Our Top 8 India River Cruises

1.Varanasi : Full Day City Highlights Day Tour & Ganges Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★4.8 · 520 reviews · 10 hours · from $61Our pick

See Varanasi by sunrise boat, sacred temples, BHU, Sarnath, and evening Ganga Aarti on a private 10-hour tour for $61.

“We had one full day in Varanasi and needed a good all day tour. Our guide was Shivam - he was friendly, patient, knowledgeable and made us feel comfortable. Nothing was too much trouble for him and he tailored the day to our needs. The morning Aarti ceremony and the evening ceremonies were amazing and well worth getting up early and staying out late. Shivam read our needs/preferences well and we thoroughly enjoyed our day (if a little exhausted by the end). The tour price tickets are expensive compared to others but it was a long day and our driver was also very good and prompt. Well organised by our…”

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2.Full-day private Varanasi tour with AC car, boat & Sarnath

★★★★★★★★★★4.9 · 103 reviews · 10 hours · from $61

Review of a private Varanasi and Sarnath day tour with sunrise boat ride, temples, local guide, AC car, and evening Ganga Aarti.

“We really enjoyed the tour with our guide (Anmol), who was very kind and knowledgeable. We recommend this walking tour to everyone :)”

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3.Varanasi & Sarnath: Full-Day Tour with Ganges Boat Ride

★★★★★★★★★★4.7 · 87 reviews · 10 hours · from $55

See Varanasi at sunrise, explore Sarnath, visit sacred temples, and witness the Ganga Aarti on a guided 10-hour tour.

“The extreme level of service from Rahul when our train arrived late and yet we were met by the driver! The boat ride at sunrise was perfect for photographers. Rahul was considerate and took good care of us.”

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5.Kerala: Alappuzha River Cruise with Village Walk

★★★★★★★★★★4.3 · 25 reviews · 3 hours · from $21

Cruise Kerala’s Alappuzha backwaters by private shikara, see village life and sunset views, and learn what is really included for $21.

“This trip was fantastic but the description is misleading. Food was not served on the boat and there was no village walk included. We did stop at a little cafe for food which was delicious but we had to pay for it. It wasn't included in the price. Our guide was absolutely great, very friendly, knowledgeable and really made the trip memorable. We explored some beautiful backwaters to see village life. Highly recommend but be aware that the description for this tour is incorrect.”

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6.Guwahati Day Tour with Assamese Lunch and Sunset River Cruise

★★★★★★★★★★5.0 · 11 reviews · from $65Top rated

Review of Guwahati’s private day tour with Kamakhya Temple, Assamese lunch, museums, and a sunset Brahmaputra cruise.

“I had an exceptional experience touring Guwahati with Avani Travel Services. My guide was Paul and he is one of the best guides I have met in India. He helped me do Kamakhya Devi Darshan within 15-20 minutes, took several nice photogRead more”

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7.Panaji: Fun-Filled 2-Hour Mandovi River Cruise with Dinner

★★★★★★★★★★3.8 · 8 reviews · 2 hours · from $16

Review of Goa’s $16 Mandovi River dinner cruise, with Panaji views, DJ entertainment, buffet food, drinks, and practical booking tips.

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8.Golden Hour on the Ganges – Sunrise Boat Tour

★★★★★★★★★★3.7 · 3 reviews · 1.5 hours · from $27

Review of Varanasi’s private Ganges boat tour, sunset aarti, temple stories, street food, price, timing concerns, and booking advice.

“observer la ville depuis le gange.n où nous aurions aimé rester un peu plus longtemps. Anmol fut un très bon guide, enthousiaste et connaussajt l'histoire de sa ville! Anmol, fut un très bon guide.”

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