Varanasi
One of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities, Varanasi is a living tapestry of Hindu devotion, where ancient ghats line the sacred Ganges and every alley holds centuries of spiritual tradition.
Along the banks of the Ganges in northeastern India stands one of the world's oldest continuously inhabited cities. Varanasi has drawn pilgrims, philosophers, artists and seekers for more than two millennia, drawn by the belief that death here—and especially cremation at its iconic ghats—grants liberation from the cycle of rebirth.
The Ghats
More than eighty stone steps descend from the city lanes to the river at Varanasi. Dashashwamedh Ghat, closest to the main temple quarter, is among the most active: Brahmins recite prayers at dawn, devotees wade into the shallows to submerge themselves three times, and hawkers move through the gathering. A few hundred metres north, Raj Ghat marks the spot where Mahatma Gandhi's ashes were scattered. At Manikarnika Ghat, burning pyres operate around the clock, and the city conducts several thousand cremations here each year.
The Temples and Lanes
The old city clusters around a tight network of lanes that predate motor vehicles. Narrow passages wind past flower sellers, brass dealers and sweets shops before opening onto small temple courtyards. Kashi Vishwanath Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, stands near the river; its spire was rebuilt in the eighteenth century after the original was destroyed by Mughal forces. Non-Hindus cannot enter, but the lanes surrounding it remain open to all.
Sarnath
Ten kilometres north of the river, the deer park at Sarnath marks where Siddhartha Gautama gave his first teaching after gaining enlightenment, establishing what became Buddhism. A simple stupa, a stone pillar with still-legible edicts, and the ruins of monasteries and temples speak to the site's importance in that tradition. Buddhist monks from Sri Lanka, Tibet and Southeast Asia continue to study here.
Find it on the map
- Varanasi City
Tours that visit Varanasi
No tours visit this place just yet — tell us where you want to go and we'll build one. See all tours
Before you book you should know
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Is this trip right for you?
Our groups are capped at eight travellers, which is about a third of what the industry calls a small group. Eight people share one vehicle, one table at dinner and one guide's attention, and the day can change on the road without anybody being left behind. If you are looking for a coach, a fixed script and a microphone, this is not that.
Most days involve real walking, often on ground that was laid two thousand years before walking shoes: marble worn smooth, cobbles, uneven steps and long site paths with little shade. Bring shoes you can spend a morning in.
Some days move between regions and are largely a drive, with stops along the way. Summers are hot — well over 35°C inland — and winters are colder than most people expect, so layers, a hat and sunscreen earn their place in the bag whatever the month.
How demanding a particular trip is, is written on the trip itself: the physical rating in the header, and the day-by-day itinerary above.
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Rooms, and travelling on your own
Trip prices are per person, sharing a twin room. Each traveller picks their own room while booking, so a party can mix the three:
- Twin share — two single beds, shared with someone you are travelling with or with a traveller of the same gender.
- Travelling as a couple — one double room.
- Individual room — a room of your own, for a single supplement on top of the trip price. Availability is limited, and the supplement for a given date is shown next to the option when you book.
Solo travellers are welcome on every departure, and most of our groups have one or two aboard.
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Accommodation
The hotels named in an itinerary are a guideline rather than a guarantee. Where one is full, or has dropped below the standard we booked it for, we substitute a property of a similar standard in the same area — we would rather change the hotel than the trip.
Check-in is usually mid-afternoon. If you arrive early we will ask for the room, but no hotel can promise one before its own check-in time; luggage can normally be left at reception in the meantime. If you want the room from the night before, ask us and we will add the extra night to your booking.
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Passports, visas and insurance
Entry requirements depend on your nationality and change without much notice, so the only reliable source is the official one: the government of the country you are travelling to, and your own foreign ministry's travel advice. Check both before you book a flight.
Many countries ask for a passport valid for at least six months beyond your travel dates, and for blank pages. It is worth looking at yours now rather than at the airport.
We ask every traveller to carry travel insurance covering medical treatment and repatriation, and we would strongly encourage cover for cancellation and for your luggage as well.
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Your departure is guaranteed — the day can change
Once a departure is on the calendar it runs. We do not cancel a trip for want of a minimum number of bookings, so a booked date is one you can plan flights and leave around.
What can move is the shape of a day. Museums and archaeological sites change their hours, roads close, weather turns, a local holiday lands in the middle of the week. Where that happens your guide reorders the day, or swaps a stop for one of the same weight, and tells you why. Changes to a booked itinerary are covered by our Booking Terms & Conditions.
