Immerse yourself in Varanasi's essence. 2 Days Tour

Recommended by 97% of travelers

Badge of Excellence

Varanasi, India

2 days (approx.)
Pickup offered
Mobile ticket
Offered in: English

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Overview

What's Included

Boat ride
Whenever you need a break, we can enjoy a chai, a lassi or a mineral water
Local transportation

Meeting and Pickup

You can head directly to the meeting point, or request pickup

Pickup points

Select a pickup point

Pickup details

"by phone call or message"

Meeting point

Kashi Chat Bhandar
D, 37/49, Godowlia Rd, Harha, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221001, India
"by phone call or message"

End point

This activity ends back at the meeting point.

Operating hours
.9:30 am

Itinerary

Day 1

Insights Northern part of Kashi

3 Stops

Manikarnika Ghat

3 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Meer Ghat

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Dasaswamedh Ghat

1 hour 30 minutes • Admission Ticket Included

Accommodation: Not included

Meals: Not included

Day 2

Insights Southern part of Kashi

3 Stops

Dasaswamedh Ghat

2 hours • Admission Ticket Included

Banaras Ghats

3 hours • Admission Ticket Not Included

Dashashwamedh Ghat

1 hour • Admission Ticket Included

Accommodation: Not included

Meals: Not included

Additional Info

Confirmation will be received at time of booking
Not wheelchair accessible
Near public transportation

Infants must sit on laps
Most travelers can participate
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

4.8

based on 30 reviews

Total reviews and rating from Viator & Tripadvisor

We perform checks on reviews

Rahul tour recommended

John_H, Jan 2026

Thoroughly recommend. Raul is an excellent tour guide and his spoken English is good and he is easy to understand. Rahul is keen to please and offers to tailor the tour to ensure the items of interest to you are covered in addition to the obvious sites he makes alternative suggestions and recommendations. I found Rahul to be very polite, knowledgeable, full of energy, accommodating of rest stops and under his guidance when and when not to photograph and he took me to authentic Indian restaurants for lunch where the food was great and . Twice he got me a front row position at the gangarati to watch the priests worship with fire, water and…….. priceless. Varanasi is a very busy city and the old town is a rabbit warren of narrow streets; Rahul knows his way around always having interesting places to visit. I thoroughly recommend this tour but would advise you to discuss with Rahul the transport options; there can be a lot of walking and if you are able, riding pillion on his motorbike is a better option than an Auto/Tuk-Tuk as he can get the bike into the old town where Auto/TukTuk cannot reach. We stumbled upon an excellent local Artisan coffee house which, if flat whites are your thing, you must go!

Response from Host, Jan 2026

Thank you so much, dear John, for your review and kind words. It was a pleasure to be your guide and friend during your stay in Varanasi. I truly enjoy spending time with people like you and showing you my beloved city as only a local can. I love sharing every corner, our customs, our rituals, our traditions, our cuisine, and our history with everyone who comes to Kashi eager to experience this holy city authentically. The tours I offer are private and exclusive, different, varied, adaptable, and unique in Varanasi; no one else offers the kind of service I provide to travelers. I love my city and my work, and it makes me happy to know that this comes through in my communication and sharing. I hope I've managed to make you feel a little of that love for this corner of India, and that a piece of your heart has stayed here, bringing you back soon. Namastè

A very disappointing experience in Varanasi

Roberto_F, Sep 2024

I must be cursed, judging from the other reviews here, because I had a complete letdown. The tour began at the hotel reception where I met Rahul Cristoforo, who appeared unwell and was not dressed professionally. He informed me he couldn't guide due to health issues but had arranged for his uncle 'Guru' to take his place. Rahul assured me Guru's English was excellent and his knowledge was on par with his own. Trusting the other reviews, I decided to give it a chance. Sadly, Guru's English was very poor, making communication difficult. He led me through the old city's maze-like streets, stopping constantly to point out unremarkable things like broken stones or dilapidated buildings. Despite my lack of interest, he insisted on visiting his 'aroma therapy' shop and kept misleading me about how close we were, leading us through increasingly crowded streets. He wasn't attentive and I even lost him a couple of times due to his fast pace. I missed out on understanding the spiritual significance of Varanasi due to the language barrier. Additionally, Guru was haggling over every rupee for tuk-tuks, because the 'local transportation' was included in the tour price and he wanted to save some money, but we wasted a lot of time. To his credit, he navigated the city's labyrinthine streets well, and I did see some hidden corners, though they felt sketchy and unsafe at times. I had to cut the tour short as I wasn't comfortable. The next day, I booked a different tour with a professional guide through my hotel, and it was a night-and-day difference. While I believe the people running this tour are good human beings trying to make a living, the entire operation lacks the professionalism and quality one would expect given the price and reviews. For what I paid (~$180), this tour was a complete scam and I'll be requesting a refund. I've been to 45 countries and taken many guided tours and I always try to be understanding while traveling, so I'm very sorry to write this negative review. But I hope this feedback helps other travelers and the organizers, too.

Response from Host, Sep 2024

Dear Roberto, I am very sorry to have to read that the tour was not to your liking and that you have given our service a poor rating. Given your criticisms, I feel obliged to clarify some points in which you are not being honest. I hope that after my explanations how things really happened, it is clear to whoever reads your review that at no time was our service bad or unprofessional and that at all times you seemed satisfied with the service: On the first of September I arrived at the hotel before the start time of the tour, well dressed in my work uniform, and I informed you that I was feeling sick so I deferred the guide services to Guru Pintu, a good guide with many years of experience and good English. You can read good reviews from satisfied customers about his services on Viator, on Google and Tripadvisor.The tour started at 9:30 a.m and you took the route that is described in the itinerary of the 2-day tour that you booked. You visited the old city that morning, it is an old area of the city with about 3000 years of history and it is full of old buildings and there are some ruins, yes, as usually happens in places with these characteristics, and also narrow and labyrinthine alleys in which it is easy get lost due to its characteristics and the coming and going of pilgrims and locals. You also visited the crematorium, some palaces, the mosque, some temples, the flower market, etc and the main ghats on the banks of the Ganga river too. At 2 p.m you decided to return to the hotel to rest because, you told us, you were not feeling well and although a tour was booked for the afternoon and evening, you canceled it. The next day very early in the morning, Pintu Guru picked you up at the hotel for the Sunrise boat tour, at this time of year the boat trips are not usually done due to the flooding of the river but we offered it to you (because it was on our itinerary and we like to make happy our clients) and you had it and you also attended the Morning Ganga Aarti. After going to rest at the hotel, I picked you up myself at 11 a.m in the morning and accompanied you until 3p.m We did the City tour together in which we visited the main temples of the city. At 3 o'clock I pick you back at your hotel because you told me that at 4 o'clock you should check out. At all times, during the 2 days of the tour, you were happy with the service, you didn't make any complaints, and even gave both of us a good tip at the end of the tour. And at this point it is very difficult for me to understand why you make this bad review now and even ask for part of your money back and you didn't do any complain during 2 days tour in front of us. Maybe you are very interested in saving a few euros without taking into account the damage you cause to my business by telling half-truths in your review. I wish that God provides you with a lot of money, inner peace and you find happiness. Namastè

Amazing tour!

Maricruz_D, Feb 2024

Rahul was amazing and I highly recommend the tour to everyone. I was a solo female traveler and he made sure I felt safe and comfortable the whole time. I truly felt like I got to see the real Varanasi, not just the tourist spots. Rahul is very knowledgeable and did an amazing job at explaining everything as we went along so I got to really understand the culture and religion.

Response from Host, Feb 2024

Thank you very much Mari Cruz for your review and kind words. Sometimes India can be a challenge, especially for women traveling alone, so it is always my priority that you feel safe and comfortable at all times, in the company of a good friend and part of my family. And making your experience in Varanasi excellent, unforgettable and unique is my second priority. Kashi is a vibrant and bustling city that has a lot to offer its visitors: spirituality, culture, history, architecture, tradition, gastronomy,... And hundreds of corners full of beauty to photograph or simply enjoy at a leisurely pace but reach seeing everything is best done in the company of a good local guide because many of the most beautiful places do not appear in the guides and it is easy for non-locals to get lost in the narrow alleys of the old town. Thank you very much María for your trust and the time shared. Hope to see you again soon. Namastè,