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Eight nights in Assam, seven of them aboard a small river ship on the upper Brahmaputra. Sail upstream from the Guwahati area, with jeep safaris in Kaziranga, the Vaishnava monasteries of Majuli, tea gardens and riverside villages, before leaving the ship near Jorhat. Operated from November to March by established cruise companies.
The Brahmaputra is the spine of Assam, and seeing it from the water changes how you understand the state. A small number of companies run river cruises on the upper river, among them Assam Bengal Navigation, with its ships ABN Charaidew II and ABN Sukapha, and the larger MV Mahabaahu. Cabins are comfortable, food is good, and the pace is set by the river: wide, braided, pale and slow in the dry season, with sandbanks, fishing boats and Gangetic dolphins.
We combine a night at Vivanta Guwahati with a seven-night upstream sailing that moors near Kaziranga for jeep safaris and spends several days around Majuli, with guided visits ashore to satras, mask makers and Mising villages. Itineraries, boarding points and dates vary by operator, season and water levels, and we match your dates to the best sailing. Check current status before you travel.
Highlights
Day by day
Your guide meets you at Guwahati airport and takes you to Vivanta Guwahati. In the afternoon, visit Kamakhya Temple on Nilachal Hill, then walk the riverfront as the sun sets over the Brahmaputra, the river you will follow for the next week. Dinner at the hotel and an early night before boarding the ship.
After breakfast, transfer to the boarding point set by the operator for your sailing, usually in or near Guwahati. Settle into your cabin, meet the crew and naturalist, and sail upstream past the Saraighat bridge and riverside villages. Afternoons on deck are for watching the river: fishing boats, sandbanks, egrets and, with luck, the dark arc of a river dolphin surfacing. Dinner on board.
The ship continues upstream, mooring for a guided walk ashore. Depending on the sailing plan, you may visit a weaving village, a small temple on a river bluff or a riverside market. Back on board, the naturalist gives a talk on the river's ecology and the communities that live with its floods. The evening mooring is often by a sandbank, under a wide sky with very little light pollution.
Moored near Silghat or another point close to the park, you leave early by jeep for a safari in one of Kaziranga's ranges. Rhinos, wild buffalo, swamp deer and elephants are the main sightings, with many birds over the beels. After lunch, there may be a second drive or a visit to a tea garden near the park. Return to the ship for dinner and the night.
A day of sailing upstream, with stops planned around the river's channels and the operator's mooring points. Possible visits include Bishwanath Ghat, with its riverside temples, or a village of the Mising community. On deck, watch for river terns, ospreys and dolphins. The naturalist and guide talk through Assam's history and the Ahom kingdom, whose capitals you are approaching.
The ship moors near Majuli, the great river island and centre of Assam's Vaishnava tradition. Go ashore to visit two satras, monasteries where monks live, pray and keep alive the arts of Sattriya dance and bhaona theatre. Sit quietly in the namghar for prayers, visit a satra museum and talk with a monk about the monastic life. The evening may bring a performance of Sattriya dance.
A second day on Majuli. Watch monks at Samaguri Satra build masks of bamboo, clay and cloth for religious theatre, then walk through a Mising village of stilted bamboo houses, where women weave on backstrap looms. Return to the ship for lunch and an afternoon on deck as the light turns gold over the river. The final evening on board often includes a farewell dinner.
Depending on the sailing, the last full day may include an excursion to Sivasagar, the old Ahom capital, with its great tank, temples and the Rang Ghar pavilion, or a final village visit and an easy morning on deck. The ship moves to its final mooring near Neamati, the river port for Jorhat. Pack in the evening.
After breakfast on board, leave the ship and transfer to Jorhat airport for your flight. If your flight is late, we can add a visit to a tea garden near Jorhat or the Hoollongapar Gibbon Sanctuary. If your sailing ends at a different port, such as Dibrugarh, we adjust the final transfer accordingly.
Included
Not included
Where you sleep
A modern IHCL hotel at Khanapara on the southern edge of Guwahati, on the road to Shillong. It is the most reliable large hotel in the …
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Questions travellers ask
Established operators include Assam Bengal Navigation, with its ships ABN Charaidew II and ABN Sukapha, and Adventure Resorts and Cruises with MV Mahabaahu. Each offers different routes and dates. Fleets and itineraries change, so check current status before you travel.
Generally from about November to March, when the river is low and calm after the monsoon. December to February has the most settled weather. Cruises do not run in the monsoon, when the river floods.
Yes. Upper Brahmaputra cruises moor near Kaziranga and include one or more jeep safaris in the park. Rhinos are almost always seen. For more time at Kaziranga, we can add nights at Diphlu River Lodge before or after the cruise.
No. Most excursions involve short walks on uneven riverbanks and village paths, sometimes climbing sandy banks from the landing boat. Crew help with boarding. Guests with limited mobility should tell us, and we will check with the operator.
Often, but not always. The Brahmaputra has a population of Gangetic river dolphins, which surface briefly to breathe. They are best seen in quieter channels in the early morning or late afternoon. The naturalist on board helps spot them.
From about ₹4,25,000 per person, twin sharing, including one night in Guwahati, seven nights on board with meals, excursions, safaris and transfers. Prices vary by operator, ship and cabin category. Flights are extra.
Some operators offer shorter sailings of three or four nights on the upper or lower Brahmaputra. They suit travellers combining a cruise with Meghalaya or Sikkim. We match the sailing to your dates.
It suits older children who enjoy wildlife and calm days. Ships are small, without children's facilities, and days are quiet. Some operators set minimum ages. We advise families case by case.
Upstream sailings typically start near Guwahati and end near Jorhat at Neamati, or further upstream near Dibrugarh; downstream sailings run the reverse. The exact points depend on the operator and water levels, and we arrange flights to match.
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