Varanasi & Sarnath tour with Ganga Aarti and boat ride

Witness the Ganga Aarti ritual at Dasaswamedh Ghat as priests light brass lamps on the sacred river at sunset.

A guided tour of Varanasi and Sarnath with private air-conditioned car and English-speaking guide, visiting temples, museums and ghats before ending with the evening Ganga Aarti ceremony at Dasaswamedh Ghat. The tour includes hotel pickup and drop-off, bottled water in the vehicle, and monument entrance fees depending on your option; you choose whether to add a guide, entrance fees, or lunch at checkout.

Step-by-step itinerary

Varanasi and Sarnath city tour

• Pick up from hotel
• Visit Banaras Hindu University campus
• Explore New Vishwanath Temple
• Tour Bharat Kala Bhavan Museum
• Pass by Bharat Mata Temple
• Visit Tulsi Manas Mandir
• Visit Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple
• Visit Durga Temple
• Visit Nepali Temple
• Explore Sarnath and Dhamekh Stupa
• Boat ride from Assi Ghat to Dasaswamedh Ghat
• Attend Holy Ganga Aarti at Dasaswamedh Ghat
• Drop off at hotel

The Experience

Banaras Hindu University opens the day—a sprawling 5.3 square kilometer campus where the New Vishwanath Temple stands with the world's tallest temple tower at 250 feet, dedicated to Lord Shiva. From there the guide takes you through Bharat Kala Bhavan Museum, where sculptures, pottery and jewelry span from the 1st to the 15th century, then to Bharat Mata Temple with its marble relief map of undivided India carved in 1936. The route moves through Tulsi Manas Temple, where the walls carry verses from the Ramcharitmanas, and Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple by the River Assi, built in the 1900s by freedom fighter Pandit Madan Mohan Malviya.

Durga Temple, built in the 18th century on the bank of the Ganga, houses an imposing idol of Goddess Durga. Nepali Temple, one of the oldest in the city, follows—made of stone, terracotta and wood carvings and dedicated to Lord Shiva. Then the tour moves to Sarnath, where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon after enlightenment; the Dhamekh Stupa and the pillar established by Emperor Ashoka in 273–232 BC stand as testimony to the place's spiritual weight. A boat ride from Assi Ghat—where the Rivers Assi and Ganga meet at a large Shiva Lingam under a peepal tree—carries you to Dasaswamedh Ghat.

The day concludes with the evening Ganga Aarti, a ritual held at sunset where priests light huge brass lamps with oil and chant mantras that fill the ghat. The entire space illuminates with what the operator describes as divine light. After the ceremony, the driver returns you to your hotel. The full tour runs between six and nine hours depending on traffic and how long you spend at each stop.

What’s included

• Private air-conditioned car with pickup and drop-off at your hotel.
• English-speaking private guide (in Guide options).
• bottled water in the vehicle.
• monument entrance fees (in Entrance options).
• lunch (in the Lunch option). Gratuities and optional activities are your choice.

Good to know

Easy physical levelStroller friendlyInfant seats availablePublic transport nearbyInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Agora Voyages Pvt. Ltd.

Is this one for you?Book the "Car & Guide" option if you want a guide's context at each temple and ghat without paying separately for entrances; choose "Car, Guide & Entrance" to skip the ticket lines and have all fees settled upfront; or select "Car Only" if you prefer to explore independently and decide which sites to enter as you go.

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Top questions

What is the Ganga Aarti and when does it happen?

The Ganga Aarti is an evening ritual held at sunset at Dasaswamedh Ghat on the banks of the Ganges, where priests light large brass lamps with oil and chant holy mantras. The entire ghat becomes illuminated during the ceremony, which concludes your tour day.

Does the tour include entrance fees to the temples and museums?

Entrance fees are included if you book the "Car, Guide & Entrance" or "Car, Guide, Entrance & Lunch" options at checkout. The "Car & Guide" and "Car Only" options do not include monument entrances, so you would pay separately at each site.

What is Sarnath and why is it part of this tour?

Sarnath is where Lord Buddha preached his first sermon after attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. The Dhamekh Stupa and a pillar established by Emperor Ashoka in 273–232 BC stand there as monuments to the site's spiritual significance, making it a key stop alongside Varanasi's temples and ghats.

Is a guide included, and what language do they speak?

An English-speaking private guide is included in the "Car & Guide," "Car, Guide & Entrance," and "Car, Guide, Entrance & Lunch" options. If you book "Car Only," you travel without a guide and explore at your own pace.

How long does the tour take?

The tour runs between six and nine hours from hotel pickup to drop-off, depending on traffic and time spent at each temple, museum and ghat.

What is Assi Ghat and what happens there?

Assi Ghat is the confluence of the Rivers Assi and Ganga, marked by a large Shiva Lingam under a peepal tree and mentioned in ancient texts for its religious importance. From Assi Ghat, you take a boat ride to Dasaswamedh Ghat, where the evening Ganga Aarti takes place.