India’s Golden Triangle & the Sacred Ganges

Arrive at New Delhi Indira Gandhi International Airport. If an arrival transfer has been arranged, a Uniworld representative will meet you and transfer you to the Oberoi New Delhi hotel.

A guided city tour introduces you to India’s colorful and captivating capital. The day’s excursion, **”India’s Capital City with Rickshaw Ride to Old Delhi,”** takes you down the broad boulevards of Lutyens’ Delhi, past Humayun’s Tomb (a UNESCO World Heritage Site and architectural forerunner of the Taj Mahal), and to Raj Ghat, the memorial to Mahatma Gandhi. You’ll have free time afterward to explore Connaught Place for shopping or visit the National Museum, with an optional add-on tour to Qutab Minar and the Jagannath Hindu Temple. The evening closes with dinner at the Oberoi.

Check out of your New Delhi hotel and travel by motorcoach south to Agra. This afternoon’s featured excursion, **”Majesty and Grace, the Taj Mahal at Sundown,”** brings you to the Oberoi Amarvilas (every room has a Taj Mahal view) for lunch, followed by a visit to the Taj Mahal itself as the setting sun changes the color of the white marble.

Wake early for the **”Early Morning at the Taj Mahal”** excursion, a return visit at sunrise, when the monument takes on a rosy pink glow. After lunch back at the hotel, travel by motorcoach to Jaipur, the third city of the Golden Triangle. Check into the Oberoi Rajvilas, set on 32 acres of gardens around an ancient Shiva temple, for a two-night stay.

Today’s excursion, **”Jaipur, Rajasthan’s Princely City and Amber Fort,”** includes a tour of the Amber Palace and the Jantar Mantar observatory, a UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with astronomical instruments still used today. The afternoon is free to explore Jaipur’s bazaars, known for jewelry, pottery, textiles, and carpets, with hotel shuttles available.

Fly from Jaipur to Kolkata and transfer to the riverbank to embark the *Ganges Voyager II*. Settle into your suite as your seven-night cruise along the sacred Ganges begins.

The excursion **”India’s ‘Temple City'”** takes you through Kalna, once a busy river trading port, to the Rajbari temple complex, including the terra-cotta Pratapeshwar Temple (1849), the 1739 Lalji Temple, and the twin concentric circles of the Naba Kailash temples. An optional walk through the local market follows.

Visit the artisan village of Matiari on the excursion **”Matiari Master Craftsmen with an Introduction to Brass,”** where generations of craftsmen have hand-produced ornamental brass objects. Back onboard, a mehndi (henna) artist demonstrates traditional patterns and their meanings.

The featured excursion, **”Visit to Murshidabad City, Ride by Buggy to Katra Mosque, and Visit to Baranagar Village,”** includes a horse-drawn buggy ride to the 1723 Katra Mosque, a visit to the 114-room Hazarduari Palace, and a stop in Baranagar to see 18th-century terra-cotta temples built by Rani Bhabani. An optional look at local cricket culture may follow.

A scenic day of cruising, with a chance to spot the endangered Ganges river dolphin. The **”Khusbagh Walk”** excursion takes you through the garden-graveyard of the Nawabs of Bengal, including the mausoleum of Siraj ud-Daulah. A mehndi demonstration is also offered onboard today.

Two excursions are featured today. **”Hare Krishna Complex and Temple of the Vedic Planetarium”** brings you to Mayapur, center of the international Hare Krishna movement and site of the new Temple of the Vedic Planetarium. **”India’s French Colonial Heritage”** takes you to Chandannagar, a former French outpost until 1952, including the Church of the Sacred Heart and the Chandernagore College Museum.

The **”Kolkata City Tour with Visit to the Flower Market”** excursion includes the vibrant flower market near Howrah Bridge, plus a choice between visiting Mother Teresa’s Home and Tomb or the NGO Calcutta Rescue. In the afternoon, **”Kumartuli Visit (Potter’s Colony) And Colonial Sites”** takes you through Kolkata’s traditional potters’ neighborhood and past colonial landmarks including the Calcutta High Court, Government House, Town Hall, the Writers’ Building, and the Victoria Memorial.

Disembark the ship this morning. If a departure transfer has been arranged, you’ll be taken to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose International Airport for your flight home, or extend your journey with the optional Varanasi post-cruise extension.