The rhythm of a Varanasi day
Mornings: start early, before sunrise, on the river or the ghats, when the light is soft and the city is at prayer.
Late mornings: the lanes, temples and Sarnath, while it is still cool.
The middle of the day: lunch and rest, ideally on a terrace above the water or in a garden.
- Start
- Before sunrise, on the river
- Late morning
- Lanes, temples, Sarnath
- Rest
- About eleven until four
- Evening
- Aarti, a recital or dinner
- Cars
- Cannot reach the ghats
- Late afternoons: gentle walks.
- Evenings: the aarti, a recital or a quiet dinner.
- Every outing: ends with a walk or a boat, because cars cannot reach the ghats.
- Festival days: they change everything. Our best time to visit Varanasi guide shows when they fall.
- On the river: a room at BrijRama Palace lets you walk out of the door to the boat.
- In a garden: a suite at Taj Nadesar Palace means a short drive at each end of the day.
- Choosing: our guide to luxury hotels in Varanasi explains it.
A ghat's day, hour by hour
Four to five in the morning: temple bells and loudspeakers begin, the first bathers come down the steps in the dark, and boatmen bail out their boats.
Sunrise: the busiest hour of prayer. Men stand waist-deep offering water to the sun, women bathe in groups, and priests under bamboo umbrellas mark foreheads with sandalwood paste. The hour for the dawn boat.
- Seven to nine: yoga and wrestling on the southern ghats, laundry on the stones, and kachori frying in the lanes. The hour to walk up into the old city.
- Ten to three: the heat rises, the ghats empty, and cows and dogs doze in the shade while children play cricket on the dry steps. The hour for lunch, a museum, Sarnath or rest.
- Four to six: the light turns gold, families stroll, kites rise from the rooftops, and boats fill with pilgrims. The hour for a riverfront walk or a sunset boat.
- Dusk: the Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh and other ghats, with conch shells, bells and the great brass lamps.
- After dark: the lanes glow with shrines and sweet shops, music drifts from houses, and the fires at Manikarnika burn on. The hour for a recital or a quiet dinner.
One day in Varanasi, if that is all you have
Arrival and the evening aarti
Morning: arrive by the morning flight from Delhi and go straight to your hotel.
On the ghats: we bring you the last stretch by boat, the best possible first sight of the city.
- Afternoon: rest through the heat.
- At about four: a short walk along the ghats near your hotel with your guide, who explains the river, the steps and the rituals you see.
- At dusk: a boat downstream to Dashashwamedh, holding position for the evening Ganga aarti.
- Night: dinner on the terrace, then sleep early.
Dawn on the river and departure
Before sunrise: a rowing boat past the bathers, the temples and the palaces, with a respectful, distant view of Manikarnika from the water.
Into the lanes: land near the Vishwanath temple and walk up with your guide, stopping for kachori and jalebi or, in winter, a cup of malaiyo.
- The temple: visit if time and queues allow.
- Late morning: back to the hotel for a late breakfast and a shower, then the airport.
- An evening flight: add Sarnath in the late morning.
Two days in Varanasi, the essentials without rushing
- Distance
- About 10 km north-east
- Ashoka's pillar
- Third century BCE
- Dhamek Stupa
- Rebuilt in the Gupta period
- Lion capital
- In the Sarnath Museum
- Best time
- Late morning, after the dawn boat
Day one, settling in and the aarti from the water
Morning: fly in from Delhi and transfer to your hotel, arriving by boat if you are on the river.
- Afternoon: lunch and rest, then at about four a gentle walk along the ghats near your hotel to get your bearings.
- Evening: a boat as the light turns gold, drifting past the riverfront, and the aarti from the water at Dashashwamedh.
- Night: dinner quietly at the hotel.
Day two, dawn, lanes and Sarnath
Dawn: a rowing boat from Assi or your hotel steps, downstream past the bathing ghats, Man Mandir and, from a respectful distance, Manikarnika.
Morning: land near the Vishwanath temple, walk the lanes with your guide and breakfast in the bazaar.
- Late morning: Sarnath for the Dhamek Stupa, the ruins of the monasteries and the museum with Ashoka's lion capital, then lunch nearby.
- Why Sarnath matters: after his enlightenment, the Buddha came to a deer park here and taught his first five companions. The lion capital became independent India's national emblem.
- Afternoon: rest.
- Evening: the aarti from the steps or a reserved balcony this time, to feel the crowd and the heat of the lamps, then a farewell dinner on a terrace.
Departure morning
- If your flight allows: a short sunrise walk along the ghats near your hotel.
- Or simply: sit on the terrace with tea and watch the river wake up. It is often the moment guests remember most.
Three days in Varanasi, our favourite length
- Day one
- The river at dusk
- Day two
- Dawn, old city, Sarnath
- Day three
- Silk, southern ghats, music
- Boats
- One dusk, one dawn
Day one, the river at dusk
Midday: arrive by lunchtime and rest.
- Late afternoon: a boat along the whole riverfront from south to north as the light goes gold, with your guide naming each ghat and the royal house that built it.
- Evening: stay on the water for the aarti at Dashashwamedh, then dinner on the terrace.
Day two, dawn, the old city and Sarnath
Dawn: a slow, quiet boat, landing for a walk through the waking lanes and a breakfast of kachori, jalebi and lassi.
Vishwanath: visit through the corridor from the river, with your phone and bags held by your guide.
- The temple's story: one of the twelve jyotirlingas of Shiva. The present temple was built in 1780 by Ahilyabai Holkar, its spires plated with gold given by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1835. The corridor to the river opened in 2021.
- Kal Bhairav: then call at the small, busy temple of the city's guardian.
- Late morning: drive to Sarnath and stay for lunch.
- Afternoon: rest.
- Evening: the aarti from the steps, then dinner.
Day three, silk, the southern ghats and music
Morning: a silk weaving family in Madanpura or Lallapura. Sit beside the loom and watch a brocade grow line by line.
Buying: our textile shopping page explains what to look for.
- Late morning: the Bharat Kala Bhavan museum at Banaras Hindu University, and the new Vishwanath temple on the campus.
- Afternoon: rest.
- Late afternoon: walk the southern ghats from Assi to Kedar, past Tulsi Ghat and its wrestling ground and the fortified Chet Singh Ghat.
- On the way: Tulsi Ghat is where Tulsidas lived, and Chet Singh Ghat recalls the raja of Banaras who fought the East India Company in 1781.
- Evening: a private recital of Hindustani music on a terrace or in a courtyard, then dinner.
Four days in Varanasi, for those who want to stay
- Man Mandir
- Built by Raja Man Singh of Amber, around 1600
- Its observatory
- Added by Sawai Jai Singh II
- Ramnagar Fort
- Eighteenth century, across the river
- Chunar Fort
- About an hour's drive
Day one, arrival and a first look from the water
- Arrive and rest: then a late-afternoon boat for the aarti.
- Keep it simple: if you are tired from travel, watch the river from your terrace instead and save the aarti for tomorrow.
Day two, dawn and the heart of the old city
Dawn: a boat on the river.
Morning: a long walk through the lanes with your guide, from the Vishwanath corridor and temple to Kal Bhairav, the brass-beaters of Thatheri Bazaar and the shrines tucked into every wall.
- Afternoon: late lunch and rest.
- Late afternoon: climb to the roof of Man Mandir Ghat for the observatory of Sawai Jai Singh II, a sister of our own Jantar Mantar in Jaipur.
- Why it moves us: the palace was built by Raja Man Singh of Amber, and standing among the instruments above the Ganga you feel the reach of our Kachwaha kings.
- Evening: the aarti from the steps.
Day three, Sarnath and the university
Morning: a slow start, then Sarnath for the stupa, the ruins, the museum and the international Buddhist temples, with lunch nearby.
- Afternoon: Banaras Hindu University for the Bharat Kala Bhavan museum and a walk under the trees.
- On the way back: the Sankat Mochan and Durga temples.
- Evening: a recital and dinner.
Day four, Ramnagar or Chunar
A gentle day: a weaving family in the morning, rest, then across the river by boat in the late afternoon to Ramnagar Fort, home of the Maharajas of Banaras, returning on the water at sunset.
- A fuller day: about an hour's drive to Chunar Fort on its rock above the Ganga, fought over by Sher Shah Suri, the Mughals and the British, then back for a last evening on the ghats.
- Either way: end with a private dinner above the river.
Variations for families, couples and repeat visitors
With children
Where to stay: a garden hotel such as Taj Nadesar Palace, with shorter outings.
- What children love: the boats, the kites on the rooftops, the wrestlers at Tulsi Ghat, the city's lacquered wooden toys, and the lawns and deer at Sarnath.
- The cremation ghats: a distant view from the boat, explained simply, or skipped for younger children.
- Health and pacing: our page on travelling with children.
For couples
Where to stay: on the river.
- Add: a private sunset boat with tea and snacks, a recital for two on a terrace, and a candlelit dinner above the ghats on the last night.
- Begin a day: with a dawn yoga session on a quiet stretch of steps.
- Honeymoons: many of our honeymoon journeys end in Varanasi, and couples often tell us it was the most moving part of the trip.
For repeat visitors
New ground: walk the northern ghats beyond Panchganga, where few visitors go.
- Deeper understanding: a morning with a scholar of Sanskrit or a priest who can explain the rites of the ghats.
- A new festival: the Ramnagar Ramlila, Nag Nathaiya at Tulsi Ghat or the Sankat Mochan music festival.
- Further: Chunar or Prayagraj.
For older travellers
Where to stay: a garden hotel with car access to the door, using the river as your road.
- How we help: boats from the most accessible ghats, short and flat walks in the lanes, and balcony seats for the aarti rather than standing on the steps.
- Pace: two short outings a day, at dawn and dusk, with a long rest between, is plenty.
- More detail: our page on accessible travel.
For photographers
Two dawns: sleep on the river and plan two dawn boats, because mist or haze can spoil one.
- Light: late October, November and February are clearest, January the most misty.
- The panorama: a late afternoon on the sandbank across the water shows the whole riverfront.
- Etiquette: ask before every portrait, pay no one to pose, and leave the camera in the bag at the cremation grounds without exception. See our photography tips.
For pilgrims
- A trusted priest: we can arrange one from a family you can trust to guide you through a dawn bath, a puja, or prayer ritual, on the ghats, or rites for ancestors.
- Your traditions: tell us which you follow, and we plan the days around temple timings and the auspicious hours rather than sightseeing.
Where food fits into the plan
Lanes after the dawn boat: that is when the kachori stalls are busiest and the oil freshest.
First breakfast: kachori-sabzi and jalebi standing at a counter, then a clay cup of lassi or, in winter, a cup of malaiyo.
- Kachori-sabzi
- The lane breakfast, with jalebi
- Malaiyo
- About November to February
- Tamatar chaat
- Found only in Banaras
- Banarasi paan
- Ask for it without tobacco
- Our guides: they know the stalls with the fastest turnover and the cleanest kitchens.
- Lunch: usually at the hotel or near Sarnath, a calm, simple meal before the afternoon rest.
- An evening tasting walk: on one day, for tamatar chaat, a tangy tomato dish, and chooda matar in winter, ending with a sweet Banarasi paan.
- The last night: a private dinner on a terrace above the ghats, with a vegetarian thali and live music.
- Good to know: much of the old city is vegetarian, and alcohol is found mainly in hotels.
A special plan for Dev Deepawali
Arrive early: roads near the old city are closed or jammed on the day itself.
The dawn before: take your dawn boat the morning before, when the city is already preparing and the steps are being swept and decorated.
- When
- Kartik full moon, usually November
- After Diwali
- About two weeks
- Arrive
- At least a day before
- Boat
- Booked months in advance
- On the night: we hold a boat for you and set out before dusk to see the lamps lit, ghat by ghat.
- The drift: the boat moves slowly along the whole riverfront, from the southern ghats to Panchganga, as the river fills with reflections and fireworks rise over the far bank.
- Getting back: by water, not through the crowds.
- The rest of Kartik: our guide to the best time to visit Varanasi covers the season, from Chhath to Nag Nathaiya.
When fog, rain or crowds change the plan
Fog, late December and January: it can hide the ghats from the boat and delay flights. We keep a second dawn in reserve and move the lanes, Sarnath or a museum into the foggy hours.
- Monsoon: when boat trips are suspended, we swap the river for the temples, the weaving lanes, the university and a long lunch with a view of the rising water.
- Festival crowds: when the lanes around the Vishwanath temple are jammed, we visit the southern ghats or cross to Ramnagar, and return to the temple on a quieter morning.
Where Varanasi fits in a longer journey
West to east: Delhi, then Rajasthan, then Agra for the Taj Mahal, and a flight to Varanasi at the end.
Twelve nights: our Rajasthan and Varanasi journey does exactly this.
- Why we end on the Ganga: our journal piece on combining Rajasthan and Varanasi explains it.
- Through central India: from Agra, the fast train runs to Jhansi for Orchha, and the road leads on to the temples of Khajuraho.
- Khajuraho to Varanasi: a long day by road, or a flight when connections allow.
- Extend it: our Rajasthan, Orchha and Khajuraho journey can continue to the Ganga.
- For Buddhist pilgrims: Bodh Gaya is about six hours by road.
- Beyond: Varanasi links naturally to Nepal by air.
Arriving and leaving well
By air: most guests take the short flight from Delhi.
Timing: we plan arrivals for late morning or lunch, so you can rest before the first evening on the river.
- Airport
- Lal Bahadur Shastri, Babatpur
- To the ghats
- About an hour
- By train
- Vande Bharat from Delhi, about eight hours
- Best arrival
- Late morning or lunch
- To a ghat hotel: the car takes you to a point on the river and a boat carries you to your hotel steps, while porters bring the bags through the lanes.
- To the cantonment: the car goes to the door.
- By train: travellers who love trains arrive in the afternoon.
- Leaving: we allow a generous margin for the airport, especially in the fog weeks of December and January and on festival days, when the roads near the old city slow to a crawl.
Practical notes for the plan
First full morning: book your dawn boat then, in case fog or weather spoils it and you need a second chance.
Keep middays free: the heat, the crowds and the emotion of the ghats are tiring.
- Vishwanath: visit early on an ordinary weekday, and leave phones and bags with your guide.
- Photographs: never of cremations or mourners. Ask before photographing sadhus, priests or pilgrims.
- The airport: allow about an hour to the old city, and more at festival times or in fog.
- Monsoon: boat trips may be suspended, so swap them for temples, museums and Sarnath.
- More ideas: our full list of things to do in Varanasi, and our temple etiquette guide on dress and behaviour.
