India

India Cruises

India

USA Today AwardWorld's Best River Cruise Suite 2023Conde Nast Traveler 2023TripAdvisor Travellers Choice 2020TripAdvisor Certificate of Excellence

Discover the rich culture of India's rivers

India is a world of colour and culture. The country is diverse and offers so many experiences for those wishing to find out more. Embarking on a river cruise in India allows you to see this extraordinary country in a way like you'd never imagined.

Our India cruises take place on not only the lower and upper River Ganges but soon also the Brahmaputra River Cruise.

Both of these rivers are of major importance to India, offering a place of worship as well as historically important towns and cities forming life on the banks.

The Ganges River winds 2,525km through India and across the border into Bangladesh. It begins its journey in the Himalayas in the Indian state of Uttarakhand and flows through the Gangetic Plain of India and into Bangladesh before it is released into the Bay of Bengal.

The Brahmaputra is also a trans-boundary river, flowing through China, India and Bangladesh. The River enters India in the state of Arunachal Pradesh, where it is called Siang. It continues across the plains where its name changes once again to Dihang. It enters the state of Assam and becomes as wide as 20 km in some parts.

Being the second most populated country in the world, India is awash with bustling towns and villages and our river cruises mean you can immerse yourself in the local's way of life. Ride on rickshaws, witness terracotta temples, visit villages and dine alongside Gangetic dolphins. Through the cuisine and the excursions, a Pandaw India river cruise really does encompass the Indian lifestyle completely.

Available

Expeditions

All Assam on the Brahmaputra
Save up to 10% and No Single Supplement on selected dates
10 Nights
Guwahati - Silghat - Goalpara - Guwahati
RV Kindat Pandaw
Brahmaputra River

From

USD 3,950.10

per person

The Hooghly
Save up to 10% and No Single Supplement on selected dates

Spend 9 nights sailing West Bengal

9 Nights
Kolkata - Baranagar - Kolkata
RV Kalaw Pandaw, RV Katha Pandaw
Ganges River

The Kerala Backwaters
Save up to 10% and No Single Supplement on selected dates

7 night backwater expedition

7 Nights
Kerala - Perumpalam - Kerala
RV Kerala Pandaw, RV Kochi Pandaw
Kerala Backwaters

From

USD 4,900.50

per person

The Brahmaputra
Save up to 10%

Explore the Brahmaputra River

7 Nights
Guwahati - Silghat - Guwahati
RV Kindat Pandaw
Brahmaputra RiverBrahmaputra River

From

USD 3,598.20

per person

The All Ganges
Save up to 10%

14 night Ganges river cruise exploring India’s most sacred waterway

14 Nights
14 Nights on the Ganges
RV Kalaw Pandaw
Ganges River

From

USD 9,147.60

per person

The Full Brahmaputra
Save up to 20% and No Single Supplement on selected dates

All of the Brahmpautra

10 Nights
10 Nights
RV Kindat Pandaw
Brahmaputra River

Rivers of

India

Brahmaputra River

Brahmaputra River

India's Brahmaputra River is the 29th longest river in the world at 2, 948 km long, and has a discharge of 19, 200 cubic litres per second which....

Ganges River

Ganges River

The Ganges River is the 34th longest river in the world at 2, 620km, flowing down through the Himalayas to form the Gangetic Plain of North Indi....

Kerala Backwaters

Kerala Backwaters

The Kerala backwaters are a network of lagoons and canals lying parallel to the Arabian Sea of the Malabar coast of Kerala state in south-wester....

Our Fleet In

India

The RV Kalaw Pandaw Ship

RV Kalaw Pandaw

Sister to the Kindat and identical in design the Kalaw was launched with her in 2014 Kalaw is named after the PS Kalaw launched in 1917 and sunk....

View Details
The RV Katha Pandaw Ship

RV Katha Pandaw

This was a radical new design, based on the old K class used in Burma from the 1880s on. This ship is the third Katha to run on the Irrawaddy. T....

View Details
The RV Kindat Pandaw Ship

RV Kindat Pandaw

The original Kindat was built in 1886 by Yarrows in London and sank in 1920. She was named after a small Upper Chindwin town. Following experime....

View Details
The RV Kochi Pandaw Ship

RV Kochi Pandaw

Launched in November 2025, the ten cabin Kochi Pandaw has been specially designed for the backwaters of Kerala, whilst maintaining the much-love....

View Details
The RV Kerala Pandaw Ship

RV Kerala Pandaw

Launching in December 2026, the ten cabin Kerala Pandaw has been specially designed for the backwaters of Kerala, whilst maintaining the much-lo....

View Details

River Stops In

India

Chandernagore View

Chandernagore

Chandannagar was established as a French colony in 1673, when the French obtained permission from Ibrahim Khan, the Nawab of Bengal, to establish a trading post on the right bank...

Guwahati View

Guwahati

If you are taking one of our Brahmaputra River Cruises , one place you should definitely consider stopping at is Guwahati. This is a large city in India, in the state of Assam.

Kalna View

Kalna

Kalna, a city and a municipality in Purba Bardhaman district in the Indian state of West Bengal is located right by the river Hooghly (or ‘lower Ganges’) meaning there’s plenty of...

Kaziranga National Park View

Kaziranga National Park

A UNESCO accredited site, the Kaziranga National Park is located in the Nagaon and Golaghat districts of Assam in India and a stop on our Brahmaputra river cruises .

Kolkata View

Kolkata

Kolkata is the capital of the Indian state of West Bengal, and you’ll definitely want to make the most of it you’re seeking to see every side of what India has to offer.

Mayapur View

Mayapur

One of the best things about taking a river cruise is the fact that you get to experience many amazing places during one trip. This is something you can expect with one of our...

Murshidabad View

Murshidabad

Murshidabad is a city in Murshidabad district of West Bengal state in India. The city of Murshidabad is located on the southern bank of the Bhagirathi, a tributary of the Ganges...

Patna View

Patna

Patna is the capital and largest city of the state of Bihar in India.

Varanasi View

Varanasi

India, one of the oldest civilisations on the planet. Within its 29 states and 7 union territories, you’ll find an extraordinary variety of cultures, cuisines, arts politics and...

Loading video...

From Our Travellers

Feedback

The most memorable trip cruising the Irrawaddy on the Kindat Pandaw

Robyn Waters

My husband and I had the most memorable trip cruising the Irrawaddy on the Kindat Pandaw. Our accommodations were luxuriously comfortable, the food inventive and fabulous, the staff kind and attentive. But it is the memory of the glorious and graceful movement of the boat steaming through the wide muddy waters, Shan hills in the background, rice paddies dotting the shores, gleaming golden and white pagodas and stupas nestled high and low along the banks, that I carry with me each day. It was a phenomenal introduction to the beautiful country of Myanmar. We are anxious to take another adventure on the Pandaw fleet! Robyn Waters, Excelsior, MN.

Kind regards,
Robyn Waters

We will definitely return to Myanmar and another Pandaw adventure

Elaine Watters

Having just returned to England from our South East Asia holiday which include a week on the RV Kalay Pandaw. I wanted to write to say how much we appreciated the care and professionalism displayed by the Purser, along with the entire crew and our outstanding guide Patrick. Both Patrick and the Purser gave us a lovely insight into Burmese life, sharing their passion for their country. There where many highlights during the week which we will remember for a long time.

Please pass on our thanks and appreciation to all the crew of RV Kalay. We will definitely return to Myanmar and another Pandaw adventure.

Best wishes
Elaine Watters

I truly hope that I will be able to enjoy another cruise with Pandaw. It was one of the most wonderful experiences in all of my travels.

Catherine Wheeler

I have spent over 30 years in the travel profession - namely airlines so I am very familiar with how important it is to ensure that a customer is treated appropriately from the moment they contact the company to moment they end their trip. Quite often those who take care of the guest(s) prior to their arrival are forgotten so I would first like to express my thanks to Mr Duc Nguyen and Andre Dreyer. Both of these employees answered all of my questions and ensured that any changes regarding my booking were clear. They responded quickly and with kindness. Traveling 14 hours into the future over a two day period can be a little daunting even for someone like me who is a seasoned traveler (Dallas, TX, USA to Mandalay, Myanmar). It was comforting to know that I could reach out to your Pandaw staff for assistance. Traveling as a single person and woman has it's challenges as well and thanks to this staff I had less thing to worry about.

Next, the staff on board the RV Kha Byoo Pandaw was/is exceptional. While we were a small group of guests (7 for most of the trip) this team made sure that everyone felt cared for. Several of the guests had some challenges either with illness or physical needs. A couple of the guests experienced some stomach issues and the staff made every effort was made to ensure their comfort from making pots of ginger tea to dietary needs. One our trip mates had difficulty navigating from the ship to where our transportation waited or if a lot of walking was involved. The crew either provided additional assistance to help this passenger traverse from the boat to transportation or some local transportation while navigating a village. Without the additional help this passenger would have missed out on many of the magical and wondrous sites we encountered. This would have been unfortunate not only because of the sites themselves but our guide's (Harry Behite) intimate knowledge of Myanmar and the places we visited. He is amazing to listen to and I swear may be a walking encyclopedia! It very obvious that Harry takes the time to ensure that he is knowledgeable not only about the history of, but also the current state of the country. Not only that, but he actively works to increase that knowledge while he is providing guide services. Asking questions for us as we visited villages and spoke with local people.

I was reading in your Pandaw Flotilla News brochure that you have in the cabins regarding the efforts of your food and beverage Manager Stuart Hickman to continuously raise the standard of service and food on board to new heights. Please let Chef Hickman know that his chef on board the RV Kha Byoo did not disappoint. Every meal was absolutely delicious and beautifully presented. We all really enjoyed the night we had a family style meal. This might be something to offer more often during a cruise. Please let me know when the cookbook is available. My son-in-law is a Chef and we have been cooking together for over 10 years. We would welcome the opportunity to share some of those amazing meals with our family and friends.

I truly hope that I will be able to enjoy another cruise with Pandaw. It was one of the most wonderful experiences in all of my travels. To make sure that others experience it as well, I have posted your website information on two airline employee travel websites along with a recommendation. One site is airline specific and the other caters to all US airline employees and travel. I am already getting questions about travel to and from Myanmar. I hope that that you will see more of my fellow airline employees and their families traveling to spend time with your crews on your spectacular boats.

Again many thanks for a marvelous experience! I have one more request, to whomever receives this this email please ensure that it is forwarded to the Management personnel that guide these teams of people. It is important to say thank you and I would be grateful if the individuals who took such great care of all us from beginning to end were recognized.

Have a wonderful day!

Kind Regards
Catherine Wheeler

Latest Story

From Our Travel Blog

A Photo Essay of the Kerala Backwaters by David Dennis

A Photo Essay of the Kerala Backwaters by David Dennis

David Dennis is a professional photographer specialising in capturing places and people. Originally from Belgium, he studied photography and fil....

Read More

Climate in

India

Loading climate chart...
India Climate Chart

Plan your journey with our detailed climate information for India.Best travel times and weather patterns to help you prepare.

Available

Extensions

Your Life

On Board

Life on Board Image 1
Life on Board Image 2
Life on Board Image 3

Essential

Information

Find all the essential information you need for your journey.From booking details to travel requirements, we've got you covered.