Varanasi is not a comfortable place and it is not supposed to be. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth and it conducts its most private business – washing, praying, cremation – entirely in public, on a riverbank, at dawn.
Most visitors get two hours of it between trains. We would rather give you three nights, a guide who grew up on the ghats, and the sense to stay out of the way.
A starting point, not a fixed departure. Every element below can be lengthened, shortened or swapped.
Every journey is quoted individually once we know your dates, party size and pace. The first conversation is free.
Photography around the cremation ghats is not permitted and we will ask you to respect that. Varanasi rewards early starts: the city is at its most extraordinary between five and eight in the morning.
Varanasi has direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. The overnight train from Delhi is an experience in itself if you have the time.
Do not swim in the river. Bottled water only, and be careful with street food in your first day or two.
Modest clothing, slip-on shoes, and a torch – the lanes are unlit and uneven after dark.
Add a week, drop the walking, bring the children, or start somewhere else entirely. We redraw every itinerary from scratch.
