Our Team 
Our Tour Experts William Dalrymple is a highly acclaimed author of a series of books, notably Xanadu, City of Djinns, The Age of Kali and White Mughals. In his most ambitious and riveting book to date, The Anarchy, William Dalrymple tells the story of the East India Company as it has never been told before, unfolding a timely cautionary tale of the first global corporate power. He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature, the Royal Geographical Society and of the Royal Asiatic Society and is a founder and co-director of the Jaipur Literature Festival.
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Our Team Steppes Travel is made by the people who work here. Incredible holidays are made possible because of their vast travel experience and the great enthusiasm they bring to their work.
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Our Tour Experts We carefully select our experts based on their knowledge, companionship and influence, ensuring that you can travel with the most knowledgeable leaders in the field.
India – Ganges River Cruise with William Dalrymple
| Departure date | Duration | Prices Start from | Tour Expert | Max Group Size | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14/02/21 | 11 Days | £4,995 ex. flights | William Dalrymple | 52 | AVAILABLE | Reserve your place |
Board the five-star Ganges Voyager on a 10-day river cruise into the heart of West Bengal. William Dalrymple, author and historian will join you onboard to share his knowledge of India and explore key regions mentioned in his latest book, The Anarchy.
Accompanied by specialist guides and our guest speaker William Dalrymple, you will participate in a combination of daily shore excursions, onboard lectures and discussions and experience a unique perspective and insight into Indian history.
The cruise slowly drifts alongside riverside communities on the Lower Ganges, punctuated by historic battlefields, temple complexes, historic mosques and impressive colonial architecture.
Start in the fascinating city of Kolkata before heading upstream to Kalna, renowned for having the highest concentration of temples in Bengal and home to the spectacular Nabakailas complex, comprising of an outer circumference of 74 temples and an inner ring of 34 temples.
Further up-river is home to India’s finest brass handicrafts at the shore side bazaar at Matiari, while for anybody with an interest in the history of the East India Company, the battlefield at Plassey will doubtless be a highlight.
For many, the jewel in the crown of this trip will be the afternoon spent at Murshidabad, home to Hazarduari Palace and its plethora of colonial antiques and the impressive Imambara, a Shia place of worship. By the end of the cruise, you will have been given a unique perspective on modern life along the Ganges, alongside a compelling insight into Indian history through the prism of the East India Company.
Introducing your expert
William Dalrymple
01285 601 784
Key Highlights of this Itinerary
1William Dalrymple
Travel in the company of acclaimed author and historian, William Dalrymple.
2Private boat charter
Travel aboard the exclusively chartered, high-end river cruiser, Ganges Voyager I.
3A unique perspective
Reach fascinating parts of Bengal inaccessible by road, as featured in William Dalrymple’s latest book, The Anarchy.
4Discover Murshidabad
Reach Murshidabad, a hidden architectural gem with dramatic colonial-era structures.
Explore our suggested itinerary
- Day 1Arrive Kolkata
- Day 2Embarkation in Kolkata - Kalna
- Day 3Kalna to Matiari
- Day 4Matiari to Murshidabad
- Day 5Murshidabad
- Day 6Murshidabad to Cossimbazar
- Day 7Cossimbazar to Mayapur
- Day 8Mayapur to Chandernagore
- Day 9Chandernagore to Serampore, Barrackpore and Kolkata
- Day 10Kolkata
- Day 11Disembarkation in Kolkata
Kolkata
The journey begins in Kolkata, considered by many to be the country’s cultural hub. The former capital of the Raj, Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) still retains much of its dramatic colonial architecture. Its legacy lives on in the imperious Victoria Memorial in the heart of the city, today home to an impressive collection of British colonial historical artefacts, and the churches of St John and St Andrew.
At the end of the cruise, you will explore this fascinating city; stroll through the early morning flower market, pass the bookshops on College Street, watch the world come to life in the institutional coffee shops, sample Bengali cuisine and explore some of the colonial monuments.
Kalna
The town of Kalna has the most extraordinary concentration of temples in the region. The Rajbari Temple Complex includes a diverse mix of temple architecture. Built-in 1809 by the Bardhaman Maharaja, the complex contains 108 slope-roofed temples, 74 in an outer circle and another 34 in the inner circle. Terracotta plaques depict themes of Hindu epics, the mythical lives of saints, gods and goddesses and various aspects of day to day life in the region. It’s a remarkable site to visit.
Plassey
The cruise sails past the battlefields of Plassey, where the British East India Company, under the leadership of Robert Clive, had a decisive victory over the Nawab of Bengal and his French allies in June 1757. The battle helped the Company seize control of Bengal. Over the next hundred years, they seized control of the entire Indian subcontinent and Myanmar.
Murshidabad
The ship continues along the Lower Ganges, twisting and turning between banks lined with mustard fields and mango orchards to arrive at Murshidabad, a hidden architectural gem with dramatic whitewashed colonial-era structures.
During your visit to Murshidabad, visit the Katra mosque. Built by the first Nawab of Murshidabad – Murshid Quli Khan in 1724-25, this mosque has distinctive minarets from which the muezzin calls the faithful to Friday prayers. Continue to the Hazarduari Palace which dominates the waterfront, built during the reign of Nawab Nazim Humayun Jah (1824-1838
AD) by an English architect, Duncan McLeod, 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, artwork and manuscripts.
Includes / Excludes
Important Information
Activity Level
Light ActivitySingle Supplement
Travelling on your own? Our group tours are perfect for solo travellers, as travelling as part of an organised group in faraway places provides security and peace of mind. We handle all of the arrangements for you and there will be a local tour guide on hand throughout to provide advice and help if needed, as well as the expertise of a Tour expert.
Flexibility
To allow flexibility, our group tours do not include international flights as standard. We can arrange international flights on your behalf and the above is an indication of the cost, based on return flights departing from London. All international flights from the UK are ATOL protected.
What is included
- Accompanied by William Dalrymple for five days
- Bed and breakfast accommodation in Kolkata for one night
- Shared group transfer on arrival - airport to hotel
- Two shared group transfers by deluxe AC coach - hotel to port and port to airport
- Welcome meal on first night in Kolkata
- Accommodation aboard the Ganges Voyager
- Full board meals on the boat include mineral water, tea/coffee
- Services of three English speaking guides (one per 15-20 passengers) for shore excursions during cruise
- Gratuities for local guides, drivers, porters, crew
- All shore excursions during cruise
- £25 to help fund the communities, conservation agencies and NGOs that we work with
- £25 contribution to ‘Trees and Science’ in mitigation of your carbon emissions
- 24-hour assistance while travelling
- Wi-Fi access while on board the boat
What is excluded
- International flights
- Drinks on board (other than mineral water, tea and coffee)
- Travel Insurance
- Visa Fees
Why a Steppes expert-led group tour
1.Experience matters
We have been running insightful and groundbreaking group tours since our inception in 1989. We have worked with institutions such as the British Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum and run wildlife tours in conjunction with conservation agencies such as Fauna & Flora International, Wildlife Conservation Society, the Orangutan Foundation, Dian Fossey Gorilla Fund and the Jane Goodall Institute.
2.Like-minded travellers
Steppes Travellers are like-minded people; interesting, interested and curious. Our group tours, usually consisting of eight to ten travellers, aim to create an easy and informal atmosphere – we have a lot of fun on our tours and many friendships have been formed.
4.Peace of mind
When you travel on one of our group tours, you will be looked after by our local agents and your tour expert with the back-up of our 24-hour emergency number and duty manager. All our holidays are fully bonded and protected – our ATOL number is ATOL 6495.
3.It’s about who you know
We have developed an enviable pool of expertise from which to choose our tour experts, who we carefully select based on their knowledge, companionship and personality. Often, these experts can use their influence to facilitate private access to sites not typically open to the public.
Our future tour dates
For further information about any of these tours please call 01285 601 784
| Departure date | Duration | Prices Start from | Tour Expert | Max Group Size | Status | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14/02/21 | 11 Days | £4,995 ex. flights | William Dalrymple | 52 | AVAILABLE | Reserve your place |
Reserve your place on this group tour
Our travel experts have a wealth of first-hand knowledge, so if you have any questions about this expert-led group tour, please get in touch. They would love to help. We hope you can join us on this tour.
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Why Choose Steppes?
Our knowledge and expertise sets us apart. So too our curiosity. A curiosity of the world and of you, and your passions. It is this that drives us to create a journey that is really bespoke to you, all the while ensuring we travel and operate sustainably.
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