Majuli satras by ferry from Jorhat
Kaziranga and Majuli · 10 hrs · Cab included, ferry crossing · Pickup from your stay
From ₹2990 for the whole vehicle, up to 8 people. The price is per car, not per person.
Vehicles
- Swift Dzire: Sedan. Best for a couple or a small family. ₹2990 for the vehicle.
- Tata Sumo: Rugged 8-seater. The most room for the money. ₹3490 for the vehicle.
- Innova or Ertiga: The comfortable one on a long hill day. ₹4990 for the vehicle.
An island you can only reach by boat
Majuli is one of the largest river islands in the world and the centre of Assam's satra tradition, the Vaishnavite monasteries founded in the line of Srimanta Sankardev, where monks keep the dance, drama and mask-making alive. It sits in the Brahmaputra opposite Jorhat, and for now the only way across is the ferry from Neamati ghat. A road bridge is under construction, with work resumed in 2026 after a long halt, and it is not open.
The ferry decides the day. Boats leave Neamati in the morning and the last ones back leave the Majuli side in mid-afternoon, and both the timetable and the landing on the island change with the river: in the dry months, low water pushes the crossing to a different ghat; in the monsoon, high water can stop it. So this day leaves Jorhat at half past seven for a morning boat, and turns round on the island in time for the afternoon one.
Your car and driver cross with you on the vehicle ferry where there is room on the boat, and the car's crossing is in the price. If the boat is full or the car cannot go, the driver arranges a local car on the Majuli side for the island part of the day at no extra cost to you. Either way the price is one flat rate for the day, and the only things you pay on the spot are passenger ferry tickets, satra museum tickets and lunch.
Your day, stop by stop
1. Neamati ghat and the ferry
Jorhat's river ghat, about 14 km north of town, and the government ferry across the Brahmaputra, roughly an hour or more on the water depending on the channel. At low water the ferry runs to a different landing on the Majuli side; the driver knows which.
Passenger ferry tickets, bought at the ghat
2. Auniati Satra
One of the oldest and largest of Majuli's Vaishnavite monasteries, west of Kamalabari, with a museum of old utensils, manuscripts and royal gifts. Monks live here, so it is a home as much as a sight.
Museum ticket, where charged
3. Uttar Kamalabari Satra
The satra best known for Sattriya dance and music, near the island's main town. If a rehearsal is on, the monks usually do not mind visitors watching quietly from the side.
4. Samaguri Satra
The mask-making satra, where masks for the bhaona plays are built from bamboo, clay and cloth, some large enough to wear over the whole body. You see the work in progress and can buy small masks from the makers.
Anything you choose to buy
5. Dakhinpat Satra
On the southern side of the island, known for its Raas festival in the autumn and for its carvings. The last stop before the run back to the ghat for the afternoon ferry, and dropped if the ferry clock says so.
In your price
- Private vehicle with driver for the full day
- Pickup and drop in Jorhat
- The car's ferry crossing, or a local car on Majuli if it cannot cross
- Fuel, driver allowance and parking
- GoExplorer support number for the day
Not included
- Passenger ferry tickets
- Satra museum tickets
- Meals
- Anything personal
What you pay on the day
- Passenger ferry tickets, each way
- Satra museum tickets, where charged
- Masks or crafts you choose to buy
- Lunch and anything personal
Who this suits
Anyone interested in living culture rather than monuments, and comfortable with a long day and a slow river crossing on a working ferry. The satras are flat and easy to walk. The sedan seats four, the Sumo eight and the Innova six, each at one flat price for the car.
What to bring
Modest clothes that cover shoulders and knees, shoes you can slip off at every prayer hall, a hat and water for the ferry deck, and cash, since cards are rarely taken on the island.
The river decides
High water in the monsoon and very low water in the dry months both disrupt the ferry, and the Inland Water Transport department can suspend or reroute it at short notice. If the crossing is suspended on your day, you get a full refund or a free reschedule. If a late boat means a delayed return, the driver waits.
Cancellation
- More than 24 hrs before: Full refund
- Within 24 hrs: 50% refund, or reschedule free once
- No show: No refund
Safety and the operator
Run by a licensed local ground operator, one driver per vehicle, commercially registered and insured. The ferries are working boats carrying vehicles and goods: stay off the vehicle deck while it is loading, keep children close at the rails and use the life jackets on board. Satras are monasteries; ask before photographing monks or rituals.
Questions
Is the price per person?
No. It is one price for the whole vehicle for the day, with the car's ferry crossing in it. Four of you in the Swift Dzire pay ₹2,990 between you, not each. Passenger ferry tickets are bought at the ghat.
Is there a bridge to Majuli now?
Not yet. A road bridge from the Jorhat side is under construction and work resumed in 2026 after a long halt. Until it opens, the ferry is the only way across.
What if we miss the last ferry back?
We plan the day so you do not. If the river or the boats run late, the driver waits and we help you find a room on the island, which has simple guesthouses. The day is not designed to be cut fine.
Can we see a Sattriya performance?
Sometimes, if a rehearsal or a festival is on. The Raas festival in the autumn is the big one, with crowds and accommodation to match. Ordinary days are quieter and we will not promise a performance.