An ancient holy city on the Ganga, known for its ghats, temples and evening aarti.
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Varanasi, also called Kashi or Banaras, is one of the oldest living cities in the world and is sacred to Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. People come for the riverfront ghats, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, sunrise boat rides and the evening Ganga Aarti, with the Buddhist site of Sarnath 10 km away. It suits pilgrims, families and anyone interested in culture, food, music and silk weaving, as long as they are comfortable with crowds and narrow lanes.
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Plan from your city
Photos
Evening Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh GhatDashashwamedh GhatDashashwamedh GhatGanga aarti
Photos from Wikimedia Commons. Select a photo for its author and licence.
Best time to go
When
What to expect
October to March
The best time. Days are pleasant, roughly 5 to 25 C, with cold and sometimes chilly mornings in January. Dev Deepawali and Ganga Mahotsav fall in November and Mahashivaratri in February or March, when crowds and prices rise.
April to June
Very hot. May is the hottest month and the temperature can pass 45 C. Sightseeing is only comfortable early in the morning and after sunset.
July to September
Monsoon. July is the wettest month with about 300 mm of rain. The Ganga rises, many ghat steps go under water and boat rides can be affected.
Sights and activities
1
Dashashwamedh Ghat and Ganga Aarti
The main ghat of the old city, known for the evening Ganga Aarti with lamps, bells and chanting. The ceremony lasts about 45 minutes and can be watched from the steps or from a boat.
Distance
In the old city, on the central stretch of the ghats
Entry
Free. Paid seating about Rs 150 to 500; shared boat seat about Rs 200 to 300
Timings
Ghat open all day. Aarti about 6 pm in winter (Oct-Mar) and 7 pm in summer (Apr-Sep)
One of the best known Hindu temples, dedicated to Lord Shiva, in the heart of the old city. Vehicles are not allowed near it, so the last stretch is on foot through the lanes and corridor.
Distance
In the old city, a short walk from Dashashwamedh Ghat
Entry
Free general darshan. Sugam (fast-track) darshan about Rs 300
A broad, quieter ghat at the southern end of the riverfront. It hosts Subah-e-Banaras, a sunrise programme of aarti, music and yoga, and is the usual starting point for sunrise boat rides.
Distance
Southern end of the ghats
Entry
Free
Timings
Open all day. Morning aarti about 5 am in summer and 5.30 am in other months
One of the holiest Hindu cremation grounds, where funeral pyres burn through the day and night. Visitors watch quietly from a distance or from a boat; photography of cremations is not allowed.
Distance
On the central stretch of the ghats, north of Dashashwamedh Ghat
The place where the Buddha gave his first sermon, with the 43.6 metre Dhamek Stupa, old monastery ruins and a museum that holds the Lion Capital of Ashoka, India's national emblem. Thai, Tibetan and Sri Lankan temples stand nearby.
Distance
About 10 km north-east of Varanasi
Entry
About Rs 20 for Indians and Rs 250 for foreigners for the site and museum together
Timings
Site open sunrise to sunset. Museum 9 am to 5 pm, closed on Fridays
An 18th century sandstone fort on the opposite bank of the Ganga, built by Maharaja Balwant Singh and still home to the Kashi Naresh. Its museum shows vintage cars, palanquins, old swords and guns and an astronomical clock.
Distance
About 14 km from Varanasi Junction
Entry
About Rs 20 to 75 for Indians and Rs 150 to 200 for foreigners (museum)
Varanasi is on the national highway network, with frequent buses from Prayagraj (about 128 km), Lucknow (about 286 km), Gorakhpur and Patna. Buses arrive at the UPSRTC bus stand near Varanasi Cantt station.
By train
Varanasi Junction (Varanasi Cantt, code BSB) is the main station, inside the city. Banaras station (BSBS) is also in the city, and Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction (formerly Mughal Sarai) is about 16 km away.
By air
Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport at Babatpur is about 22 to 25 km from the city. A prepaid-style sedan taxi to the ghats or the Cantonment costs about Rs 900 and takes 40 to 45 minutes.
Where to base yourself
Stay near the ghats between Assi Ghat and Dashashwamedh Ghat to walk to the river, or in the Cantonment area near the railway station for easier road access.
Getting around
Shared e-rickshaws run on the main roads for about Rs 10 to 20 per seat.
Cycle rickshaws cost about Rs 20 to 50 for short rides and auto-rickshaws about Rs 30 to 100 within the city.
App cabs (Ola, Uber) cost about Rs 80 to 200 for a city ride.
A hired sedan with driver for 8 hours and 80 km costs about Rs 1,800 to 2,000; an Innova about Rs 2,500.
An auto-rickshaw to Sarnath and back costs about Rs 300 to 500; a taxi about Rs 600 to 1,200 with waiting.
A shared boat seat costs about Rs 100 to 250 per person; a private rowing boat about Rs 800 to 1,500 for 60 to 90 minutes. Agree the price before boarding.
Vehicles cannot enter the lanes around Kashi Vishwanath Temple and the ghats, so expect to walk the last stretch.
Often combined with
Places people usually visit on the same trip, and how long it takes to get between them.
Dharamshala, hostel dorm or simple guesthouse near the ghats
₹500 to ₹1,200
Mid-range
Mid-range or 3-star hotel
₹1,500 to ₹4,000
Luxury
Heritage riverside property or luxury hotel
₹8,000 to ₹30,000
Food
Most eating is at street stalls and small shops in the old city lanes, with cafes around Assi Ghat. A street breakfast costs about Rs 30 to 60, a restaurant thali about Rs 80 to 150 and a mid-range restaurant meal about Rs 200 to 400. Choose busy stalls, eat food that is hot and freshly cooked, and drink bottled or filtered water.
Try these
Kachori sabzi (fried stuffed bread with spiced potato curry, a breakfast staple)
Tamatar chaat (tangy tomato-based chaat)
Choora matar (flattened rice cooked with green peas)
Malaiyyo (light saffron milk froth, a winter sweet)
Chena dahi vada (soft cottage-cheese dumplings in curd)
Banarasi lassi (thick sweet curd drink)
Banarasi paan (betel leaf preparation with a GI tag)
Vegetarian food is the norm in the old city and all the well known local dishes are vegetarian.
Daily costs
Budget level
Stay per room
Food per person
Local transport
Budget
₹800
₹350
₹150 per person
Mid-range
₹2,500
₹800
₹1,900 per vehicle
Luxury
₹12,000
₹2,000
₹2,500 per vehicle
Per day. Travel to and from your city is added in the planner above.
Permits and documents
No permit is needed. Carry a photo ID for hotel check-in and for special darshan bookings at Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
Safety
By day
Generally safe for visitors. Watch your belongings in the crowded lanes and on the ghats, and keep food out of sight of monkeys near temples.
At night
The main ghats stay busy until after the evening aarti. Avoid walking alone through empty lanes late at night.
Solo women
Travel sources advise dressing modestly and not going out alone late at night. Refuse unsolicited guides, self-styled priests asking for money and requests for cremation donations.
Roads
Old city roads are narrow and congested, and traffic is diverted during big festivals and VIP visits. Vehicles stop well short of Kashi Vishwanath Temple, so allow time to walk. Check that boats carry life jackets.
Manageable with a hired car and a boat for the ghats, but the ghats have many steep steps and the old city needs walking. Visit early in the morning to avoid heat and crowds.
Children
Suitable for children. Boat rides and Sarnath are easy; hold hands in crowded lanes and at the river edge, and avoid the summer afternoons.
Wheelchair users
Limited. Most ghats have steps without handrails and the lanes are narrow and crowded. Dashashwamedh Ghat is reported to have some wheelchair-friendly paths and viewing areas, and Sankat Mochan Temple has ramps.
Unless a sight is described as accessible, assume it is not step-free.
Culture and responsible travel
Do not photograph or film cremations at Manikarnika or Harishchandra Ghat, and stay quiet and at a distance.
Dress modestly at temples and ghats, with shoulders and legs covered, and remove footwear where asked.
Leather items are not allowed inside Kashi Vishwanath Temple and cameras are not allowed in the inner sanctum.
Agree prices for boats, rickshaws and guides before you start, and hire only licensed guides who carry an ID badge.
Banarasi silk sarees, zari work and Gulabi Meenakari are local crafts; buy from established shops rather than touts.
The Ganga is sacred to pilgrims; do not litter on the ghats or in the river.
What to pack
Photo ID (Aadhaar, passport or driving licence); hotels and permits ask for it
Clothes that cover shoulders and knees, and socks for hot stone floors where shoes come off. Some temples do not allow phones or bags, so carry little
Some cash in small notes for autos, stalls and tips
Your regular medicines, plus basics for stomach upsets, headaches and cuts
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