Uttar Pradesh
Varanasi
The oldest living city, best seen from a boat at first light
In 30 seconds
- Ideal length
- 2 to 3 days
- Best time
- October to March. Summers are punishing.
- Good for
- Solo / Community, Couple, Family, Friends / Group
- Popular from
- Delhi, Lucknow, Kolkata
Getting there
- From Delhi
- Approx 800 km, overnight train or a 1.5 hour flight
- Nearest airport
- Varanasi, about 45 minutes from the ghats
- Sarnath
- Approx 10 km, half day
- Ideal length
- 2 to 3 days
What a Varanasi trip usually costs
Typical per-person ranges for 3 days, 2 nights, twin sharing, excluding travel from your city.
Budget smart
Around ₹6,000 to ₹9,000 per person
Clean 2 to 3 star stays, shared or standard transport
Comfortable
Around ₹10,000 to ₹18,000 per person
Better located 3 to 4 star stays, private transport
Premium
₹24,000 and up per person
Boutique or 5 star stays, private transport throughout
These are honest market ranges to help you budget, not a quote from us. Your actual price depends on your exact dates, group size and hotel choice. Peak season and long weekends sit at the top of each band.
About this trip
Varanasi is intense in a way that no amount of preparation quite covers, and that is precisely the point. The ghats run for several kilometres along the Ganga, and life, worship and death all happen on them in plain view.
Sarnath, where the Buddha gave his first sermon, is half an hour away and gives the trip a completely different, much quieter register.
How to reach: Direct flights from most metros and good overnight trains from Delhi and Lucknow. The ghats are best reached on foot or by boat.
When not to go: May and June, when the heat on the ghats is punishing
Trip highlights
- Sunrise boat ride along the ghats
- Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh ghat in the evening
- Kashi Vishwanath temple and the corridor
- Sarnath, the Buddha's first sermon site
- The old city lanes and the street food around them
Gallery
Sample itinerary
A starting point, not a fixed plan. Every day here is negotiable.
What's typically included
- Stay in hand-picked hotels or homestays for your group size
- Private or shared transport as per your plan
- Daily breakfast (more meals available on request)
- Sightseeing and activities as per itinerary
- A single Gozy Trips point of contact from booking to return
What's not included
- Flights or train tickets to the base city, unless added to your plan
- Personal expenses, tips and anything outside the listed itinerary
- Adventure activities not included in the base package (available as add-ons)
- Travel insurance
- Anything not explicitly listed as included on your final quote
Price depends on your dates, hotel category, group size and how much transport you need. Send us your plan for a real quote.
