Antara Luxury River Cruises
The Ganges River, India
Flow along the Ganges with style, cultural exchange, and sustainability.
Explore India along the majestic Ganges River and engage in cultural experiences in cities like Kolkata, Bandel, Nabadwip, Chandernagore, and more. Antara's voyages are designed to traverse India's most beautiful destinations — including a journey through Bhitarkanika National Park, India's second-largest mangrove forest.
Antara Cruises is a locally-managed enterprise that reintroduced river cruising to India after 100 years. Travelers experience the history and culture of the Ganges through onboard luxury delivered by local chefs and artisans, and all-inclusive offboard excursions that mindfully interact with surrounding communities.
Specializing in low-impact, low-volume sailing, Antara's largest vessel carries just 56 guests. Wood furniture, hand-stenciled murals and locally-sourced textiles showcase India's renowned hospitality while surrounding guests in its rich history. Offboard activities include village shopping, market browsing and ingredient sourcing for onboard meals — every interaction shaped by a conscious effort to prevent overconsumption and commercialization.
What Awaits You
River Cruising, Reborn
Antara reintroduced river cruising to India after 100 years — locally-managed sailings on the Ganges that feel intimate, historic, and unhurried.
Cities & Sacred Stops
Engage with India through Kolkata, Bandel, Nabadwip, Chandernagore and beyond — voyages designed around the country's most beautiful destinations.
Mangrove Wilderness
Sail through Bhitarkanika National Park, India's second-largest mangrove forest — a quiet world of waterways, crocodiles and rare birdlife.
Low-Impact, Low-Volume
The largest Antara vessel carries just 56 guests, with mindful village shopping, market visits and cultural exchange that protect rather than commodify.
Regenerative ImpactA River Sailed with Intention
Antara stands out for exceptional regenerative practice — careful consideration of marine life, culturally sensitive excursions, and a diverse culinary program that even includes the Ganges' inaugural vegan river cruise.
Clean Water Stewardship
Onboard waste is treated so it never contaminates water or land. Oil-water separators and OWS machines extract maximum oil from particles in case of leaks, and reverse osmosis plants generate sterilized fresh water directly from the Ganges.
Quiet for Marine Life
All ships are fitted with hospital-grade silencers to keep noise to a minimum, with electronic devices and operating practices designed to limit disturbance to fish, dolphins and other Ganges wildlife.
Local Materials & Craft
Interiors are built from locally-sourced sal, bamboo and teak, dressed in gyasar brocade and jamdani muslin. Onshore, electronically-powered rickshaws replace fuel vehicles for low-emission village exploration.
Cultural Care, Not Commerce
With just 56 guests on the largest vessel, excursions are intentionally small. Staff are trained to prevent overconsumption and commercialization, ensuring village markets and sacred sites remain dignified, not transactional.
A Glimpse of Antara
Antara Luxury River Cruises
Antara sails the Ganges with departures from Kolkata. Boarding takes place at the Botanical Garden Jetty in Howrah and the Indentured Memorial Jetty at Kolkata Port — both within easy reach of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose International Airport in Dumdum.
Botanical Garden Gate No. 1, Shibpur Engineering College Road · Landmark – 55 Bus Stand · Howrah – 711102
Syama Prasad Mookerjee Port · Kolkata Port Trust · Khidirpur · Kolkata – 700043
- Head OfficeNew Delhi, India
- Closest AirportIndira Gandhi International Airport (DEL)
- Travel Time From AirportApproximately a 20 minute drive
Ready to Sail the Ganges?
Begin planning a slow, intentional voyage along India's sacred river — with culture, craftsmanship and conservation at its heart.
