India · City Guide
Varanasi
Varanasi is the holiest city in Hinduism and one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, a place of extraordinary spiritual intensity where the cycle of life and death is openly enacted on the ghats of the sacred Ganges River. From the dawn boat ride on the Ganges watching the morning rituals to the Ganga Aarti fire ceremony at sunset and the extraordinary maze of ancient lanes, temples and burning ghats, Varanasi provides a travel experience of profound and unforgettable depth.
Explore Varanasi →Elect's take
"Varanasi is the most intense travel experience I have had anywhere in the world. It is not a comfortable destination but it is an extraordinarily meaningful one, a place where confronting the reality of mortality in the context of one of humanity's oldest living spiritual traditions creates something genuinely transformative."
The dawn boat ride on the Ganges is the essential Varanasi experience. As the sun rises over the river, the ghats come alive with bathers performing ritual ablutions, priests conducting ceremonies, children flying kites and the smoke of the Manikarnika cremation ghat rising constantly into the early morning sky. The Ganga Aarti ceremony at Dashashwamedh Ghat at sunset is a spectacular and deeply moving ritual of fire and devotion. The ancient lanes of the old city, known as the galis, are a labyrinthine network of shrines, shops and chai stalls that rewards unhurried exploration. Sarnath, where Buddha gave his first sermon, is 10 kilometres north.
Best time to visit
How to get there
What to expect
Dawn Boat on the Ganges
The essential Varanasi experience watching morning rituals from the sacred river at sunrise.
Ganga Aarti Ceremony
A spectacular and deeply moving fire ceremony at Dashashwamedh Ghat at sunset.
Ancient City
One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world with over 3000 years of history.
The Ghats
A remarkable succession of 84 stone steps leading to the sacred Ganges River.
Sarnath
The site of Buddha's first sermon, 10 kilometres north with outstanding archaeological museum.
Ancient Lanes
The extraordinary gali lanes of the old city with thousands of shrines and temples.