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Benaras, a melting pot of ancient and contemporary ethos

An ideal 4 day trip itinerary for Benaras
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4D Benaras

Benaras woven with the waprs and whefts of culture and spirituality.

The ancient city beside the Ganges have stood witness to many stories unfolding along the ghats and alleys of Benaras or Varanasi. Popular among ancient silk traders, pilgrims, ascetics, artists, royalty and nobles, the uniqueness of Varanasi lies in the timeless charm it exudes. The sacred temples of Lord Vishwanath, Mata Annapurna and many other significant shrines have attracted pilgrims since ages. Even filmmaker Satyajit Ray admired the beautiful tapestry of ancient and modern weaves of the city as we see it in 'Aparajito' and 'Joy Baba Felunath'. The architechture of old havelis, long set of stairs on the ghats, Ganga arti, boating experience on the placid river and a melting pot of different cultural communities weave a magical ambience in Benaras. The weavers of Benaras also weave magic in silk fibres. Even today, travellers throng the weaver settlements around Shivpura, Lallapura, Kamachha, Banda naraini, Jaitpura for elegant silk sarees, katan sarees, stoles, dress materials, rugs etc. Benarasi bangles, paan masala, stone carved statues, brass ware, marble crockery sets are quite famous.

The mesh of innumerable serpentine 'gully' of Benaras have a sense of time standing still and are lined by some drool worthy, lip smacking street food stalls. Some stalls on Dasaswamedh ghat, Assi ghat, Godowlia chowk, Sankat mochan mandir, Thatheri gali, Gol ganj, Gopal mandir gali, Kachori gali are century old and serve some heavenly kachoris, chaat, pithi, chhena dahi vada, meethe gol gappe, choora matar, laaiya channa, bati chokha, heavily spiced milk tea, rabdi, thandai, lassi, rabdi-jalebi, desserts etc. Come winter and you would get the world famous seasonal delicacy of Benaras called Malaiyo. Then, finish them off with a mouthfull of Banarasi paan and you'll be on cloud nine!

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Pricing

• Price based on standard accommodation
2,850 pp exclusive tour
• Price based on deluxe accommodation
4,500 pp exclusive tour
• Price based on heritage property
10,500 pp exclusive tour
Let us help plan your holiday and make it perfect for you.

Highlights

  1. Morning rituals at Ganges. Walk along the Ghats, 'Gully' of Benaras. Have delicious and mouth-watering local delicacies. In the evening Ganga Aarti.

    When in Banaras, you start your trip with the 'Subah-e-Banaras' at Assi Ghat, the morning rituals at Ganges. After watching the enchanting sunrise, head towards Dashashwamedh Ghat. For breakfast, Kachori Gali is the place to be. Visit the Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Your day ends with the Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat.

    • Overnight at Benaras.

  2. Visit Shri Kashi Vishwanath, Maa Annapurna and Kaal Bhairav Mandir. Day trip to Sarnath and the Buddhist temples.

    Early morning prayers at Shri Kashi Vishwanath, Maa Annapurna and Kaal Bhairav Mandir. After breakfast, visit Sarnath, 10 km from Benaras. Explore Sarnath Museum, Thai, Chinese Temple, Japanese Temple. Go to Namo Ghat in evening. Head down to Assie Ghat to avail sunset boat tour down the river Ganges to see the Dashashwamedh Ghat Arti.

    • Overnight at Benaras.

  3. Discover the hidden gems of Benaras.

    Explore the historical landmarks of Benaras, starting with Ramnagar Fort. Head towards Banaras Hindu University. Try famous Pahalwan Lassi. Explore the streets of Kashi. Visit Shri Tulsi Manas and Bharat Mata Temple. Explore the back streets of Benaras. Spend time with the weavers of Benaras. Stop by popular Kashi Chat Bhandar.

    • Overnight at Benaras.

  4. Sunrise Boat Tour. Depart from Benaras.

    Last day of this Benaras itinerary will see you going on a beautiful sunrise boat tour along the river Ganges.

    • On the way to home town.

Day 1

Start your day early and head Assi Ghat, the southernmost ghat of Benaras, and watch the morning Ganga Aarti, 'Subah-e-Banaras' (05:00 - 10:00 AM), a Hindu ritual of worshiping the river goddess. 'Subah-e-Banaras' is a daily ritual performed on the bank of Ganga at the break of the day. The ritual takes 2 hours to complete and is carried out like an event.
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Day 2

Head down to Shri Kashi Vishwanath and Maa Annapurna Mandir in the morning, to offer your prayers which begins around 4:00 am. Visit Gate no. 04 between 4:00-4:30 am. Depending of your stay, you may also enter from Gate no. 02, whichever is nearer to your hotel. Then you can visit Kaal Bhairav Mandir, it is a shrine dedicated to Kaal Bhairav, which is a fierce form of Lord Shiva. This temple is an important spiritual site for Hindus where worshippers come to seek blessings and protection. There is no entrance fee to enter the Mandirs and also Pandas are not allowed. After breakfast, take a taxi or a bus to Sarnath, a town about 10 km from Benaras. Visit the Sarnath Museum, where you can see artefacts and sculptures from the ancient Buddhist monasteries and stupas that once flourished in Sarnath. Do a round of various Buddhist temples that are built by different countries, such as the Thai Temple, the Chinese Temple, the Japanese Temple, and Wat Thai Sarnath Temple, which has an 80-feet Buddha statue. Return to Benaras and visit the Sarangnath Mahadev Temple.
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Day 3

After experiencing the spiritual vibe, today you explore some of the historical landmarks of Benaras starting with Ramnagar Fort. The fort stands on the eastern bank of Ganga. This has been converted into a museum where you get to enjoy an exquisite collection of scriptures, royal customs, vintage cars and many more. End your trip with a visit to Chunar Fort, located 40 km from Varanasi, on the banks of the Ganges. It is one of the oldest forts in India and has a history of being ruled by different dynasties, such as the Mughals, the Nawabs, and the British.
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Day 4

Head down to the banks of Assi Ghat just before sunrise where you will find plenty of boats and ferries looking for customers. Your Benaras trip will be incomplete with taking a ferry ride on Ganga. You get to see the variety of activities that take place on the banks of the river, famous sacred sites at each of the ghats, and the skyline of the city. Depart from Benaras with memories of a spiritual and cultural journey.
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The Finer Detail

Inclusions

Exclusions

Discovering the divine in every detail.

Tag:
benaras
varanasi
kashi
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