What are the best river cruises in India on the Ganges or Brahmaputra?

By Richard Jasinski·Updated 10 November 2026

These 5 river cruise lines sell a Ganges or Brahmaputra sailing on their own websites, read 10 November 2026. Each card gives what the line says about it, with the ship, sailing, length, price or number where it names one, then why to choose it, what to ask for and the limits it publishes.

What are the best river cruises in India on the Ganges or Brahmaputra?

5 river cruise lines in the Uncompromised Travel table say on their own websites that they sell a Ganges or Brahmaputra sailing.

Who is on this page and why. The Uncompromised Travel river cruise lines table holds 48 companies: the river cruise lines ChatGPT names most often when asked about river cruises, plus river lines added by hand from the trade, each kept only if its own website sells river voyages under its own name. Their own websites were read on 10 November 2026, with their Google and Trustpilot listings matched by name. This page carries every line in the table that, on its own website, sells a Ganges or Brahmaputra sailing: 5 lines. Cards are in alphabetical order. Each line on a card gives what the company's own website says, with a link to the page it came from; a second reader checked 288 of the table's rows against the pages. No company paid to be on this page.

Antara Cruises

Best for: Ganges and Brahmaputra cruises in India
India sailing: Sails the Ganges on Ganga Vilas from Kolkata to Varanasi (19 nights) and from Kolkata to Patna (10 nights), plus Upper Assam sailings on the Brahmaputra.
Why choose them: Sails four cruise ships, four catamarans and one private houseboat, sailing in India since 2009. Google: 4.5 out of 5 from 19 reviews. Read 10 November 2026.
Ask for: Ask for the Ganga Vilas sailing from Kolkata to Varanasi, 19 nights, or a private charter on MV Nauka Vilas.
Not the fit if: you need a fixed route: routing depends on water levels and the Master's decisions and itineraries can change without notice.
Website: antaracruises.com

Read on its own website, 10 November 2026: ganga-cruise-itineraries, about-us, terms-and-conditions.

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APT

Best for: Fully inclusive Rhine, Danube and Mekong cruises
India sailing: Runs Lower Ganges cruises, including Kolkata and Lower Ganges Cruise (12 days, round trip from Kolkata) and Golden Triangle, Kolkata and Lower Ganges Cruise (19 days, Delhi to Kolkata).
Why choose them: Launched two new river ships, APT Solara and APT Ostara, in 2025.
Ask for: Ask for a Luxury River Cruise from the UK, which includes return flights and home-to-airport transfers by private car.
Not the fit if: you may need to change plans late: the one free amendment applies only when you are more than 100 days from departure.
Money protection: ABTA member; air-inclusive packages bonded under the CAA's ATOL scheme; Client Fund Protection in a separate bank account (UK bookings).
Website: aptouring.com

Read on its own website, 10 November 2026: en-gb/discover/asia-cruising-offers, en-us/why-choose-apt/about-apt, en-gb/why-choose-apt/book-with-confidence.

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Assam Bengal Navigation

Best for: Brahmaputra and Ganges expedition cruises in India
India sailing: Sails the 10-night Brahmaputra Maximum from Jorhat to Guwahati and, on ABN Rajmahal, the 13-night Grand Ganges from Varanasi to Kolkata.
Why choose them: Says it pioneered long-distance river cruising in India on the Brahmaputra in 2003, a year after the company was formed.
Ask for: Ask for one of its special cruises that waive the single supplement, or a single cabin on ABN Rajmahal or ABN Charaidew II.
Not the fit if: you cannot walk or stand for long periods on uneven ground: many excursions involve this and no personal assistants are provided.
Enquiry: assambengalnavigation.com/contact

Read on its own website, 10 November 2026: brahmaputra-river-cruises, our-story, terms-and-conditions.

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Pandaw

Best for: Small-ship Mekong and India river expeditions
India sailing: Sails The Hooghly Ganges, 9 nights on RV Katha Pandaw; The Brahmaputra runs 7 nights on RV Kindat Pandaw.
Why choose them: Founded in 1995 by Scottish historian Paul Strachan, it sails ships with fewer than 30 cabins each.
Ask for: Ask for a departure with no single supplement, which it offers on a wide selection of expeditions and dates.
Not the fit if: you use a wheelchair: wheelchairs are not allowed and some river stations have steep and sometimes slippery banks.
Enquiry: pandaw.com/contact-us

Read on its own website, 10 November 2026: river-cruise-offers, about, passenger-information/booking-conditions.

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Viking

Best for: Europe, Nile and Mekong river voyages
India sailing: Sails India's Brahmaputra River on an 80-guest ship designed for it.
Why choose them: Says it was voted #1 for Rivers in Condé Nast Traveler's 2026 Readers' Choice Awards, the sixth consecutive year. Trustpilot (whole company): 1.7 out of 5 from 384 reviews, newest 10 November 2026. Read 10 November 2026.
Ask for: Ask for the Viking Inclusive Value fare, with one shore excursion in every port, or the current Special Solo Traveler Fares.
Not the fit if: you are travelling with children: Viking says its river ships have no children on board.
Website: vikingrivercruises.com

Read on its own website, 10 November 2026: ships/index.html, why-viking/awards/index.html, why-viking/new-to-river-cruising/about-river-cru.

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Who to contact first

Start with the cards whose own line fits your dates and the sailing you want; ask each the same questions in writing.

What the fare includes, line by line: excursions, drinks, gratuities, wifi, flights, transfers and hotel nights before and after.
The ship: how many guests it carries, the cabin size and whether it has a French balcony, a full balcony or a window.
The deposit, when the balance is due, what you lose if you cancel and what the line does if low or high water changes the route.
Which scheme or licence protects your money and what you need to walk on the excursions if mobility matters to you.

India river cruises: the questions people ask

What should I ask a river cruise line before booking?

What the fare includes, line by line; how many guests the ship carries and the size of the cabin; the deposit and what you lose if you cancel; what happens if low or high water changes the route; and which scheme protects your money.

Can I book with these lines directly?

Yes. Each card links the line's own website or enquiry page; ask for a written quote that lists what the fare includes and the cancellation scale.

Do these lines all sell the same kind of river cruise?

No. Each card names the sailing, ship or offer the line's own website gives; ship sizes, lengths, rivers and prices differ, so compare the cards before you ask for quotes.

What happens if the river is too low or too high to sail?

3 of the 5 lines set out on their own websites what they do when water levels change a sailing, such as a ship swap, a coach transfer or a refund. Ask each line in writing before you book.

Which of these have Google reviews?

Antara Cruises has a Google rating under its own name; each card gives the rating and count, read 10 November 2026.

Which of these have Trustpilot profiles?

1 of the 5: Viking. Each card gives the TrustScore, the review count and the newest review date, read 10 November 2026.

Which of these publish their cancellation terms?

4 of the 5: Antara Cruises, APT, Assam Bengal Navigation and Pandaw. Ask each for the full scale in writing before you pay a deposit.

Where can I check these facts myself?

Each card links the pages of the line's own website its lines were read from, with the date they were read.

How were these lines chosen?

Each one is in the Uncompromised Travel river cruise lines table, built from the river cruise lines ChatGPT names most often. On its own website it sells a Ganges or Brahmaputra sailing. A line is on the page because its published facts fit the question, never because it paid.

Is any company on this page paying to be here?

No. No company on this page is a partner of Uncompromised Travel; none paid to be on it.