Away With The Steiners

Plan the ultimate 2-Day Varanasi Itinerary: Everything you need to know. 

Sarah Steiner

Looking for the ultimate 2-day Varanasi itinerary?  We have got your Varanasi visit covered with all the best things to see and do in Varanasi in two days.  

And spoiler alert; 2 days in Varanasi is perfect. 

Here is everything you need to know to help plan your time in this sacred city.  From choosing whether to go with a guide or take a day tour, to tips where to eat and how to find some cool and lesser-known sights that you don’t want to leave without seeing. 

These are our unanimous recommendations for the best 2-Day Varanasi itinerary. 

About Varanasi 

The city of Varanasi (also known as Banaras or Benares) is one of the most fascinating cities to visit in India.  It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and one of the holiest sites for Hindus.   

Varanasi most famous for the public, open-air cremations that take place around the clock on the Ghats lining the riverfront. 

For Hindus, it is believed that anyone who dies in Varanasi attains instant Moksha, or enlightenment.  And so, widows and elderly Hindus come to Varanasi to live out their final days, assisted by donations and offerings from devotees, dreaming to die and be cremated in the holy city.  

As a visitor, there is an all-consuming proximity of death.  It isn’t all pretty.  Some is eery and justly unfathomable as a stranger.  

But the atmosphere in Varanasi is incredible to experience in person.  

What is it like visiting Varanasi? Honestly?

Varanasi was only the second city we ever visited in India and boy was it a shock to the system.  It is unashamedly a huge culture shock arriving to Varanasi.  We thought we’d seen busy in New Delhi but arriving to the back streets of this holy city overcrowded with domestic pilgrims was a whole different level of bustle.  

It can be overwhelming.

Now, after visiting Varanasi many times in the last few years at different times of the year we have also come to realise that unlike some of the larger but modern megacities – like New Delhi – or the tourist specific destinations – like Jaipur – Varanasi is not the cleanest of destinations in India.  (Sorry, Varanasi).

It is always touted as one of the best destinations to visit in India. And it absolutely is. But there is a level of mental and emotional culture shock that makes it so unlike anywhere else in the subcontinent.

Visiting Varanasi on 2 day itinerary.
There are crowds and more crowds in Varanasi.

How long do you need? Is a 2-day Varanasi itinerary enough? 

We reckon 2-3 days in Varanasi, counting arrival on the first day, is ideal.  It is a busy city with domestic tourism and crowds of Hindu pilgrims.  Foreign tourists make up only a small portion of the crowds that flock here, and it can be overwhelming at times.  

With the crowds and overwhelm of general chaos sensory overload, we think 2-days in Varanasi is sufficient.  With 2-days a Varanasi itinerary can cover the best of the city without being too much. 

When is the best time to visit? 

The summer from May and June can be unbearably hot and the rainy season in July and August is notourisly wet with rainfall from the monsoon season.  

The best time to visit Varanasi is during the cooler months, typically from October to March when the temperature is pleasant and the chance of rain is much less.

Do you recommend a guide or tour in Varanasi? 

We say, yes.  Most of the things to do in Varanasi can be explored independently. But it truly is a city with such depth of culture, religion and history that it just makes more sense with a guide.  

We’ve been many times to Varanasi now but still each time we spend the first day on a walking tour with Ravi.  

We highly recommend Ravi Gaur.  He is a registered guide and a born and raised local in Varanasi with an incredible passion for his city and culture. 

Give Ravi a message on WhatsApp with your proposed dates for Varanasi and he can arrange a pick-up from the airport or train station.

Gavin with tour guide Ravi on a sunset boat ride on the River Ganges.

Summary – 2-Day Varanasi Itinerary  

First up here is a summary of what to see with 2 days in Varanasi. 

DAY 1 – Varanasi

DAY 2 – Varanasi

This is a busy 2-day Varanasi itinerary, but you can easily slow it down by changing it up to see the evening Aarti ceremony – the most famous of things to see in Varanasi – on the first evening and allowing a slower pace of taking it all in on the second day. 

But for now, let’s assume that on Day 1 of this 2-Day Varanasi itinerary you have arrived sometime during the afternoon and made your way to your accommodation in Varanasi.  

Detailed 2-Day Varanasi Itinerary 

Here is the complete Varanasi itinerary with details for each day, sites and stops to see.

DAY 1 – 2-Day Varanasi Itinerary 

Stop 1 – Sunrise boat ride on the River Ganges

Before dawn, take a boat ride along the river and see the sunrise over the city.  This is a magical time of day to officially start your Varanasi itinerary.  The city wakes up early and the river comes alive with devotees performing their morning ablutions and prayer rituals in the water and on the Ghats. 

The river has an unlikely tranquility amidst the chaos of being India’s most sacred city for Hindus.

Stop 2 – Breakfast 

Return to your accommodation for a relaxed breakfast.  If you haven’t yet tried the breakfast Aloo Paratha with a local chutney, this is a great place to do it. 

Stop 3 – River walk along the Ghats 

In Varanasi, there are more than 80 Ghats along the River Ganges.  The ghats are the points along the river where there are a set of stairs.  Most are used for bathing but there are also several ‘burning ghats’ where bodies are cremated in public.  

You can walk most of the way along the river along the ghats.   Be mindful at the burning ghats you cannot pass close to the cremations.  These happen 24/7 and you will often see funeral processions threading through the narrow back streets heading towards the main burning ghat. 

A walk along the ghats is the ultimate – and most eye-opening –  ‘people watching’ place in Varanasi. 

The steps of the popular Assi Ghat in the evening.

Stop 4 – Kashi Vishwanath Temple 

This is the most famous temple in Varanasi and is widely recognised as one of the most important places of worship in the Hindu religion.  It is dedicated to Shiva as the Hindu lord of the universe.  

For devotees, a visit to Vishwanath Temple and a bath in the river Ganges is believed to grant liberation from the cycle of birth and death and visiting is considered a way to attain spiritual enlightenment. 

We heard mixed things about visiting as non-Hindu.  However, it is possible to enter the complex.  There is strict security screening with a bag check and lockers to deposit any electronic items (including cameras).  

Stop 5 – Lunch at Mona Lisa Café 

Head to Mona Lisa Café for lunch on Day 1 of your Varanasi itinerary.  This is a small but popular café in the back streets always filled with foreign tourists. 

Stop 6 – Evening Ganga Aarti 

Witnessing the Ganga Aarti is one of the highlights of Varanasi as a visitor.  It is a spiritual ritual held every evening, where devotees gather to offer prayers to the river Ganges with a mesmerizing display of lights and incense.

The evening Ganga Aarti ceremony being prepared.
Oil lamps and offerings to the River Ganges at the Assi Ghat evening Ganga Aarti.

DAY 2 – 2-Day Varanasi Itinerary 

Stop 1 – Morning Aarti at Assi Ghat 

This is an amazing early morning spiritual ceremony performed every morning at Assi Ghat. 

The dawn ceremony was originally only performed at Assi Ghat, but there are now some smaller morning Aarti ceremonies at other ghats along the river too. 

The morning ceremony is performed similarly to the evening Aarti with lamps lit with burning oils, candles and incense.  Though there is a different feel in the morning with the lightening sky and mist above the Ganges.  

After the morning prayer ritual devotees stay for yoga on the Ghat.  

Fewer people attend the morning Aarti, so you can get a close look at the rituals.  It is a wide, open space that can fit a lot of people and is much less crowded.  

If you are an early riser, this is one of the less crowded and peaceful, spiritual things to do in Varanasi.  The morning Aarti starts early – before sunrise – and lasts only around 20 minutes. 

Post-Aarti yoga on Assi Ghat.

Stop 2 – Explore the back streets of Varanasi 

All over India it is an addition to any itinerary to make time to just wander and take in the smaller, back streets of each destination.  Varanasi is perfect for this.  If you have already covered most of the Ghats on the first day of your Varanasi itinerary, today it’s time to follow the back streets away from the river. 

There are lots of narrow laneways creating an ominously confusing labyrinth.  But it is worth surrendering to the mystery of wandering and observing life exactly as it is in this sacred city.  

There is a busy market in Vishwanath Gali, one of the famous markets in Varanasi.  The marketplace spills out from a central Chowk (square) into the narrow surrounding lanes selling everything from religious offerings and garlands to tourist souvenirs, bangles, dupattas, and sarees.  

You will see endless stalls selling empty bottles for pilgrims to carry water from the Ganges home with them to share with their loved ones.  And there are countless hole-in-the-wall type shops and nooks selling street food and snacks along the way. 

Dried figs and Namkeen (snacks) in the back alleys.
Chilis, spices and nuts in the market.
Narrow laneways somewhere leading through towards the river Ganges.

Stop 3 – Kolkar Kund

Head next towards Tulsi Ghat for the following two stops on your Varanasi itinerary.  Lolark Kund is a historic stepwell and is one of the oldest sacred sites of Varanasi.  The well descends 15m in height from below the ground level and it is another of the fascinating sites of worship in the sacred city. 

The word Lolark means ‘trembling sun’ and denotes the wavering image of Lord Surya, the sun god, in the water of the tank.  

Legends have it that the water here has a special power of fertility and the couples who bathe here are to be blessed with a child. 

Stop 4 – Traditional Wrestlers Gym 

I admit we would never have found this on our own, but we found it amazing to see an Akhara in action – a traditional wrestlers gym. 

Here, Kushti wrestlers train themselves using traditional methods and routines.  They weight train using heavy clubs of different shapes and sizes, each having its own specific purpose. 

The sport is seen as sacred and a part of the Hindu religion. The Kushti wrestlers are followers of Hanuman, the monkey god and Hindu god of might.

It is best to visit the Akhara with a guide but you can find the gym near Tulsi Ghat. 

Meeting the Kushti wrestlers at the Akhara – a traditional gym.
Posing for a photo on our first time in Varanasi on tour with Ravi.

Stop 5 – Lunch at Ashish Cafe 

Choosing where to eat in Varanasi is not easy because the truth is you are spoilt for choice.  But at the city end of Assi Ghat there are several restaurants at the top of the stairs, including Ashish Café.  

The staff are lovely, and we recommend the chai and vegetarian Thali.  It makes a good lunch stop on Day 2 of your Varanasi itinerary heading back from the bustling back streets in the direction of Assi Ghat. 

Stop 6 – Sunset boat ride on the River Ganges 

Albeit any time of day is amazing to take a boat ride on the River Ganges.  But as the perfect way to end your 2-days in Varanasi take a sunset boat ride on the river and float all the way down towards the evening Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat.

Leaving Assi Ghat heading down with the flow of the river.
Floating down the river towards Dashashwamedh Ghat.

Have longer than 2 days in Varanasi? 

If you have longer than 2 days in Varanasi it is worth taking a day trip to Sarnath.  This is a historic city about 30 minutes’ drive from Varanasi and is said to be the location where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon after gaining enlightenment.  

Sarnath is considered as one of the four holy Buddhist sites for pilgrimage.

Other places to eat and cafes in Varanasi 

Varanasi is full with small food stands, traditional eateries, tourist-style cafes and rooftop restaurants. 

A vegetarian Thali at Ashish Cafe near Assi Ghat on Day 2 in Varanasi.

What is the best way to get to Varanasi? 

Varanasi is easy to reach by air, train and road.  

There are daily flights to Delhi, Agra, Kolkata and Mumbai.  

The railway station, Varanasi Junction (BSB), is not far from the city, and it is well connected also with all the other major cities in north India. 

There are daily trains departing regularly from Delhi to Varanasi.  The fastest train from Delhi is the Vande Bharat Special which departs Delhi (NDLS) at 06:00am arriving to Varanasi (BSB) at 14:00h taking 8 hours for the journey. 

*Note the Vande Bharat Special does not operate on Monday or Thursday. 

The best way to get from Agra to Varanasi is either by overnight train or bus. The train takes approximately 9-10 hours.

Traveling India by train on board in AC Chair Class (CC) somewhere on the way from Delhi.

Is it easy to get around independently in Varanasi?

A walk along the Ghats and through the labyrinth of narrow back streets is one of the best things to do in Varanasi.  Outside of the Ghats and old city it is easy to get around by auto rickshaw.  Or of course, there is transport by boat on the river Ganges. 

Where to stay in Varanasi 

There are lots of options for accommodation in Varanasi.  We recommend staying near Assi Ghat which is close to everything to do in Varanasi. 

Outside Hotel Temple on Ganges on our first visit to Varanasi.

Final thoughts? Is a 2-Day Varanasi itinerary enough?

A 2-Day Varanasi itinerary covers a heck of a lot.  There is so much to see, and observe, and likewise a heck of a lot to digest. It’s a vibrant and colourful city.  And there is no place like Varanasi. 

I hope you enjoy exploring Varanasi on this 2-Day Varanasi itinerary!

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