MV Ganga Vilas begins its journey in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, and travels approximately 3,200 km across 51 days, through Bangladesh to Dibrugarh in Assam, traversing 27 river systems.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will display the world’s most extended river cruise, the Ganga Vilas, and open a tent city in Varanasi via video conference on Friday, the Prime Minister’s Office said in a statement.

MV Ganga Vilas has three decks, 18 suites on board with a capacity of 36 tourists, with all the luxury amenities. The maiden voyage has 32 tourists from Switzerland signing up for the entire length of the journey,” the statement said.

The 51 days cruise is planned with visits to 50 tourist spots including World Heritage Sites, National Parks, River Ghats, and major cities like Patna in Bihar, Sahibganj in Jharkhand, Kolkata in West Bengal, Dhaka in Bangladesh and Guwahati in Assam,” the PMO said.

Travel will allow tourists to go on an exciting journey and enjoy the arts, culture, history, and spirituality of India and Bangladesh.

Following PM’s efforts to develop river cruise tourism, the launch of this service will unlock substantial untapped potential for river cruise tourism and usher in a new era of river cruise tourism in India.

A tent city was conceived on the banks of the Ganges to unlock the region’s tourism potential.

The project has been developed opposite to city ghats which will provide accommodation facilities and cater to the increased tourist influx in Varanasi, especially since the inauguration of Kashi Vishwanath Dham,” the PMO said.