Varanasi Tour Packages

Two days and two nights: the Ganga Aarti on the first evening, then a sunrise boat ride, a walk through the ghats and old lanes and the Kashi Vishwanath Temple the next day. Add a third day for Sarnath, about 10 km away. If you are passing through on a longer route, the Golden Triangle with Varanasi ends at the river after the forts and palaces of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.

It is held every evening at Dashashwamedh Ghat, starting around sunset (earlier in winter, later in summer) and lasting about 45 minutes; in a big monsoon flood it has been moved to rooftops. Watch from a boat moored facing the ghat for the open view, or from the steps among the crowd, and arrive early, as the ghat fills up. On our Varanasi Ganga Aarti tour we confirm the evening's timing and arrange your place, on a boat or on the steps.

October to March, when mornings are cool for the boat ride. April to June is very hot. In the monsoon, from the second half of June to early October, the river can rise over the lower ghats and boat rides are suspended while it is high. Dev Deepawali, on the Kartik full moon about 15 days after Diwali, lights the ghats with lamps and brings very large crowds; its date changes each year.

Yes, with care. The old lanes are narrow, crowded and shared with cattle and motorbikes, so keep to well-used routes after dark and watch your footing. Near the cremation ghats, be wary of anyone asking for money for funeral wood or a hospice. Dress modestly in a holy city. A local guide makes the first evening far easier, which is why our packages here include one, as each lists.

Please do not photograph the cremations or the mourning families at Manikarnika or Harishchandra Ghat: it is deeply disrespectful. Watch quietly from a distance, ideally with a guide who can explain what you are seeing. Elsewhere on the ghats, ask before photographing people at prayer. Our Varanasi photo tour is planned around the dawn and evening light without intruding.

No. The temple trust does not allow phones or any other electronic or non-electronic gadgets, not even pens, inside the temple premises, and free lockers are available. There is no formal dress code, but decent, modest clothing is expected. Your guide will plan the visit around the temple's darshan hours, the times set for viewing the deity, and the rest of your morning on the ghats.

Yes, if you have half a day. Sarnath, about 10 km north-east of Varanasi, is where the Buddha is believed to have given his first sermon, and its museum holds the Lion Capital of Ashoka. The museum is closed on Fridays, so plan around that. Our Sarnath from Varanasi trip takes about three hours including the drive.

From Delhi, a direct flight takes about an hour and a half, or a Vande Bharat Express train about eight hours. From Agra, a Vande Bharat Express runs between Agra Cantt and Banaras six days a week. Varanasi's airport is at Babatpur, about 22 km from the city. The North India Classic Tour includes its flights into and out of Varanasi.

Yes. The Golden Triangle with Varanasi adds the city to Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, and the North India Classic Tour also takes in Rajasthan and Rishikesh. Pilgrims can link Varanasi with Ayodhya, Prayagraj and Chitrakoot instead. See Agra tour packages and Uttar Pradesh tour packages for more routes.