3 Days Varanasi Self-Launched: Ghats, Aarti & Sarnath
3 days · Varanasi, India
ITS holidays charges £395
No-markup version: ~£90 per person
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
A self-launched version of ITS holidays' 3-day private Varanasi tour with boat rides and a Sarnath excursion. Instead of a private car-and-guide package at US$500 (~£395) per person, you can do the exact same highlights — sunrise and evening Ganges boat trips, the Dashashwamedh Ghat Aarti, the old city lanes, Kashi Vishwanath, the full Sarnath stupa and museum circuit, and the Banaras Hindu University temples — using local boats, cycle rickshaws, auto-rickshaws, app cabs and a shared Sarnath taxi for a fraction of the price. Costs are rough backpacker/budget estimates in GBP and exclude flights to Varanasi.
Day-by-day
Arrive Varanasi — Old City Lanes & Evening Ganga Aarti
Varanasi
Arrive at Varanasi Junction (or Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport) and get to your guesthouse in the old city near Dashashwamedh Ghat — use a prepaid auto-rickshaw from the station (~£2-3) or an Ola/Uber (~£3-5 from the airport). Drop bags, then spend the afternoon getting lost in the galis (narrow lanes) between Vishwanath Khunti and the river, stopping for a Banarasi lassi and kachori-sabzi. Around 5:30-6pm, secure a spot on the steps or, better, split a rowboat with other travellers (~£8-12 total, negotiate directly at the ghat) to watch the evening Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat from the water — the same boat-view experience the tour offers as an optional extra. Dinner at a rooftop cafe overlooking the river.
🚌Prepaid auto-rickshaw or Ola/Uber from station/airport; walking in the old city; shared rowboat on the Ganges
🛏Budget guesthouse near Dashashwamedh/Assi Ghat (dorm £6-10, private room £14-22)
- →Wander the old city galis
- →Evening Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat
- →Optional: watch Aarti from a hired boat on the Ganges
Sunrise Boat Ride, Golden Temple & Sarnath Day Trip
Varanasi & Sarnath
Start before dawn (around 5:15am) and hire a shared boat at Assi Ghat or Dashashwamedh for a sunrise ride past the ghats — Manikarnika, Harischandra and Assi — with views of morning rituals and bathers (~£3-5 per person if shared). Back on land, walk the oldest lanes to the Kashi Vishwanath Temple (Golden Temple) area — note phones and bags must be left in lockers and lines can be long. Mid-morning, take an auto-rickshaw to Sarnath (~10km, ~£3-4, or ~30-40 min). DIY the Buddhist circuit on foot: Chaukhandi Stupa, Dhamek Stupa, Dharmarajika Stupa, Mulagandhakuti Vihara, the Ashoka Pillar and Lion Capital, Deer Park, and the Sarnath Archaeological Museum (home of the original Lion Capital — closed Fridays; entry ~£0.50). Return to Varanasi in the late afternoon and eat thali or Banarasi chaat near the ghats.
🚌Shared sunrise boat; walking; auto-rickshaw to Sarnath and back (or a round-trip shared taxi split between travellers)
🛏Same budget guesthouse in Varanasi
- →Sunrise boat ride on the Ganges
- →Walk the old city lanes
- →Kashi Vishwanath Temple area
- →Sarnath: Dhamek Stupa, Chaukhandi Stupa, Dharmarajika Stupa
- →Mulagandhakuti Vihara & Ashoka Pillar/Lion Capital
- →Sarnath Deer Park & Archaeological Museum
Banaras Hindu University Temple Circuit & Departure
Varanasi
Take an auto-rickshaw south to the Banaras Hindu University campus (~£1.50-2.50). The campus is huge and walkable in the cooler morning — visit the Bharat Kala Bhavan art museum (small entry fee, closed Sundays and public holidays), the New Kashi Vishwanath Temple, and the Durga Temple and Tulasi Manas Temple nearby. Round it off at the Bharat Mata Temple (a marble relief map of India) close to the ghats. Grab a final thali lunch, then head to Varanasi Junction or the airport for your onward train or flight — allow generous buffer time, Varanasi's roads and station crowds move slowly. If you're staying another night, the Assi Ghat area is the natural base for the BHU circuit.
🚌Auto-rickshaw across town / to BHU; onward train from Varanasi Junction or flight from LBSI Airport
🛏None included (check out of guesthouse) — or one more night if extending
- →Banaras Hindu University campus walk
- →Bharat Kala Bhavan art museum
- →New Kashi Vishwanath Temple
- →Durga Temple & Tulasi Manas Temple
- →Bharat Mata Temple
Self-launched vs. ITS holidays
| This itinerary (self-launched) | ITS holidays | |
|---|---|---|
| Price per person | ~£90 | £395 |
| Duration | 3 days | 3 days |
| Who books it | You and your group, direct | Tour operator, guided group |
| Savings | £305 per person (77%) | |
Estimate only, not a guaranteed price. Always verify costs independently before booking.
Want to see more ITS holidays-style trips? Check them out here.~£90
estimated per person
You never pay Travel Crew for this — you pay hostels, transport, and activity providers directly, the same as if you'd booked it all yourself.
This publishes your dates so other travellers can find and join you — no tour operator needed.
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Frequently asked questions
How much does 3 Days Varanasi Self-Launched: Ghats, Aarti & Sarnath cost?+
Doing it yourself with this self-launched itinerary costs an estimated £90 per person for 3 days in Varanasi, India. This is an AI-generated estimate based on typical budget-traveller prices — actual costs will vary by season and how you book.
Is this cheaper than booking with ITS holidays?+
Yes — ITS holidays charges around £395 per person for a similar tour. Doing the same route independently, using the same standard of accommodation and activities, costs an estimated £90 — a saving of roughly £305 (77%) per person.
How long is the Varanasi, India trip?+
This itinerary runs 3 days, covering 3 day-by-day stops through Varanasi, India.
How do I join this trip?+
You can join an existing open departure using this itinerary if one is scheduled, or launch your own departure with your own dates and invite other travellers to join you — no tour operator required.
Isn't it easier to just use a tour operator?+
Well, yes, a tour operator will book all the individual parts of your travel for you and provide a guide. That's obvious, but doing this has the potential to save the group thousands, which can in turn improve your itinerary substantially or save you huge amounts of money. Also, when you launch a departure, Travel Crew has tools in place to help you book the individual sections of the trip or make it easier for you to do this as a group. Really, you do not need a middle man. If you are more comfortable paying more and using a middle man, then you should certainly do this.
Is it safer to book through a tour operator?+
Arguably, there isn't much difference. A self-launched trip runs on the same principle as a group travel crew: collective responsibility, everyone looking out for each other, the same way it would if a group of friends organised the trip themselves — because that's exactly what's happening. You should always take out travel insurance before you go, self-launched or not; that doesn't change either way. Every open departure is published publicly with real dates and a real trip organiser, so it's never an anonymous arrangement, and our support team is reachable any time you need help, including in an emergency while you're away. Longer-term, we're building direct relationships with ground DMCs in popular destinations, offered as an optional paid add-on for extra on-the-ground support. Ultimately, though, the group is responsible for its own conduct and safety on a self-launched trip, same as on any trip you plan yourself.
What kind of trip is this?+
This is a culture, budget, backpacker trip through Varanasi, India, self-launched rather than run by a tour operator — you organise it with a group you find or bring yourself.
Would you like to name the operator, name the trip, or have any suggestions about how to improve this itinerary?
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