Things to Do in Varanasi: The Dawn Boat, the Aarti and the Soul of Kashi

Varanasi, the eternal city of Kashi, is not a place you merely see; it is a place you experience, from the first lamp on the river at dawn to the last flame of the aarti at night. Born on these ghats, I have spent a lifetime among them and I can tell you the city rewards those who slow down. Here are the finest things to do in Varanasi, the experiences that make Kashi unforgettable, in the order I would give them to my own guests. Browse our Ayodhya Varanasi Tour Packages to plan the trip with a local guide.

Things to Do in Varanasi: Key Takeaways

• The two essentials: a sunrise boat ride and the evening Ganga Aarti, the soul of any Kashi visit.
• The great darshan: the Kashi Vishwanath Jyotirlinga, the heart of the city.
• A slow morning: Subah-e-Banaras at Assi Ghat and a walk along the ghats.
• The Buddhist side: a half-day at Sarnath, where the Buddha first taught.
• Beyond the temples: Ramnagar Fort, the BHU museum and the famous food and silk of Banaras.

A Word From Your Guide

I am Rajeev Sharma, born on the ghats of Kashi and guiding pilgrims and travellers here for more than forty years. People often rush Varanasi in a day and leave dazed; the secret is to give it two or three and to feel it rather than tick it off. Do the river at dawn, the temple by morning, the lanes and the food through the day and the aarti at night and the city opens to you. Let me show you how. I speak Hindi, Telugu and Kannada, so South Indian families are at ease.

The Top Things to Do in Varanasi

If you do nothing else, do these six. They are the essence of Kashi:

A dawn boat and the dusk aarti are the two fixed points; build your days around them.

More Experiences in Kashi

Once you have done the essentials, these deepen a Varanasi visit:

• Manikarnika Ghat - sit a while at the great cremation ghat, Kashi's teaching on life and death.
• Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple - the beloved Hanuman temple founded by Tulsidas, serene and joyful.
• Kaal Bhairav Temple - pay respects to the fierce guardian, the Kotwal of Kashi.
• Ramnagar Fort - the old riverside fort and palace of the Kashi Naresh, across the Ganga.
• Tulsi Manas Mandir - the marble temple where Tulsidas is said to have written the Ramcharitmanas.
• Bharat Kala Bhavan (BHU) - the fine art and archaeology museum within the university.

Experience a Festival of Kashi

If your visit can be timed to one, Varanasi's festivals are extraordinary. Dev Deepawali on Kartik Purnima, when lakhs of lamps light every ghat, is the most spectacular night of the year and Mahashivratri in Kashi, Lord Shiva's own great night, fills the city with processions and all-night worship. Both are worth planning a trip around.

Taste the Food of Banaras

No visit is complete without the food and this is best done on foot in the lanes, so we keep it off the link list and on your plate. Start the day with hot kachori-sabzi and jalebi, try the tamatar chaat and the famous Banarasi paan, cool down with a thick lassi or thandai and in winter do not miss malaiyo, the saffron milk-foam dessert found only on Kashi's cold mornings. The galis around Vishwanath and Godowlia are the place to graze.

Street food is part of the Kashi experience; eat where the crowd is thickest and the turnover fastest and drink bottled or boiled water.

Shop for Banarasi Silk

Varanasi is the home of the Banarasi silk saree, woven here for centuries and bringing one home is a thing to do in itself. The weaving mohallas of the old city and the government and reputable private showrooms are the safest places to buy genuine handloom; be wary of touts and powerloom pieces sold as handwoven. A good guide can take you to a trusted weaver rather than a commission shop.

Day Trips and the Wider Circuit

Varanasi is the hub of the holy circuit, so it is easy to add more. The nearest and most natural day trip is Sarnath, only about 10 km away. With another day or two, pilgrims travel on to Ram's city from Varanasi to Ayodhya or to Ram's forest of exile from Varanasi to Chitrakoot. And many begin their Kashi trip by arriving from Lucknow to Varanasi on the fast road or rail.

Best Time to Visit for These Experiences

The cool months from October to March are the most comfortable for the boat, the ghats and the walking and they hold the great festival nights. The summer is fierce and the monsoon raises the river, which can pause the boats. For the full seasonal picture, see our guide to the best time to visit Varanasi.

The Honest Bit

Let me be straight with you. Varanasi overwhelms first-timers: the lanes are a maze, the crowds thick, the touts persistent around the ghats and the silk shops and Manikarnika is confronting. None of this is a reason to stay away, it is the raw, living truth of the oldest city on Earth, but it is a reason to come prepared. Keep your mornings early and your pace slow, trust a known boatman and a known weaver rather than whoever approaches you and let a local hand steer you through the lanes. Do that and Kashi gives you the experience of a lifetime.

Why Experience My India Is the Right Choice

I am Rajeev Sharma, born on these ghats and guiding travellers here for more than forty years. For your Kashi days we arrange it all: a trusted boatman for the dawn ride, a good spot for the Vishwanath darshan and the evening aarti, a walk through the lanes with the food and a genuine silk weaver and a half-day at Sarnath, with Ayodhya and Prayagraj added for the full circuit. I speak Hindi, Telugu and Kannada, so South Indian families are at ease. With our Ayodhya Varanasi Tours team, every experience of Kashi is taken care of.

Related Packages

• Varanasi tour packages - plan your days in Kashi with a local guide.
• 1-day Varanasi city and Sarnath tour - the ghats, the temple and Sarnath in a day.
• Varanasi Ayodhya Prayagraj 4-day tour package - the three holy cities in one journey.

Plan Your Varanasi Experience

Tell me your dates and your group size and I will arrange the boat, the darshan, the aarti, the food and silk lanes and a Sarnath trip, with Ayodhya and Prayagraj added if you wish. Browse our Ayodhya Varanasi Tour Packages or our Varanasi tour packages or call and WhatsApp +91 7302265809 and we will plan it together.