Wooden boats moored on the Ganga at dawn in Varanasi

Signature Journey · India

Varanasi and Sarnath — The Ganga Ghats and the Buddha’s First Sermon in Two Nights

A private two-night cultural break in Varanasi with a car and driver. One evening at the Ganga aarti, one full day on the river, in the old city and at the university, and a last morning at Sarnath, 10 km away, before you leave. It is a sightseeing trip, not a pilgrimage package: no rituals or temple entry are arranged.

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Duration: 2 Nights / 3 Days
Destinations: Varanasi
Travel style: Cultural
Stays: Comfort standard
Meals: Breakfast each day at your hotels
Transfers: Private transfer

The journey

Journey overview

Route

Varanasi2 nights
Varanasi and Sarnath

Journey highlights

Why you'll love this journey

The evening Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat, watched from the steps on your first night
A morning boat along the ghats when the river and the administration allow it
The lanes of the old city and the Kashi Vishwanath temple area on foot
Banaras Hindu University, founded in 1916, with its New Vishwanath Temple
Bharat Kala Bhavan, the university museum established in 1920, if it is open on your day
Assi Ghat, the southernmost ghat, at the end of the afternoon
The Dhamek Stupa and the excavated monasteries at Sarnath
The Lion Capital of Ashoka in the Sarnath museum, on any day but a Friday

Day by day

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1

VaranasiPrivate transfer

Your driver meets you at Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport at Babatpur, about 22 km from the city, or at your railway station, and takes you to the hotel; from the airport we allow about an hour. Towards dusk the car takes you as near to Dashashwamedh Ghat as traffic allows, and you walk the last stretch to the steps for the Ganga aarti, a lamp ceremony of about forty-five minutes. Go early for a place. In the monsoon the ceremony may be moved off the ghat.

Day 2

VaranasiPrivate vehicle

An early start for the river. If boats are running, hire one at the ghat for the row past the bathing steps; the cremation ghats are passed at a distance and without cameras. Then walk the lanes of the old city to the Kashi Vishwanath area. Going inside is your own choice, and it depends on the temple’s rules and queues that day. After a midday rest the car goes south to Banaras Hindu University for the New Vishwanath Temple and Bharat Kala Bhavan, and on to Assi Ghat. Ramnagar Fort, across the river, is optional if time allows.

Day 3

Varanasi and SarnathPrivate vehicle

Check out after breakfast and drive to Sarnath, 10 km north-east of the city, where the Buddha first taught; we allow about 45 minutes. See the Dhamek Stupa and the excavated site, then the museum for the Lion Capital of Ashoka. The museum is closed on Fridays, so on a Friday departure we move Sarnath to day 2. The airport is about 30 km from Sarnath and we allow about an hour for it. Please book a departure from mid-afternoon onward and send us the ticket before you pay for it.

Make this journey yours

Every departure is planned around your dates, your pace and your stays. Tell us what matters and a specialist replies within 24 hours with a tailored proposal.

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What's covered

Inclusions & exclusions

Included

2 nights' accommodation in selected hotels, at the comfort level agreed in your quote
Breakfast each day at your hotels
Pickup on arrival and drop on departure at Varanasi airport or a Varanasi railway station
A private vehicle with driver for every transfer, road journey and the sightseeing listed in the itinerary
The driver's allowance, fuel, tolls and parking
Taxes on the accommodation and the vehicle
24/7 on-trip support from Live Traveller

Not included

Flights or trains to and from Varanasi
Entry tickets, monument fees and camera charges at every stop
Boat hire on the Ganga, guides, and any seating charges at the aarti
Rituals, pujas, offerings, priests’ services and any temple entry or darshan arrangement
Lunches, dinners, snacks and drinks
Any sightseeing or service that is not written into the itinerary
Room upgrades, and access to your room before or after the standard hotel timings
Travel insurance, tips and personal expenses
Anything not listed under inclusions

Stays & travel

Accommodation, meals & transport

What the journey covers day to day, taken from this package's own inclusions.

🏨 Accommodation

Comfort standard
2 nights' accommodation in selected hotels, at the comfort level agreed in your quote

🍽 Meals

Breakfast each day at your hotels

🚆 Transport

A private vehicle with driver for every transfer, road journey and the sightseeing listed in the itinerary
The driver's allowance, fuel, tolls and parking
Taxes on the accommodation and the vehicle
Private transfer
Private vehicle

Before you go

Flights, visa & practical

Arranged separately from the journey itself — listed here so there are no surprises.

✈ Flights

Flights or trains to and from Varanasi

🛡 Insurance

Travel insurance, tips and personal expenses

Every journey is quoted individually for your travel dates and party. Read our pricing terms for how a quotation is prepared.

Good to know

Frequently asked

Is two nights enough for Varanasi and Sarnath?

Yes, for a first visit. You get the aarti on the evening you arrive, one full day for the river, the old city and the university, and a morning at Sarnath on the way out. What two nights do not give you is a spare day if the river is closed or the weather turns; add a third night in Varanasi if you want that margin.

Is the boat ride on the Ganga in Varanasi included in this trip?

The time for it is in day 2, but the boat itself is not in the price: you hire it at the ghat and choose the kind of boat you want. Boats do not always run. The district administration stops them when the river is high, as it did in July 2023 and August 2025, so we never promise a boat, least of all at sunrise in the monsoon.

Does this Varanasi and Sarnath package include entry to the Kashi Vishwanath temple?

No. This is a cultural short break, and we do not arrange darshan, rituals, priests or priority entry. You are free to join the queue yourself on day 2. Entry rules, security restrictions and waiting times are set by the temple trust and the police and change with the crowd; we tell you the position confirmed at the time of quoting.

What happens to the Sarnath visit if we leave Varanasi on a Friday?

The Sarnath museum, which holds the Lion Capital of Ashoka, is closed on Fridays. If your last day is a Friday we move Sarnath to the afternoon of day 2 and shift the university to suit, so that you still see the museum. Tell us your dates when you enquire and we will set the order of the days before quoting.

When is the best time to take this Varanasi and Sarnath short break?

October to March. From April to June Varanasi is very hot, and the day has to be split into an early morning and an evening with a long rest between. From about July to October the Ganga can rise over the ghats; in those weeks boats may be banned and the aarti moved, and we say so plainly when we quote.

FromPrice on Request

Pricing depends on your travel dates, availability and the stays you choose. Tell us when you would like to go and we will confirm the current figure.

Pricing terms