All-Inclusive Private Varanasi City Tour with Ganges Boat Ride
Description
Experience the very best of Varanasi on this all-inclusive private city tour, featuring a comfortable private vehicle, expert local guide, and all entrance fees included for a seamless day of exploration. Start with a peaceful sunrise boat ride on the Ganges as the ghats come alive with rituals, chants and traditional morning prayers. Explore the newly restored Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, wander through atmospheric Old City lanes, and discover the sacred Buddhist site of Sarnath, where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon. Enjoy a lavish 5-star buffet lunch, followed by time to experience Varanasi’s vibrant culture, ancient temples, riverside traditions and spiritual rhythms. In the evening, witness the mesmerizing Ganga Aarti ceremony from your boat — a moving display of fire, music and devotion that becomes the highlight of many travelers’ journeys. Bottled water is provided throughout for your comfort, ensuring a smooth, enriching and unforgettable Varanasi experience.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Your private tour guide pick you at 5.30 am from your hotel in Varanasi. Begin your journey comfortably in a private air-conditioned car. Enjoy a peaceful boat ride at sunrise along the Ganges, where you’ll see: Historic Ghats, Daily rituals & ceremonies, Holy bathers, Riverfront architecture, Beautiful photo-worthy scenes. This is often the highlight of the tour.
Visit the iconic Kashi Vishwanath Temple complex and walk through the impressive new corridor connecting the temple to the Ganga ghats. Your guide explains the temple’s history, significance, and rituals. Later drive back to your hotel for breakfast.
Post breakfast Visit one of Asia’s largest universities and see the modern replica of the Kashi Vishwanath Temple.
Bharat Mata Temple – A Unique Tribute to Mother India, dedicated not to a deity but to Mother India. Built in 1936, the temple houses a remarkable relief map of India carved in marble, showing the country’s mountains, rivers and geography in perfect scale.
Shopping in Varanasi (Optional, No Obligation to Buy), Enjoy an optional visit to Varanasi’s traditional craft shops, known for Banarasi silk, hand-woven textiles, wooden carvings and local handicrafts. Your guide will take you to reputable artisan workshops where you can see the craftsmanship up close. This stop is purely optional, and there is absolutely no pressure or obligation to purchase anything.
Relish a lavish multi-cuisine buffet lunch at one of Varanasi premium 5★ restaurant. Enjoy authentic local and international flavors in a royal ambiance.
Travel to Sarnath — where Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon. See: Dhamek Stupa, Mulagandha Kuti Vihar, Deer Park, Buddhist temples from around the world, Archaeological Museum (closed Fridays) Sarnath offers serenity and a deep contrast to the city’s lively Ghats.
Evening witness the Ganga Aarti ceremony. The Aarti Ceremony is a devotional Hindu ritual performed at dusk on the banks of the Ganges, using fire as an offering to, the affectionately referenced, Maa Ganga, goddess of the holiest river in India. Your tour ends with a return to your hotel or other desired location in Varanasi.
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
Your Hotel in Varanasi, Varanasi Airport, Railway Station, River Cruise Port or other desired location in Varanasi.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
- Suitable for all physical fitness levels
- 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.
Reviews(13)
We enjoyed a boat trip on the Ganges River in the morning. Afterward, we visited the BHU campus and learned about the history and significance of the school. Last but not least, we watched the Ganga Aarti in the evening.
Dear Guest, Your glowing 5-star review means the world to us! Thank you for trusting PCTI with your travels. Our promise has always been to deliver journeys that feel as seamless as they are unforgettable, and we are thrilled that you felt the difference. We look forward to welcoming you back on another Red Carpet journey soon. Best Regards, Shakul Garg Mobile / WhatsApp: +91 9837118670 (Red Carpet Services Since 1998)
Filip our guide foe the day. Was absolutely brilliant. He was really informative and clearly explained things to us about our tour. My parents were with us and he took time to make sure they were both safe and that we were not doing the journey too quickly. The tour itself is a very early start at 5.15am but so worth it. A journey on the Ganges by boat with Dilip explaining all the ghats. We then stopped back at the hotel for breakfast before round 2. The evening was the absolute highlight. Dilip was mindful that my mom was struggling so suggested a change to make her life easier. This turned out to be the highlight of the whole day. We cannot thank Dilip enough for looking after us. Bid you get the chance go on this tour and if you get Dilip you are even luckier.
Dear Guest, Warm greetings from PCTI and thank you for sharing with us and Viator/TripAdvisor community how much you enjoyed your tour with our services. Your positive feedback is a great source of motivation for us all, as we try to achieve even higher standards of service and care. We are extremely delighted to have you as an “ambassador” for PCTI and look forward to welcoming you back. Shakul Garg Call / Whats-app: +91 9837118670
Brilliant day - don’t hesitate to book this tour! Big thanks to our driver for a comfortable ride to the amazing sights we encountered and to Dilip, our guide, who ensured we had the perfect day and an understanding of everything we encountered ( no idea how he retains all that knowledge). Varanasi is a special place and this tour is highly recommended.
Dear Guest, Warm greetings from PCTI and thank you for sharing with us and Viator/TripAdvisor community how much you enjoyed your tour with our services. Your positive feedback is a great source of motivation for us all, as we try to achieve even higher standards of service and care. We are extremely delighted to have you as an “ambassador” for PCTI and look forward to welcoming you back. Shakul Garg Call / Whats-app: +91 9837118670
A great way to start our stay in Varanasi with this Sunrise to Sunset tour. Our guide for the day was Dilip Singh and we must say he is fantastic. He gave us a great introduction to the city and his knowledge and enthusiasm on its history is incredible. He also shares great stories! It is a full day tour with many highlights throughout the day from the sunrise boat ride to ending with an evening Aarti ceremony. An incredible experience. Thank you Dilip. And for the restaurant recommendation, we enjoyed it and the view!
Dear Guest, Warm greetings from PCTI and thank you for sharing with us and Viator/TripAdvisor community how much you enjoyed your tour with our services. Your positive feedback is a great source of motivation for us all, as we try to achieve even higher standards of service and care. We are extremely delighted to have you as an “ambassador” for PCTI and look forward to welcoming you back. Shakul Garg Call / Whats-app: +91 9837118670
This trip to Varanasi was amazing.My tour guide and his driver were very friendly, Organized and Punctual. I enjoyed the whole trip , it was very interesting to see the sunset and the cremation traditions . I highly recommend this company to anyone who is visiting Varanasi !!
Dear Marcela, Warm greetings from PCTI and thank you for sharing with us and the TripAdvisor community how much you enjoyed your trip with our services. Your feedback is very important to us and encourage us to improvise further in order to provide excellent travel services to our future clients. We wish you lots of luck and happiness and look forward to work with you on your next trip to India. Best of health and good vibrations as well to you my friend and your family. Shakul Garg Call / Whats-app: +91 9837118670
The trip started off on a super high note with the morning chants of Om Namah Shivaya and a beautiful sunrise at the Ganges, with the sun rising, hundreds of sea gulls flying all around and meditating in the middle of Ganges was surreal and divine. Followed by a great tour around Saranth and the city of Banaras. The best part of the entire tour was the guide - Mr. Saurabh Shukla who was so knowledgeable on the city and its rich history. He would chant the mantras and the dohas with equal authority and would narrate the stories of each of the temples & monuments we visited with utmost clarity. The driver too - Mr. Guddu was very humble and kind. We altered the tour slightly to include some of the places that we wanted to visit and they were kind enough to accommodate these changes. All in all, it was a very well conducted tour and hassle free.
Dear Deepa Warm greetings from PCTI and thank you for sharing with us and the TripAdvisor community how much you enjoyed your trip with our services. Your feedback is very important to us and encourage us to improvise further in order to provide excellent travel services to our future clients. We wish you lots of luck and happiness and look forward to work with you on your next trip to India. Best of health and good vibrations as well to you my friend and your family. Shakul Garg Call / Whats-app: +91 9837118670
I visited Varanasi with my boyfriend and we had a full day tour with Mr. Amed in Varanasi who was extremely knowledgeable and overall a very smart guy who understood what we wanted and accommodated our needs (for example, not visiting any stores as we were tried of that after a week in India). I highly recommend this tour, it was a highlight of our trip!
Dear Kate, I thank you very much for sharing your wonderful experience you had during your "Private Full-Day Varanasi Tour with Ganges River Boat Cruise" and recommending our company. Iam glad to know that you enjoyed your tour and we succeeded in providing you a memorable travel experience. Your feedback is very important to us and encourage us to improvise more and more in order to provide excellent travel services to our future clients. We wish you lots of luck and happiness and look forward to work with you on your next trip to India. Best of health and good vibrations to you and your family. Shakul Garg Call / Whats-app: +91 9837118670
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
First of all, I would like to say that my guide and driver were very kind. The guide in particular was very friendly and well-informed, and we got on very well together. However, I think the tour was severely overpriced for what was offered. At the very least breakfast, lunch and entry fees should have been included in the price. Also, Varanasi seems to have very few sites of interest apart from the ghats. For me, as a Buddhist, Sarnath was the main place of interest. It should be noted that the tour itinerary could be independently arranged at a small fraction of the price of this tour!
<p>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!</p>
