If I was asked to define Varanasi in two words. I’d say, “spirituality” and “colors.” This holy city of India is famous for grand festivals and dynamic history draws millions to its famous ghats every year.

Varanasi is as old as human civilization is and its culture is one of the richest ones in India. It is a tale of two cities- one that combines a spiritual experience with a memorable staycation.

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When you are in Varanasi, you can take a holy bath in the Ganges, go on a shopping spree and buy famous silk sarees, reminisce history at Benaras Hindu University and witness the grand evening aarti ceremony. With a number of things to do in Varanasi, travelers are increasingly enchanted by this beautiful destination throughout the year.

How to reach Varanasi

By air: Varanasi airport is well-linked to some of the major cities like Delhi and Mumbai. International tourists can board connecting flights from the Delhi airport which is well-connected to all the major cities in the world. The daily flights on Delhi-Agra-Khajuraho-Varanasi route are quite popular among the tourists.

By train: The Varanasi railway station is well-connected to major cities of India via rail. From the railway station, visitors can hire a cab or a taxi to reach the destination and further explore the city.

Railway station(s): Varanasi junction (bsb), Manduadih (muv), Varanasi city (bcy), Bhulanpur (bhlp), Chaukhandi (chh), Kashi (kei), Jalalganj (jll), Shiupur (sop)

By bus: Varanasi is connected to major cities of Uttar Pradesh and neighboring states by state-run buses. Private air-conditioned buses are also available from nearby cities to Varanasi.

By road: Varanasi has a wide network of roads that connects it to major cities of Uttar Pradesh. You can hire a private taxi or cab or drive down to Varanasi from nearby cities like Kanpur, Lalitpur, and Allahabad.

5 Things to do in Varanasi

1. Take a holy bath in the Ganges
2. Witness the evening aarti ceremony
3. Try the local street food and go shopping
4. Go on a sunrise boat ride
5. Take a stroll along the ghats

1.Take a holy bath in the Ganges

The Ganges river is the spiritual gem of Varanasi. The river offers salvation to those who bathe in it and every year, thousands of pilgrims flock to the city to dip themselves into its holy water. A dip in the water is said to absolve their sins and help them attain moksha i.e. liberation. Varanasi has more than 84 ghats with stairs leading to the waters. Bathing happens here since the crack of dawn. 

2. Witness the evening aarti ceremony

Watching evening aarti ceremony is certainly a once in a lifetime experience. The spectacular event must be viewed from the dasawamedh ghat. Huge brass lamps are used in the ceremony, soaring like fireflies in the night sky. The chants of the people accompanying the breath-taking view, add to this mystical experience.

If you want to get a full, worthwhile experience of the ceremony, you should visit the location about an hour before and watch the preparations unfold.

The Ganga aarti starts exactly at sunset time. The starting time of the ceremony changes with sunset time. If you want to enjoy the ceremony from a good spot, you ought to reach the ghats by 5 in the evening. Although the ceremony happens 365 days a year, the best aarti is conducted during Kartik Purnima that takes place in October or November.

Entry fee: No entry fee.

If you want to watch the ceremony from the river, you need to hire a boat. Boat rides are generally costlier during the ceremony.

Summer
Start time- 7 pm
End time- 7:45 pm

Duration- 45 minutes

Winter
Start time: 6 pm
End time: 6:45 pm Duration: 45 minutes

3. Try the local street food and go shopping

The streets of Varanasi present you with the most famous food and various specialties unique to this city. The roasted peanuts, chaat, pani-puri, aloo-tikki, snow cones and sweets like rabri, jalebis etc provide you with a  mouth-watering experience. The famous paan of  Banaras is obviously a must-try.

While you’re at it, you can go shopping in Varanasi to get your hands on some traditional gems. The city is famous for its silk sarees. Pay a visit to the market to get lots of options in the same and explore a wide array of colours, designs and patterns-all at a negotiable price.

The main shopping areas to explore in this city include vishwanath lane, thateri bazaar, chowk and godowilia.

4. Go on a sunrise boat ride

What can be a more mystical experience than taking a boat ride in the holy river, just when the sun is beginning to peek through the clouds and the pastel colours are forming a painting in the sky.

Ganges might be bustling with activity throughout the day, but at sunrise, the place is quiet and transcends you into an alternative reality.

Ticket price: If you hire a traditional boat, which is controlled by a boatman- up to six people can travel in one boat. A person is charged around rs 200 for a trip that takes about 90-120 minutes. A motorboat can carry more people and costs about rs 1500 per trip.

During the monsoon season, the rainfall is high and the current in the river is also stronger, thus, it takes three boatmen to ride a traditional boat and the fare is higher.

5. Take a stroll along the ghats

Taking a stroll along the ghats around the time of sunset is a beautiful experience. Not only do you get picture-perfect frames to capture through your lens, but also witness a breath-taking view that will surely imprint itself in your mind.

If you want to engage yourself in something more happening, you always have the option of grabbing a ball, a bat and having a classic game of cricket at the ghats.

The list of things to do in Varanasi is never-ending and each experience is memorable and ever-lasting. The city of spirituality, culture, and history has something to offer to everyone and hopefully, in your next vacation to Varanasi, you too will take away something worthwhile from your experience here.