Last Updated on September 24, 2026 by admin
Any honest Varanasi travel guide has to start with this: no other Indian city feels quite like it. So some days ago I had a chance to spend a few days in the holy city of Varanasi or Benares…
The Varanasi airport is not very far away from the city and the road is good we reached the hotel in 35 minutes or so.
I had chosen the Taj Ganges for my stay this time and I am glad I did, it really was like an oasis in the middle of a chaotic city. Varanasi hotels along the river tend to book up quickly in peak season, so it’s worth reserving well ahead if you want a room with a ghat view.
Assi Ghat and the Ganga Aarti: A Varanasi Travel Guide Highlight
After resting for some time and a sumptuous lunch in the magnificent restaurant of the hotel we headed out towards Assi Ghat for taking an evening boat cruise over the river and seeing the famous Ganga Arti …
While there were many sharing boats we decided to folk out a few thousand rupees and took a boat for ourselves.. it was nearing dusk and the views from the boat were truly magnificent..
If you visit the Ganga Arti from the land side it can become a bit crowded and chaotic so I would suggest you view it from one of the boats and that will make the experience much more enjoyable…
Also, don’t forget to have the famous chaat / kachori in Kashi Chaat, Dina Chaat or Kachori Gali etc.
Here are some of the pictures I took on the river cruise.. Between the boat rides, the temples and the ghats, a couple of days is enough to get a real feel for the city, though many visitors end up wishing they had booked a day or two more.
Do let me know in the comments Section What you think..
Why Varanasi Belongs in Every India Travel Guide
Varanasi is considered one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, and it has been the spiritual capital of Hinduism for thousands of years. Hindus believe that dying in Varanasi and being cremated on its ghats grants moksha, or liberation from the cycle of rebirth, which is why the city’s riverfront is so different from anywhere else in India — part pilgrimage site, part everyday neighbourhood, part cremation ground, all within a few hundred metres of the Ganges.
Practical Tips for Planning Your Varanasi Travel Guide
The cooler months between October and March are the most comfortable time to visit, since Varanasi’s summers get extremely hot and humid. Most visitors base themselves near the ghats so they can walk down for both the sunrise boat ride and the evening Ganga Aarti without needing transport. A short walk or rickshaw ride also gets you to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, one of the holiest Shiva temples in India, and Sarnath, the deer park a short drive away where Buddha is believed to have given his first sermon, makes for an easy half-day trip. You can find more on visiting the region on the Incredible India tourism site.
One of the best-known ghats besides Assi Ghat is Manikarnika Ghat, the main cremation ghat where funeral pyres burn around the clock. It is one of the most striking things to witness in the city, and guides along the ghats can explain the rituals respectfully if you’d rather not just wander in unannounced.
If you enjoyed this Varanasi travel guide and want to see how it compares with the marble and Mughal history of Agra, our Taj Mahal hidden symbols guide is a good next stop.
Very good pictures & videos on varanasi.
You are doing great job.
Varanasi is a magical city.
One should visit
Regards
Shantanu