Varanasi Tour: Boat Ride, Sarnath, Ghats, Old City Walk & Aarti
Description
This is a complete Varanasi tour(Sunrise to Sunset) which divided into three-part: an early morning visit Dashashwamedh ghat to see morning activities like pilgrims holy bath and other rituals and Temple visit, followed by Sarnath, the place were Buddha give his first sermon and evening a walking Tour in old Varanasi later enjoy beautiful Evening Aarti ceremony. The whole tour will be accompanied by an experienced official guide who will show you the culture and tradition of Varanasi and explain to you about Hinduism and Buddhism. Varanasi is real India, where it has got more life than monuments. After the visit, you will come to know the importance of the river Ganges for Hindus and I assure you that you will go back with lots of lifetime memories.
Tour Options
Itinerary
You are going to leave your 30 minutes before Sunrise to do Boat ride on river Ganges. Beside sunrise you will see some palaces situated on the bank of river Ganges, tho crematorium (Manikarnika and Harschandra) and many activities like pilgrims taking holy bath in the Ganges to wash their lifetime sin some pilgrims offer candle with flowers on river Ganges, some shave hair to do rituals for their died family members, some Landry men clean laundry etc. 01-hour boat ride(private rowing boat)in river Ganges,
30 minutes in Dasashmedh Ghat to see pilgrims and morning rituals and 30 minutes walk in the narrow lane of the old city
After boat ride by car, you will go to take a round of Banaras Hindu University, which has the biggest university campus in Asia. The University campus is very green beautiful.
After that you will go to Durga temple which is 200 years old. This temple is red, dedicated to Hindu Goddess Durga. Earlier it was having many monkey here so it is known as monkey temple.
Then you will proceed to Mother India temple where you will see relief map of India made on the floor by white marble. After that, you will come back to your hotel for breakfast. (02 hours break for breakfast and freshen up)
After breakfast, you will proceed to Sarnath which is 08 km from Varanasi. Sarnath is the place where Lord Buddha preached his first sermon after enlightenment, so It is a great pilgrimage centre for Buddhist. First of all, you will see The Srilankan temple where besides Buddha's statue you will see nice wall painting on the wall representing the life of Buddha.
After that, you will go to Archeological site to see gigantic gigantic Dhammekh which was made by Ashoka in 3rd century BC. After that, you will visit the Archeological Museum where you will find the national emblem of India and many statues of Buddha and Hindu God and Goddess. Then you will see a big Buddha's statue (25meater high) which was made by Thai monastery. After that comeback Varanasi and on the way you will see the Silk weaving art (handloom) of Varanasi. Then lunch break for 02 hours.
Walking tour and evening Aari ceremony walking in the old city you will feel and understand how people are living in the old city by generation to generation in the same place. First of all, you will see a big and colourful crowded market(cloth, vegetables and fruits) where local people come to buy daily needs. Then you will have a long walk in the narrow lane to see old houses, shrines and The Golden Temple of Shiva(outside only). After that, you will see the cremation process e.g. * How family members are buying wood, which types of wood it is. * Process of making funeral pyre and lighting fire etc. After that, you will walk along the river Ganga up to Dasashmedh Ghat, where you will see Aarti ceremony. The Aarti is a prayer ceremony of the Ganges river which is performed every day. Seven Hindu priests do this ceremony with incenses, flowers and fire. It goes for one hour after that come back to the hotel and tour ends with lots of memories.
Our guide will explain you about Hindu way of cremation.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We pick up from any hotel in Varanasi.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Wheelchair accessible
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Transportation options are wheelchair accessible
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Reviews(12)
Our guide (Ashok) in Varanasi was excellent. Very professional, friendly, and with deep knowledge of the city and its spirituality. He explained the rituals of the Ganges, the history of the ghats, and daily life in Varanasi with great respect and clarity, making the experience truly special. He was always attentive, answered all our questions, and adapted the tour to our pace. Thanks to him, we understood the true essence of the city. Highly recommended.
Thank you for the great review! We’re so happy you loved our experience & services.
We felt so grateful and honored to have Ashok as our guide and Raj as our driver. Both of them are so kind, knowledgeable, and took such good care of us. We would have never been able to experience as much as we did, with the deep knowledge and understanding of the sites, culture, and significance on our own. All of our questions were answered which made the experience more personal and memorable. I loved that we were given our own time and space to explore each stop, but also kept moving to stay on schedule. Everything we saw, touched, smelled, ate, felt, and soaked in throughout our time in Varanasi will stay with us forever. Having Ashok as our guide made these memories possible.
Thank you for the kind words. We’re so happy your Varanasi visit went so smoothly. I’d love continuesly providing great service to awesome customers like you. Thanks again!
Ashok is an excellent choice for guide in Varanasi. He toured us for 2 days. His prices are reasonable. He communicates well by WhatsApp. His English is very good. He went out of his way to ensure everything was perfect. He was punctual and always a few minutes early. Unlike many Indian guides, he did not push shopping. I highly recommend Ashok for your time in Varanasi. His WhatsApp number is +91 99352 88171.
Thank you very much for your valuable feedback.
We had a great day with Ashok who shared with us the history, customs and culture of his thousand-year-old city. And we thank him for his kindness and patience.
Merci beaucoup
The 2 of us, from The Netherlands, have had a fantastic day in Varanasi with Ashok, after reading his good website and contacting him via WhatsApp we met him in the morning. We booked him for a full day. To bring us to the several nice places in our own pace. He had perfect suggestions and was very adaptive. He explained us the major things, well balanced and in proportion. We can certainly recommend Ashok for everybody who wants a to have an outstanding day in Varanasi.
Thank you very much sir
Thanks to Ashok who shared his knowledge with us. He speaks excellent French and was happy to answer all our questions.
Merci beaucoup
The tour was spectacular, and in large part thanks to Ashok. A very complete tour, visiting all the places of interest, learning first-hand about the culture of Varanassi. Especially recommended.
Gracias
Very diligent and prepared guide. We enjoined walking this ancient city with him and learnt great knowledge on customs, traditions and habits of Indian people. Strongly recommend!
Thank you
Ashok Kr Sahu is a person who speaks Spanish and English very well. He is always ready to collaborate, take photos and gladly explain every concern. He and his fellow driver have been wonderful. I will remember them and I will always recommend greetings from Ecuador 🇪🇨 Ashok Kr Sahu is a person who speaks Spanish and English very well, always ready to collaborate, take photos and gladly explain every concern. He and his fellow driver have been wonderful. I will remember you and always recommend greetings from Ecuador 🇪🇨
Gracias
Ashock is incredibly knowledgable and his English is excellent so you really get the most out of his explanations. He is kind, caring and very well educated a perfect guide for your trip. Highlights were hiring a private boat and sailing downstream to visit the mosque!
Thank you 🙏
