Meals

15 breakfasts, 6 lunches, 8 dinners
Allow USD225-295 for meals not included. Drinks and tips on board not included.

Transportation

Van, bus, rickshaw, train, walking, plane, riverboat.

Staff & experts

Chief Experience Officer (CEO) throughout, local guides

Departures

There are no departure dates currently available for the rest of this season. Some tours only run during parts of the year.

Please Contact Us to inquire about dates for next season, or to discuss other tour options.

Explore North India & the Ganges

| 16 days - Delhi to Calcutta - Sold Out