Where the Sacred Meets the Eternal
Varanasi — known also as Kashi and Banaras — is the oldest living city in the world, sacred to Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains alike. For over 3,000 years, pilgrims have come here to wash away a lifetime of sins in the Ganges, to burn their dead on its banks, and to hear the evening aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat — a spectacle of fire, prayer, and devotion that has continued unbroken for centuries. Fly from Delhi in the morning and arrive in time for the evening aarti. Spend the next two days walking the ancient ghats at sunrise, stepping into Kashi Vishwanath — one of the twelve Jyotirlingas — and driving to Sarnath where Buddha delivered his first sermon over 2,500 years ago.
Highlights
Varanasi Through the Lens
Inclusions & Exclusions
✓ Included
- Return flights Delhi ↔ Varanasi
- 2 nights heritage hotel near the ghats
- Daily breakfast at hotel
- Private AC vehicle for all transfers and sightseeing
- Sunrise boat ride on the Ganges
- Guided Ganga aarti experience at Dashashwamedh
- Kashi Vishwanath Temple darshan with local guide
- Sarnath excursion with museum entry
- Old city walking tour with heritage guide
- All toll, parking, and driver allowance
✕ Excluded
- Lunches and dinners (except where noted)
- Travel insurance
- Personal expenses, tips, and gratuities
- Camera fees at monuments (if applicable)
- Anything not mentioned in inclusions
- Temple offerings and puja items
- Morning: Early flight from Delhi's Indira Gandhi Airport to Varanasi's Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport — about 1.5 hours. Meet your driver and transfer to a heritage hotel walking distance from Dashashwamedh Ghat.
- Afternoon: Check in, freshen up, and rest through the midday heat. In the late afternoon, walk down to the ghats for your first encounter with Varanasi — pilgrims performing rituals, priests chanting, and boats loaded with marigolds and diyas.
- Evening: Take your place at Dashashwamedh Ghat for the Ganga aarti — seven priests performing the ancient fire ritual in perfect synchronization, accompanied by conch shells, bells, and drums. The aarti concludes with hundreds of floating diyas released onto the Ganges.
- Pre-dawn: Wake before dawn for the sunrise boat ride — the most magical experience in Varanasi. Row past the 84 ghats as the first light touches the ancient stone temples. Watch morning rituals: pilgrims taking their sacred dip, yoga practitioners, and the smoke rising from Manikarnika — the burning ghat where cremations happen around the clock.
- Morning: Return for breakfast, then walk to Kashi Vishwanath Temple with your local guide. Navigate the lanes to reach one of the twelve Jyotirlingas — the most sacred Shiva temples in India. The recently completed Kashi Vishwanath Corridor connects the temple directly to the ghats.
- Afternoon: Drive 30 minutes to Sarnath — where Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon. Visit the Dhamek Stupa (5th century), the Ashoka Pillar with its Lion Capital (now India's national emblem), and the Sarnath Museum with its fine collection of Buddhist sculpture. Walk through ancient monastery ruins and modern Buddhist temples from Thailand, Myanmar, Japan, and Tibet.
- Early morning: Walking tour through the old city's narrow galis — a labyrinth of temples, silk-weaving workshops, street food stalls, and homes stacked four storeys high. Your guide introduces you to the Banarasi silk weavers at their looms. Stop for kachori and jalebi at a generations-old shop.
- Mid-morning: Walk to Assi Ghat — the southernmost and most peaceful of the ghats, popular with yoga practitioners and BHU students. Sit at a chai stall and absorb the rhythm of the city one last time.
- Afternoon: Transfer to Varanasi airport for the flight back to Delhi. Tour concludes on arrival.
Planning Your Varanasi Trip
October to March is the prime window. The weather is cool and comfortable for walking the ghats, the Ganga aarti happens every evening year-round, and boat rides are especially pleasant at dawn. Avoid the peak summer months (April–June) when temperatures exceed 40°C.
Yes, Varanasi is safe for tourists. The old city lanes can be crowded and narrow, so we provide a local guide for all walks. Avoid isolated areas late at night and follow your guide's directions at the burning ghats.
Modest clothing covering shoulders and knees is expected at temples and during the Ganga aarti. Light, breathable cotton works best. Comfortable walking shoes are essential for the uneven ghat steps and old city lanes.
Photography is welcome at most ghats and during the Ganga aarti. Avoid photographing people without permission, especially at Manikarnika (burning ghat). Your guide will advise on appropriate etiquette at each location.
Multiple daily flights connect Delhi (DEL) to Varanasi (VNS) — the flight takes about 1.5 hours. We arrange airport transfers at both ends and handle all logistics. Overnight trains are also available for those who prefer rail travel.
Sarnath is located 10 km from Varanasi and is where Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon after attaining enlightenment — the 'Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta'. It is one of the four holy Buddhist pilgrimage sites, with ruins of ancient stupas, a museum housing Ashoka's Lion Capital, and active monasteries built by Buddhist nations from around the world.
