Region

Purvanchal

Fly to Varanasi (VNS) or Kushinagar (KBK), stay 2–3 nights in Varanasi, and use the Purvanchal Expressway for day trips to Gorakhpur, Ghazipur and Jaunpur.

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Key facts · India

Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Indian rupee (INR, ₹)
Language: Hindi and English at national level
Plugs: C · D · M · 230 V
Time zone: UTC+5:30 all year

Rules in force · 6

South Asia ↗Trekking regions, border districts and several Indian states need separate permits on top of the visa; check the permit before you book transport into them.
South Asia ↗Remove shoes (and in many Jain and Hindu temples, leather) before entering; cover shoulders and legs; ask before photographing people or rituals.
India ↗Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal (indianvisaonline.gov.in); lookalike sites charge extra. Check the current rules, fees and how far ahead to apply.
India ↗Do not follow anyone who says your hotel is closed, the station ticket office is closed or a road is shut; use the prepaid taxi counter, the metro or an app car.
India ↗Carry Indian rupees in small notes (10, 20, 50, 100); change for 500 is often refused.
India ↗Parts of the Northeast, Sikkim, Ladakh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and all border belts need a Protected or Restricted Area Permit or an Inner Line Permit for foreigners; check before you book the route.

Purvanchal is the eastern part of Uttar Pradesh, known for its Bhojpuri culture, historic cities like Varanasi and religious sites such as Sarnath. Infrastructure has improved since the 2021 Expressway, making day‑trips feasible from a Varanasi base.

Where to sleep

4 places in this region

Sleep base

VaranasiCity guide
Historic ghats, temples and river cruises.
Best Oct–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Varanasi →

Day trip

GorakhpurGuide: planned
Airport city, Buddhist sites, approx 5 h by car from Varanasi via Expressway.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
GhazipurGuide: planned
River town on the Ganges, 3 h drive from Varanasi.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
JaunpurCity guide
Medieval architecture, 4 h drive from Varanasi.
Best Oct–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Jaunpur →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

2 nights: Varanasi 2, day‑trip Gorakhpur
3 nights: Varanasi 3, day‑trips to Gorakhpur, Ghazipur and Jaunpur

Road conditions can vary; some stretches of the Expressway lack service stations.
Tourist facilities outside major cities are limited; plan meals and accommodation ahead.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Gorakhpur	Varanasi	300 min	check	Expressway drive ~5 h; return trains run until late evening.
Ghazipur	Varanasi	180 min	check	3 h by car; local buses available.
Jaunpur	Varanasi	240 min	check	4 h drive; explore medieval forts.

Bags between cities

Luggage forwarding between Varanasi and nearby towns is possible through Indian Railways parcel service; arrange at the station and allow 1‑2 days for delivery.

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go1 partSeasons

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Varanasi	go	go	go	×	×	×	×	×	×	go	go	go
Jaunpur	go	go	go	ok	×	×	×	×	×	go	go	go
India (country-wide)	go	go	go	ok	×	ok	ok	ok	ok	go	ok	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on1 partGo next

Go next

Other regions of the country

Delhi and NCR

3–5 nights

Delhi base, Agra and Jaipur as trips

Rajasthan

planned

5–8 nights

Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur

South India

planned

6–10 nights

Kerala and Tamil Nadu

Purvanchal: what we know, and what is coming

2 of 4 places open

On this page

4 places with their role: where to sleep, what to do as a day trip
How to split 2 or 3 nights
3 day trips with door-to-door time
Seasons month by month, from the cities’ own tables
What to do with the big bag between beds

Coming as the guide grows

Climate strip by zone, with the storm and haze months
Get in: airports and stations with door-to-door times
Regional passes and cards, with a buy / skip verdict
Regional food: what, where and when it works
A page for Gorakhpur — Airport city, Buddhist sites, approx 5 h by car from Varanasi via Expressway.
A page for Ghazipur — River town on the Ganges, 3 h drive from Varanasi.

Meanwhile

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Trips here

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 1 base
Day trips: 3, 3 h to 5 h
Nights suggested: 2–3 nights

Trips that stop here

From the India guide

Triangle plus Varanasi
10 days · 3 nights here
Delhi → Agra → Jaipur → Varanasi

All India trips →

Explore Varanasi Up to India

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

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Sources

Ask about Purvanchal

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