Varanasi: Full-Day Private Tour with Boat Ride

Discover the spiritual heart of India on a full-day private tour of Varanasi. Witness the Ganga Aarti, explore ancient temples, and glide along the Ganges in a traditional boat.
Begin your day at dawn with a private boat ride on the Ganges River. Witness the city awakening with chants and temple bells. Experience the Subah-e-Banaras (Morning Aarti), a serene ritual with lamps, flowers, and Vedic hymns.

Glide along the Ganges in a traditional wooden boat, passing ancient ghats while absorbing the spiritual aura. Then, stroll through narrow, labyrinthine alleys filled with flower vendors, chai stalls, and pilgrims.

Visit the Kashi Vishwanath Temple (Golden Temple), one of the 12 Jyotirlingas, where Lord Shiva is worshipped amidst shimmering gold domes. (Note: Non-Hindus can view from outside or special arrangements can be made for entry.)

Savor Banarasi Chai, Kachori-Sabzi, and Malaiyo (a seasonal frothy milk dessert) at a heritage eatery. Explore the most vibrant ghat, where priests perform elaborate rituals. Walk through the newly developed Vishwanath Corridor, a grand pathway connecting the temple to the river.

Have a profound encounter with the cycle of life and death at Manikarnika Ghat, where Hindus cremate their loved ones in eternal flames. (Respectful silence and no photography advised.) Admire the royal architecture of Darbhanga Ghat, a 19th-century ghat adorned with European-style palaces.

Visit Bharat Mata Temple, a unique shrine dedicated to Mother India, featuring a marble relief map of undivided India. Enjoy an authentic Banarasi thali with dishes like Choora Matar, Baati Chokha, and Tamatar Chaat at a riverside restaurant.

Witness master weavers create exquisite Banarasi sarees with gold and silver zari. Visit a local workshop and shop for authentic silk textiles. Walk along Tulsi Ghat, where poet Tulsidas wrote the Ramcharitmanas.

Cross the river to Ramnagar Fort, a crumbling 18th-century palace with a vintage museum. End your day with a mesmerizing Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat, a symphony of fire, bells, and devotion. Priests in saffron robes perform synchronized rituals with brass lamps, conch shells, and chanting.

Experience the electric energy as hundreds of lamps float on the Ganges. Dine under the stars with panoramic views of the illuminated ghats. Try Banarasi Paan, a betel leaf delicacy infused with spices and rose petal paste.

To guarantee availability book as soon as possible. Early booking is worth consideration especially if you planning the trip during high season like public holidays or weekends.

This excursion you can cancel with no cost up to 24 hours before the start of the trip. If you cancel it after 24 hours or not show up on the excursion you will still be charged the full price of the activity. Being late on pick-up or departure will be considered as not showing up.