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Kolkata – Patna / Varanasi Sailings Season Dec 2025 – Jan 2026 |
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| Day | Embark | Disembark | Nights | Program |
| FRI | 05-Dec-2025 | 24-Dec-2025 | 19 nights |
Kolkata-Varanasi Upstream |
| THU | 25-Dec-2025 | 13-Jan-2026 | 19 nights |
Varanasi-Kolkata Downstream |
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19 nights / 20 days Kolkata to Varanasi Upstream & Downstream – Tariff |
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Category |
Quantity |
Cabin Rates |
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Main Deck Suite |
2 Suites | Double | USD 18730 | |
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Single |
USD 14990 | |||
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Main Deck Suite – Front |
6 Suites |
Double |
USD 20510 |
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Single |
USD 16330 |
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Upper Deck Suite |
4 Suites |
Double |
USD 22800 |
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Single |
USD 18260 |
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| Upper Deck Suite – Front | 6 Suites |
Double |
USD 24495 |
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| Single |
USD 19600 |
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Onboard Amenities/Inclusions/Exclusions as per Antara Cruise Policy
Accommodations:
Complimentary Excursion Amenities:
Other Facilities (on chargeable basis):
Booking Terms:
Cancellation Charges will be applied as per the below timeline:
Expertly Trained Culinary Team providing Buffet Breakfast, Buffet Lunch & Seated Multiple Course Dinner.
Special meal requests like vegan, gluten/lactose free etc. can be arranged with advance information.
Cultural Performances, Educational Talks, Cooking Classes and Movie Shows.
Spacious Air-conditioned Lounge.
Indoor Board Games and Books to read in the Lounge
Gym facilities
Important Note:
Airfare to/from Destination
Alcoholic Beverages
Shipboard Gratuities
All Incidentals
Embarkation: 12:00 hrs
Arrival in Kolkata in the morning. Meet and greet at the airport and transfer to the jetty for embarking MV Ganga Vilas.
Welcome onboard followed by safety briefing and lunch. Post lunch we visit Mother Teresa’s Home and Tomb. Mother Teresa started the Missionary of Charity in 1952, then lived and worked here until her death in 1997. The permanent exhibition includes a visit to her personal room, we learn her life story, and see her charity that is still active. Return to the ship.
After breakfast, visit the Flower Market, where you can see artists creating a variety of garlands, ornaments, and other items made of flowers and leaves for temples, weddings, and other uses. Thereafter, visit Kumartuli, a traditional potters’ quarter renowned for its sculpting prowess.
Return to the ship for lunch and start sailing upstream, passing below the Howrah Bridge, and seeing various colonial buildings along the Ganges River.
After breakfast ride e-rickshaws through the town of Kalna 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 and terracotta plaques depict themes of Hindu epics and various aspects of day-to-day life in the region.
Return to the ship walking through the local vegetable market. Begin sail towards the shore-side village of Matiari, while having lunch onboard.
Early this morning walk 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 full day towards Murshidabad, a hidden architectural gem with dramatic whitewashed colonial era structures. Lunch onboard.
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 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.
Return to the ship for lunch and sail towards Jangipur.
Enjoying breakfast onboard we sail in the morning to cross the historic Farakka Lock Gate. The travel through the Feeder Canal will give us a chance to see the different birds of the region. After crossing the Lock Gate, we cruise through the connecting canal to the Ganges revealing vast panoramas.
Today we sail full day towards Sahibganj enjoying breakfast and lunch. You will be fascinated by the passing landscape and the lively life on the river.
Sahibganj is a scenic town and a port city on the banks of Ganges. Literally meaning a place (ganj) of masters (sahebs or sahibs) as several English and other European people lived and worked in and around the railway station during the British Raj.
Enjoy a Village Walk in the morning.
Return to ship and sail towards Bateshwarsthan enjoying lunch onboard. We will arrive in Bateshwarsthan by evening. Time permitting, enjoy a walk on the Ghats (embankments).
After breakfast drive in cars to the 8-9th century excavation site of Vikramshila University. Spend the day walk around the archaeological ruins. Vikramshila University – an important Buddhist center of learning under Pala Dynasty. where theology, philosophy, grammar, metaphysics, and logic were taught here.
This morning we sail to Sultanganj while enjoying breakfast onboard.
After breakfast excursion to Sultanganj, which is notable for two prominent granite rock islands in the river connected to the mainland by a causeway. On one island is a mosque and on the other larger one, is the Ajgaibinath Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva. We will visit the Shiva temple.
Return to the ship and sail towards Munger while enjoying lunch onboard. We arrive by the evening.
After breakfast visit the Chandika Sthan Temple, which is dedicated to Goddess Shakti. It is one of the fifty-one Shakti Peethas, associated with the legend of Lord Vishnu who to save the world from Lord Shiva’s wrath, cut into pieces the corpse of Devi Sati that Shiva was carrying.
Return to ship for lunch. Thereafter visit the Munger Fort and enjoy a walking tour and the local market popular for fruits, vegetables, textiles, and readymade garments.
Enjoying our breakfast and lunch onboard, we continue our journey further upstream to arrive at Barh, a historic town located on the southern banks of the Ganges.
We arrive by late afternoon. In the evening walk in the riverside village of Barh to see the daily activities of the local people.
After breakfast, embark on a full day excursion to archaeological ruins of Nalanda (approx. one-hour’s drive). A World Heritage Site Nalanda was a renowned Mahavihara (Buddhist monastic university) in ancient Magadha. It is considered by historians to be the world’s first residential university and among the greatest centers of learning in the ancient world. Operating from 427 until 1197 CE, it played a vital role in promoting the patronage of arts and academics. It taught six major Buddhist schools and philosophies as well as subjects such as Vedas, grammar, medicine, logic and mathematics.
We continue to nearby Rajgir for lunch at a local restaurant. Return to the ship by evening.
Today we sail full day through wonderful countryside to Patna, enjoying breakfast and lunch. Patna is the capital of the State of Bihar and is one of the oldest continuously inhabited places in the world founded in 490 BCE as Pataliputra. Dinner & Overnight onboard MV Ganga Vilas
After breakfast, we embark on an excursion to Maner Shrine (approx. one & a half-hours drive). It is renowned for the tombs of the 13th century Sufi saints Makhdoom Yahya Maneri and Makhdoom Shah Daulat, known as Bari Dargah (the great shrine) and Chhoti Dargah (the small shrine), respectively. The Bari Dargah stands within a walled garden on top of a mound that according to some archaeologists conceals an old Buddhist site. It also has a small mosque dating back thirteenth century with the graves of Shaikh Maneri’s disciples and descendants. Choti Dargah it is built in the Mughal style with extensive Chunar sandstone. With its central dome and four cupolas on the four corners the two-storied Choti Dargah is constructed within a large walled courtyard and garden. Emperor Jahangir added gateway on the north of the mausoleum and the three-bay mosque on the west. Return to ship for Lunch.
Thereafter visit the Gurudwara. the Takht Sri Patna Sahib Gurdwara (Sikh Temple) was built to commemorate the birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Guru of the Sikhs in 1666. It was built by Maharaja Ranjit Singh, the first Maharaja of the Sikh Empire. The current shrine was built in the 1950s.
After breakfast and proceed to visit the Golghar and the Bihar Museum. The 18th century Golghar, literally meaning “Round house”, is a large beehive-shaped granary that was built “for the perpetual prevention of famine in these provinces” in 1784 by Warren Hastings, the British Governor General of India. Designed by Captain John Garstin of the Bengal Engineers, part of the East India Company’s Bengal Army, this pillar-less building has a height of 29m. One can climb at the top of the Golghar through the spiral stairway around it. The spiral staircase was designed to facilitate the passage of the workers, who had to carry grain-bags up one flight, deliver their load through a hole at the top, and descend the other stairs. The top of the Golghar presents a wonderful panoramic view of the city and the Ganges.
The modern day, Bihar Museum has several galleries of curated exhibitions like the Orientation gallery, the children gallery, the regional gallery, the contemporary gallery, the historical art galleries, the Bihari Diaspora gallery, and the visible storage gallery. The exhibits range from artefacts from the Harappan Civilization from the 4th century BCE, the Gupta Dynasty (4th-6th centuries CE) to crafts, folk culture and traditions of Bihar. Apart from the galleries, there is publication and education section, sales counter, and a cafeteria.
Return to ship for lunch. Rest of the day free for rest and packing for the next day’s long drive.
We disembark after an early breakfast and drive to Varanasi (approx. 5 – 6 hrs drive, depending upon road traffic conditions). Upon arrival in Varanasi, transfer to the hotel for lunch and check-in.
Varanasi is a major religious hub in India, and is considered the holiest city in Hinduism and Jainism. It also played an important role in the development of Buddhism. It is also an important industrial centre, famous for its muslin and silk fabrics, perfumes, ivory works, and sculpture.
Morning is at leisure with breakfast at the hotel. Afternoon Proceed for lunch at a local restaurant. Thereafter enjoy a walk on these Ghats to experience the activities and hustle-bustle in the by-lanes. The city is known worldwide for its many Ghats, which are embankments made in steps of stone slabs along the river bank where pilgrims perform ritual ablutions. Continue to the riverside at the Dashashwamedh Ghat to see the “Ganga Aarti” ritual, performed by a group of priests lined up on the riverbank chanting mantras and performing the prayer ritual with lamps, incense, bells and traditional Hindu instruments to honour the river. Thousands of devotees throng the riverbank to participate in the ceremony every evening.
At early dawn enjoy a Sunrise Boat Tour to witness the incredible scenes along the Holy River. Return to hotel for breakfast. After breakfast we visit the excavation site of Sarnath where, circa 528 BCE, at 35 years of age, Gautama Buddha taught his first sermon after attaining enlightenment at Bodhgaya. The Dhamek Stupa here marks the precise location where Buddha preached his first discourse to his first five disciples, and where all five eventually became fully liberated. It is also where the Buddhist Sangha first came into existence as a result of the enlightenment of his first five disciples. It is also one of the eight stupas where Buddha’s ashes after his cremation were divided and buried.
The Archaeological Museum at Sarnath contains a large collection of sculptures that stand testimony to the fervent artistic and religious activity for more than a thousand years.
Lunch at a local restaurant in the city with free time for shopping and other activities.
Breakfast at the hotel and transfer to the airport for your onward journey.
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