Full-Day Varanasi Tour: Ghats, Temples & Sarnath

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1/11

Duration11h

GroupUp to 30

LanguagesEN · FR

Mobile ticketAccepted

Manikarnika Ghat is a cremation ground, not a monument, and you'll see it twice: once from the boat and again on foot at dusk.

A full-day guided tour of Varanasi that covers the city's major sites in a single itinerary: a two-hour boat ride on the Ganga past Manikarnika, Dashashwamedh, Harishchandra and Assi ghats; the Buddhist temples at Sarnath; five Hindu temples including Birla Temple and Durga Temple; a walking tour through the old city streets; and the evening Ganga Aarti ceremony at Dashashwamedh Ghat. The guide speaks English or French, water is included, and the day runs about eleven hours. Not suitable for travelers with spinal injuries, pregnancy, or cardiovascular concerns.

11h

Step-by-step itinerary

Explore Varanasi's major attractions

Boat ride from Dashashwamedh Ghat
Visit Sarnath Buddhist Temple
Visit Banaras Hindu University Birla Temple
Visit Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple
Visit Tulsi Manas Temple
Visit Durga Temple
Walking tour of old Banaras street
Watch cremation at Manikarnika Ghat
Watch evening Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat

The Experience

Dashashwamedh Ghat is where the boat departs for a two-hour ride down the Ganga. From the water you see Manikarnika Ghat—the cremation ground where bodies are burned on the riverbank—along with pilgrims bathing in the river and a string of other ghats receding into the city. The boat passes Harishchandra Ghat and Assi Ghat before returning to the starting point. This is the only way to see the scale and sequence of the ghats without walking the narrow lanes above them.

After the boat ride, the tour moves inland to Sarnath, about an hour's drive from the city center. This is where Buddha preached his first sermon after his enlightenment, and the Buddhist temples and ruins here take roughly three hours including the drive. The rest of the afternoon is spent at five Hindu temples: Banaras Hindu University's Birla Temple, Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, Tulsi Manas Temple, and Durga Temple. Between the temples and before the evening ceremony, there's a walking tour through the old Varanasi streets—narrow lanes, small shops, residential courtyards—the texture of the city away from the main ghats.

The day ends with two ceremonies at Dashashwamedh Ghat. First, you watch the cremation at Manikarnika Ghat on foot, then return to Dashashwamedh for the evening Ganga Aarti—the ritual fire ceremony performed at the water's edge. This is the most crowded moment of the day and the one most visitors come to Varanasi to witness. A bottle of water is included; the guide speaks English or French and can answer questions about what you're seeing as the day unfolds.

What’s included

Guided tour in English or French.
two-hour boat ride on the Ganga from Dashashwamedh Ghat.
entry to Sarnath Buddhist temples.
visits to Birla Temple, Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple, Tulsi Manas Temple, and Durga Temple.
walking tour of old Varanasi streets.
viewing of the cremation at Manikarnika Ghat.
evening Ganga Aarti ceremony at Dashashwamedh Ghat.
bottle of water.

Good to know

Moderate physical levelPublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problems

Operated by Monu Tours

Is this one for you?Book this if you're in Varanasi for just one day and need the major sites—temples, ghats, old city, and evening ceremony—threaded together in a single guided sequence rather than pieced together separately.