Goudsbloemboottocht in Varanasi

I did the evening tour and it was the best decision to book a tour with Sonu, you get to see the ghats and the ceremony in a way that you wouldn’t be able to otherwise. Sonu is very knowledgeable and explained everything very well.

A beautiful and authentic experience with Sonu, our Indian guide. A very intelligent individual with excellent English and a deep knowledge of the culture, being a native of Varanasi. We enjoyed a moving rowboat ride at dawn (not a tourist motorboat!) accompanied by detailed explanations of every aspect. His valuable advice proved extremely useful to us. He is also the owner of the Marigold Guest House—a super comfortable property located just two minutes from the main ghats. Highly recommended!!

We are two Italian girls and we stay marigold guest house for two nights (that we absolutely suggest). We went with Sonu to boattour on sunrise. His boat, in contrast to other boats, is rowboat and it’s better not to pulloute. Also, this allowed us to cross the ghat slowly and he could explain the history of Varanasi and how the cremation works. We suggested this experience because it is amazing!!!!

We had the most fabulous early morning boat ride with Sonu. We received a detailed commentary as we were rowed along the Ganges admiring this sacred, ancient mother! The sun rose & we witnessed wonderful rituals & energy pulsing on & around the Ganges. It was a spiritual & emotional experience….I will never forget.

Incredible! Sonu is so knowledgeable and down to earth. I am generally wary of guided tours but I learned so much from him today and am so glad I went! His tour gave me a deeper understanding of Varanasi that you can only get from an authentic local who genuinely cares about the city, its sacredness, and his guests. And the recommendations he gave me on local spots to eat and other places to see I wouldn’t have found otherwise were absolutely fantastic - 10/10!

The morning boat trip started at 5:30 AM in a group of four tourists with a tea and some explanations about Varanasi, Ganges, Shiva, etc. We took then a rowing boat during sunrise and headed south to Harishchandra Ghat, crossed the river, stayed for some minutes in the other side to take some steps or take a bath in Ganges. Background informations and good insights were given by the guide during the ride. We went then north till Manikarnika Ghat before going nach to our staying point. It was a great ride with fantastic views on the temples, ghats and the overall riverside. I can definitely recommend this tour!

Amazing boat ride at sunrise with excellent guide! We chose the rowing boat to enjoy a more peaceful experience on the Ganges and so pleased we did. Much better than some of the overcrowded power boats we saw. Our guide was highly knowledgeable on all aspects of the sights we saw, rituals and the Hindu culture. Highly recommended and great value for money.

Great personalised experience.

Sonu is a fantastic guide and the boat ride was just fabulous.

Felt so lucky to experience this incredible sunrise tour on the Ganges, and would tell anyone visiting Varanasi that it's a must do. Sonu is a wonderful and exceptionally knowledgeable guide, and I *so* appreciated his choice to use a rowboat - made for a far more peaceful time on the water than had we been on several we saw with engines.