Varanasi
A sacred city on the west bank of the Ganga: 88 ghats, a dense old town around the Kashi Vishwanath temple, and Sarnath 10 km away.
Varanasi
Varanasi — also called Banaras, and Kashi in its older religious name — stands on the west bank of the Ganga, and the whole city faces the river. The district administration counts 88 ghats, the flights of steps that run down to the water, and says most of them were rebuilt after 1700 under Maratha patrons. Most are used for bathing and worship; two are used only for cremation. Behind the steps lies the old city, a tight web of lanes around the Kashi Vishwanath temple, and that is where a visitor spends most of the time: on foot, or in a boat looking back at the bank. Do not come expecting a quiet place. Varanasi is crowded, loud and intensely religious, and it makes no adjustment for visitors. What it offers in return is a working sacred city seen at close range, a long tradition of music and silk weaving, and a university with a serious museum. Sarnath, where the Buddha first taught, is 10 km to the north-east and takes half a day. Two nights cover the river, the old city and Sarnath. Season matters more than usual here: the summer is fiercely hot, and in the monsoon the Ganga can rise over the ghats and stop the boats altogether.
Explore Varanasi on the map
City locations, drawn from our published destination data. Attractions, hotels and restaurants are not mapped yet.
What Varanasi is for
The river first, then the lanes behind it, then half a day each for the university and Sarnath.
The river and the ghats
- A boat along the ghats, early in the day when the bank is at its busiest with bathers. The district’s own tourism page singles out the morning boat ride; whether boats run at all depends on the river level and on the administration’s orders.
- The evening Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat, a lamp ceremony performed facing the river. The Ministry of Tourism describes it as lasting about forty-five minutes. Arrive early and decide beforehand whether you want to watch from the steps or from a boat.
- Assi Ghat, the southernmost ghat, where the Assi stream meets the Ganga. It is the calmer end of the riverfront and hosts Subah-e-Banaras, a morning programme of chanting, music and yoga.
- Manikarnika and Harishchandra, the two cremation ghats. Manikarnika lies between Dashashwamedh and Scindia Ghat. These are working funeral grounds: pass quietly, keep your distance and put the camera away.
The old city and the university
- Kashi Vishwanath temple, dedicated to Shiva and counted among the twelve jyotirlingas. The temple trust dates the present building to 1780 and credits it to Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore. Entry and security rules change with the crowd; see the FAQ below.
- Banaras Hindu University, founded in 1916 by Pandit Madan Mohan Malaviya on a campus of about 1,300 acres, with the New Vishwanath Temple at its centre.
- Bharat Kala Bhavan, the university’s museum, established in 1920: paintings, Hindu and Buddhist sculpture, textiles and coins. Official listings disagree about its closed days, so check before you go.
Across the river and out of town
- Ramnagar Fort, the 18th-century sandstone seat of the Maharajas of Banaras on the eastern bank, opposite Tulsi Ghat. Its museum holds palanquins, vintage cars, weapons and an astronomical clock.
- Sarnath, 10 km north-east: the Dhamek Stupa, the excavated monastery site and the Archaeological Survey of India’s museum, which is closed on Fridays.
- A weaver’s workshop. Banaras brocades and saris — silk worked with zari on handlooms — have carried a Geographical Indication since 2009. Ask to see a loom at work before you see a showroom.
How long to give it
Arrive, and the evening aarti
Settle in, then go down to Dashashwamedh Ghat well before dusk for the aarti, walking the last stretch. Eat afterwards and sleep early; tomorrow starts before sunrise.
The river, the old city, the university
A boat along the ghats at first light if boats are running, then the lanes and the Kashi Vishwanath temple area on foot. Rest through the middle of the day. In the afternoon go south to the university for the New Vishwanath Temple and Bharat Kala Bhavan, and finish at Assi Ghat — or cross to Ramnagar Fort instead.
Sarnath, then onward
Sarnath in the morning: the Dhamek Stupa and the ruins first, then the museum for the Lion Capital. Avoid a Friday for this, when the museum is shut. The district puts the airport 30 km from Sarnath, so leave time for the drive if you fly out the same day.
How to reach and move
An airport well out of town, several railway stations, and an old city that has to be walked.
Getting there
- Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport (VNS) is at Babatpur. The district administration puts it 22 km from Varanasi and 30 km from Sarnath.
- Varanasi Junction, also called Varanasi Cantt, is the main station. Banaras station, formerly Manduadih, is also in the city, and Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction is 16 km away. Check which one your train uses.
- By road the district lists Prayagraj at 128 km, Bodh Gaya at 240 km, Patna at 246 km and Lucknow at 286 km.
Getting about
- The ghats and the old city are walked. Expect steps, uneven paving and crowds, and leave the car behind.
- Boats link the ghats and cross to the far bank when the river allows; a car covers the airport, the university, Ramnagar and Sarnath.
When to visit
The river and the heat set the calendar.
The season Uttar Pradesh Tourism recommends. Midwinter nights are cold, and cold waves can take temperatures below 5°C.
Very hot: temperatures can reach the mid-40s Celsius. Sightsee at dawn and after dark, and nothing in between.
The Ganga rises. In July 2023 and August 2025 the ghats were submerged, boats were banned and the aarti was moved off the steps.
The Sarnath museum shuts on Fridays. Plan the Sarnath half-day for any other day of the week.
The city’s character
A place of pilgrimage first, with music, weaving and learning grown up around it.
A working sacred city
- For Hindus Varanasi has been a place of pilgrimage for a very long time, and the district describes it as one of the oldest living cities in the world. The bathing, the worship and the cremations on the bank are not staged for anyone.
- The Ramlila of Ramnagar is among the performances named in UNESCO’s 2008 inscription of Ramlila as intangible heritage, and is noted there for running as long as a month.
- Sarnath gives the area a second religious identity: the deer park there is where the Buddha first taught, and Buddhist pilgrims visit it in their own right.
Music, silk and learning
- UNESCO named Varanasi a Creative City of Music in 2015. The sitar player Ravi Shankar and the shehnai player Bismillah Khan are both associated with the city.
- Banaras brocade is woven in silk with zari, in floral and foliate patterns of Mughal inspiration such as the kalga and the bel.
Practical tips
Mostly about conduct, crowds and the climate.
Before you book
- Pick the season deliberately. October to March is comfortable. Summer is punishing, and in the monsoon you may get neither a boat nor the ghats.
- Who should skip it: travellers who dislike crowds, noise and the open presence of death. Varanasi is not softened for visitors.
- Mobility: the ghats are steps, and long ones. Anyone unsteady on stairs will see more from a boat than from the bank.
On the day
- Do not photograph cremations. It is not acceptable. If anyone offers to arrange it for money, refuse.
- Travel light to the temple. The Kashi Vishwanath trust has barred bags, mobile phones, pens and metal items in its busiest periods.
- Dress modestly for temples and the ghats, and wear shoes that slip off easily.
Nearby
One half-day trip, one river crossing, and two longer drives.
Related to Varanasi
Journeys that include Varanasi — each one visits the city as part of its itinerary.
Common questions
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