INDIA
India’s standout days.
Our pick of the 15 best cruises & boat tours in India: what you actually see, how long each one runs, and what you can expect to pay.
Quiet non-mechanized Cochin backwaters cruise with a coir village stop and vegetarian banana-leaf lunch, plus pickup options from Fort Cochin.
Most Popular“Great calming tour of the backwaters in a none touristy area! hosts are so nice!”
Cochin to Alleppey shikara cruise: 3 hours gliding through Kerala backwaters with villages, palms, and paddy fields, with port pickup.
“Excellent trip! Best boat to go by as wasn’t too big and could go down the smaller backwaters. Also being a private tour it was the best value for money! Guide was very informative Definitely recommend this trip!!”
Private shikara + village stop on Alleppey backwaters, with bird spotting and sunset options for about $16 per person.
“Everything was on time and the precommunication was great. A very relaxing experience, on comfortable boat. It was great to have a small boat because we were able to sail in the narrow, more hidden canals of the villages.”
Private overnight houseboat cruise from Kochi to Alappuzha backwaters, with AC cabin, 3 Kerala meals, scenic village cruising, and easy transfers.
“We spent one night on a beautiful houseboat cruising the backwaters of Alappuzha and it was such a memorable experience. The boat itself was spotless, with a lovely sitting and dining area, comfortable beds, and private bathrooms. The shower is fine for a quick body wash — maybe not ideal for washing hair, but that’s…”
Private Cochin–Alleppey houseboat cruise with a slow backwater ride, Keralan lunch, pickup service, and a $85 per person price.
“Our car guide Mr. Santosh was great. Highly recommend asking for him. Our boat staff was amazing as well!”
Private 3-hour Alleppey shikara with sunset backwaters, a village shore stop, and a Kerala meal option for about $21.
“The Alleppey backwaters are mesmerising!”
Private Kochi tuk-tuk shore tour with cruise pickup to Fort Kochi and Mattancherry highlights, led by an English guide.
“Our driver was Nisha. He made the whole trip fun and was really knowledgeable. I’d recommend asking for him if you get the opportunity as he’s really prepared to tailor the tour to what you want to do though you’ll still get the obligatory spice shops etc.”
A 4-hour Udaipur tour with a private City Palace and Jagdish Temple guide, plus a shared boat ride on Lake Pichola.
“Great experience.”
A full-day Kolkata route of temples, a Hooghly River boat ride, colonial landmarks, and Ganga Arti at Babu Ghat.
Goa dinner cruise on the Mandovi with live DJ, AC dance floor, veg/non-veg buffet, magic show, traditional dances, and optional hotel transfer.
“Thank you so much for sharing your experience! We’re happy to know everything was good. We look forward to welcoming you again.”
Private Hyderabad tour with Golkonda Fort, Charminar, Salar Jung Museum, Chow Mohalla Palace, plus evening boat ride on Hussain Sagar.
“We we sent a small car so for the first part of the tour we were squeezed,. However, the guide replaced it with a bigger comfortable car.”
1.5-hour Kochi cruise past Chinese fishing nets, Mattancherry sights, and possible dolphin spotting, plus a Mattancherry walk.
“The boat ride was fun. The host could have provided more information about the architecture we saw. He did an excellent job with the on land tour especially in Mattancherry.”
4-hour Mandovi River dinner cruise in Goa with a Bollywood DJ, folk dance shows, buffet for veg and non-veg, and big views.
“Driver picked up where he said he would pick up no problem. Got to the boat, and was quite pumping music playing. The MC was interactive and was good. Although we were not served starters on the lower deck (others were), we got it upstairs. Probably don’t order a red wine unless you are happy…”
2-hour evening Ganges boat ride from Assi Ghat with an English guide, passing 55+ ghats and Manikarnika cremation views.
Fly from Delhi to Varanasi in a day for Sarnath, Kashi Vishwanath, a Ganges boat ride, and Ganga Aarti with a guide.
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