Varanasi for a Long Weekend or Five Days
Most visitors give Varanasi between two and five days. That is enough for the river, the main temple and one outing, and with five days there is time for museums, silk lanes and a rest. Prices are in Indian rupees (INR, about 95 to the US dollar). Train times and fees change, so confirm them before you commit.
A long weekend, 2 to 3 days
- Day 1. Sunrise boat from Assi toward Dashashwamedh, or the free Subah-e-Banaras programme at Assi if you prefer to stay on land. Spend the afternoon in the old lanes and finish with the Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat, free to watch from the steps.
- Day 2. Kashi Vishwanath Temple in the morning, then a food crawl that takes in Kachori Gali, tamatar chaat and lassi.
- Day 3. Sarnath, about 10 km away, in the morning, and a rest in the afternoon.
The temple’s Mangala Aarti starts with a 02:30 report time at Gate 1 and a ticket of INR 500 from the trust’s portal. The pooja list on the trust site gives current prices for every aarti.
Four or five days
Add Ramnagar Fort and its museum across the river, the Banaras Hindu University campus with the Bharat Kala Bhavan museum, and an afternoon among the weavers of Madanpura. Reserve one afternoon with nothing planned. If you still have a day, Chunar Fort or Prayagraj makes a long outing.
Where to base yourself
The area around Assi Ghat and to its south is calmer than the Dashashwamedh and Godowlia core. BrijRama Palace, at Darbhanga Ghat, is a heritage hotel on the river that joined the IHCL family in January 2026. The Rajghat Study Centre takes guests at around INR 1,400 for a single room and INR 2,200 for a double, plus tax, for up to two nights, and details are on its booking page . For wider choice, browse stays in Varanasi and check the cancellation terms.
Dates that change a trip
- July to September: flood season. Boats may stop for days, as in September 2026, and the evening aarti can move to a rooftop.
- 24 November 2026: Dev Deepawali, when rooms sell out and the ghats fill.
- Late October 2026: the Ramnagar Ramlila, a month of evening performances, ends, and the next run begins in September 2027.
- October to March: the comfortable months. April to June is very hot.
Leaving Varanasi
Vande Bharat trains run to New Delhi (about 8 hours) and to Agra Cantt (about 7 hours), and a Varanasi to Ranchi service has run since 2 September 2026. The Delhi service is reported as not running on Tuesdays and the Agra one as not running on Fridays, so check IRCTC. The airport lies about 25 km from the ghats, a drive of 45 to 75 minutes.
Two rules for every day
Never bathe in or drink Ganga water, which is polluted. Never photograph the burning ghats, and turn down any offer of a rooftop view, as it usually ends in a demand for “wood money”.
Read more: Varanasi 3 day plan and Varanasi family activities .