Take a 4hr (approx.) train journey from Kolkata to Farakka in the afternoon, and then a short road transfer to the ship. Guests joining independently at Farakka can board the ship from midday onwards. Our guests joining Bengal Despatch 5 from another cruise will enjoy a full day excursion by road to Gaur.

This quiet, deserted place was once one of India’s great cities, first under the Hindus in the 12th century, then as the Muslim capital of Eastern India from the 14th to the 16th century, and its plentiful remains of mosques, palaces and gateways are testament to this diverse history. Later, travel on through the town of Malda, or English Bazar, to Pandua where you will visit the great 14th century Adina Mosque before returning to Farakka where your ship will have passed through the lock at the barrage. Overnight on board.

This morning’s cruise is along a straight canal section to Jangipur, where the afternoon is free to explore this small country town on foot. Guests who joined at Farakka will have the opportunity to experience the full day excursion by road to Gaur, near the town of Malda, or English Bazar.

Explore the rich tapestry of historical influences in the region, travelling from 12th century Hindu rule to the Muslim capital of Eastern India in just one, quiet and deserted spot. The remains of mosques, Palaces, and gateways tell the tale of what was once one of India’s great cities.

You rejoin the ship in the evening near Jangipur. Set sail down the Lower Ganges, a charming waterway twisting and turning between banks lined with mustard fields and mango orchards. Moor at Baranagar for the night.  Overnight on board.

This morning you’ll visit the delightfully sleepy village of Baranagar and take a tranquil walk through fields to visit three gorgeous miniature terracotta temples. This is certainly rural India at its most idyllic. Continue on down past Azimganj, boasting some fine riverside mansions, to Murshidabad where the Nawab’s great Hazarduari Palace dominates the waterfront.

Built by an English architect in 1837, the palace hosts an extensive collection of pictures, china, weapons and other objects. Carry on to visit the great Katra Mosque before driving out to see the Katgola Palace. Built in classical Georgian style by rich local merchants, Katgola Palace represents the other side of the coin of the 'White Mughal' period when English and Indian cultures came close to fusion.

Moor overnight on the riverbank across from town.  Overnight on board.

Sail downstream a short distance then walk to the Khushbagh, a peaceful Mughal-style garden enclosing the tombs of Siraj-ud-Daulah – the last independent Nawab of Bengal – and his family. Return to the ship and continue downstream past the old British cantonment of Berhampur.

You’ll moor at a rural spot close to the battlefield of Plassey where, in 1757, Robert Clive, the Commander-in-Chief of British India, defeated Siraj-ud-Daulah to change the course of Indian history. You can walk through the fields to the commemorative obelisk before cruising on to a mooring near Katwa, a market town with narrow bustling bazaars. Overnight on board.

Visit the brassworking village of Matiari where you can see the traditional craft of beating out brass water pots and other vessels. Continue on through the countryside to Mayapur to visit the vast new ISKCON (International Society for Krishna Consciousness) temple which dominates the skyline.

As the headquarters of ISKCON, or the Hare Krishna movement, the temple receives over a million singing and dancing devotees a year from around the world. Overnight on board.

Continue on to the country town of Kalna. Take cycle rickshaws to see some of Bengal’s most attractive terracotta temples, as well as the unique Shiva temple with concentric rings made up of 108 shrinelets.

Sailing on, you leave the fields behind and arrive at the outskirts of bustling Kolkata where you land at Hooghly to visit the imposing Imambara. With verses from the Koran written on its walls, the Imambara is an opportunity to step back in time and relive a slice of Islamic history in Bengal.

Sail downstream past fine waterfront buildings and the old Dutch settlement at Chinsura to moor at Chandernagore. Overnight on board.

At Chandernagore, a French possession until 1950, you’ll visit the 18th century church and Dupleix Palace, former residence of the Governor-General of French India, before continuing down to Barrackpore.

Land and take a walk through the cantonment – past the Semaphore Tower, Government House, the Temple of Fame and Flagstaff House – to get a better understanding of India's journey to independence. Subject to river tide, cruise under the Howrah Bridge to reach central Kolkata. Overnight on board.

Disembark and transfer to central Kolkata or the airport.