Varanasi tour in one day

based on 58 reviews

Duration:12 hours to 14 hours (approx.)
Location: Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

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ADULT (Age : 18 to 99)

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For travelers with just one complete day (14 hours) to soak in the essence of Varanasi, our Private One-Day Varanasi Tour Package is meticulously designed. Despite the time constraints, this package ensures that you can partake in all the major Varanasi tours and activities from famous sunrise boat ride to walk through old alleyways and cremation ground, visiting Sarnath followed by seeing aarti ceremony.

WHAT'S INCLUDED

WHAT TO EXPECT

1. Ganges River
Pick-up from your Hotel at 05:30 AM and start your day with sunrise boat ride in Ganges river. Boating in the Ganges River during the sun rise in Varanasi is main attraction. We can observe here the Hindu’s way of life on the bank of the river Ganges (Ghats). Varanasi presents a unique combination of physical, metaphysical and supernatural elements. According to the Hindu mythology, Varanasi liberates soul from human body to the ultimate. It is the Ganga Ghats of Varanasi that complement the concept of divinity. After this amazing boat ride, step on at Manikarnika Ghat.
2. Manikarnika Ghat
This ghat, or riverside stairway, is known for its deep spiritual and cultural importance. It's where you'll witness the traditional cremation rituals performed by Hindus, which are believed to help departed souls achieve moksha, or liberation from the cycle of rebirth. Visiting Manikarnika Ghat offers a glimpse into the profound customs and beliefs of Varanasi. While it may not be a typical tourist attraction, it's a powerful and insightful experience into the rich spiritual traditions of this ancient city. It's a place where the spiritual and practical aspects of life and death converge, making it a fascinating destination for those seeking a deeper understanding of Indian culture. After this return back to hotel to have your breakfast and relax.
3. Sarnath
Around 12 Noon drive to explore Sarnath - is a sacred pilgrimage site where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon. Echoes of enlightenment permeate the ancient stupas, serene gardens, and the Dhamek Stupa. You will see here Ruins of Sarnath, Budhha Temple, large Buddha statue, Archaeological museum and deer park etc. After this enjoy lunch in any local restaurant [On direct payment basis]
4. Ganga Aarti
Later after this walk into a private balcony and settle down on pre-booked private chairs with best view of aarti [We don't recommend to see aarti from the boat as between your boat and evening aarti place, there would be several boats, people standing in the middle of aarti disturbing your view] Aarti, also spelled arathi, is a Hindu ritual, in which light is offered to one or more deities. Aarti also refer to the songs sung in praise of the deity, when offering of lamps is being offered.Hindus in India worship the river Ganges as goddess. Every evening in Varanasi, aarti is performed at the Dashashwamedh ghat. It is a beautiful, resonant, and majestic spectacle with a very precise choreography involving rituals performed by several priests with the sound of bells, drums, cymbals, and Sanskrit mantras. After this you will return back to hotel and services will end here.

ADDITIONAL INFO

CANCELLATION POLICY

Posted By : Stephen_B
Varanasi, or Banares as called by locals, is an amazing city with so much spiritual and cultural influence. The sights and sounds of the bustling city, coupled with the calm early morning and joyous late evening rituals are something that can only be experienced in this Holy City. Our tour guide, Bharat, was so informative, welcoming and patient, definitely a world class guide who allowed us to get an authentic view into the lives of the devoted people of Banares, as well as gave us an immersive experience that we will never forget. A truly life-changing excursion and Bharat will always be connected to us through his genuine energy and hospitality. The sights, sounds, and emotions of the this tour are something that should be part of every tourists' trip to India, young and old!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-04-13 14:24:48

Posted By : kechjo
We really enjoyed this tour. The sunrise boat tour was great and our guide provided a lot of interesting information and insight. We really appreciated his knowledge about Varanasi, Sarnath, and the surrounding areas. I recommend this tour.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-04-09 11:09:22

Posted By : frankief922
We had the most incredible tour of Varanasi, lead by our very knowledgeable & talented guide, Bharat. We started with a sunrise boat ride which was extremely moving and peaceful. Then we went around a few temples and sacred places where we learned about their history and culture. Bharat is very knowledgeable and has great visual aids to help tell the history and religion. In the evening, we went to the sacred evening ritual where we had great seats to watch the ceremony. It was so moving to see so many people coming to watch/participate every day. Thank you again to our guide Bharat, and our great driver! If you are traveling to Varanasi, this tour is an absolute must do!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-04-07 11:15:19

Posted By : SummerBreeeze108
We had a great time with Bharat during our full day tour of Varanasi. He was very knowledgeable and punctual and it was nice to have breaks in between all the attractions. The Ganges sunrise rowboat and Aarti ceremony were definitely interesting experiences and must be done! The tour of Sarnath was thorough and we learned a lot about Buddhism. The walks around the old city were brief but he did bring us to a delicious sweets store where we were able to buy some souvenirs to bring back home.

A few reasons why I only gave 4 stars - During the Aarti ceremony, our guide disappeared for 45 mins after saying he needed to use the bathroom. The ceremony had begun and my husband and I had some questions and it would have been helpful if he was around to provide us some insight as to what was going on... Also, after the morning Ganges boat ride, we were told by our guide that 'tipping' was optional to the boat rower and not included in our tour price, so we gave him a reasonable amount. Or so we thought. Because after we gave him the tip, we were told by our guide that 'most tourists tip XX amount', which made us feel bad especially when he said it was optional. If there was a set price expected, it should have been mentioned upfront.

Regardless of the above, we still had an amazing time with this tour and Bharat was a good guide =)

Jenn & Jon - Toronto, Canada
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-03-19 17:26:11

Posted By : CathLeics
Definitely recommend this tour. Bharat was a great guide, really informative and friendly. I found Bharat was fascinating on the meaning and beliefs of Hinduism. The sunrise boat trip is worth doing and seats for the evening ceremony on the ghat meant we could see everything. We also went to temples and had a walk round old Varanisi. We also had the most delicious samosas! Highly recommend, we stayed at Shiva Ganges View Guesthouse right on the Ganges which meant it was also easy to do an eve walk along the ghats and explore a bit more.
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Posted On : 2024-03-07 09:42:15

Posted By : 747liamp
We had a great day, with our guide, Bharat. He took us on a boat trip on the Ganges, to enjoy the sunrise. Then we visited a series of temples, ruins and a museum. We found out about the history of different religions in Varanasi. I'd really recommend this tour. We thoroughly enjoyed it.
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-03-05 05:19:52

Posted By : Daffid23
The tour delivered on all that it promised, and the opportunity to return to our hotel at times during the day meant that the long day had a good balance.
The guide was knowledgeable shared many small details as we drove, walked and talked, that made a real difference to how much we enjoyed our day.

Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-03-02 23:43:41

Posted By : Quest46318057604
We had a really enjoyable experience on our tour. The sunrise boat trip was spectacular and the walk through town we especially enjoyed. We appreciated the evening show and the journey to get there. They went above and beyond to make our day. Highly recommend. Cheers
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-02-29 21:27:57

Posted By : Lliu1017
BOOK THIS TOUR!!!! This was hands down the best tour we had in India. Bharat is truly the most incredible tour guide - he was so flexible with our schedule and what we wanted to see, and made sure we had enough time at each stop to get what we wanted out of the tour. We asked to stop at Blue Lassi in the afternoon as well as to try to squeeze in the Ganga Aarti ceremony in the evening before our flight, and he made sure we were able to get the best view of the Ganga Aarti as well as make it to our flight on time. He went out of his way to honor every request we had, and made our day so special by buying us candles to float on the Ganges during our morning boat ride, chai throughout the day when we were cold, and the most amazing samosas for a snack in the afternoon. He found the best rooftop spot for us to watch the Ganga Aarti and gave us the best advice and information throughout the day on everything that we saw. I have never felt so safe and cared for on a tour in India, and can’t wait to come back to Varanasi just to take another tour with him. Thank you so much for everything!!!!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-01-17 10:06:13

Posted By : Happiness481011
We had such an amazing time on the tour! Hands down the best one we’ve done in India! They were super responsive to what we wanted to see and were super flexible! We were able to see everything in a day which was super convenient! Bharat was absolutely the most amazing guide I’ve ever had. He’s super knowledgeable and accommodating. We could tell that he truly cared about his tourists. He literally bought us chai when he saw that we were cold and bought us the most amazing samosa as a snack. Definitely get him if you can!
Rating : full ratings
Posted On : 2024-01-17 07:15:06