Experience Varanasi - 3 Days Guided Tour, Varanasi

About this activity

Experience Varanasi program is an endeavor to connect the tourist with the city. It aims to acclimatize the Guest with the local culture of Varanasi.

Along with the morning and evening boat rides, you will be able to explore the different religious aspects of the city like Hinduism and Buddhism.

Take an insider's look at various wholesale markets in the city like flowers, spices, paan (betel leaf). Walk through the residential areas of the old town, visit few temples and an ashram and indulge in some great local food.

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At a glance

Duration: 3 days
Confirmation: Instant confirmation
Ticket: Mobile or paper ticket accepted
Group: Your group only
People per booking: 1–10
Guide: English
Operated by: Experience Varanasi Private Guided Tours

Ages: Adults (18–80 years)

What is included

Included

Included: Hotel pickup and drop-off
Included: Private tour. Chauffeur driven car
Included: Two private boat rides

Not included

Not included: Meals apart from the street food tour
Not included: Gratuities
Not included: Airport transfers to & from the hotel
Not included: Entrance tickets for Kashi Vishwanath temple to visit the inner section. This is an optional visit

Itinerary

Day 1 · Experience Varanasi Tour: 3 Days Private Guided Tour

Varanasi

30 min

Our accredited guide will meet you at your hotel and accompany you to the old city explaining you the sightseeing for the day.
Stop 2

2 hours

Bengali Tola Walk: Walk through the narrow alleys of Varanasi is a rich cultural walk which takes you through the heart of the residential areas in the old city. Visit a temple, a private residence and an ashram.

This walk gives you an opportunity to acclimatize with the culture and understand how people have been living here in one of the world’s oldest living cities.
Ganges River

2 hours Admission included

Evening Boat ride: Go for a evening boat ride by the sunset and witness the activities by the river side in the evening, watch the cremation at Manikarnika Ghat from the boat.

Finally stop at Dasaswamedh Ghat to enjoy the Ganga Aarti ceremony. Return back to your hotel after the experience.

Day 2 · Experience Varanasi Tour: 3 Days Private Guided Tour

Stop 1

3 hours

10:00 am-01:00 pm. Bazaar Walk: Explore the hidden markets in the old city like Paan (betel leaf), spice, toys, flowers etc. Walking through the narrow alleys of these markets with a variety of smell and vision gives a phenomenal experience to the Guest. Visit a good local restaurant for lunch after the walking tour.
Stop 2

one hour

Walk through the weavers district of Varanasi and learn about the life of the weavers and the process of hand weaving of the famous silk brocades and Banarasi sari.

We take you walking around through the weavers community where you visit some of the private residence of the weavers and learn about the dying art.
Banaras Hindu University

one hour

Banaras Hindu University is an internationally reputed temple of learning known for its academic history and cultural significance.

Banaras Hindu University is one of the top ranking universities in India and the largest residential universities in Asia. Drive through the lush green campus. You may visit the new Vishwanath temple inside the campus.
Monkey Temple (Durga Temple)

30 min

After the drive through the university, visit the famous Durga Temple. A beautiful temple painted in red. It was constructed in 18th century by a queen from Bengal.

It is particularly significant for worship of Goddess Durga and is considered one of the most powerful and mystical temples in Varanasi.
Stop 5

2 hours

Flavors of Varanasi Tour: Banaras offers you the best of history coupled with the best in cuisine as well. The streets have a wide range of eateries all offering delectably scrumptious food that is sure to suit every traveler’s appetite.

We take you to a few street food joints which are very popular with the locals & offer you a wide variety of food & beverages.

Return back to your hotel after the food tour. Your guide will drop you back to the hotel after the food tour.

Please note: You will not be able to have dinner after the food tour.

Day 3 · Experience Varanasi Tour: 3 Days Private Guided Tour

Ganges River

one hour Admission included

Morning Boat Ride: A boat ride at dawn along the Ganges is a quintessential Varanasi experience. The early-morning light is particularly inspiring, and all the colour and clamour of pilgrims bathing and performing puja unfolds before you.

An hour-long trip south from Dashashwamedh Ghat to Harishchandra Ghat and to Manikarnika Ghat and back is popular and be prepared to see a burning corpse at Harishchandra and Manikarnika Ghat.

People talking bath, performing rituals, practicing yoga and meditation, worshiping the rising Sun.… it all happens.
Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple

2 hours

After the boat ride, go for a walking tour in the old city walking through the alley ways that leads to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.

One of the most important Siva temples with more than 850 kilograms of real gold on the top. Your tour guide will explain the significance and share stories about heritage of the temple.

You can always ask your guide to take you to a popular street food joint where you can explore traditional local breakfast along with a cup of masala chai (tea). Return back to your hotel for freshen up, some rest and breakfast.
Varanasi

2 hours

Return back to your hotel for freshen up, some rest and breakfast before you proceed for the other tours during the day.

Time to recharge and may be upload & share some beautiful pictures from the sunrise boat ride experience with friends & family.
Sarnath

one hour Admission included

Drive to Sarnath after breakfast. Lord Buddha preached his first sermon here after attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. Walk around the beautiful garden and see the ruins of different monasteries and temples

Visit the main temple, excavated ruins & the archaeological museum (museum remains closed on Fridays).
Dhamek Stupa

one hour Admission included

The Dhamek Stupa is a massive and prominent Buddhist monument located at the Deer Park in Sarnath. It is a highly sacred site for Buddhists worldwide, as it marks the precise spot where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon.

The stupa is a solid cylindrical structure, approximately 43.6 meters (141 feet) in height and 28 meters (92 feet) in diameter at its base.

The lower stone portion of the stupa is adorned with exquisitely carved floral designs, geometric patterns, and figures of humans and birds, which are characteristic of the Gupta architectural style.
Ashoka Pillar

one hour Admission included

The Ashoka Pillar at Sarnath is originally a 3rd century BCE polished sandstone pillar erected by Emperor Ashoka, its most famous feature is the Lion Capital, which now serves as the official emblem of India.

The top portion of the pillar, known as the Lion Capital, is made up of four lions standing back-to-back, representing strength, courage, and unity.
Sarnath Museum

30 min Admission included

Archaeological Museum at Sarnath is the oldest site museum of India. It houses the findings and excavations at the archaeological site of Sarnath, by the Archaeological Survey of India.

To keep the antiquities found from the site, a decision was taken in 1904 by the Government to construct a site museum adjacent to the excavated site at Sarnath.

The Lion Capital is kept inside the museum.

Your tour guide will drop you back to your hotel after the visit to the museum.

Tour ends.

Meeting point and pickup

You can be picked up from your accommodation or go straight to the meeting point.

Meeting point

Ask for directions to Girja Ghar crossing. Easy to find your way.

End point

Ask for directions to Girja Ghar crossing. Easy to find your way.

Pickup points

Taj Ganges Varanasi

We meet our Guest at their hotel inside Varanasi at the beginning of the tour and drop them back to the hotel after the tour.

However for the captioned hotels (1)Tree of Life (2) Ramada at Katesar, Ramnagar we will send the car & driver to the hotel. Your guide will meet you at a decided point in the city since both the hotels are far away from the city.