Sacred City on the Ganges
Bite-sized trip
Day 1 – Arrival in Varanasi
You’ll arrive in Varanasi by train or plane and you’ll be transferred to your quirky and comfortable heritage hotel on the banks of the Ganges. The hotel has small roof top restaurant serving tasty local dishes, with great views over the riverside Ghats below. In the evening, take a stroll down to the Ghats and watch the boat lights twinkle at sundown.
Day 2 – Varanasi – Ganges boat trip
At dawn, you’ll set off on an atmospheric boat trip down the Ganges, where you’ll see ritual bathing in the sacred waters and hear the soft chants of pilgrims. The Ganges is flanked by a series of Ghats – broad stone staircases leading down to the water – that stretch for many miles along the Ganges. You can attend the evening prayer ceremony on the main Ghat where flower candles are set afloat on the river.
Following your dawn boat trip, you’ll take a short guided walk through the old part of Varanasi. The rest of the day is free for you to explore at your own pace. Next to the cremation Ghats, you’ll find kids playing cricket, holy men smoking, cows nosing through rubbish and women beating laundry on the rocks. Alternatively, you can go on excursion to Sarnath, the city where Buddha taught his first doctrine, in the afternoon.
Your Varanasi trip finishes the next morning, and you’ll continue your adventure through India.
Accommodation
For this bite-sized trip we offer the following options
Upgrade to our In Style accommodation
For this bite-sized trip we have an alternative option available for your accommodation. Our In Style version is something a bit more special or unique but still with lots of local flavour! If you would like to upgrade your accommodation for this bite-sized trip, select our In Style option below.
