Varanasi-city of Ganges, same day visit
- 5–6 hours
- Free cancellation up to 24h before
- 4 languages
- Instant confirmation
Highlights
A crumbling maze of a city that rises from the ghats (steps) on the western banks of the Ganges, Varanasi is in many senses the quintessential India. With an ancient history -- Mark Twain famously described it as "older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend, and looks twice as old as all of them put together" -- it is also one of the most sacred cities in the world today. Kashi, or "City of Light, where the eternal light of Shiva intersects the earth," as Varanasi is seen by devotees, is the holiest of Indian pilgrimages, home of Shiva, where the devout come to wash away their sins. Earliest accounts of the city go back 8,000 years, and "the city of learning and burning," as it is affectionately referred to, has attracted pilgrims from time immemorial, not all of them Hindu -- even Buddha visited here in 500 B.C. after he achieved enlightenment, sharing his wisdom at nearby Sarnath.
Inclusions
What's included
- Private transportation
- All Fees and Taxes
- Monument entry fee at the sites
- Air-conditioned vehicle
- Boat ride at the river Ganges to see the historic ghats (sharing basis)
- Service of English speaking local guide during the sightseeing
- Evening Ganges aarti ceremony at the Dashashwamedh ghat
What's not
- Any other services like tipping, meals, beverages etc.
- Any other services which are not mentioned in inclusion
Itinerary
Kashi Vishwanath Temple is one of the most famous temple in Varanasi, also known as the Golden temple dedicated to the Lord Shiva. It was constructed in the year 1780 by the Maratha monarch, Maharani Ahilyabai Holkar of the Indore. This makes Varanasi a tourists place because of great religious importance to the Hindus.Non-Hindus are not allowed to inside the main temple.
Dashashwamedh ghat is one of the oldest, most spectacular and important ghat, located at the bank of the river Gange near to the old Vishwanath Temple in the Kashi. The literal meaning of the Dashashwamedh is the Ghat (river front) of the ten sacrificed horses (dash means 10, ashwa means horse, medh means sacrifice). In the evening head for Dasashwamedh Ghat to watch the Ganga Fire Aarti. For 45 minutes, young Brahmin priests perform age-old prayer rituals with conch shells and burning braziers accompanied by drummers, while children hawk candles for you to light and set adrift. Unfortunately, the recent addition of live musical prayer recitals through loudspeakers has somewhat robbed the original format of its mesmerizing effect and enigma.
Sarnath is the place where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma then Buddhist Sangha has originated as well as came into existence because of the enlightenment of Kondanna. It is situated at least 13 Km to north-east of Varanasi. There is a village 1 km away from the Sarnath known as the Singhpur where Shreyansanath was born. He was known as the eleventh Tirthankara of Jainism. This is why the sarnath is also an important pilgrimage site for Jainism. Buddha has mentioned the Isipatana as one of the four places of pilgrimage which is most visited by his devout followers.
Bharat Kala Bhavan, located inside the BHU campus, is an art and architecture museum and houses a vast collection of paintings, Hindu and Buddhist sculptures and other materials of archeological importance. The Bharat Kala Bhavan was established in the year 1920 A.D. In the main hall of the Bharat Kala Bhawan, there is a figure of a man standing on one leg and one hand on his hip and lifting a mass of stone above his head, with one hand. The figure is said to be of Lord Krishna, lifting Mount Govardhana. Many images in the Bharat Kala Bhavan confirm to the existence of Krishna cult in Kashi in 15th and 16th century.
Ramnagar Fort (Oct-Mar daily 8am-noon and 2-6pm, Apr-Sept daily 10am-5pm), the palace of the former Maharaja of Varanasi, is billed as another worthwhile attraction. Do stop for a glance at the palace's grand Durbar Hall. Although he is said to involve himself in local tourism, his name does not enjoy the reverence that the Maharajas of Rajasthan still evoke. Attempts at renovation continue, so check for improvements. Another of Varanasi's fascinating sights is Bharat Mata, or Mother India Temple (located just north of the Old City), worth highlighting if only because it is the incarnation of the spoken Hindu belief that the very land of India is sacred (ironic, given the pollution). Pilgrims walk around a large relief map of the subcontinent before Partition, featuring all its holy tirthas, mountains, and rivers.
Enjoy the boat ride at river Ganges during your same day Udaipur sightseeing. Our guide will accompany you on the boat.
Cancellation
Free cancellation up to 24 hours before the experience starts, for a full refund.
Reviews
5.0
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Ratings come from 1 reviews collected by our booking partner. They are travellers' own words, in the order they were written — never reordered to flatter the experience.
Know before you go
- Pickup
- Pickup is offered, or you can meet at the starting point.
- Tickets
- Tickets are redeemed at a different location from the meeting point.
- Ticket type
- Mobile or paper ticket accepted
- Operated by
- The Great Indian Adventure
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
How it compares in Varanasi
- Its from-price is 20% above the median of the 494 experiences we list in Varanasi.
- It is shorter than most of them.
- By number of reviews it ranks 223 of 494.
- The operator lists free cancellation on it.
About Varanasi
Varanasi, on the Ganges in Uttar Pradesh, is one of the oldest living cities in the world, a sacred place of river steps, temples and silk looms.
Varanasi, also called Benares or Kashi, has been a place of pilgrimage for thousands of years, and Hindus come to bathe in the Ganges, to pray, and to die. Along the west bank, about eighty ghats, broad stone stairways, descend to the water, among them Dashashwamedh Ghat, where lamps and chanting mark the evening aarti ceremony. The Kashi Vishwanath Temple, dedicated to Shiva, stands in the old city's maze of narrow lanes.
Top-ranked sights in Varanasi: Manikarnika Ghat, Dashashwamedh Ghat, Ganges River (Ganga).
Special offers in Varanasi
Was/now prices come from the operator, never from us.
5% offFree cancellation
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