Varanasi travel guide 2026–27

How to plan Varanasi and Sarnath, with Ayodhya and Prayagraj: the ghats, the aarti, boat rides, when to go, where to stay and how many nights.

By the Agrima Holidays Team · Updated October 2026 · 7 min read

Why go

Varanasi sits on the west bank of the Ganga and has been a place of pilgrimage for well over two thousand years. People come here to pray, to bathe, to study, and for many Hindus, to die. The city feels intense on the first day and familiar by the third.

The ghats, more than 80 stone steps running down to the river, are the heart of the city. Spend your time walking them, sitting on them and watching from a boat.

When to go

October to March is the best time. Days are clear and mild, nights cool. December and January mornings bring mist on the river, which looks beautiful from a boat but delays flights and trains.

April to June is hot, often over 40°C. Mornings and evenings on the ghats stay pleasant.

July to September brings the monsoon. The river rises and covers the lower ghats. Boats stop running on some days, and the evening aarti moves to rooftops or higher steps.

Festivals:

• Dev Deepawali, on the full moon of Kartik, 15 days after Diwali, when every ghat is lit with lamps

• Mahashivratri, in February or March, with huge queues at Kashi Vishwanath

• Ganga Mahotsav, a music and dance festival in November

• Holi, celebrated with colour across the old city

Month by month

Average night low to day high, from long-term climate averages. Higher places run colder.

How many nights

Two nights is the minimum. Three nights gives you two sunrises on the river, which helps if fog hides the first one.

• 2 nights: ghats, aarti, sunrise boat ride, Kashi Vishwanath, Sarnath
• 3 nights: add a slow walk of the old city lanes and a second boat ride
• 5 nights: add Ayodhya or Prayagraj
• 6 to 7 nights: Varanasi, Bodh Gaya and Rajgir for a Buddhist circuit

Getting there

Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport sits about 25 km from the city centre. Allow an hour to the ghats in traffic. Direct flights run from Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata and other cities.

By train, Varanasi Junction and Banaras station connect to most of India. The Vande Bharat Express from New Delhi takes about 8 hours. Overnight trains are the other choice.

By road, Prayagraj is about 3 hours away, Ayodhya about 4 hours and Bodh Gaya about 6 hours.

The ghats

The stops that appear most often in our Uttar Pradesh itineraries:

• Varanasi
• Ayodhya
• Lucknow
• Mathura
• Vrindavan
• Prayagraj

Dashashwamedh Ghat is the busiest, with the main evening aarti, flower sellers and boatmen. Start here.

Manikarnika Ghat is the main cremation ground. Fires burn day and night. You may watch from a respectful distance. Do not photograph the cremations, and decline anyone who asks for money for wood or a tour.

Assi Ghat, at the southern end, is calmer. The morning programme, Subah-e-Banaras, starts before sunrise with aarti, music and yoga.

Between these, walk past Kedar Ghat with its striped steps, Darbhanga Ghat with its palace, Harishchandra Ghat, and Panchganga Ghat with the Alamgir mosque above.

The Ganga aarti

The evening aarti at Dashashwamedh starts around sunset, at about 6 pm in winter and 7 pm in summer. Seven priests stand on platforms facing the river and move large brass lamps in slow circles to bells, conch shells and chanting. The ceremony lasts about 45 minutes.

You can watch from the steps, from a balcony of a nearby building, or from a boat on the river. Boats offer the best view. Reach the steps an hour early on weekends and festival days.

Boat rides

A sunrise boat ride is the single best experience in Varanasi. The light hits the ghats from the east, the city wakes up, and pilgrims bathe and pray.

Rowing boats suit small groups and move slowly. Motor boats cover more ghats in less time. A typical ride runs from Dashashwamedh to Manikarnika and back, or down to Assi, in about an hour.

The Varanasi Ghat boat union fixes rates. Agree the route and time before you step in. Our packages include one boat ride.

Kashi Vishwanath

The Kashi Vishwanath temple is one of the twelve jyotirlingas of Shiva. The new corridor links the temple to the river at Lalita Ghat, so you walk up from the ghats through a wide stone courtyard.

Phones, cameras, leather items and bags are not allowed inside. Use the lockers near the gates. Queues run long on Mondays, in the month of Shravan and on Mahashivratri. Sugam Darshan tickets, booked on the temple website, shorten the wait.

The Kaal Bhairav temple, a short drive away, is part of the traditional visit.

Sarnath

Sarnath lies 10 km north of the city. The Buddha gave his first sermon here after his enlightenment at Bodh Gaya.

• Dhamek Stupa, a large brick and stone stupa from the Gupta period
• Mulagandha Kuti Vihara, a modern temple with murals of the Buddha's life
• Sarnath Museum, home to the Lion Capital of Ashoka, the national emblem of India. The museum closes on Fridays
• Temples built by Thailand, Japan, China, Tibet and Myanmar

Plan half a day. Combine Sarnath with the afternoon before the evening aarti.

The old city and food

The lanes behind the ghats, called galis, are narrow, crowded and full of small temples, sweet shops and silk weavers. Walk them in the morning when traffic is light.

What to eat:

• Kachori sabzi and jalebi for breakfast

• Tamatar chaat, a tangy tomato chaat found only here

• Malaiyo, a winter dessert of whipped milk foam with saffron, served before the sun warms up

• Banarasi paan after dinner

• Lassi topped with rabri in a clay cup

Kachori Gali and the lanes near Godowlia have the best-known stalls.

Silk and shopping

Banarasi silk saris are woven in workshops in the Madanpura and Peeli Kothi areas. Visit a weaver's workshop to see the handloom process. Buy from shops with fixed prices or a government emporium if you want certainty on quality.

Wooden toys, brass lamps and glass beads also make good gifts.

Ayodhya and Prayagraj

Ayodhya, about 4 hours by road, is the birthplace of Rama. The Ram Mandir draws large crowds through the year. Mobile phones are not allowed inside. Hanuman Garhi and the ghats on the Saryu river are close by.

Prayagraj, about 3 hours away, is the meeting point of the Ganga and Yamuna. A boat ride to the Triveni Sangam, the confluence, is the main ritual. The Kumbh and Magh Mela draw crores of pilgrims at fixed times.

Where to stay

Hotels on or near the ghats give you river views and easy access to the aarti and boats. Cars cannot reach most of them. A porter carries luggage from the drop point, often 5 to 10 minutes on foot.

Hotels in Cantonment and near the station have parking, larger rooms and quieter nights, 20 to 30 minutes from Dashashwamedh by car.

Our packages name the hotels for each category.

Our Varanasi and Uttar Pradesh packages

Prices start from ₹11,400 per person on twin sharing.

Practical tips

• Wear shoes you are happy to remove often, and carry socks for cold temple floors
• Dress modestly. Shoulders and knees covered
• Keep a small torch for early-morning walks through dark lanes
• Decline offers of free tours of the cremation ghat
• Ask before you photograph sadhus. Many expect a small payment
• Drink bottled or filtered water only
• Fog delays are common in December and January. Keep the first evening free

Ask us about a guided walk of the old city or a private evening aarti on a boat.