All-Inclusive Private Varanasi City Tour with Ganges Boat Ride

Varanasi, India

12 to 14 hours (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

Explore Varanasi and its surroundings on a private full-day tour featuring sunrise and sunset boat rides on the Ganges River, visits to landmarks including Banaras Hindu University and Dhamekh Stupa in nearby Sarnath, and the newly restored Kashi Vishwanath Corridor. Enjoy a gourmet buffet lunch and all entrance fees included. End the day watching the evening aarti ceremony from the sunset boat cruise.

Enjoy the convenience of hotel pickup and drop-off in a private vehicle
Take sunrise and sunset cruises on the Ganges River
Fill up on an included buffet lunch
A private tour ensures personal attention and flexibility

What's Included

Private air-conditioned vehicle for the full day (hotel pickup & drop-off included)
Professional English-speaking local guide
Morning Ganges boat ride (included – no extra charges)
Entrance fees to all monuments and sites as per itinerary
Gourmet buffet lunch at a premium 5★ restaurant
Bottled mineral water throughout the tour
All parking, tolls, fuel charges, and taxes — no hidden costs
Private tour – only your group participates

Alcoholic Beverages

Any Kind of drinks with lunch

Meeting and Pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

Your Hotel in Varanasi, Varanasi Airport, Railway Station, River Cruise Port or other desired location in Varanasi.

Operating hours
.5:30 am

Itinerary

After early morning pickup at 5:30am from your hotel, take a sunrise boat ride on the sacred Ganges River.

Witness morning rituals performed at the riverside. Afterward, follow your guide on a short walking tour of the old city's alleyways and catch sight of the Kashi Vishwanath, one of the holiest Hindu temples.

Stop for breakfast (own expense), then head to Banaras Hindu University at 10am. Established in 1916, BHU is the largest university campus in Asia. Tour the campus and see the Bharat Kala Bhavan museum and the new Vishwanath Temple (Birla Temple), which is an exact replica of the original Vishwanath Temple. Continue to Mother India Temple, built in 1918 and housing an unusual marble relief map of the Indian subcontinent.

At 12:30pm, learn about the silk weaving traditions of Varanasi, then take a break for lunch (own expense). Afterward, drive about eight miles (13 km) to Sarnath to take in Dhamekh Stupa, known as the place where the Buddha gave his first sermon. You'll also visit the Archaeological Museum, which features treasures that date to the 3rd-century BC (closed Fridays).

At 5pm, take another boat ride on the Ganges to view the cremation grounds, then return to Dashashwamedh Ghat to watch the evening Ganga Aarti ceremony. Your tour ends with return to your hotel around 8pm.

Ganges River

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Kashi Vishwanath Temple

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Banaras Hindu University

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

Bharat Mata Temple

30 minutes • Admission Ticket Free

Varanasi

1 hour • Admission Ticket Free

The Clarks

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Sarnath

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Ganges River

2 hours • Admission Ticket Free

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Stroller accessible
Near public transportation
Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate
Dress code: modest smart-casual; please ensure shoulders and knees are covered while visiting temples and Ghats.

Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if this is required (meals are at your own expense)
Moderate walking and stair/climb at Ghats required — comfortable walking shoes recommended
The duration of transfers are approximate, the exact duration will depend on the time of day and traffic conditions
Please note: The Archaeological Museum in Sarnath is closed on Fridays
During rainy season (July to September), Boat ride is subject to availability due to Ganges river overflow.
Pickup and drop-off from any hotel or railway station in Varanasi included; private air-conditioned vehicle for your group only.
This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate

Supplied by

Cancellation Policy

You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance of the experience for a full refund.

Traveler Photos

Gallery picture 1 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 2 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 3 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 4 (from a traveler's review)

Gallery picture 5 (from a traveler's review)

Reviews

4.4

based on 13 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Not worth for huge money charged Small India car arranged Tour guide services only good one . Never book again sorry

Jawahar_j, Aug 2018

Not worth for huge money charged small indica car arranged not standard and not comfortable . Tour guide Mr Jaideep services good . We did not call expect from viator from this bad experience. We stay on own in Brij Rama place and enjoy royal service but local sight seeing we trust you sorry we lost money and receive sub standard services

The Varanasi tour was fantastic...

Genevieve C, Dec 2017

The Varanasi tour was fantastic! Everything was very organized and timely. It's a long day; however I was very appreciative of the built in breaks. Our tour guide Nilesh was so great and didn't overlook a single detail during the day. I definitely recommend this tour!

This was the perfect way to discover...

lucien l, Jan 2017

This was the perfect way to discover the city in only one day! the boats rides in the morning time and in the evening were totally different...the same place but the fog and few peoples in the morning give us a mystic felling! In the evening , there were so many people, it was difficult to walk until the Ganges, but this is part of the experience: noises, people, temples, flowers, cows...When we arrive by boat at the cremation place, we cannot be indifferent, we almost feel the fervor floating in the air! More than i had expected... Our guide was perfect, he gave us a lot of informations...during 14h...the driver was very efficient ...it was a great exprience with both of them! Starting at 5:30 am and finishing at 800 pm , this was to much for my kids..9 and 16 years so our guide agree with us, and was very comprehensive and we let them at the hotel by 5:00pm. The best way to discover and feel the holy spirit of this city!!

This tour started with a very bad...

Janet_C, Nov 2016

This tour started with a very bad note. I had an email telling me I needed to have cash for the boat rides. After an email to Viator querying his, I had a reply, saying they had contacted the provider to confirm that the boat tides were included. There was no further communication until the tour provider turned up at the hotel to tell us we would be collected at 5.45am. The next morning at 5.20 our guide arrived. He had not been told of the time change. He also had been told we were providing the car and driver, so there was some uncertainty to begin. Eventually a car and driver arrived. Our guide, Shashank Basu, was wonderful. He rescued what could have been a complete disaster. He suggested some amendments to the proposed plan, but gave us the choice of going with the original plan. His suggestions were so much better than the original, and we had a wonderful day. He is a superb guide and I cannot recommend him highly enough. The tour provider needs to make serious changes with the organisation and communication aspects of the your. Well don't him for employing Shashank. He is an asset to your business.

The early morning sunrise on the...

MsSJ_K, Nov 2016

The early morning sunrise on the Ganges and the evening Aarti ceremony was just as enjoyable the second time around first visited in 2011. The only disappointing thing was that we were unable to visit the Golden Temple due to the very long queues as there was a festival happening at the time. These things can't be helped. A big thank you to our guide Anup who made the day special with his knowledge and great sense of humour.