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Voykit pocket guide · India

Varanasi

वाराणसी

Give Varanasi two nights for the Ganges ghats and a dawn boat ride, and book Sarnath as a half-day add-on; expect crowds, narrow lanes and strong sensory contrast, especially near the cremation ghats.

Varanasi is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in India and a major Hindu pilgrimage site on the Ganges. Life centres on the riverfront ghats, including cremation ghats. Nearby Sarnath is a key Buddhist site.

MumbaiJaipurAgraKolkataBengaluruVaranasi500 kmdots: other places in this guide
Sketch, not to navigate by: shapes follow this guide’s areas and places, not official boundaries. North is up.
Country
India
Local name
वाराणसी
Best months
Oct–Mar (cooler, comfortable for early boat rides)
Avoid
Apr–Jun (very hot); Jul–Sep monsoon can flood the lower ghats
Stay
2 nights

Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.

Essentials

Currency
INR
Money
Indian rupees (INR, ₹) in small notes for autos, street food, tips and entry tickets.
SIM and data
Jio, Airtel and Vi sell tourist SIMs at airport counters and their shops; passport, visa and a photo needed; activation can take a few hours.
Emergency
Emergency (all services) 112 · Police 100 (now routed to 112) · Ambulance 108 (most states) or 102 · Fire 101 · Women's helpline 181 / 1091
Plugs
Types C, D, M · 230 V · 50 Hz · Round two-pin C plugs fit most sockets; D (three round pins) is the common wall socket; hotels often have universal sockets. UK and US plugs need an adapter.
Tipping
Street food and dhabas: Nothing.; Restaurant: 5–10% if no service charge is on the bill.; Car and driver: ₹300–500 a day at the end of the trip.; Guide: ₹300–500 for a half day.; Hotel porter / housekeeping: ₹50–100.; Auto or Uber: Round up.
Water
Not drinkable from the tap. Buy sealed bottles (check the cap), or use RO-filtered refill stations in hotels and cafés; avoid ice from street stalls.
Toilets
Western toilets in hotels, malls and airports; squat toilets with a water jug or hose in stations and villages. Carry tissue and sanitiser; paid public toilets (Sulabh) cost ₹5–10.

Get in

By air

VNS · Lal Bahadur Shastri International
About 25 km from the ghats; taxi or app cab into the old city.

Get around

Walk the ghats and old lanes, since cars cannot enter most of them; use cycle-rickshaws or app cabs to reach other districts and Sarnath. Boats can be hired by the hour from any main ghat for the dawn and dusk rides.

See and do

Known for

  • Ganges ghats
  • Dawn boat rides past the ghats
  • Evening Ganga aarti ceremony at Dashashwamedh Ghat
  • Kashi Vishwanath Temple
  • Sarnath Buddhist site
  • Banarasi silk weaving in the old city lanes

Sleep

Near Assi Ghat
Quieter southern ghats with cafes.
Old city near Dashashwamedh Ghat
Central, but lanes are narrow and noisy.
Bhadaini
Mid-range hotels on a quieter stretch of the riverfront.

Language

Hindi is spoken or understood across the north and centre, English is the language of business, signs and educated conversation everywhere, and each state has its own language and script. In the south, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada and Telugu replace Hindi — English is the better bridge there.

  • Head wobble: a side-to-side tilt can mean yes, OK, or I heard you — check with words.
  • WhatsApp is how hotels, drivers and guides communicate.

Etiquette, safety and scams

Etiquette

  • Greeting: Namaste (palms together) or a handshake between men; wait for a woman to offer her hand; avoid: Hugging or kissing strangers
  • Hands and feet: Give and eat with the right hand; apologise if your foot touches someone; avoid: Pointing feet at people or shrines; touching books or food with your feet
  • Temples: Shoes off, walk clockwise around shrines, accept prasad (blessed food) with the right hand; avoid: Leather in Jain temples; entering sanctums that say Hindus only
  • Home visit: Bring sweets or fruit; accept tea at least once; avoid: Refusing all food; wearing shoes inside
  • Questions: Expect personal questions (married? job? salary?) as friendliness; avoid: Taking offence; answer vaguely if you prefer
  • Saying no: A firm, polite 'nahi, dhanyavaad' (no, thank you) and keep walking; avoid: Long explanations to touts
  • Dress: Loose clothes covering shoulders and knees; kurta tops are cheap and cool; avoid: Swimwear or shorts away from Goa beaches

Scams and watch-outs

  • Photography is not welcome at the cremation ghats; follow local guidance and keep a respectful distance.
  • Hold-ups, touts and boat-price disputes are common: agree the price and duration before boarding.
  • River levels rise in the monsoon and change which ghats are usable.
  • Ghat steps are uneven and can be slippery near the water; take care after dark.

One and two days

No timed day plan for Varanasi yet. Suggested stay: 2 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.

  • Ganges ghats
  • Dawn boat rides past the ghats
  • Evening Ganga aarti ceremony at Dashashwamedh Ghat
  • Kashi Vishwanath Temple
  • Sarnath Buddhist site
  • Banarasi silk weaving in the old city lanes

Sources

Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.

Pocket card

Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.

Varanasiवाराणसी

My hotel (write the name and address in the local script)

Voykit · checked 2026-09

Printed from Voykit (/varanasi). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.