Itinerary
Day programme:
Arrive at Kolkata Airport. If your cruise package includes a group arrival transfer or if you have purchased a private arrival transfer, you will be greeted by a Uniworld representative and transferred to the Ganges Voyager II.
Day programme:
Kalna, once an important trade port on the river, is best known today for the magnificent Hindu temples built by the maharajas of Bardhaman— which you’ll experience today. After marveling at the astonishing Rajbari temple complex, you may opt to walk with your guide through the colorful local market.
Day programme:
Your ship serves as a time machine today, transporting you hundreds of years into the past, as we travel to the authentic artisan village of Matiari.
Day programme:
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.
Day programme:
One of the world’s most sacred bodies of water, the Ganges River flows through a myriad of small villages and highly populated cities throughout India and Bangladesh. Take in the remarkable scenery as you sail and be on the lookout for a rare sighting of the endangered Ganges river dolphin.
Day programme:
Few places of worship exist on such a head-spinning scale as what you will witness today in Mayapur, the center 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.
Day programme:
The city of Kolkata is synonymous with the enduring legacies of Mother Teresa and the colonial-era British Raj, both of which you will get better acquainted with today.
Day programme:
Disembark the ship for your flight to New Delhi. Take the afternoon at leisure to rest at your hotel, The Oberoi New Delhi.
Day programme:
Settle into your cabin onboard The Maharajas’ Express as your journey by rail begins. Later today, enjoy a visit to the majestic Taj Mahal.
Day programme:
Following a visit to Agra Fort, you will journey to stunning Ranthambore, home to a national park known for its large population of Bengal tigers.
Day programme:
Pink is the color of hospitality in northwestern India, which gives you an idea of what to expect in the “Pink City” of Jaipur. Spend the morning visiting the city’s famous Amber Fort.
Day programme:
Gaze out at the countryside while you enjoy breakfast onboard. In the 15th century, what was once a barren desert gave rise to a princely city carved of red sandstone. This city, Bikaner, is the site of your explorations today. Enjoy some free time in the morning to explore on your own or relax onboard before our afternoon explorations. Tonight, a special dinner experience awaits in the deserts outside the city.
Day programme:
Having seen India’s “Pink City” already, now it’s time for you to visit the “Blue City” of Jodhpur. Swaths of brightly painted blue houses can be found throughout the city’s streets. Once an indication that a Brahmin—a member of India’s priestly class—inhabited a dwelling, the blue color later became emblematic of the city itself and a popular choice amongst its residents.
Day programme:
Sprawling across seven lakes and a range of hillsides, Udaipur has earned itself the moniker “the Venice of the East.” It is certainly amongst the most scenic locales in all of India, and a highlight of our adventures in this many splendored country. During your explorations of Udaipur today, sit for lunch at a local spot in town.
Mumbai, India’s financial capital, is a city of contrasts and colors, where towering skyscrapers stand alongside bustling bazaars. From the iconic Gateway of India to the vibrant street food scene of Chowpatty Beach, it’s a melting pot of cultures and cuisines. The heartbeat of Bollywood echoes through its bustling streets, while historic landmarks like the Elephanta Caves whisper tales of bygone eras. With its bustling local trains and bustling markets, Mumbai is a city that never sleeps, where dreams are pursued against the backdrop of the Arabian Sea’s shimmering waters.
Day programme:
Disembark the train and transfer to your luxury hotel, The Oberoi Mumbai, which is situated right on the coast of the Arabian sea.
Mumbai, India’s financial capital, is a city of contrasts and colors, where towering skyscrapers stand alongside bustling bazaars. From the iconic Gateway of India to the vibrant street food scene of Chowpatty Beach, it’s a melting pot of cultures and cuisines. The heartbeat of Bollywood echoes through its bustling streets, while historic landmarks like the Elephanta Caves whisper tales of bygone eras. With its bustling local trains and bustling markets, Mumbai is a city that never sleeps, where dreams are pursued against the backdrop of the Arabian Sea’s shimmering waters.
Day programme:
Check out of your hotel. If your cruise package includes a group departure transfer or if you purchased a private departure transfer, you will be transferred to the airport in Mumbai for your flight home.
Guests staying in the Maharaja Suites will receive daily butler service, laundry service, one-hour spa treatment (one per person, per suite), bottle of wine upon embarkation, and evening canapés. As well as this, guests will be pampered with a deep soaker tub with lattice-screened window, in-suite dining, and a scented bath.
All suites have a cosy sitting area and a French balcony with floor-to-ceiling glass doors. A bed dressed in soft linens, with a choice of pillows. Your roomy bathroom has a rain shower, comfy robes and slippers, and spa-quality Molten Brown bath products.
Other high-end amenities include a generous amount of closet space, under-bed storage, a flat-screen television with a wide selection of on-demand movies, individual climate control, bottled water replenished daily, fresh fruit and flowers upon arrival, an iPhone docking station with alarm clock, makeup mirrors, and universal electrical plugs.
Guests staying in the Viceroy Suites will receive daily butler service, laundry service, one-hour spa treatment (one per person, per suite), bottle of wine upon embarkation, and evening canapés.
All suites have a cosy sitting area and a French balcony with floor-to-ceiling glass doors. A bed dressed in soft linens, with a choice of pillows. Your roomy bathroom has a rain shower, comfy robes and slippers, and spa-quality Molten Brown bath products.
Other high-end amenities include a generous amount of closet space, under-bed storage, a flat-screen television with a wide selection of on-demand movies, individual climate control, bottled water replenished daily, fresh fruit and flowers upon arrival, an iPhone docking station with alarm clock, makeup mirrors, and universal electrical plugs
Guests staying in the Heritage Suites will receive daily butler service, laundry service, one-hour spa treatment (one per person, per suite), bottle of wine upon embarkation, and evening canapés.
All Heritage suites have a cosy sitting area and a Juliette balcony with floor-to-ceiling glass doors. A bed dressed in soft linens, with a choice of pillows. Your roomy bathroom has a rain shower, comfy robes and slippers, and spa-quality Molten Brown bath products.
Other high-end amenities include a generous amount of closet space, under-bed storage, a flat-screen television with a wide selection of on-demand movies, individual climate control, bottled water replenished daily, fresh fruit and flowers upon arrival, an iPhone docking station with alarm clock, makeup mirrors, and universal electrical plugs
All Colonial Suites have a cosy sitting area and a French balcony with floor-to-ceiling glass doors. A bed dressed in soft linens, with a choice of pillows. Your roomy bathroom has a rain shower, comfy robes and slippers, and spa-quality Molten Brown bath products.
Other high-end amenities include a generous amount of closet space, under-bed storage, a flat-screen television with a wide selection of on-demand movies, individual climate control, bottled water replenished daily, fresh fruit and flowers upon arrival, an iPhone docking station with alarm clock, makeup mirrors, and universal electrical plugs
All Signature Suites have a cosy sitting area and a French balcony with floor-to-ceiling glass doors. Twin Beds or one Queen Bed awaits, dressed in soft linens, with a choice of pillows. Your roomy bathroom has a rain shower, comfy robes and slippers, and spa-quality Molten Brown bath products.
Other high-end amenities include a generous amount of closet space, under-bed storage, a flat-screen television with a wide selection of on-demand movies, individual climate control, bottled water replenished daily, fresh fruit and flowers upon arrival, an iPhone docking station with alarm clock, makeup mirrors, and universal electrical plugs
A tribute to the incredibly flavourful cuisine of India, the East India Dining Room delivers one sumptuous meal after another, throughout your journey.
Deliciously complex, Indian food can be meat-based or vegetarian, subtle or spicy, savoury or sweet, and everything imaginable in between.
With beautiful murals and floor-to-ceiling windows surrounding the open seating area, guests will enjoy breakfast and lunch buffets and served dinners in elegance and comfort, watching the world around the Ganges passing by.
From Farm to Ship
Farm-to-table isn’t just a trendy culinary buzzword around here. It’s a governing philosophy and commitment to serving you the very best local dishes created by our master chefs. When in Italy, dinner may consist of Prosciutto di Parma pizza and Osso Buco Milanese, prepared to your liking, with meats and vegetables sourced from just miles away. After a day immersed in Indian culture, your taste buds may do some immersing of their own with Gajar Shorba and Tandoori Chicken Tikka for lunch. Live brilliantly. Dine locally. That’s our story and we’re sticking to it.
Creative Culinary Options
For those interested in healthier dining options, our Traveling Lite menu features all of the flavor of our traditional menu, but with fewer calories. We also offer a variety of vegetarian and vegan options, prepared just for you. If you have a specific meal preference, just ask. Our chefs will be happy to accommodate.
We learned from the best
Mrs. Beatrice Tollman’s culinary vision lives on with her many Signature Dishes you can enjoy onboard. Mrs. Tollman’s memoir, A Life in Food, chronicles her gastronomic prowess and joy of being able to share her life’s passion with thousands of guests. You’ll discover many of the recipes Mrs. Tollman published on our menu, including Bea’s Chicken Soup, Sesame Fried Chicken and Honeycomb Ice Cream. If the all-inclusive amenities and luxurious accommodations weren’t enough to put you in a state of comfortable bliss, the homegrown cooking will.
VILLAGE DAY
Get an in-depth look into the quaint destinations we visit and the local people who bring them to life.
LET’S GO
These active excursions feature walking, hiking, cycling, kayaking and golfing activities.
DO AS THE LOCALS DO
Experience life like a local, from riding the subway to stopping into a café for a local treat.
NIGHTS OUT
Private after-hours tours of popular attractions and fun local nightlife experiences.
From visiting a museum without the crowds to an after-hours tour of a famous landmark, these included, once-in-a-lifetime experiences are arranged privately for Uniworld guests.
Tasting cheese with a cheese affineur in Rüdesheim or cruising through the streets of Bordeaux in a retro sidecar–if going above and beyond is what you’re after, you’ll be sure to enjoy our selection of Masterpiece Collection optional experiences, available for an additional cost.
Guests looking to treat themselves and their loved ones to a private, extraordinary experience can arrange a Curated Service. These experiences can be booked onboard, are often accompanied with a private car and/or guide, are fully customizable, and provide guests with an opportunity to create an exceptionally special moment just for them.
The Governor’s Lounge offers a comfortable and inviting venue to gather with new friends at the end of each day to share stores and compare photos of your days on “Mother Ganga.”
While recounting the day’s activities, guests may enjoy handcrafted cocktails, fine wines, and an array of non-alcoholic beverages.
On-board entertainment is presented in the Lounge to enhance guests’ knowledge and enjoyment of the cruise.
The Observation Deck on the Ganges Voyager is the perfect place to awaken with a fresh cup of coffee, relax with a good book, or watch the sun set with an evening cocktail. This area of the Sun Deck offers chaise lounges and comfortable, shaded, seating areas, where staff are always available to offer a cool beverage.
The Outdoor Lounge can be found on the Sun Deck.
The Voyager Spa is an oasis where relaxation and pampering are offered. Guests may enjoy regional Indian, as well as Western spa treatments. The Voyager Spa only uses all-natural products.
The fitness centre on board the RV Ganges Voyager II offers modern exercise equipment to guests who wish to work off the scrumptious desserts from last night’s dinner.
Travel has provided us the chance to give back and lift up others, and we strive to do so whenever possible. We focus on making a positive impact and advocating for environmental, social and economic responsibility with the help of our not-for-profit TreadRight Foundation. Founded in 2008 by our parent company, The Travel Corporation, our collective mission is to safeguard people, wildlife and the planet for generations to come and to #MakeTravelMatter.
People
We work with local artisans and small business everywhere we travel, so we can bring you authentic local experiences while also supporting the livelihoods of the people who make these communities special.
Planet
Every year, we find more ways to cut back on our carbon footprint, from committing to eliminate more than 60 types of single-use plastics to becoming carbon neutral by 2030 or sooner and ensuring that at least 50% of our electricity is renewable by 2025.
Wildlife
Partnering with leading wildlife organizations, we work to protect and rehabilitate elephant, rhino and big cat populations around the world, while also educating our guests on ethical wildlife experiences.
We’re Committed to Carbon Neutrality by 2030 or Sooner
Our five-point plan starts with Measuring our emissions in order to Reduce and Offset our carbon footprint, supports third-party efforts to Remove the existing carbon in the atmosphere and forms critical partnerships so that we continue to Evolve. We’re also ensuring that at least 50% of our electricity is renewable by 2025.
You can get involved too! With our leading carbon offset provider, South Pole, you can purchase carbon offsets to cancel out the emissions produced by your travel. They have 700+ high quality and verifiable offset projects to choose from around the world.
Make Travel Matter® experiences
On our cruises and trips across our TTC family of brands, we offer a selection of included MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Experiences. They are chosen for the positive environmental or social impact they have on the guests who experience them, and the people and places they visit, and they support one or more of the United Nation’s Global Goals.
Make Travel Matter® pledge
We’ve partnered with TreadRight and The Travel Corporation to launch the MAKE TRAVEL MATTER® Pledge. Uniworld employees, alongside our 10,000 colleagues across 42 travel brands worldwide, have been asked to take this pledge to make travel matter and help protect people, the planet and wildlife. As travellers, travel providers and members of the global travel industry, this pledge serves as the next step in our long-standing commitment to sustainable tourism and conscious travel.
Say Goodbye to Single-Use Plastics
It is estimated that an additional eight million tons of plastic pour into our oceans every year. According to a report by the World Economic Forum, if nothing is done to push back against the deluge of plastics currently overwhelming our oceans there could be more plastic in the oceans than fish by 2050.
Under the guidance of The Travel Corporation and TreadRight, we will ban more than 60 types of single-use plastics across all operations—including straws, water bottles and plastic bags—by 2022. It’s all part of our commitment to ensure the environment remains vibrant for generations to come.
Kindly inform us in advance if you have specific dietary requests (e.g., low-fat, low-calorie, gluten-free, sugar-free, vegetarian, etc.). This information can be provided to us when completing your Passenger Information Form. We have a “Travelling Lite” menu for guests seeking more health-conscious options, as well as light lunches, vegetarian options, and generous buffets that offer something for everyone. We will do our very best to accommodate your needs given the resources available to us.
In our experience, most young children—especially those under 4—are simply not yet old enough to enjoy river cruising. We make no special arrangements for little ones and offer few kid-friendly activities onboard or onshore. Please note: Our Generations program departures include programs and services designed for families traveling with children. Adults accompanying children are responsible for their safety and behavior onboard and onshore.
Europe, Asia, India, and Egypt: Guests should be 4 years of age or older. Guests who are less than 18 years of age must be accompanied by a parent or guardian and booked in a cabin with someone who is 21 years of age or older.
Peru: Guests must be 7 years of age or older. Guests under 21 must be booked in a cabin with someone who is 25 years of age or older, or traveling with a parent or guardian who is booked in a connecting suite. Some excursions may not be suitable for young children.
It’s best to pack for a range of weather conditions, depending on the season and regions visited. Wearing layers will allow you to easily adjust to temperature changes. Limiting your wardrobe to a simple mix-and-match color scheme will keep your bags to a minimum.
We recommend wearing comfortable, smart-casual clothing both onshore and onboard. We also suggest sturdy walking shoes, as you will do a significant amount of walking on shore excursions, often over cobblestones or uneven terrain. A sun hat, rain gear, and a coat or wrap for chilly evenings are useful items to have. For dining ashore, concerts, special events onboard, etc., men may want to bring a sports jacket and women a cocktail dress or pantsuit. Neckties are optional. Please note that shorts are not allowed at dinner aboard the ship.
For the comfort of all our guests, smoking is only permitted on the sun decks of our ships. Smoking is not permitted on motorcoaches. This policy applies to all forms of smoking materials including vapor e-cigarettes.
We also ask guests to refrain from smoking on shore excursions/tours, especially since many historical sites and other tourist attractions are now smoke-free as well.
Most ships have either a self-serve laundrette (with ironing board) or laundry service for an additional fee. Please contact info@uniworld.com to find out what services your ship offers. No dry cleaning services are available on any ship.
Select ships offer complimentary Wi-Fi access. Please view your ship’s specific information page on our website or email us at info@uniworld.com to find out if Wi-Fi is available onboard. Service may be briefly interrupted in remote areas, while sailing, or when moving through locks, and the speed will likely be slower than what you are used to back home.
There’s all-inclusive, and then there’s the unmatched level of inclusive luxurious amenities that only we provide. To ensure truly carefree and effortless travel, we’ve gone ahead and included it all–so the only thing you have to do is sit back, relax and enjoy your vacation.
- UNLIMITED premium spirits and wines
- Delicious, FIVE-STAR, farm-to-table cuisine
- Your choice of CAREFULLY CURATED EXCURSIONS
- ALL GRATUITIES onboard
- Onboard FITNESS CENTER and WELLNESS CLASSES with a certified wellness instructor
- All scheduled AIRPORT TRANSFERS
- BICYCLES and NORDIC WALKING STICKS for onshore use
- Shipwide INTERNET and WI-FI access
- Onboard ENTERTAINMENT and ENRICHMENT
- Observation Deck
- Governors Lounge
- Bar
- Voyager Spa
- Fitness Centre
- Maharaja Suite
- Heritage Suite
- Viceroy Suite
- Colonial Suite
- East India Restaurant
- Reception
- Signature Suite
Get in touch with our team to start planning
Call and speak to a member of our experienced team today on +44 (0)1491 528 988 or email info@authenticcruises.co.uk.
Alternatively, leave your details and our team will get back to you as soon as possible.