Everything you need to know about the longest river cruise in the world, soon to be launched in India!

Here comes another proud moment for India. The longest river cruise ever, commencing from Uttar Pradesh to Assam through Bangladesh is going to be yet another mesmerizing cruise tourism attraction in India after its launch on January 13, 2023, by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The longest river cruise starts from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and ends at Dibrugarh in Assam, passing through Bangladesh will be covering, with foreign tourists, around 3,200 km of 27 river systems in the country in 50 days. These river streams will include the West Coast Canal, Brahmaputra, and Ganga-Bhagirathi-Hooghly.

The Prime Minister’s words

“This will be a unique cruise in the world and a reflection of growing cruise tourism in India. I request that the people of West Bengal take advantage of this," expressed PM Modi, while launching multiple projects for the state through video-conferencing. The Prime Minister also informed that the cruise’s inaugural event will be held on January 13, 2023.

The cruise's inaugural voyage

As a part of the inaugural voyage, the cruise will be visiting 50 major tourist destinations. These will include the Sundarbans Delta, Kaziranga National Park, and Varanasi’s popular Ganga Aarti. The cruise is expected to travel; around 1,100 kilometers.

The longest river cruise will be operated by a private player.

“Because of the increased focus of the government on development and maintenance of inland waterways, we have taken up several projects to increase the depth, set up necessary navigation facilities and jetties for the successful operation of both passenger and cargo vessels," expressed a senior official of the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI).