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A cruise along the Brahmaputra River, spotting wildlife in Kaziranga and Manas national parks, and exploring rural culture, all in Assam.

The birthplace of tea in India, Assam lies in the northeast of the country, bordered by mountains and cleaved by the Brahmaputra River. It’s a land of green rice fields and tea estates, elaborate Hindu temples, and wildlife-rich national parks. Our specialists have explored this remote, sprawling state to uncover the best things to do and places to visit in the region.

You could spend a few days cruising down the river while taking in the rural scenery of fertile plains, small riverside villages, and distant mountains, looking out for Ganges river dolphins and a wide range of birdlife as you go. Pause at Kaziranga National Park, where game drives give you a chance to see one-horned rhinos (70% of the world’s population lives here), elephants, sloth and Asiatic black bears, and, if you’re very lucky, tigers. The region is also home to Manas National Park, located at the foothills of the Bhutanese Himalayas, where you might spot wild buffalo, rhinos, gaur (Indian bison), hornbills, and rare golden langurs.

The gateway to the region is the state’s capital, Guwahati, where you can admire Assamese temple architecture and visit the Srimanta Sankaradeva Kalakshetra. This cultural institution gives you an insight into Assam’s history and heritage, with a particular focus on handloom textiles and silks.