Varanasi is not a city of museums and monuments in the conventional sense. For more detail, see our Varanasi weather by month.It is a living, continuous ritual that unfolds along the western bank of the Ganges, where life and death, prayer and commerce, ancient traditions and modern India coexist in a sensory intensity found nowhere else. The best things to do in Varanasi involve participating in or witnessing these daily rhythms rather than ticking off a checklist of sites. Start your days before sunrise at the ghats, walk the lanes of the old city on foot, eat street food you might hesitate over at first, and let the city reveal itself. Here are the experiences that matter most, organized by category.
Things to Do in Varanasi: The Ghats and River
Dashashwamedh Ghat and the Ganga Aarti
Dashashwamedh Ghat is the main ghat and the spiritual heart of Varanasi, located roughly in the middle of the 7-kilometre ghat arc. Every evening at approximately 6:30 PM (winter) or 7:00 PM (summer), the Ganga Aarti ceremony takes place here, a choreographed ritual of fire, incense, bells, and chanting performed by a group of young pandits (priests) on a raised platform. The ceremony lasts about 45 minutes and draws thousands of spectators. Arrive by 5:30 PM to get a seat on the steps with a clear view, or book a boat (INR 500 to INR 1,000 per person) to watch from the river, which offers the best vantage point. It is free to attend from the ghat steps. The Aarti happens every single evening, rain or shine, 365 days a year, and see our best time to visit Varanasi for more detail..
Assi Ghat
Assi Ghat, at the southern end of the ghat arc, is where the Assi River meets the Ganges. It is particularly popular with long-term travellers, students, and yoga practitioners. Every morning at about 5:30 AM, a smaller and more intimate version of the Ganga Aarti called Subah-e-Banaras takes place here, featuring classical music, yoga demonstrations, and a shorter fire ritual. Unlike the massive evening ceremony at Dashashwamedh, the morning Aarti at Assi Ghat draws maybe 200 to 300 people and feels more personal. The area around Assi has the best concentration of cafes, guesthouses, and bookshops in Varanasi. Take an autorickshaw from Godowlia crossing (INR 100 to INR 150) or walk 45 minutes south along the ghats, and see our Varanasi events and festivals for more detail..
Manikarnika Ghat (Burning Ghat)
Manikarnika Ghat is the primary cremation ghat, where bodies are burned 24 hours a day on wooden pyres. Hindus believe that dying in Varanasi and being cremated here liberates the soul from the cycle of rebirth. Between 100 and 300 cremations take place here every single day. Visitors can observe from a respectful distance; photography is strictly prohibited and enforcement is aggressive. Do not point cameras, do not take selfies, and do not treat this as a tourist attraction. The best approach is to watch from a boat on the river at sunrise, about 50 metres offshore, where you can observe the scale of the ritual without intruding. If walking past on the ghat, stay to the upper level and keep moving. Touts may approach offering to be your guide for a fee (INR 200 to INR 500). You do not need a guide, but if someone pressures you for a donation for the cremation wood fund, know that it is a common scam. Politely decline and walk on, and see our Varanasi neighborhoods guide for more detail..
Sunrise Boat Ride on the Ganges
A sunrise boat ride is the single best way to see Varanasi. Boats depart from Dashashwamedh Ghat, Assi Ghat, and most other major ghats starting at 5:30 AM. A one-hour rowboat for two to four people costs INR 500 to INR 800. Motorboats cost INR 1,200 to INR 2,000 for a group. Negotiate the price before boarding and confirm whether it is per person or per boat. The standard route runs from Assi Ghat to Manikarnika Ghat and back, passing all 84 ghats along the way. You will see bathers performing their morning puja, yoga classes on the steps, dhobiwallahs (washermen) beating laundry on stone slabs, and the smoke rising from Manikarnika. The best light for photography is in the 20 minutes after sunrise. Book a rowboat rather than a motorboat for a quieter, more atmospheric experience, and see our where to stay in Varanasi for more detail..
Things to Do in Varanasi: Temples and Sacred Sites
Kashi Vishwanath Temple
The Kashi Vishwanath Temple, dedicated to Lord Shiva, is the most important temple in Varanasi and one of the 12 Jyotirlingas. The current structure was built in 1780 by Queen Ahilyabai Holkar of Indore, with the gold-plated spire added by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in 1835. The temple complex underwent a massive expansion completed in 2021, known as the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, which created a wide pedestrian plaza connecting the temple directly to the ghats. The temple is open daily from 4:00 AM to 11:00 PM, with a break from 1:00 PM to 3:00 PM. Entry is free, but non-Hindus are not permitted inside the inner sanctum. Foreign visitors can view the temple from the corridor and surrounding viewing platforms. Expect queues of 30 to 90 minutes on regular days and 2 to 4 hours during festivals. Leave phones, cameras, bags, and leather items at your hotel; there is a locker facility at the entrance (INR 10), and see our Varanasi travel tips for more detail..
Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple
The Sankat Mochan Temple, dedicated to Lord Hanuman, sits about 3 km south of the main ghat area near Banaras Hindu University. It was founded by the poet-saint Tulsidas in the 16th century, who is said to have had a vision of Hanuman at this spot. The temple is less crowded than Kashi Vishwanath and has a calmer, more garden-like atmosphere. Tuesday and Saturday are the busiest days, as these are considered Hanuman’s days. The temple is open from 5:00 AM to 10:00 PM. It is about a 15-minute auto-rickshaw ride from Assi Ghat (INR 50 to INR 80). The famous Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh, a 5-day classical music festival, takes place here every April.
Durga Temple (Monkey Temple)
The Durga Temple, commonly called the Monkey Temple due to the large troop of monkeys living in and around it, is an 18th-century Nagara-style temple painted red with ochre. It sits about 2 km from Assi Ghat on Sankat Mochan Road. The temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga, and the interior houses a silver-faced idol. Non-Hindus can enter the courtyard but not the inner sanctum. Open from 6:00 AM to 9:00 PM. Watch your belongings around the monkeys; they are aggressive and will snatch glasses, water bottles, and food from your hands.
Things to Do in Varanasi: Day Trips
Sarnath
Sarnath, located 10 km northeast of Varanasi, is where Gautama Buddha delivered his first sermon after attaining enlightenment around 528 BCE. It is one of the four most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the world. The main attractions include the Dhamek Stupa (a 43.6-metre cylindrical brick tower built in 500 CE), the Ashoka Pillar (with its famous lion capital, now India’s national emblem), the Mulagandha Kuti Vihara (a modern temple with frescoes by Japanese artist Kosetsu Nosu), and the Sarnath Archaeological Museum (housing over 6,800 sculptures and artefacts, including the original lion capital, entry INR 20 for Indians, INR 250 for foreigners, open 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM, closed Fridays). Take an auto-rickshaw from Varanasi (INR 300 to INR 400 one way, 45 minutes) or a taxi (INR 800 to INR 1,200 round trip with 2 to 3 hours of waiting time).
Ramnagar Fort
Ramnagar Fort, on the eastern bank of the Ganges opposite Assi Ghat, was built in 1750 by Raja Balwant Singh and served as the residence of the Maharaja of Varanasi (Kashi Naresh). The fort is a sandstone structure in a state of faded grandeur, with a museum inside containing vintage American cars, ornate palanquins, ivory works, antique weapons, and an astronomical clock. Entry is INR 25 for Indians, INR 150 for foreigners. Open 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. The fort is best reached by crossing the pontoon bridge from the ghats (accessible October through June; dismantled during monsoon) or by auto-rickshaw via the Malviya Bridge (a 10 km detour). The Ramnagar Ramlila, a month-long performance of the Ramayana, takes place here in September/October.
