Full-Day Varanasi Tour: Experience the Fascination of Life Along the Banks of River Ganga

Immerse yourself in the enchanting city of Varanasi with a full-day tour. Experience the vibrant life along the banks of the River Ganga, explore sacred temples, witness religious activities, and discover hidden wonders. Book now!

Duration: 12 hours
Cancellation: 1 day learn more
Highlights

Stop At: Most important Ghats, along the bank side of River Ganga.

We will pick you up from your hotel or meet at the front of Hotel Ganges Grand and walk towards Dashashwamedh Ghat, a significant spot where pilgrims from around the world come to dip into the River Ganga. This Ghat is believed to be the first historically recorded site associated with the horse sacrifice performed by the Shiva Nagas king around the 3rd century. We will then pass by Shitala Ghat, home to the temple of Goddess Shitala, who protects from smallpox and chickenpox. Next, we visit Ahilyabai Ghat, built by the queen of Indore in the 17th century, and Munshi Ghat, commemorating Sridhar Narayan Munshi, a financial minister of Nagpur State who settled in Varanasi in 1812 and passed away here in 1824.

Duration of tour: 1 hour.
Admission Ticket: Free.

Stop At: Munshi Ghat to step on Boat.

At Munshi Ghat, we will board a boat for a sunrise trip, an essential and beautiful life experience. The main attraction of Varanasi is the long string of bathing Ghats lining the west bank of the River Ganges. Ghats are steps leading down to the river where pilgrims cleanse their sins by dipping in the holy River Ganga. Our boat will travel upstream and then downstream, passing by the most important Ghats. After the boat tour, you can take a short walk along the riverbank to observe religious activities and shops selling ritual items. We will then return you to your hotel for breakfast and rest, or you can have breakfast at a local restaurant (at your own expense). We will also enjoy tea/chai together at a local shop.

Duration of tour: 2 hours.
Admission Ticket: Free.

Stop At: Old city of Varanasi for walking tour in Northern part.

After breakfast, experience a Heritage Walking tour in the Old City of Varanasi, a land of many faiths and a myriad of colors, smells, and sounds. It is a melting pot of beautiful people set among ancient architecture and carvings. In Varanasi, you will find all these aspects of India in abundance. As we pass through residential areas, you will feel a sense of community in every neighborhood. In the northern part of the old city, we will explore local markets, shops, famous temples (including Kashi Vishwanath Temple/Golden Temple), and the lives of people who have never left the streets. The lifestyle of Varanasi, known as Banarasipan, is distinct and characterized by Masti (joie de vivre), Mauj (delight, festivity), and Phakarapan (carefreeness). During our walk, we can enjoy famous, clean, hygienic, and tasty local snacks and drinks—the taste of Varanasi. After the old city tour, we will return you to your hotel for some rest. Varanasi can be overwhelming with its colors, fragrances, and noise, so you might need some time to contemplate the day so far.

Duration of tour: 4 hours.
Admission Ticket: Free.

Stop At: Dashashwamedh Ghat for Ganga Aarti (an evening prayer).

In the evening, I will pick you up and take you to Dashashwamedh Ghat to enjoy the evening Ganga Aarti, the most popular prayer along the River Ganga, held every evening at Dashashwamedh Ghat. Due to its popularity, people arrive early, so we will go a bit earlier to secure a good viewing spot. After the evening prayer, we will conclude our day by offering a ‘Diyas’ (a lamp with flowers) to the River Ganga to thank for a beautiful day and seek blessings for the next day. At the end of the tour, you will be dropped off at a local restaurant for dinner (at your own expense) or back at your hotel.

Duration of tour: 3 hours.
Admission Ticket: Free.

What's Included
  • Boat Ride
  • Bottled water
  • All toll-tax and parking
  • Monuments Entrance Fee (if any)
What's Not Included
  • Breakfast
  • Optional, suggested or unspecified activities..
  • Personal nature i.e. Tipping & Donation..
Additional Information

Varanasi– the most captivating city. Witnessing Varanasi is akin to beholding the entire spectrum of Indian life. What distinguishes my tours are not merely the architectural landmarks but the dynamic cultural and spiritual practices that unfold by the River Ganga’s shores. This includes the tranquil boat rides at dawn, excursions to the most significant Ghats, explorations through constricted lanes, pilgrimages to hallowed temples, forays into bustling local bazaars, visits to two funeral pyres, sanctuaries, interactions with genuine Sadhus, and the discovery of numerous other marvels kept secret from the common gaze.

Location
Kashi Chat Bhandar
Girja Ghar Chauraha
At the front of the hotel or travelers can call or text us on whats app for meeting..
Cancellation Policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Customer Ratings
4.8
(24 Ratings)
5 stars
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1 star
Ketan
Apr 14, 2024
Seeing Kashi - This trip was a personal journey to honor my father and with my siblings and their spouses we had a fantastic experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Q2105tparuns
Mar 5, 2024
Kashi chronicle - Rajeev ji is the best guide one could ask for exploring Kashi. He is very meticulous with his planning and is very knowledgable with respect to the culture and history of the place. He made our visit to kashi Vishwanath temple entirely hassle free and the Ganga aarti, an unforgettable experience. He is very respectful while communicating and takes utmost care of the client expectations. Please reach out to him on 9452206434 for making your Varanasi tour worthwhile. Look no further.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jordan_m
Feb 15, 2024
A Tailored Tour with a True Local - You could tell Rajeev was from Varanasi by the way he knew the streets, local restaurants and the admiration for which he spoke about the city. We had a splendid day seeing the main sites of Varanasi as well as a few hidden gems. He tailored the tour to us. We wanted to taste local foods and Rajeev took us to the best spots. He answered all our questions about India and Hinduism and we learned so much. This was a very efficient, enjoyable and worthwhile experience.
Review provided by Viator
Travel14392527299
Feb 4, 2024
A Heartwarming Experience - Our Parents wanted to visit Kashi, so we were looking for a local guide who would guide us through this journey very comfortably with parents. And we found Rajeev, the best decision we took for this trip. He planned the trip very well. The Ganga Arti experience was divine, none of us expected that. Each Darshan was very conveniently done with Rajeev's help. He very well considers the purpose of visit of each individual. He really knows those hidden temples, street and you name it. He is going to be our go to guide for another trips on our list in nearby cities. Thanks Rajeev for being so wonderful!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
A1710npgaiaf
Jan 26, 2024
All about Culture and Life in Varanasi - Our guide MK was very well prepared. We had a wonderful walk on ghats and hidden street of Varanasi. Amazing city. He told us lot about culture, religion and rituals. Thanks to him we understood more about how life on the ghats works. We also had a beautiful boat trip with him. We want to recommend the company and the guide!!!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Himad
Jan 5, 2024
Amazing Experience with an Amazing Guide - I am Hina Desai from New Jersey. I was planning the trip to Ayodhya, Varanasi and Patna with my cousins and friends. We were eight females with a different interests. We all eight wanted to learn and see Varanasi with historical, religious and tourist aspects. So I was checking with many guides in Varanasi. After talking with Rajeev for an hour, I decided his service for one day. He also suggested to visit Gaya and Bodhgaya on our way to Patna. He came to meet at our Homestay the day we arrived. He gave us details information about all places in Varanasi and in skirts of Varanasi. Initially we had hired him for one day. We requested him to guide us on second day also. Rajeev gave us a very detailed description and history of all important temples, ghats, buildings on and around the ghats and Varanasi. He gave us enough time to offering our prayers at the temples also. He made arrangement for Saptshi aarti so we attended the Arti just behind the arti podiums very comfortably. Most of us become very emotional after the arti. It was such a unique vibes we felt it during the arti. We were able to experience the arti very closely due to Rajeev’s planning and efforts to arrange proper place at the arti for our group. His time management and proper planning made possible to visit all the temples and sites with ease and pleasantly. Rajeev is very calm, knowledgeable, friendly and cooperative guide. He has a great logical explanation of the rituals, historical events and clear loud voice so we can hear him in lots of noise. Rajeev took us to all local favorite eateries and chai places. At the end of our two days tour with Rajeev we all get to know all aspects about Varanasi. I definitely recommend Rajeev as your guide and trip planner for Varanasi and surrounding areas. At the end of our two days tour all cousins said Guide Rajee became our bhai Rajeev.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Martinapz4661qv
Oct 30, 2023
Excellent experience in Varanasi - The Varanasi tour was without a doubt one of the best experiences in India! The day with guide Rajeev was excellent! He is the best guide in Varanasi! I visited the Ganges River at sunrise, we walked around the city, he was very helpful and explained everything to me with great patience and dedication! I simply loved everything ❤️🇮🇳
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Onair09617098585
Oct 4, 2023
Amazing trip to ayodhya and kaasi - It was a excellent pilgrimage trip starting from ayodhya thriveni sangamam ayodhya Varanasi Gaya and baiju dham. Rajiv ji picked us from Lucknow airport and after that it was amazing trip. He took care of every minute details.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Devideedra
Aug 27, 2023
Great full day tour with knowledgeable best guide! - This was our first trip to Vanarasi, so picking a tour that was suited to our needs and budget was very important. I am really glad that we chose to book with Kashi Journeys. Not only was our tour guide friendly, knowledgeable, and very accommodating...his ability to understand and anticipate our needs was incredible. Small things like telling us about the best chai...and showing us...or giving us options from different delicious restaurants...we found really helpful and thoughtful. He also understood our need for privacy during times of meditation at special areas, or attending aarti ceremony, and was thoughtful of our personal space. More importantly, he was understanding and never pushy. And that's important, especially if dealing with hot weather. We wanted our tour to focus on more spiritual aspects than just historical; and our guide was more than helpful. There was so much to do that we actually didn't complete some things because we tired too soon. But, we know we will be returning soon and booking with Kashi Journeys again. If in doubt about which tour company to select, definitely Kashi Tours will impress you and accomodate accordingly.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Sophiev292
Aug 16, 2023
Wonderful tour - The tour was amazing! One of the nicest tours we did in India. We saw a lot of different things in the tour so not only temples or only ghats, everything was included. Our tour guide was very nice and knew everything about the city so he told us a lot. Great experience!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
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up to 12 guests
1 Adult
September 2024
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