The MV Ganga Vilas will cruise over 27 river systems in India and Bangladesh, stopping at 50 tourist attractions including World Heritage sites and national parks. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the 51-day luxury Ganga cruise from Varanasi to Dibrugarh via Bangladesh on January 13, the world’s longest river expedition.
The MV Ganga Vilas will cruise over 27 river systems in India and Bangladesh, stopping at 50 tourist attractions including World Heritage sites and national parks.
According to a government statement published on Sunday, the cruise ship will stop in important towns such as Patna in Bihar, Sahibganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh, and Guwahati in Assam before arriving in Dibrugarh on March 1.
“This will herald a new age of river cruise tourism for India,” said Sarbananda Sonowal, Union Minister of Ports, Shipping & Waterways and Ayush, adding that the idea is to explore the immense wealth that the country’s rich river system has to offer.
MV Ganga Vilas has three decks, 18 suites on board with a capacity of 36 tourists, with all the luxury amenities. The maiden voyage has 32 tourists from Switzerland signing up for the entire length of the journey. The tourists will board the cruise on January 10 and complete local sightseeing, before the ship sets sail from Varanasi on January 13.
According to the operators, the travel will cost around Rs 25,000 per passenger every day.
While the trip is administered by private operators, the initiative has been backed by the Inland Waterways Authority of India, which is part of the Ministry of Shipping, Ports, and Waterways.