Delhi's first recreational Yamuna river cruise service, the Namo Yamuna Cruise Safari, launched on Tuesday 10 November 2026. The 30-minute ride runs along a 6-km stretch of the Yamuna riverfront between Sonia Vihar and the Jagatpur Shani Temple.
Delhi Minister Kapil Mishra formally handed over the service to Delhi residents on Tuesday. Union Minister of Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal was to inaugurate it at Sonia Vihar, with Lt Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Chief Minister Rekha Gupta present.
The service was tested before launch. A trial run was held on 26 October, when Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Mishra traversed the full 6-km route. Gupta had said at the time that the service would launch before Chhath Mahaparv, and the launch has now come on schedule.
Tickets are available online through the Delhi Tourism website. No pricing details were disclosed at launch, so passengers will need to check the booking page for fares before planning a trip.
How the cruise works
The cruise uses electric-powered vessels, which keeps the ride quiet and avoids adding exhaust to the riverfront. The 6-km route between Sonia Vihar and the Jagatpur Shani Temple takes about 30 minutes, offering a short, easy outing on the river.
The Yamuna is National Waterway-110 under the National Waterways Act of 2016, which gives the river a formal place in the country's waterways network. The project is led by the Inland Waterways Authority of India, working with the Delhi Development Authority, Delhi Tourism, the Delhi Jal Board and the Irrigation and Flood Control Department.
That spread of agencies shows the scale of the work. The cruise is not a single boat service but a riverfront project that brings together waterways, tourism, land and water departments.
More than a boat ride
The riverfront plans go beyond the cruise itself. A musical fountain depicting the story of Maa Yamuna is planned, along with water sports, a food park and a children's zone, turning the stretch into a place families can spend time at.
Mishra said the project follows National Green Tribunal standards, a point that matters on a river whose health has been a matter of public concern for years. The use of electric vessels fits the same approach.
For Delhi, the launch is a first. The city has long lived beside the Yamuna without a recreational cruise on it, and the Namo Yamuna Cruise Safari now gives residents a way to see the river from the water for the first time.
