India · CRUISES & BOAT TOURS
The 15 best cruises & boat tours you can book right now, with what each costs, how long it runs and who it suits. Number one is top for a reason; start there.
Private 10-hour Varanasi tour with sunrise Ganges cruise, Kashi temples, Sarnath, and evening Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat.
“lovely trip - thank you for all of your guidance and help over the day - much appreciated! :)”
Quiet, non-motor backwater cruise from Fort Cochin with coconut and coir weaving, plus a Kerala vegetarian lunch on a half-day eco trip.
“The tour was well organised and thr guide Greeshma was very knowledgeable providing information and answering questions”
Glide through the Kerala backwaters on a non-motorized punting boat, with village crafts, banana-leaf veg lunch, and a calm canoe tea ride.
“We opted for the punting along the back-waters for the day. Pick-up at Kochi was prompt and we arrived ready to board just before 10am. Beautiful river, very quiet and pleasant surroundings. Guide [Meena] was very good at explaining the deRead more”
Sunrise boat tour from Assi Ghat with Arti ceremony and havan, passing about 55 ghats and ending near Manikarnika cremations.
“We had a very beautiful morning tour by boat with Karan. Will highly recommend to everyone. :)”
Kochi tuk-tuk tour with cruise pickup: Fort Kochi sights, Chinese fishing nets, Dutch cemeteries, synagogues, spice market, laundry. Private.
“We had a great experience with Aslam. Picking us up at the cruise terminal (very easy) and taking us to a lot of great spots while explaining local culture. We got to see a lot of the “real” Kochi and understand how history has shaped the city. The trip to the laundry was especially memorable. Overall I cannot recommend this tour highly enough.”
Cruise-friendly Kochi tuk-tuk tour with Chinese nets, Fort Kochi sights, temples, palaces, synagogues, and spice shopping in 4 to 5 hours.
“Although the driver was a pleasant and helpful man we didn't always understand his English. Also he wasn't a guide as we thought, more of a driver who simply told us when this church or mosque were built. All in all a little dissapointing.”
Private tuk-tuk Kochi shore trip with cruise pickup, 3 to 4 hours in Fort Kochi, churches, palace, synagogue, spice market.
“We paid for things that were not included such as water and entry to the Dutch Palace. It seemed to be a blatant money grab, just taking us to stores where he got kickbacks for taking us there. Only a couple of highlights, we would steer well clear next time.”
Private Kochi tuk-tuk shore tour with cruise pickup, free-entry stops in Fort Kochi, and a flexible 3 to 4 hour circuit for $15.
“Noah was waiting for us when we finally made it through immigration and was very patient with the delays. We stopped off at all the main locations around Kochi and Noah was very informative.”
Private tuk tuk tour of Kochi with cruise-ship pickup. See Chinese nets, churches, synagogues, spice market, and more. Mobile ticket.
“Very good tour. Our Tuk tuk is clean and quite comfortable. They have a compartment at the back of tuk tuk to store our belongings to keep them safe. Our guide, Joself Koshy, took us to a local fishing pond and even show us his house to meet his beautiful wife! Very nice of him.”
Private Udaipur city tour in an air-conditioned car, hitting City Palace, Jagdish Temple, Saheliyon ki Bari, and Lake Pichola sunset.
“We had a lovely day and our guide and driver were great. Very good vehicle and very clean. Our guide talked to us before we left about what we wanted to experience and then adjusted the day accordingly. Wonderful tour of Udaipur.”
Half-day group cruise from Fort Cochin through Kerala backwaters on a non-mechanized boat, with Vaikom village stop and veg lunch.
“Great experience, lovely guide and in addition to the boat tour we could meet locals, learn more about rural women and their work as well as local plants and herbs. Absolutely recommend it!”
Private sunrise boat tour on the Ganges in Varanasi. Chai, water, and guide narration, with views of major ghats and cremation sites.
“È stata una bella esperienza. Vedere i ghat all’alba è tutta un’altra cosa ma soprattutto vederli da una barca ha tutto un altro fascino e un’altra immagine. Li vedi come non riusciresti a vederli dalle scalinate. La nostra guida, Sonu, è un abitante di Varanasi e ha passione nello spiegare la cultura e la storia della sua città. Raccomando”
Private Kochi tuk-tuk shore excursion with cruise pickup, Fort Kochi sights, synagogues, churches, nets, temples, and spice market.
“Our driver, Najeeb was right at the gates of the cruise terminal to pick us up. He was a fantastic driver in the busy traffic. We felt safe and comfortable in the tuk tuk. He drove us to the places we wanted and made some recommendations. If Read more”
Private Varanasi tour with sunrise Ganges boat, Kashi temples, Sarnath sights, and evening Ganga Aarti, plus AC car and guide.
“Anmol took me on an amazing tour of Varanasi. 1000% recommend him!”
Private Mumbai sunrise or sunset sail from Gateway of India for up to six, with music, drinks, balloon décor, and city views.
“This was done through a partner called Oyster Sailing, and the sail never actually started. We motored over to the boat, then mostly sat there waiting for the wind to pick up and after waiting for an hour we went back to the dock. The compaRead more”
Pick a city, pick a kind of day, and see what it costs.
