Uttar Pradesh
Varanasi
The oldest living city, best seen from a boat at first light
- Suggested trip
- 2 to 3 days
- Suited to
- solo travellers; couples
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
Varanasi: A Wonderful view of Ganga Aarati(worship) at Varanasi, India
Photo 1 of 2
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
Make the route work for you
Before you choose Varanasi
- Who this idea suits
- Solo / Community, Couple, Family, Friends / Group. Travelling with children, elders or anyone with mobility needs? Tell us and we set the daily pace around them.
- Allow for your departure city
- Direct flights from most metros and good overnight trains from Delhi and Lucknow. The ghats are best reached on foot or by boat. Travel estimates vary with your actual starting point, traffic and operating conditions.
What should my written quote confirm?
- Property name, room category and meal plan
- Vehicle type, pickup point and arrival/return times
- Total cost, taxes, inclusions and optional extras
- Availability, payment schedule and cancellation terms
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.
Read more about Varanasi
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.
The Reality Check
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
Local food worth a stop in Varanasi
Kachori sabzi and jalebi
The classic Varanasi breakfast in the old-city lanes.
Blue Lassi
Tiny lassi shop in the lanes near Manikarnika Ghat, known for fruit lassis.
Hours and directions on Google MapsKashi Chat Bhandar
Popular for tamatar chaat near Godowlia.
Hours and directions on Google Maps
For your own exploring. We don't book or promote these places.
Sample itinerary
A starting point, not a confirmed booking. Changes depend on dates, access and availability.
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.
- Itemised quoteEvery quote is itemised: the hotel and room type for each night, the vehicle, and which meals are included, so you can compare it line by line.
- Second opinion on any quoteAlready have a quote from another agency? Send it and we will tell you whether we can do the same trip for less. If we cannot, we will say so.
