A first-time guide to Varanasi, India

19.09.2024 - 14:41 / lonelyplanet.com

Sep 19, 2024 • 9 min read

Varanasi looms large in the minds of anyone contemplating a trip to India.

The deep faith traditions evident at every ghat; the photogenic colors; and the tableau of humanity that comes to partake of the Ganges’ sacred waters here make Varanasi a magnet for spiritual seekers, intrepid travelers and documentary filmmakers alike.

This is India at its most intense.

Varanasi attracts tens of millions of visitors every year. Pilgrims come here from across India to commune with the sacred Ganges and mark life’s great turning points: birth, marriage and (most famously) death. For Hindus, Varanasi is the holiest place in India to be cremated, and offers the chance to achieve moksha, or a final release from the cycle of death and rebirth. Outdoor cremation ghats (steps that descend into the river) operate around the clock on the banks of the Ganges.

All this means that a visit to Varanasi inevitably includes a reckoning with the realities of life and death. And how can that not move and leave a deep impression on any visitor?

Don’t be surprised if Varanasi turns out to be your favorite place in India. Or at least one you’ll never forget.

The best time to visit Varanasi is from October to March. During the monsoon (July to October), the city is hit by torrential rains and the Ganges swells with snowmelt from the Himalaya. The river level rapidly rises up to 12m (40ft), often flooding low buildings.

The fluctuating river level is the reason for all those steps on Varanasi’s ghats, and the reason the west bank of the Ganges is packed to bursting with buildings, while on the east side there is nothing but a sandy river bank that is inundated every season. 

During the wet season, many ghats become inaccessible, with the ones you can get to slippery with algae. This rules out one of Varanasi’s best experiences: a long riverside walk from ghat to ghat. You can access the ghats between April and June, but this time of year can be oppressively hot, with temperatures reaching 45°C (113°F).

Allocate at least two days – but stay longer if you can. While there are only a handful of must-visit sights, the atmosphere of the city exerts a strong pull. Many visitors find themselves staying longer than expected.

With a little extra time you can also add a day trip to Sarnath, the tranquil pilgrimage town where Buddha gave his first sermon. If you decide to stay for a week or more, Varanasi is a great place for study, with classes in Hindi, yoga, Hindu mythology, Indian cooking, music and many other subjects available throughout the city.

In the east of Uttar Pradesh, India’s most populous state, Varanasi is well connected to other parts of India by bus, train and air. To or from Delhi, trains take between 8 and 13