Varanasi Tour Packages 2026-27

Our Varanasi tour packages start at ₹5,999 per person for 2 days and 1 night and cover the main temples, the Ganga Ghats, Sarnath and, on longer trips, Prayagraj or Ayodhya. Senior citizens and pilgrims who want an unhurried Darshan can do a tour to Varanasi at an easy pace, with hotel stay, meals as per package, and pick-up and drop for every sightseeing stop as close as vehicles are allowed in the old city.

The city is lined with famous Ghats on the Ganga. Every package includes the evening Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat. The sunrise boat ride comes with the Standard package and above, and can be added to the 2-day trip at extra cost.

Varanasi at a Glance

Varanasi Tourism Guide:Best Time to Visit, How to Reach, Best Places to Visit in Varanasi, Fair and Festivals of Varanasi, Shopping in Varanasi, Things to Do in Varanasi, Art and Culture of Varanasi, Ghats in Varanasi, Hotels in Varanasi

Varanasi Tour Package Types and Prices 2026-27

The cheapest option is the 2-day Budget package at ₹5,999 per person on twin sharing. It covers one night in a hotel, breakfast, an AC vehicle, Kashi Vishwanath Temple and the evening Ganga Aarti; Darshan tickets, the boat ride and GST are extra. The table below shows the price tiers, which you can customise. All rates are starting prices, and your final quote depends on travel dates, hotel category and group size.

What is Included and What is Not

• Included: hotel stay on double or twin sharing, meals as per package, AC vehicle with driver and fuel, and pick-up and drop at the hotel, airport or railway station.
• Not included: Kashi Vishwanath Sugam Darshan and Aarti tickets, entry fees at monuments and museums, personal expenses, and GST.

Where to Stay: Near the Ghats or in the Cantt Area

Hotels near Godowlia and the Ghats keep Kashi Vishwanath and the Ganga Aarti within walking distance. The catch is access: cars cannot reach most of them, so the last stretch is on foot or by e-rickshaw, luggage included. Cantt-side hotels are easy to reach by car and sit close to Varanasi Junction. For senior citizens, we would pick the Cantt side. See our list of hotels in Varanasi for options in both areas.

Our Varanasi Tour Packages

These are fixed-route tours with their own itinerary pages, separate from the price tiers above.

All our Varanasi travel packages are customisable: choose the duration, hotel category, meals and departure city. Contact us for exact pricing.

Varanasi Tour Packages from Delhi, Mumbai and other Cities

Our ground packages start and end in Varanasi. If you are travelling from Delhi, Mumbai, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru or another city, we add the train or flight to the same quote. From Delhi, the Vande Bharat Express takes about 8 hours; a direct flight takes 1.5. Two departure-city tours have their own pages: the Varanasi Tour Package from Bangalore (3 Days / 2 Nights, from ₹12,900) and the Varanasi Tour Package from Hyderabad (6 Days / 5 Nights, from ₹24,500).

Sample Varanasi Itinerary

• 2 Days / 1 Night: Day 1, arrival, Kashi Vishwanath Darshan and evening Ganga Aarti. Day 2, early morning Darshan (a sunrise boat ride can be added at extra cost), then drop.
• 3 Days / 2 Nights: Day 1, arrival and Ganga Aarti. Day 2, sunrise boat ride, Kashi Vishwanath, Kaal Bhairav and an afternoon at Sarnath. Day 3, Sankat Mochan, Durga Mandir and BHU, then drop.
• 4 Days / 3 Nights (Premium package with the Prayagraj option): Days 1-2 as above. Day 3, day trip to Prayagraj for the Sangam. Day 4, Ramnagar Fort or silk shopping, then drop.

Ayodhya is 4.5 to 5 hours away by road, so an Ayodhya day trip means 9 to 10 hours of driving. For senior citizens we suggest the 5-day Varanasi + Ayodhya package with a night in Ayodhya.

Combine Varanasi with Prayagraj, Ayodhya and Bodh Gaya

Drive times are approximate. Traffic, winter fog and meal stops can add an hour or more.

A Varanasi Ayodhya Prayagraj package needs at least 5 days, as in the Allahabad Ayodhya Varanasi Gaya Tour. Senior citizens will find 6-7 days easier, which is what the Varanasi Allahabad Ayodhya Naimisharanya Tour allows.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple Darshan Guide

The Kashi Vishwanath Temple is the centrepiece of any Varanasi pilgrimage tour. It is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas and one of the most revered Shiva shrines in India. Kashi Vishwanath Dham, the corridor inaugurated on 13 December 2021, expanded the temple premises from about 3,000 sq ft to around 5 lakh sq ft and connects the Jyotirlinga directly to the Ganga. It was built to hold 50,000 to 75,000 devotees at a time.

Know about Kashi Vishwanath Temple:Best Time to Visit, How to Reach Kashi Vishwanath, History of Kashi Vishwanath, Kashi Vishwanath Temple Timings, Rituals at Kashi Vishwanath Temple

Temple timings and Aarti schedule

Aarti times, Darshan access and ticket charges change on festival days. Check shrikashivishwanath.org or call the temple help desk on +91 6393 131 608 before you go.

Darshan: General Darshan is free. Sugam Darshan costs ₹250 per person at the time of writing and, like the Aarti tickets, should be booked only on the official site. On normal days, go before 7 AM. Sugam Darshan and other passes are usually suspended on Sawan Mondays and Mahashivratri.

Dress Code and Rules: Wear modest, covered clothing. Mobile phones, cameras and bags are not allowed inside; use the lockers near the gates.

Best Time to Visit Varanasi

The best time for a Kashi pilgrimage package is from October to March: pleasant days, accessible Ghats and temples, and several major festivals. December and January nights often drop below 10°C, and fog can delay early trains and flights. Skip April to June. At 35-45°C, outdoor Ghat walks become difficult. Our guide to the best time to visit Varanasi covers each month in more detail.

How to Reach Varanasi

By Air

Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport (VNS) at Babatpur is about 22-26 km from the city. There are direct flights from Delhi (about 1.5 hrs), Mumbai (about 2 hrs), Kolkata, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and other cities. Prepaid taxis and app cabs are available outside arrivals.

By Train

Varanasi Junction (Varanasi Cantt) is the main station. Key trains include the Vande Bharat Express (Delhi-Varanasi, about 8 hrs) and the Kashi Vishwanath Express. Some trains, such as the Shiv Ganga Express, use Banaras (Manduadih) station, and Rajdhani trains stop at Pt. Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction, about 16 km away. Book 30-60 days in advance for peak season.

By Road

NH19 connects Varanasi to Prayagraj (about 125 km, 2.5-3 hrs) and continues towards Bodh Gaya (about 240-250 km, 5-6 hrs). Ayodhya (about 200-220 km, 4.5-5 hrs) is reached via Jaunpur and Sultanpur, and Lucknow is about 286 km away. Ola/Uber and auto-rickshaws are available within the city.

Getting Around the Old City

Cars cannot go into the narrow lanes near the temple and Ghats, and the Godowlia-Maidagin stretch becomes a no-vehicle zone during Sawan and big festivals, so expect to walk the last part or take an e-rickshaw. The Kashi Ropeway from Varanasi Cantt to Godowlia is still under construction; check whether it has opened before you travel. Routes from major cities are covered in how to reach Varanasi.

Things to Do in Varanasi

Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat

The evening Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat is one of the most anticipated experiences on any Varanasi pilgrimage tour. Priests perform it with large brass lamps, incense and conch shells, starting around sunset: close to 6:00 PM in winter and nearer 7:00 PM in summer. Watching from the steps is free. For the clearest view, watch from a boat. Reach the Ghat about 45 minutes early to get a good spot on the steps.

Boat Ride on the Ganga

A sunrise boat ride (roughly 5:00-7:00 AM, depending on the season) is the most recommended. You watch the Ghats wake up from the water, with bathers and priests already at work on the steps. Evening post-Aarti rides are also popular. Fares depend on the type of boat and the season, so agree on the price and duration before you board.

Explore the Ghats of Varanasi

Varanasi has around 88 Ghats. Dashashwamedh Ghat is known for the evening Ganga Aarti. Manikarnika and Harishchandra are the cremation Ghats, where pyres burn around the clock, central to Varanasi's moksha belief; please do not photograph cremations. Assi Ghat is known for yoga, sadhus, student life and the morning Subah-e-Banaras programme. Panchganga Ghat is where five sacred rivers are said to converge underground, and Tulsi Ghat is associated with the poet-saint Tulsidas. More in our guide to the Ghats of Varanasi.

Visit Sarnath

Sarnath, 10 km from Varanasi, is where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon. Key stops are the Dhamek Stupa (5th century CE in its present form), the Ashoka Pillar and the Sarnath Museum, which houses the original Ashoka Lion Capital, India's national emblem. The museum is open 10 AM to 5 PM and closed on Fridays. It is a comfortable half-day trip, or book the Sarnath Sightseeing Tour on its own.

Kaal Bhairav Temple

The Kaal Bhairav Temple is one of the most important Shiva shrines in Varanasi. Kaal Bhairav is considered the Kotwal (guardian) of Kashi, and tradition holds that no pilgrimage to Varanasi is complete without seeking his blessings.

Ramnagar Fort

Ramnagar Fort, built in 1750 by Maharaja Balwant Singh on the east bank of the Ganga opposite Tulsi Ghat, is the ancestral home of the Maharaja of Varanasi (Kashi Naresh). The museum has vintage cars, palanquins, royal arms and an astronomical clock. The month-long Ramnagar Ramlila, held around Dussehra, is one of India's most traditional Ramlila performances; UNESCO lists the Ramlila tradition as Intangible Cultural Heritage.

Silk Shopping and Local Food

Varanasi is India's most famous centre for handwoven silk. Banarasi silk sarees with gold and silver brocade carry a GI tag and are among India's most sought-after textiles. Visit weaving workshops in Adampura and Alaipura for factory-direct prices, and the Vishwanath Gali market near the temple for silk dupattas and stoles. Buy from shops that show you the weaving process, as they are more likely to be genuine handloom. Between temple visits, try kachori-sabzi with jalebi, lassi, tamatar chaat, Banarasi paan and, in winter only, malaiyo.

Temples beyond Kashi Vishwanath

Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple (founded by Tulsidas, according to tradition), Annapurna Temple (next to Kashi Vishwanath; Goddess Annapurna is the goddess of food), Vishalakshi Temple (one of the Shakti Peethas), Durga Mandir (also called the Monkey Temple), Tulsi Manas Mandir (built in 1964 where Tulsidas is believed to have written the Ramcharitmanas), the New Vishwanath Temple at BHU, and Bharat Mata Mandir, which has a relief map of undivided India instead of a deity.

Varanasi Pind Daan Package

Many families come to Kashi for Pind Daan, Shraddh and Asthi Visarjan, especially during Pitru Paksha (usually September-October). Our 3 Days / 2 Nights Varanasi Pind Daan package starts at ₹9,500 per person, and we arrange a Kashi-based Pandit for the ritual at the Ghats. Families who also want to perform Shraddh in Gaya can add it to the trip.

Varanasi Tour Packages for Every Traveller

Practical Tips for Your Varanasi Trip

• Ignore touts near the temple selling "VIP Darshan" passes.
• Leave shoes at the designated counter before temple areas and carry a small cloth bag.
• Carry small-denomination cash (₹10-100 notes) for donations, prasad and boat rides, and fix boat and rickshaw fares before you start.
• Expect a lot of walking in the lanes and on Ghat steps; tell us in advance if anyone needs a wheelchair or extra rest.
• In December and January, keep a buffer for fog delays if you have a connecting train or flight.

Major Festivals in Varanasi 2026-27

The full calendar is in fairs and festivals of Varanasi.

Why Book with Pilgrimage Tour India

• Local office in Varanasi for pick-ups, Darshan timing and on-the-day changes.
• A tailor-made itinerary and quote within 12 hours of your enquiry.
• Inclusions and exclusions written into every quote.
• Kashi-based Pandits for Pind Daan and puja, and slower plans for senior citizens.

How to Book

• Share your travel dates, number of people, starting city and hotel preference through the enquiry form, WhatsApp or our contact page.
• Get a day-wise itinerary and price within 12 hours.
• Confirm with the advance payment mentioned in your quote. Accepted methods are listed on payment options.

The full booking process is on our how to book page.

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