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Varanasi

Ghats, rituals and one of the oldest living cities on earth

Kashi has been continuously inhabited for at least three thousand years. Eighty-eight ghats step down to the Ganga, where dawn boat rides, evening aarti and cremation fires run in an unbroken daily rhythm alongside a deep tradition of music, Sanskrit learning and Banarasi silk weaving.

Best time

October to March; Dev Deepawali in November is extraordinary.

Ideal length

2 days for ghats, Sarnath and one music evening

Typical budget

₹1,500–3,000 per person per day

How to reach

Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport (26 km), Varanasi Junction, overnight trains from Delhi.

What to see

  • Dashashwamedh Ganga Aarti

    Nightly at dusk; watch from a boat for space

  • Sunrise boat ride

    Leave Assi Ghat around 5:30 AM

  • Kashi Vishwanath Temple

    New corridor; expect queues and no phones

  • Sarnath

    Where the Buddha gave his first sermon, 10 km away

  • Banarasi silk weaving lanes

    Handloom workshops in Madanpura

What to eat

  • Kachori sabzi and jalebi at dawn near the ghats
  • Banarasi tamatar chaat and chooda matar
  • Malaiyo in winter mornings — a saffron milk foam
  • Blue Lassi in the old lanes

Heritage & culture

  • Benares gharana classical music baithaks
  • Subah-e-Banaras morning ragas at Assi Ghat
  • Ganga Mahotsav and Dev Deepawali festivals

Good to know

  • Never photograph cremations at Manikarnika Ghat.
  • Old-city lanes are walk-only; keep a landmark ghat name for directions.

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