Skip to main content

Boat Ride on the Ganges

Destinations

A sacred journey on the river of life and death

There is nothing quite like a sunrise or sunset boat ride on the Ganges. Glide past ghats where pilgrims perform age-old rituals, and witness cremations that mark the soul’s passage to moksha.

It is a mystical and spiritual experience as you watch people offering water to the Sun God and devotees taking holy dip in the Ganges. Take a sunset river float to view the live cremations. In Hinduism, it is believed that those who die and are cremated here get an instant gateway to heaven.

Insider Insight

For the most powerful experience, go just before dawn. Hire a private rowboat with a local guide who can explain the rituals unfolding along the banks. Bring a shawl—it’s chilly and humbling. Float near Manikarnika Ghat to witness the sacred cremations from a respectful distance.

Where time dissolves and eternity flows.
The Smalls