Bajra, motor boat or shared seat? Choosing your ride on the Ganga
An honest comparison of the three boats we run, including when the cheapest one is the right answer.
Admin Owner 2 min read
We run three kinds of boat. People usually ask which is best, which is the wrong question — they are for different mornings and different groups.
The short version
Shared seat | Motor boat | Bajra | |
|---|---|---|---|
Group size | 1–2 | 4–10 | 2–20 |
Deck space | None | Limited | Full deck |
Departure | Fixed | Your time | Your time |
Best for | Solo, budget | Families | Photography, occasions |
Shared seat
A place on a boat that is going anyway. You leave when it is full, you sit where there is room, and you pay a fraction of the private fare. For a solo traveller who wants to be on the river at dawn, this is completely fine and we will happily tell you so.
Motor boat
The default for families and small groups. You choose the departure time and the boat is yours.
Covered, so it works in light rain.
Fast enough to reach Assi and back inside ninety minutes.
No deck to stand on — fine for looking, tight for a tripod.
Bajra
The traditional wide-hulled boat with a covered deck. Slower, quieter, and the only one where twenty people can be aboard without anyone sitting on anyone. It is what we put photographers and celebrations on.
When to spend more
You are photographing seriously and need to stand and move.
It is Dev Diwali, and you will be aboard for four hours.
It is somebody's birthday, anniversary or last morning in India.
When not to
If you are two people who want to watch the sun come up for an hour, the motor boat is the right answer and the Bajra is three times the price for a view that is ninety percent the same.
The most common mistake is booking the biggest boat for the smallest group.
Availability and fares
All three run year-round, weather and water level permitting. Live fares are on the boats page; the per person label on a listing means the price is per seat rather than per boat.
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