Itinerary Highlights
What's Included
- Flights
- Accommodation Throughout
- Transfers
12 nights from £2,995 per person
Louise Dean
Travel Specialist
This river tour is the perfect introduction to Eastern India. Gently meandering down the Brahmaputra River, you will experience the wonders of Assam and stop at some of the region’s best wildlife reserves and parks. On this holiday you will have the opportunity to glimpse One-horned rhinos and Asian elephants in their natural habitat – a completely unforgettable experience. Take in India’s natural beauty as you cruise through jungle and forest landscapes.
Itinerary
Day 1 UK – Kolkata
Board your overnight flight from the UK to Kolkata.
Day 2 Kolkata
You will be greeted by a Rainbow Tours representative at the airport, before transferring to your hotel.
India’s second largest city, Kolkata (formerly known as Calcutta) is an artistic and cultural capital which mixes its colonial legacy with shiny new complexes and office buildings. Home to some of the best Bengali cuisine, this is a great place to start your Indian adventure.
Day 3 Kolkata
Today you have a full day in Kolkata to explore and discover this city’s fascinating history. Start with a Heritage Tour through Dalhousie Square, one of the few intact colonial cultural areas remaining in this part of Asia. The square has been protected by the World Monument Fund, and as such you’ll find some perfectly preserved cultural landmarks here. Your tour will take you through some of the Kolkata’s most famous sites, including the ‘Black Hole of Calcutta’ and the Writer’s Building, which was the East India Company’s home in the city.
Stop for lunch at Bomti’s – Surajit ‘Bomti’ Iyengar is a local art dealer who hosts traditional Bengali meals in his artful apartment and also leads fascinating tours of his city. This evening enjoy a cruise on the River Hooghly to watch the city fade into the night.
Day 4 Kolkata – Guwahati
Catch your flight to Guwahati. A member of our team will meet you and show you around the city on a short tour to see the major sights, including the sacred Kamakhya temple. Step aboard your cruise vessel to start your river journey through India.
Day 5 Khirakata
Today you will be cruising up the Brahmaputra River, with plenty of time to admire the magnificent surroundings. On both sides of the river you will notice dense jungle terrain and magnificent hills. Listen for the sound of wildlife and birdsong coming from the trees. Roll through Khirakata, a small farming village.
Day 6 Tullugaon
Today you will emerge from hill country, and cruise through jungle terrain, with huge sand banks looming on either side of the river making for an impressive sight. Stop in Tullugaon, a village known for sugar production. Here you can visit plantations and watch as workers turn sugar cane into jaggery, a type of unrefined sugar widely consumed throughout Asia.
Day 7 Tezpur
Continue your cruise on to Tezpur. Here you will explore this verdant town of lakes and riverbanks; wander on foot or by cycle-powered rickshaw. Tezpur is known for Agnigarh, which is a sacred Hindu park.
Day 8 Nameri National Park
Step onto land and drive to Nameri National Park. Explore the park, which is home to a vast number of beautiful butterflies; this region of India is known to house over half of the world’s known species of butterfly. Nameri is also home to a variety of mammals, reptiles and birds. Here you could spot tigers, leopards, cobras, bison, vultures and hundreds more species of wildlife. Enjoy a river cruise through the park, and keep an eye out – you might even be lucky enough to spot elephants strolling through the forest.
Day 9 Kaziranga National Park
This morning continue your cruise to Steemer Ghat before driving to Kaziranga National Park. Here you will enjoy a safari drive and climb to the top of the park’s observation tower to survey the vast expanse of this World Heritage site. Kaziranga is home to two thirds of the global One-horned rhino population and has been a designated Tiger Reserve for over a decade.
Day 10 Kaziranga National Park
On a safari through the park today keep an eye out for the plentiful wildlife that calls this area home – Kaziranga is known as a home to the Asian ‘Big Five’ (Wild buffalo, Swamp deer, tiger, elephant and rhino). The park is home to a multitude of animals, and today your safari could lead you past Sloth bears, macaques, pangolins and boar.
Visit a local tea plantation to learn how tea is processed and picked, before enjoying another jeep drive through Kaziranga to spot some more of the park’s fascinating inhabitants. The park plays host to a seemingly endless list of birds, so binoculars are recommended to make the most of the wildlife experience.
Day 11 Guwahati – Kolkata
This morning drive back to Guwahati to board your flight back to Kolkata. A member of the Rainbow team will meet you at Kolkata and check you in to your hotel for the night.
Day 12 Kolkata – UK
Today board your homebound flight to the UK.
Louise Dean
Travel Specialist
Pricing Information & Dates
12 nights from £2,995 per person
Louise Dean
Travel Specialist
Price Includes
- Return International Flights as per the itinerary
- All airport taxes and security charges
- Accommodation and meals as specified
- Transfers as specified
- Activities and excursions as specified
- All entrace fees on sightseeing tours as specified
Price Excludes
- Travel Insurance
- Any meals not specified in the itinerary
- Tips and gratuities
- Optional excursions
Why Choose Us?
Passionate travel experts
- We've been leading wildlife travel since our first South Africa tours over 25 years ago
- Our Travel Specialists have lived in their specialist area for years
- We work with local guides to immerse you deeper in our diverse range of experiences
Personal & tailor-made
- You'll speak to your own expert who'll share their first-hand knowledge
- We'll make your itinerary seamless with 24/7 emergency contact available
- Your Travel Specialist will listen to ensure you have the best chance of seeing the wildlife you love
Responsible by nature
- We take care to actively contribute to the conservation of environments we visit
- For select countries, we make a charitable donation on your behalf when you make your booking
- We've partnered with conservation experts and NGOs to curate responsible tours
For the latest travel advice from the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office check www.gov.uk/travelaware
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