Tours/Varanasi/Private Full-Day Varanasi Tour with Boat Ride
Viator · Private tour

Private Full-Day Varanasi Tour with Boat Ride

4.9(93)Varanasi1 hour
VIATOR4.8(10)TRIPADVISOR5.0(83)

Description

Explore Varanasi on a private full-day tour that includes a sunrise boat ride on the Ganges River. Visit landmarks in and around Varanasi including Banaras Hindu University (BHU)'s Bharat Kala Bhavan museum, and Dhamekh Stupa in Sarnath — an important Buddhist site. Finally, watch the evening aarti ceremony .

Tour Options

Tour With Car and Guide Only
  • In This Option Included Car and Guide Only Pickup included
Tour With Lunch and Entry Fee
  • In This Option Lunch and Entry Fee included Pickup included

Itinerary

Pass by

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.

Admission not included60 min

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.

Admission not included60 min

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.

Pass by

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).

Pass by

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.

1 min

Durga Mandir, also known as Durga Kund Mandir and Durga Temple, is one of the most famous temples in the holy city of Varanasi. This temple has great religious importance in Hinduism and is dedicated to Durga. Durga Mandir was constructed in 18th century by Rani Bhabani of Natore

30 min

Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple is a Hindu temple in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, India and is dedicated to the Hindu God Hanuman, in his form as "Sankat Mochan," meaning the "reliever from trouble

Admission not included180 min

Sarnath is a place located 10 kilometres north-east of Varanasi near the confluence of the Ganges and the Varuna rivers in Uttar Pradesh, India. The deer park in Sarnath is where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence through the enlightenment of Kondanna.

60 min

At 5pm 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.

Highlights

Private transportation
Morning Boat Ride
Bottled water
Air-conditioned vehicle
Hotel Drop off
Local Guide
Hotel Pickup

What's included

Included
Private transportation
Morning Boat Ride
Bottled water
Air-conditioned vehicle
Hotel Drop off
Local Guide
Hotel Pickup
Not included
Lunch
Gratuities
Monument Fees

Pickup Locations & Times

The airport, railway station or your hotel in Varanasi. For airport pick-up, please provide arrival information during booking.

Traveller Ratings

4.9
93 reviews
5
87
4
6
3
0
2
0
1
0

Important Information

  • Suitable for all physical fitness levels

Reviews(93)

M
Mandy V
May 4, 2026
A full day in lovely Varanasi

Anmol was a great guide, he told us a lot and answered all of our questions, very nice. The ac car was very nice because it was very hot. He also brought us to a very nice café and lunch spot. We had a great day with Anmol and also with the very friendly driver Aman. Recommend this tour!

J
jakemI482MA
April 7, 2026
Guide review

I did a day tour with Shivam from Indian Journeys working as a tour guide and he did an amazing job showing me the highlights of Varanasi. His knowledge of the history and culture was impressive his ability to navigate the crowds was commendable. I highly recommend this tour and Shivam.

Operator response

Thanks for your review. Your review is very important for us. I hope we get recommendations. Thank you very much for choosing us.

I
I2712VCpieros
March 30, 2026
A day in Varanasi with Anmul

Anmul was a very kind and knowledgeable guide, we enjoyed touring varanasi with him who took us from place to place, also saving us a lot of time

Operator response

Thanks for your review. Your review is very important for us. I hope we get recommendations. Thank you very much for choosing us.

L
Luciano_P
March 13, 2026
Shiv was an amazing...

Shiv was an amazing guide! He was early to my hotel, walked with me in the city center, knew the answer to all my questions and on top of that also told me many stories of Hindu gods and the history of the city. I recommend this tour for anyone trying to see not the main attractions of the city but also the temples and interesting places around the city center.

Operator response

Thanks for your review. Your review is very important for us. I hope we get recommendations. Thank you very much for choosing us.

J
Journey39112720574
March 6, 2026
Travel to India

It was good that he spoke in Japanese The curry and biryani were good.

Operator response

Thanks for your review. Your review is very important for us. I hope we get recommendations. Thank you very much for choosing us.

J
johanneskK6078SW
March 2, 2026
Ganges Tour

Today together with Annmol made a day trip. He showed us many beautiful temples and explained us a lot about the background.

Operator response

Thanks for your review. Your review is very important for us. I hope we get recommendations. Thank you very much for choosing us.

G
Global18084598641
February 28, 2026
Excellent Varanasi experience

Fantastic tour from start to finish. Anmol very friendly and knowledgeable. We had a great day and would highly recommend. Sunrise boat tour and candle ceremony good start to day very peaceful and seeing ghats with beautiful morning light. The temples, university and everything in between. Ended day with the ganga aarti ceremony was a nice finish. Thank you Anmol and Amen for providing us an in depth day full of smiles and blessings.

Operator response

Thanks for your review. Your review is very important for us. I hope we get recommendations. Thank you very much for choosing us.

D
Danielle_G
February 20, 2026
Comfortable experience in Varanasi!

Anmol was a fantastic tour guide. He was flexible, kind and did a wonderful job showing us his city. We highly recommend. Book the tour with Anmol!

Operator response

Thanks for your review. Your review is very important for us. I hope we get recommendations. Thank you very much for choosing us.

T
Tour23996061568
February 10, 2026
Amazing day in Varanasi and Sarnath with Anmol

An amazing experience. In a single day, we visited many sacred sites and hidden gems with our guide, Anmol. He was incredibly kind and provided detailed explanations throughout the tour. Anmol really ensured we felt welcome at all times. He has a gift for making complex historical topics interesting and easy to grasp. It was a perfect day covering two major religious centers: Varanasi (Hinduism) and Sarnath (Buddhism). I really recommend this tour.

Operator response

Thanks for your review. Your review is very important for us. I hope we get recommendations. Thank you very much for choosing us.

1
160archanaw
February 1, 2026
Excellent guide in Varanasi

Anmol is gem in Varanasi. He is very informative and very enthusiastic about the tour. We came from US and he just got us very comfortable in Varanasi. He understands you and guides accordingly. I highly recommend him.

Operator response

Thanks for your review. Your review is very important for us. I hope we get recommendations. Thank you very much for choosing us.

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