Itinerary
- Day 1
Arrival in Varanasi
Your driver will meet you at the railway station or airport and take you to your hotel. The rest of your day is open, so you can wander around the city, do some shopping, or just settle in. As evening approaches, you'll head to DashashwamedhGhat to see the Ganga Aarti ceremony. Priests perform synchronized rituals here while thousands of oil lamps float across the water, and the whole scene creates something really striking with all that fire reflecting on the river.
Included Activities
- Ganga Aarti ceremony at DashashwamedhGhat at sunset
Optional Activities
- Leisure activities and shopping
- Short sightseeing exploration
- Boat hire to watch Ganga Aarti ceremony from the river
Landmarks/POIs DashashwamedhGhat - Day 2
Varanasi Temples and Sarnath
Start before sunrise for a boat tour along the Ganges to see the ghats, including ManikarnikaGhat where cremation ceremonies happen. You'll watch pilgrims doing rituals and bathing in the river. After the boat ride, you'll visit several temples like Annapurna, SankatMochan Hanuman, Bharat Mata, Kashi Vishwanath, and ManasMandir, plus the BHU campus. Grab breakfast and rest back at your hotel. Later in the afternoon, drive to Sarnath to check out Buddhist sites including Chaukhandi stupa, a Buddha temple, Dhamekha stupa, and the archaeological museum. You'll return to Varanasi by early evening with free time after that.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Early morning Ganges cruise
- Sightseeing tour of temples: Annapurna temple, SankatMochan Hanuman temple, Bharat Mata temple, Kashi Vishwanath temple, ManasMandir, BHU
- Road trip to Sarnath
- Sightseeing tour of Sarnath: Chaukhandi stupa, Buddha temple, Dhamekha stupa, archaeological museum
Optional Activities
- Leisure shopping
- Additional sightseeing in Varanasi
- Resting at hotel
Landmarks/POIs ManikarnikaGhat Annapurna Temple SankatMochan Hanuman Temple Bharat Mata Temple Kashi Vishwanath Temple ManasMandir Benares Hindu University (BHU) Chaukhandi Stupa Buddha Temple (Sarnath) Dhamekha Stupa Sarnath Archaeological Museum - Day 3
Varanasi to Bodhgaya
After breakfast, drive to Bodhgaya and get settled at your hotel. From there, you'll explore the main Buddhist sites, including the Bodhi tree, Maha Bodhi temple, and a large Buddha statue. Later you'll visit Hindu temples and other religious locations like Ram Chura, Janki temple, SitaKund, and HaleshwarAsthan, so you're covering quite a bit of religious and historical ground in one day.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Road trip to Bodhgaya
- Sightseeing tour of Bodhi tree, Maha Bodhi temple, Buddha statue
- Visits to Ram Chura, Janki temple, SitaKund, HaleshwarAsthan
Landmarks/POIs Bodhi Tree Maha Bodhi Temple Buddha Statue (Bodhgaya) Ram Chura Janki Temple SitaKund HaleshwarAsthan - Day 4
Bodhgaya to Gaya and Back to Varanasi
You'll have breakfast and then travel by road to Gaya to see the city's temple sites. Vishupad temple is a key stop where you can see what's believed to be Lord Vishnu's footprint, and there are various other Vishnu temples throughout the area. You'll also check out some international temples including Chinese, Tibetan, and Japanese ones, plus walk along the Phalguna River. By early evening, the drive back to Varanasi begins, and you'll be settled there for the night.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Included Activities
- Road trip to Gaya
- Sightseeing tour of Vishupad temple, Vishnu temples, Chinese temple, Tibetan temple, Japanese temple, Phalguna River
- Road trip back to Varanasi
Landmarks/POIs Vishupad Temple Chinese Temple (Gaya) Tibetan Temple (Gaya) Japanese Temple (Gaya) Phalguna River - Day 5
Departure from Varanasi
After breakfast, the day is yours until you need to head out. You can stay at your hotel and relax, explore more of Varanasi on your own, or just rest before your departure. Your representative will drive you to the railway station or airport depending on your preference, so basically you have a flexible morning and early afternoon.
- Meals
- Breakfast
Optional Activities
- Leisure exploration of Varanasi
- Visit other attractions in the city
