Full Day Varanasi Tour: Ganges Boat Ride, Temples & Ganga Aarti

Watch the sunrise over the Ganges, then spend the day moving between temples and ending at the river's most sacred ritual.

A full-day sightseeing tour of Varanasi and Sarnath with a live English-speaking guide, private AC car, and boat rides on the Ganges River. The day opens with a sunrise boat ride past the main ghats, moves through Kashi Vishwanath Temple and four other sacred sites, includes a noon excursion to Sarnath where Buddha delivered his first sermon, and closes with the Ganga Aarti ceremony at sunset. Hotel pickup is included; entry tickets and lunch are available as add-ons depending on which option you choose.

Step-by-step itinerary

Varanasi sightseeing and spiritual experiences

• Early morning hotel pickup
• Sunrise boat ride on the Ganges
• Visit Kashi Vishvanath Temple
• Breakfast break
• Visit Banaras Hindu University
• Excursion to Sarnath
• Visit Dhamek Stupa and Ashoka Pillars
• Evening Ganga Aarti ceremony at Dasashwamedh Ghat
• Return to hotel and end tour

The Experience

The tour starts at 5 a.m. with pickup from your hotel and a boat ride on the Ganges as the sun rises. You'll pass Dashaswamedh Ghat, Harishchandra Ghat, and Manikarnika Ghat—the main ghats where you watch devotees take ritual dips and offer water to the sun. The river is most alive at this hour, and the boat ride is the centerpiece of the morning. After returning to the hotel for breakfast (at your own expense), you move into the temple phase of the day.

From 10 a.m. onward, the guide takes you to Kashi Vishwanath Temple, one of the twelve holiest Shiva temples in India and the most famous in Varanasi; then to Bharat Mata Temple, Sankat Mochan, Manas Mandir, and Banaras Hindu University—established in 1916 and the largest university campus in Asia. You travel in a private AC car throughout, so the stops flow without waiting for shared transport. At noon, you head 10 kilometers northeast to Sarnath, where Buddha delivered his first sermon to his disciples in the deer park. There you see the Dhamekha Stupa (a cylindrical tower rising 43 meters with elaborate carvings), the Chaukhandi Stupa, the Ashoka Pillars—stone structures erected between 268 and 232 BC and among the earliest known stone inscriptions in India—and the archaeological museum before returning to the hotel.

The day closes with the Ganga Aarti at Dashaswamedh Ghat, starting at 7 p.m. just before sunset. This is the ceremony the tour is built around: young priests in silk saffron and white robes hold lamps and wave them in synchronized motion while bells, drums and cymbals sound and Sanskrit mantras are chanted. Flowers and light are offered to the river Ganga, worshipped as a goddess in Hindu tradition. If your option includes a boat ride, you watch from the water; otherwise you stand at the ghat. After the ceremony, the guide drops you back at the hotel.

What’s included

• The tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off in a private AC car for the entire day.
• a live English-speaking guide.
• sunrise and sunset boat rides on the Ganges River.
• entry to Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Bharat Mata Temple, Sankat Mochan, Manas Mandir, and Banaras Hindu University (entry tickets available as an add-on).
• the Sarnath complex with the Dhamekha Stupa, Chaukhandi Stupa, Ashoka Pillars, and archaeological museum.
• water and cookies throughout the day. Lunch (a special Thali) is available as an add-on.
• gratuities to the guide and driver are optional.

Good to know

Easy physical levelWheelchair accessibleAccessible transportStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyNot for heart conditions

Operated by AZAAN TRAVELS

Is this one for you?Book this if you want to start before dawn for the boat ride and ghats, then move through temples and Sarnath in a single day with a private car keeping the pace—the early 5 a.m. departure and fixed route mean you'll see the major sites without backtracking.

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Top questions

What time does the Varanasi tour start and when do I get back to the hotel?

Hotel pickup is at 5 a.m. for the sunrise boat ride on the Ganges. The full day runs about 10 hours, with the Ganga Aarti ceremony ending around 8 p.m., after which the driver returns you to the hotel.

Is the boat ride on the Ganges included in every option?

The sunrise boat ride at the start of the day is included in both options. The Ganga Aarti ceremony at sunset includes a boat ride if you book the "All Inclusive Varanasi Tour" option; the "Transport, Guide With Boat Ride" option also includes it. Check which option you select at checkout.

What is the Ganga Aarti ceremony like?

Ganga Aarti is a Hindu ritual performed by priests in traditional silk robes at Dashaswamedh Ghat on the Ganges. Priests hold lamps and wave them in synchronized motion while bells, drums and cymbals sound and Sanskrit mantras are chanted. Flowers and light are offered to the river, which Hindus worship as a goddess. It is one of the most sacred ceremonies in Varanasi and starts at 7 p.m.

Does the tour include lunch?

Lunch is available as an add-on depending on which option you choose at checkout. Breakfast after the morning boat ride is at your own expense. Water and cookies are provided throughout the day.

What is Sarnath and why do we visit it?

Sarnath is located 10 kilometers northeast of Varanasi and is the place where Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon to his disciples in the deer park. The tour includes the Dhamekha Stupa (a 43-meter cylindrical tower where Buddha taught the Eightfold Path), the Chaukhandi Stupa, the Ashoka Pillars from the 3rd century BC, and an archaeological museum.

Is this tour accessible for people with mobility challenges?

Yes. The tour is wheelchair accessible, with all areas and surfaces accessible. Specialized infant seats are available, and infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller. Transportation options are wheelchair accessible throughout.