Things to do in Varanasi
The unmissables
Most booked
Varanasi guided tour: Ghats, temples & cremation sites, 3 hours★ 4.97 (470) · 3h
Top rated
Varanasi guided tour with sunrise at the ghats: Private or shared★ 4.86 (348) · 3h–4h
Best value
Varanasi Sunrise Boat & City Tour: 13 Hours with Sarnath★ 4.85 (333) · 10h–13h
Recommended (7)
Ayodhya Varanasi Ganga Aarti Tour: Walk Hidden Ghats at Dawn★ 4.96 (287) · 3hUS$ 22View ›
Varanasi: Sunrise Ganges Boat, Sarnath & Private Aarti Seats★ 4.96 (280) · 10h–12hUS$ 80View ›
Varanasi Heritage Walk: Temples, Ashrams & Street Life★ 4.91 (189) · 3hUS$ 24View ›
Varanasi: Sunrise Ganges Boat, Sarnath & Evening Aarti Tour★ 4.75 (179) · 11hUS$ 24View ›
Varanasi: Sunrise Yoga Class with Ayush for All Levels★ 4.96 (166) · 1hUS$ 16View ›
Varanasi: Private 3-Day Ghats, Temples & Ganges Boat Tour★ 4.80 (153) · 3dUS$ 123View ›
Varanasi: Evening Ganga Aarti & Boat Ride with Manikarnika Ghat★ 4.60 (151) · 2hUS$ 13.36View ›Top rated (6)
Varanasi walking tour: Temple, ghats & local food experienceA private guided walking tour of Varanasi's highlights takes you through the old city's narrow streets and ghats to Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Dashashwamedh Ghat and Manikarnika Ghat, with a licensed English-speaking guide who adjusts the pace to your questions. The tour includes local snacks, masala chai and lassi; children from age 2 are welcome, and the route suits all fitness levels.Is it for me?Book this tour if you want a private guide who knows the old city's hidden streets and can explain the spiritual significance of each stop—someone who adjusts the pace to your questions rather than moving a group through on a fixed schedule. The two- to four-hour window lets you go deep without committing a full day, and the local snacks and chai are part of understanding how people actually live here, not add-ons.
Varanasi Private Guided Tour: Sunrise Boat, Ghats & Evening AartiA full-day private guided tour of Varanasi starting at 5 am with hotel pickup, covering the Ganges ghats by sunrise boat, Manikarnika Ghat cremation site, winding temple lanes, Sarnath's Buddhist pilgrimage grounds, and ending with reserved rooftop seating for the evening Aarti ceremony at Dashashwamedh Ghat. The guide speaks English and travels with you in a private air-conditioned car for the entire 12 to 14 hours, handling all entry fees and timing so the day holds together without gaps.Is it for me?Book this tour if you're traveling alone or with a small group and want the entire day choreographed without gaps—the private car, guide and reserved rooftop seat mean you move through Varanasi's most intense spiritual sites (sunrise rituals, a working cremation ground, an evening fire ceremony) without navigating crowds or timing on your own. Children from age 1 are welcome, making it workable for families with young children who need the structure and comfort of a single guide and vehicle for 12 to 14 hours.
Varanasi: Sunrise Boat Tour on Ganges & Ghats RitualsYou’ll float along Varanasi’s ghats at sunrise with a local guide who shares stories you won’t find in any book. Sip hot masala chai as you watch morning rituals unfold along the riverbanks, pass both cremation sites, and listen to the city wake up around you. It’s not polished — but it feels honest.
Varanasi: Sunrise Ganges Boat, Manikarnika Ghat & Sarnath Day TourYou’ll feel Varanasi’s layers in one vivid day: glide along the Ganges at sunrise, witness life and death at Manikarnika Ghat with your local guide, walk among ancient ruins in Sarnath, then end above the crowds with an intimate view of evening aarti from your private balcony seat. This is a day that lingers long after you leave.
Full Day Varanasi Tour: Ganges Boat Ride, Temples & Ganga AartiA 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.Is it for me?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.
Varanasi: Evening Ganga Aarti Boat Tour & Dashashwamedh GhatYou get hotel pickup, a private boat ride on the Ganges, and a front-row seat to the Ganga Aarti ceremony at Dashashwamedh Ghat with a licensed guide explaining the ritual as it happens. The tour keeps groups small (up to 10 people) and handles all logistics, so you arrive at the right place at the right time without arranging transport or figuring out where to stand.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see the Ganga Aarti without arranging your own transport, finding a spot on the ghat, or timing the evening yourself — the private boat and guide handle all three, leaving you to focus on the ceremony.
Lowest price (10)
Varanasi Walking Tour: Ghats, Temples & Spiritual HistoryA guided walking tour of Varanasi's Old Town that moves through the city's most sacred sites—Dashashwamedh Ghat, Manikarnika Ghat and Kashi Vishwanath Temple—with a trained guide who speaks English and Hindi and shares the religious significance and local stories behind each stop. The tour lasts two hours and suits all fitness levels; you can book it as a shared experience or as a private tour with food tasting included.Is it for me?Book the shared tour if you want to walk the ghats and temples with other travelers and hear the guide's stories about Varanasi's spiritual history. Choose the private tour with food tasting if you'd rather move at your own pace and pause to eat at local spots while learning how the city actually lives.
Varanasi Airport to Hotel: Private Transfer & Flight TrackingYou're met at Varanasi airport arrivals with a nameplate, driven directly to your hotel in a maintained private vehicle, and given a water bottle for the journey. The driver tracks your flight so delays don't strand you, and the price is fixed before you arrive—no negotiation, no surprises. Book round-trip if you want the return journey arranged the same way.Is it for me?Book this if you're arriving at Varanasi airport and want to skip the taxi stand, public transport, or price negotiation—the fixed rate and nameplate pickup mean you move straight from the gate to your hotel without arranging anything else.
Varanasi: Sunrise Rooftop Yoga Class with Ayush for All LevelsYou’ll join a sunrise yoga class on a peaceful rooftop in Varanasi, guided by Ayush who adapts every session for beginners and advanced students alike. Expect gentle sun salutations, thoughtful adjustments, and moments of real calm as you practice together above the waking city. You’ll leave feeling lighter than when you arrived.
Varanasi heritage walking tour: 500 years of local knowledgeA private walking tour of Varanasi's heritage sites led by Manjeet Sahani, a local guide whose family has lived in the city for over 500 years. The tour covers the old city's bylanes, Kashi Vishwanath Temple, Manikarnika Ghat, the Alamgir Mosque, flower and weaving markets, and panoramic views of all 84 ghats—customizable from 2 to 4 hours or longer based on your pace and interests. Hotel pickup is included, coffee or tea is served, and the guide tailors the route to what you want to see.Is it for me?If you are staying in Varanasi without a car, pickup from your hotel removes the logistics of finding the old city on your own. The guide's family roots here mean you are not following a script—he adjusts the stops and the pace to what you actually want to understand about the city, whether that is a 2-hour walk or a full day.
Private Varanasi Tour: Sunrise Boat Ride, Ganga Aarti & TemplesA private guided tour of Varanasi starting at sunrise on the Ganges and ending at the evening Ganga Aarti ceremony, with stops at Sarnath, Kashi Vishwanath Temple, and the Nepali Temple. The tour includes a personal guide in English, air-conditioned transport, bottled water and snacks, and runs roughly 14 hours across the day. You choose one of four options at checkout—full day from sunrise through the ceremony, sunrise and city walk only, evening ceremony and city walk, or a guided journey covering the main sites—so the itinerary shifts based on your pick.Is it for me?Choose the full-day sunrise-to-ceremony option if you want to see both the Ganges at its quietest and the Ganga Aarti at its most alive, with time for Sarnath and the artisan workshops in between. If you have only a morning or an evening, the sunrise-only or ceremony-only packages let you anchor your day around one ritual instead of racing through both.
Varanasi city temple tour with official guide: 6 key sitesA guided city tour of Varanasi covering six temples—Vishvanath, Durga, Manas Mandir, Sankat Mohan Hanuman, Bharat Mata Mandir and a silk weaving factory—with an official guide in your choice of English, Spanish or Hindi. Pickup is included; children from age 10 are welcome. The tour focuses on the outer city rather than the old quarter.Is it for me?The tour covers the outer temples rather than the old city quarter, which means a different pace and a chance to see how worship spreads across Varanasi instead of concentrating on the densest core. Pick this one if you want the major sites without the crush of the oldest quarter.
Varanasi Sunrise Boat Ride: Ganges at dawn with walking tourA sunrise boat ride on the Ganges in Varanasi with a private local guide, starting from Assi Ghat before dawn. You board a traditional wooden boat, drift past Dashashwamedh Ghat and Manikarnika Ghat as the sun rises, watch morning rituals unfold on the riverbanks, then walk through the old city's narrow lanes. The tour runs four hours and includes hotel pickup, coffee and masala chai, and an Aarti ceremony.Is it for me?Four hours leaves your morning free after the tour ends, which suits anyone arriving in Varanasi the night before or wanting to spend the afternoon exploring temples, markets or resting at the hotel. The private guide and early start mean you see the river at the moment pilgrims and priests are actually there—not a performance staged for tourists, but the rituals as they happen.
Varanasi Sunrise Boat Tour: Ganges at dawn with a local guideA sunrise boat tour on the Ganges River in Varanasi with a live English-speaking guide who shares the history and daily rituals of the ghats. You'll float past Dashaswamedh, Raja, Harish Chandra and Manikarnika Ghats as locals bathe, chant and practice yoga in the early light. Coffee or tea is included; the tour runs about 80 minutes and starts early enough to catch the sun breaking over the water.Is it for me?If you're staying in Varanasi without a car, this tour solves the logistics—the boat departs from the ghats themselves and your guide meets you there, so you don't need to arrange transport to see the river at the moment it matters most spiritually. The early hour and the water perspective are what separate this from walking the ghats on your own.
Varanasi walking tour with boat ride: Ganges ghats & templesA guided walking tour of Varanasi's most sacred sites, including Dashashwamedh Ghat, Harishchandra Ghat, Assi Ghat, Kashi Vishvanath Temple and a 60-minute boat ride on the Ganges River. The guide speaks English and Japanese, picks you up from your hotel, and the tour runs 4.5 hours with tea or coffee included. This is the way to see the city's spiritual heart without arranging transport or navigation yourself.Is it for me?The 4.5-hour commitment leaves room for another activity or a meal elsewhere in your day, making this ideal if you have a free afternoon or your first morning in Varanasi. The fixed route and pickup mean you do not spend time finding a guide or negotiating transport—you walk straight into the city's spiritual center.
Varanasi: Sunrise Boat Ride & Old City with Private TransportYou're picked up before dawn, taken by private transport to the Ganges, and spend two to three hours on a boat watching sunrise, pilgrims bathing, and riverside rituals with a local guide. Tea is included. The boat ride is suspended during monsoon season (August–September) when water levels are too high, so check the dates before booking.Is it for me?Book this if you want to see Varanasi's most important ritual without arranging transport or timing yourself — the early pickup and private guide handle both, leaving you to watch the sunrise and the pilgrims without the logistics.
