From Varansi: Day Tour to Sarnath with Boating and Ganga Aarti
Description
Explore the spiritual and pious city of Sarnath, the place where Buddha gave his first sermon and one which remains as one of the four key sites of the Buddhist circuit. Explore Varanasi with a boat ride on the Ganges and a heritage walk of the oldest part of the city! Witness the Ganga Aarti, one of the most magical experiences (where the fire is used as an offering by the priests) of the city.
Tour Options
Itinerary
Explore Varanasi, one of the oldest cities in the world along with Sarnath, the land of Buddha in this day tour which will acquaint you to this land in its absolute raw form! Your tour will begin with your guide picking you up from your hotel at around 1:00 PM in the day with your first stop at Sarnath. The land where Buddhism flows in its air, this place holds a lot of history and culture to offer. Standing as one of the four key places on the Buddha circuit, the place attracts travelers and pilgrims from around the world! Visit the different temples like the Tibetan, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and Thai along with exploring the deer park (the exact place where Buddha gave his first sermon). Visit the Stupas and the most ancient monastery as your guide equips you with all the history.
Once you are done here, make your way back to Varanasi, where you will start exploring this mystical city with a boat ride at the Ganges! Immerse in the cool breeze of the holy Ganges and witness the many colorful ghats (stone step embankment) as your guide tells you the importance of all. Post this, get ready to navigate through the narrow alleys of the oldest part of Varanasi, as you go on a Heritage walk in the oldest part of Varanasi in an exclusive Heritage Walk. Feel like a true local as you get acquainted with the culture and heritage of the locals in this part. Your guide will tell you about all the important features and you will also halt to see the Golden Temple (the most important temple for Hindus in Varanasi)
Upon ending this, make your way to one of the ghats for the evening Ganga Aarti. One of the most magical experiences attracting travelers from world-wide, it’s a ritual where priests use fire in the form of oil lamps to seek blessings from mother Ganges. Following this magical experience, we will call it a day with a scrumptious dinner at a multi-cuisine Indian restaurant where you will get the best food that India is known for! Post
Highlights
What's included
Pickup Locations & Times
We pick up from any hotel in Varanasi.
Traveller Ratings
Important Information
- Public transportation options are available nearby
- Not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries
- Not recommended for pregnant travelers
- Not recommended for travelers with poor cardiovascular health
- Travelers should have at least a moderate level of physical fitness
Reviews(8)
Sarnath is the place that Buddha gave his first sermon after attaining enlightenment. @Anup Kumar, our guide, was informative and helpful. The archeological site around the Dhamek Stupa was so accessible; we could walk all around it imaging life there over 1500 hundred years ago. Don’t miss the museum, it houses a very special statute of Buddha. Onwards to Varanasi; unfortunately the traffic was horrendous and we arrived for the boat ride in the dark. Anup managed to arrange a boat just for the 2 of us. We got close to the Ghats and the cremation sites where we could see the glowing fires and billowing smoke. Once back on the waterside, we made our way to Dashashwamedh Ghat to watch the Ganga Aarti. Anup showed us a spot to the side of spectacle with a great view but without being trampled on. It was fun to be with the locals rather than sit on the posher tourist boats facing the Aarti. It was magical with the rituals, music, smoke and dance. We had a wonderful day and night. Thank you @ Anup Kumar!
Thank you so much for your excellent review and for choosing Go City Adventures! 🌟 We're thrilled to hear you had a memorable experience exploring with us. At Go City Adventures, we take pride in crafting immersive, locally-led tours that showcase the heart and soul of each destination. Whether you're discovering hidden gems, savoring authentic cuisine, or connecting with passionate guides, our goal is to make every moment unforgettable. Your kind words inspire our team to keep delivering top-rated city tours that are fun, insightful, and hassle-free. If you're planning your next adventure, we’d love to welcome you back—whether it’s a walking tour, food experience, or cultural deep dive. Thanks again for being part of the Go City Adventures journey. Safe travels and see you on your next city escape!
A very excellent experience by Mr Hemant Shrivastav, explained everything clearly and in detail. Thank you for the wonderful tour.
Dear Guest, It was a pleasure to have you on one of our tours. We at Go City Adventures are working constantly to deliver the best of experiences to our guests and are glad to know that you've enjoyed the tour with us. We hope to see you soon again on your next trip with us. Best Regards
Very nice and informative tour guide and we got really close to the things we wanted to see. Sailing on the river Ganged and then walk through old town was unforgettable.
Dear Guest, It was a pleasure to have you on one of our tours. We at Go City Adventures are working constantly to deliver the best of experiences to our guests and are glad to know that you've enjoyed the tour with us. We hope to see you soon again on your next trip with us. Best Regards
We booked a tour on Get your guide for 72 euros per person and only the tour to Varanasi was included, while for this price we should have had more. Fresh water was included but we had to buy it ourselves at our expense and with 40 degrees it would have been nice to have it immediately available. Our guide changed 5 tuk tuks to save on the price, despite the high cost paid. He left us alone during the ceremony. The Aarti ceremony and the boat ride are in themselves very beautiful but booking at the hotel would have cost us 20 euros per person. I suggest you go directly to your hotel to get an honest price.
Dear Guest, Kindly accept our sincere apologies that you had a bad experience with one of our activities. You are requested to kindly share your experience in detail with us along with your booking ID so that we can investigate the issue and speak with all stakeholders in order to make sure these types of things do not get repeated in the future. Our Email ID is "support@gocityadventures.com"
The trip was amazing and very intensive. The guide Amit Kushwaha was very knowledgable and caring. Highly reccommend!
Dear Guest, It was a pleasure to have you on one of our tours. We at Go City Adventures are working constantly to deliver the best of experiences to our guests and are glad to know that you've enjoyed the tour with us. We hope to see you soon again on your next trip with us. Best Regards, Founder
Our guide Amit took us on a very relaxed cruise on the river Ganges at dawn. Afterward we witnessed the Ganga Aarti. A very touching and spritual experience!
Dear Guest, It was a pleasure to have you on one of our tours. We at Go City Adventures are working constantly to deliver the best of experiences to our guests and are glad to know that you've enjoyed the tour with us. We hope to see you soon again on your next trip with us. Best Regards, Founder
Excellent and well organized tour of the top religious sites as well as the river boat, all in all, amazing experience for anyone with an open mind to seeing different cultures and religions
Hi Mam, Thanks for the review and we are happy to know that you've enjoyed your tour with us. Thanks Suraj
Our walks and boat rides with Go City Adventures provided a memorable and delicious introduction to one of the most revered cities in the world. Our guide Bhavna was punctual, energetic, meticulous and cheerful. While we enjoyed the sunrise over the Ganges, she shared the history of the city and Hindu mythology, which helped us make sense of a lifestyle so different from ours. And what a pleasure to discover the cuisines of Varanasi by tasting delicious snacks in stalls hidden on the rails of the old town. Bhavna loves her city and it shows!
Dear Sir/Madam, Thank you very much for choosing to travel with Go City Adventures! We really appreciate your kind words and thank you for rating us excellent on Tripadvisor. We hope to see you again on a new adventure with us again in the near future. Best Regards, Suraj
