Calcutta: The port trust is starting a heritage tour down the Hooghly with the focus on the history of the ports.

A luxurious 30-seater launch will begin its journey from the Man-O'-War jetty near Prinsep Ghat, travel upstream till about Nimtala ghat and then sail downstream till Suriname Ghat before ending the journey at Indenture Memorial. On the way, guides will explain the importance of the landmarks they cross.

"The stretch has old clock towers, jetties and museums that people will find interesting. We want to present visitors with such an opportunity," Calcutta Port Trust chairman Vinit Kumar said.

The tour will be open to public shortly and one can contact the port trust for details. The ticket prices are yet to be decided.

The tour is being conducted in association with the tourism ministry. On February 28, they conducted an orientation tour for travel agents.

"While there are private cruises on the Hooghly, this is the first-of-its-kind by a government body," said S.R. Chowdhury, assistant director, India tourism (Calcutta). "The USP will be the access it can provide into several restricted areas."

Such areas include the Man-O'-War jetty. Used by the navy today, it was built to send soldiers and provisions to the China-Burma-India Theatre during World War II. There's also the Indenture Memorial, built in memory of labourers who set off from Calcutta to work in other colonies. So far, visitors needed permission to visit the site.

"Calcutta gets several Indian-origin tourists from Mauritius, Nairobi and Trinidad, whose ancestors had set off from Calcutta to work there. They want to visit memorials that commemorate theirs ancestors but so far it was difficult to get access," said Leena Sarkar, a registered tourist guide who went for the ride.

The trip will also include a visit to the Maritime Archives and Heritage Centre at the port trust's Fairley Warehouse on Strand Road. Here, one can see models of ships, maps and lighthouse record books from the 1800s and also learn about some trivia.

Actor Uttam Kumar, for instance, was a cash clerk here and on display is a copy of the receipt of a security deposit of Rs 1,000 he had paid on August 19, 1947.

Visitors will also get to tour the "number 8 workshop" at Indenture Memorial.

"This was once Asia's largest marine workshop, where different kinds of ships are repaired, said Gautam Chakraborti, security adviser to the port trust.