The Ultimate Brahmaputra River Cruise Immersion 11D10N (From Dibrugarh To Guwahati)

On the first day of the trip, arrive at the colonial town of Dibrugarh, which served as an American base during WWII. Arrive at Dibrugarh Airport where you’ll be transferred on a 4 and half hours' drive to the ship's embarkation point at Neamati ghat. Alternatively, take the shorter route by arriving at Jorhat airport for one hour and half drive to Neamati, Ghat, where the ship awaits.

The rest of the day is free, and the ship is yours to explore. Settle into your spacious deluxe cabin, furnished with a minibar, queen size bed, ensuite shower and individual climate control among other essential amenities.

Beyond cabin amenities, there's a spa to relax better like a king on a voyage with various treatments. Visit the gym to boost blood circulation across your body, unwind at the sundeck for gorgeous views of the scenery, or enjoy a breezy rest in one of the sun loungers on the deck. There's a mini library if you’d prefer to immerse in books, and an air-conditioned saloon with Wi-Fi to look chic is aboard the vessel.

Sated with all the ship has to offer, enjoy a dinner of Indian and Western cuisines. Afterwards, embrace the quilted comfort of your bed and prepare for the cruise and expedition of a lifetime.

This morning, wake up to the brilliant sunshine gracing the ship and ascend to the deck to behold the morning serenity and beauty of Brahmaputra. Hit the gym if you want an early dose of energy for the day before consuming breakfast to supplement it.

Today, we sail to Sibsagar, and to its capital of Assam, to have a foretaste of the variety of experiences abundant in the Brahmaputra River. Sibsagar flaunts a unique and exciting history of being the former capital of the Ahom kings of Assam. The Ahoms were Shan by descent but converted to Hinduism and ruled Assam for six centuries before falling to the Burmese Konbaung dynasty in 1819. The culture and architecture found in this city are spectacular, partly due to the blend of Indian and South Asian elements and because Asia is, in itself, a fascinating destination.

Several Assam monuments, palaces with classic shapes, and iconic stupa-like temples litter the city. The temple tank in this city has critical global acclaim as it is believed to be the world's largest hand-excavated reservoir, an engineering feat worthy of accolades. After filling our eyes with impressive architectural masterpieces and remnants of history, we feast at lunch in Horu Charai, a top-tier Assamese tea estate.

We return to the ship and proceed on our glorious voyage for three hours down to Majuli Island, one of the world's largest river islands.

Today, after breakfast, we disembark on Majuli, nestled like a hidden gem, it reveals itself in photographs, yet remains a mystery to most travelers. This miniature universe of Assamese culture stands firm as a bastion of neo-Vaishnavism, a tranquil faith. Its graceful island satras, some embracing solitary monks, others accommodating families, unfold a tapestry of life unlike any other. Here, devotion thrives in simplicity, woven through the threads of gayan-bayan's harmonious songs, the melodies of instruments, and the pages of sacred readings.

Embark on a voyage through this enchanting landscape. Your voyage leads to the Auniati monastery, where history and diversity converge in an eccentric museum. Feel the rhythm of Majuli as you witness a dance spectacle at the Kamalabari monastery, a mesmerizing fusion of tradition and grace. Then, as the day drifts lazily, return to your ship, cradled by the river's gentle embrace. Let the currents guide you downstream, revealing the secrets of Majuli with every passing ripple, an odyssey of one or two hours that dances with anticipation.

Today, breakfast is the official opening act, a ritual that will continue for the rest of the trip. Afterward, we continue sailing away from Majuli island and further along the grand Brahmaputra River, with the Kaziranga National Park as our destination. There will be a short stopover at a tribal village.

Going forward, our vessel makes remarkable progress at noon by bringing us close to the park, visible as you turn left. However, the river banks might have some wildlife lurking around, especially the wild elephant and, sometimes, a tiger. Remember to watch for these visible sightings without disembarking from the ship.

Today, our first stop is at the temple town of Vishnath, particularly prominent for its Ahom-period temple. Disembark and grace the shores of this remarkable town to immerse in the wonder and beauty of its architecture, including a peculiar rural lifestyle that may come with a bit of a culture shock.

Afterwards, we continue our voyage downstream to anchor in a beautiful spot known as Silghat, where beautiful butterflies populate the surrounding forest.

The magical and extraordinary moments begin from this point upward as you embark on your first safari in Kaziranga National Park on a jeep ride through its grass plains, woodlands, and wetlands of the Western Range.

This morning, we'll delve deeper into the heart of the Kaziranga National Park with a drive to its central range for a morning jeep safari. The park is massive, gulping approximately 430 sq km , and renowned for many extraordinary natural achievements.

The park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and boasts one of the world's largest populations of Indian single-horned Rhinoceroses and the Indian Wild Water Buffalo. It was also declared a tiger reserve in 2006 owing to the many Royal Bengal Tigers (one every 5 sq km) it boasts. It is also home to an impressive diversity of natural terrains, ranging from wetlands and woodlands to grasslands, marshy swamps, broadleaf forests, and elephant grass. The elephant grass in the park promotes the survival of Indian elephants that abound in their numbers here. With four rivers forming a network within the park, it's a melting pot of biodiversity. Other notable wildlife you may spot in the park include eastern swamp deer, Indian hog deer, Indian Bison, and Capped Langurs.

Birds are included in the potpourri of animal diversity in this park. Often brought in comparison with the Serengeti National Park in Tanzania, Africa, the park is the haven to a staggering number of bird species, including White-tailed Eagle, Himalayan Griffon, greater and lesser adjutant, Black-shouldered Kite, and Ferruginous duck among a dozen of others.

At noon, another jeep safari ensures you have a fill of the park's abundant natural endowments before we call it a day and retreat to the ship for rest.

Today, our breakfast ritual sets the ball rolling for the day's itinerary as we cruise downstream under a remarkably new lengthy bridge to anchor at Tezpur, the largest of Brahmaputra's North Bank cities. Tezpur is a touristy city with temples, ancient ruins, hills, and sites to explore.

We'll help ourselves to a tasty lunch aboard the vessel before disembarking to visit the ancient ruins of the 6th-century Da Parbatia Temple, with a terrace so immaculately carved, it could only have been done by a genius architect. We'll deploy an unusual transportation means today with a cycle rickshaw that takes on a ride through the city, bypassing the bazaars into Cole Park, home to an array of mediaeval stone carvings. We embark on the ship again while you spend time unwinding on the sunkissed deck and sail downstream to dock near a secluded Singri Hill.

Today is a full sailing day without stepping ashore. We'll cruise across the enchanting moon-like landscape of the sand islands before approaching the hill ranges that host the city of Guwahati.

While aboard and cruising, leverage the ship's amenities to enjoy and make the sail more fun. Visit the library to read a book and stimulate your brain. Hit the gym to stay fit or indulge in the spa to relax your muscles. You can also sip cocktails at the sun loungers on the deck while drinking in views of the captivating banks and vegetation. We'll anchor at Ganesh Pahar for the night and continue at dawn.

Today, we embark on the most scenic cruise of the expedition as we sail by jungle-coated hills framing the south banks of the river. We'll arrive in Guwahati at midday and dock at an anchor point facing the city. Next, we climb to the elegant Aswaklanta Temple, built by King Siva Singha, one of Ahom's rulers. The temple is a Hindu pilgrimage destination in Assam and is near its capital Guwahati.

Afterward, we drive out to see the Madan Kamdev temple ruins with their erotic artworks, reflecting the powerful roots of the Tantric cultures in the area. We return to our floating luxury and cruise further downstream to arrive in Sualkuchi this evening or the next morning.

Today is the last day of the active itinerary. Savour a rich, satiating breakfast, and we'll touch down at Sualkuchi town to explore and witness incredible scenes. We'll promenade the streets of this vibrant town, and not only discover that it's the hub of Assamese silk creation, we shall immerse in the experience.

We'll visit one of the silk production workshops to witness the beauty of creating something beautiful and fashionable from start to finish. We see how silk clothing is made from harvesting the silk in the form of cocoons and spinning to the main activity of dyeing and hand-weaving into a fine clothing material - the mekhela chadars, a two-piece sari, the traditional clothing of Assamese women.

We sail further to moor at an anchor spot situated near the great Saraighat bridge and venture into the town of Guwahati to explore. Driving uphill, we emerge at the iconic Kamakhya temple. The temple features a blend of intricate and mysterious rituals of tantric traditions including sacrificing animals. You can choose to only see its exteriors if this makes you uncomfortable.

We'll put a cap on the experiences by visiting the emotional Commonwealth War Graves, the museum and the city's bazaar. We retreat to our ship's accommodation to spend the last night of the trip reminiscing about how it started and is ending.

Savour one final breakfast, a perfect time to reflect on your incredible journey before disembarkation and a transfer to Guwahati Airport for your onward travels.

NOTE: This itinerary is provided as an example only – prevailing conditions and local arrangements may cause variation.