India

India Cruises

India

USA Today AwardWorld's Best River Cruise Suite 2023Conde Nast Traveler 2023TripAdvisor Travellers Choice 2026TripAdvisor 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 Ganges
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
Hooghly 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% and No Single Supplement on selected dates

Explore the Brahmaputra River

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

From

USD 3,958.20

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
Hooghly Ganges River

From

USD 9,147.60

per person

The Full Brahmaputra

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....

Hooghly Ganges River

Hooghly 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....

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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....

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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....

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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....

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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....

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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...

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From Our Travellers

Feedback

The ship was gorgeous as usual and the food was always delicious

Andreas Thomas Oesterlin

Having now completed seven different cruises with PANDAW, we were happy with this one as well. The ship was gorgeous as usual and the food was always delicious and variable. We found the Ganges part of the cruise less interesting than most others because of the lack of river traffic and the distance to the shore. Additionally, the excursions were generally interesting and informative, but we have no outstanding and spectacularly memorable experiences. All in all, if some of our friends and family wanted to partake the first time on a PANDAW cruise, we would recommend the Angkor Wat trip or the Laos route which we much enjoyed. Plus of course all the Myanmar cruises which we loved very much as well, but are currently out of the question of course. How sad this is for you as well as us! We wish you all the best for the future, however, and keep our fingers crossed for you always! Many thanks!!

I think it would be nice if maybe instead of another village

Kim Kile Prince

I think it would be nice if maybe instead of another village, there was one more active excursion. Somewhat like the caves and the waterfall. Not sure this is available in the area. But the last village was a little much and the children selling things was a bit aggressive. Not sure if there could be an option for a hike or something else. I know it was remote and that was part of the trip charm. The very last day. I am not sure if it was because Jimmy was trying to get one person to the Chaing Rai airport not too early but for those of us going on to Chaing Mai, it was a very late day not arriving until 530. We went to the Opium Museum which was quite interesting but then to a lunch and then the long drive to Chaing Mai. I almost feel like you should tell people if they are going to Chaing Mai they will skip the Golden Triangle and go straight there, arriving midafternoon. I had been told we would arrive between 2 and 4 and had anticipated time to spend in Chaing Mai. As it was, we got there so late, and we were exhausted so really did not get to enjoy the town.

Such a fabulous time spent!

Rachel Duggan

Just a little suggestion if we may, as we had the drinks package for our stay, wine would also be lovely from the evening bar & not just at meal times - just as another option!We loved our excursions, however a handful of the more mature guests found the Sampan rowing through the nature reserve, a little difficult due to the very low seating position. Getting in & out of these shallow boats was tricky too. Even us young ones - 50s/60s found it a little sore on the joints! We found that by sitting on top the life jackets, raised the seating position a little more, which did make for a more comfortable row! Im not quite sure how to resolve - maybe a cushion?It would be a shame to forgo this experience but, maybe a different option for those who wish to opt out?! I hope this helps, in a constructive way!With many thanks from us both for such a fabulous time spent!

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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....

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Climate in

India

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India Climate Chart

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

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