Ganges River Cruise Destinations

The Lower Ganges threads through Bengal’s temples, colonial towns and villages — with Varanasi as the spiritual crown. Here are the highlights.

Kolkata

The start of most cruises — colonial architecture, the Victoria Memorial, flower markets and the buzzing riverfront of India’s former capital.

Kalna & the terracotta temples

Bengal’s extraordinary terracotta and terra-brick temples, including Kalna’s circular Nava Kailash and the shrines of Baranagar.

Mayapur & Matiari

The vast ISKCON temple at Mayapur and the village of Matiari, where families still hand-beat gleaming brass vessels.

The colonial Hooghly

Chandannagar, Chinsurah and Bandel — the former French, Dutch and Portuguese river colonies, with churches and riverside mansions.

Varanasi (extension)

The spiritual heart of the Ganges — dawn on the ghats, the evening Ganga Aarti and 3,000 years of unbroken ritual, added as a land or day-boat extension.

Almost every sailing starts here, and the city deserves more than a transfer — compare hotels in Kolkata on RoomsCheap.com.

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