Please comment my 3.5-day Varanasi agenda

DB1st

My husband and I look forward to our first trip ever to India. We will visit Agra, Delhi and Varanasi.

We will arrive Varanasi by train late in the afternoon of Oct 5 and will have 3.5 days to spend in this ancient city. We're having a hard time trying to fill up our agenda for the duration. We are used to walking and in good physical shape as well as used to packed agenda. Any comments and suggestions to our agenda below will be much appreciated. We will be staying at Ganges View Hotel.

Tue Oct 6

• Durga Temple & Tulsi Manas Temple
• Bharat Mata Temple
• Would we have time to do something before sunset boat ride?
• Sunset boat ride
• Participate in Ganges View evening activity, if any

Wed Oct 7

• Walk the western bank of Ganges to see the ghats as listed in Loney Planet and see the following 2 temples along the way
• Vishwanath Temple
• Gyan Kupor Well (near Vishwanath Temple)
• 8PM concert at International Music Centre Ashram (held Wed & Fri) or participate in Ganges View evening activity, if any

Thu Oct 8

• Sunrise (What is the earliest time we should start??) boat ride (from Asi Ghat to Raj Ghat (not by hour), downstream, we hope ??)
• Benares Hindu University, including Bharat Kala Bhavan and New Vishwanath Temple
• Would we have time for something else here?
• Participate in Ganges View evening activity, if any

Fri Oct 9 (half day)

• What should we do for the morning??
• 15:40 flight to Delhi

Thank you very much!

Kumar100

Just remember you cannot enter in the Durga temple, you may have to go on the roof to see the inside activity, beware of so called people try to put red mark on your forehead (that is for money)also there may be monkey careful from them. No pictures and shoes off (there is shoe keeper you can give him five rupees for both of you)

The best time to arrive in the ganges is around 5:30 to 6:00PM, make sure you come to Dashaswamedh ghat, that is the main ghat,
you can have boat ride here at this but make sure to be back at this ghat for the evening ceremony and take a sit close to the ceremony. An hour boat-ride should not cost more than 100 rupees.
Pictures are allowed except of cremation.

When you go to Kashi Vishwanath temple and well area, you are not allowed to carry any bags no camera nothing. High security area.

Beware of touts everywhere who try to take you to the silk shops and get more than 50% commission. You have to be real careful in buying silk in Varanasi.

Earliest time to start is around 5:30AM (or half an hour before sun rise as sun rise is beautiful, there)

You should take a trip to Sarnath, where Buddha gave his first sermon, a beautiful place.

DB1st

Hi Kumar100. Thank you for your valuable input and advice!

For Kashi Vishwanath temple and well area, what do we do with our bags? It'll just be a small backpack.

Here is my updated agenda:

Tue Oct 6

• Walk the western bank of Ganges to see the ghats as listed in Loney Planet and see the following 2 temples along the way
• Vishwanath Temple
• Gyan Kupor Well (near Vishwanath Temple)
• Sunset boat ride
• Participate in Ganges View evening activity, if any

Wed Oct 7

• Sarnath all day
• 8PM concert at International Music Centre Ashram (held Wed & Fri) or participate in Ganges View evening activity, if any

Thu Oct 8

• Sunrise (5:30A) boat ride (from Asi Ghat to Raj Ghat (not by hour), downstream, we hope ?? )
• Benares Hindu University, including Bharat Kala Bhavan and New Vishwanath Temple
• Ramnagar Fort & (haphazard) Museum (across the river from the university (Is Ram Lila Drama Festival on?)
• Participate in Ganges View evening activity, if any

Fri Oct 9 (half day)

• Bharat Mata Temple
• Durga Temple & Tulsi Manas Temple

Thank you very much!!!

Kumar100

You are welcome.

Other than small wallet with money, I am sure nothing is allowed.
I think they have locker system but I won't trust them. ( I live in Atlanta, Varanasi is the place where I grew up, intresting enough I will be arriving on Oct 10th for 2 weeks vacation, if you would have couple just couple days later, I would have showed my city, my way.)

I won't suggest going to Ramnagar (and Ramlila festival would be over by then or almost over).

I am glad that you are visiting Bharat Kala Bhavan (it is favorite musuem), you are not allowed to carry any bag inside but they have locker system and it is trust worthy.

I would prefer to start the boat-ride from Dashaswamedh ghat and go to downstream upto Scindhia ghat and then upstream upto Chetsingh ghat. It will take approx. an hour and half.

If you would like to call and talk to me, I don't mind.

I have some suggestion for Sarnath.

DB1st

Kumar100--Thank you very much for the reply and the info!!

Lonely Planet did not mention much about Ramnagar. It seems the museum there is haphazard. Is this the reason why you don't suggest it?

For the sunrise boatride: since our hotel is very near Asi Ghat, is it possible to hire a row boat to take us from Asi Ghat to Raj Ghat? How much would the cost be between these 2 ghats (not by hour)?

You mention your preference of starting the boatride at Dashaswamedh ghat. Lonely Planet suggested the same thing. Why is that?

Thank you for mentioning Chetsingh Ghat. It is not in Lonely Planet map. I now realize that there are more ghats than listed in the book. I guess the best thing to do is to get a map when we get to Varanasi.

Could you please post your suggestion for Sarnath? Other readers and future Varanasi visitors might benefit from it too. I appreciate your offer to call you and discuss. You are very helpful indeed.

Thank you again and look forward to your reply and helpful info!

goingback

Kumar100,
Thank you also for this information; it helps with our November trip spending some time in Varanasi. I look forward to your response to DB1st questions.

Khak

Since you are spending 3.5 days in Varanasi, why not include half a day for visiting Sarnath, one of the most important Budhist prilgrim sites.It is only 30 mins by car from Varanasi. Search for Sarnath in IndiaMike.

added later:
I just found that Kumar100 has already suggested Sarnath.

__________________
~Khak~

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.

rekahs

Thank you so much for this thread. We are going to Varanasi for 3.5 days in Feb and this has been very helpful.

webwalla

Since you are staying on Assi Ghat, look for a boat man named Sham. If you ask at the hotel they will probably know him. He and his family have lived in Varanassi and have been operating boats on the river for hundreds of years. My aunties first met Sham and his family in 1969 (when the lived for 3 years on a house boat in the ganges) and we go back every year to visit them and hang in Varanassi. He can take you in the morning for a boat ride along the ghats. One of my favorite things to do with Sham, actually, is to arrange an evening meal on the river. They will cook for you a lovely Indian meal and you can ride out on the river enjoying a fabulous feast. Then you'll park in front of the main ghat to see the evening puja. Usually Sham will arrange for you to place light offerings into the river - really spectacular. If you do arrange a meal, request the tomato chutney - to die for. I usually buy them some bottled water so everything gets prepared with it. For the whole evening, meal included, you can expect to pay about 500 rupees - this will give you a major feast that will easily feed 4 and the boat ride for 4 to 5 hours. In the past, our family has also arranged for musicians to perform on the boat for us as well.

Remember in your planning that the airport is about 1 to 1.5 hours from Assi Ghat by car. It's a long ride with traffic and delays.

I'll be there on Oct. 9, sounds like I'll just miss you. Enjoy your stay! Your itinerary sounds perfect.

DB1st

Welwalla - Thank you so much for the info!! River ride with dinner on the boat sounds wonderful! We'll contact Sham when we check in at Ganges View Hotel.

In 3 days we'll leave for India and we very much look forward to it!

goingback

Thanks Webwalla, we hope to book an evening with Sham too. Any other contact details? will it matter that we are not staying at that hotel if we request his assistance

Dyanne

Thanks, Webwalla, so much for the information about dinner with Sham. I also will be awaiting further contact details, if any. I will be in Varanasi in January...
Also, from where did your family hire musicians?
The whole thing sounds wonderful!!

webwalla

There really aren't any other contact details other than to go to Assi ghat and ash for Sham (long "a" like when the doctor asks you to open your mouth and say, "ahhhhh"). Everyone on the ghat knows he and his family. One of his brother is named Muna and also is a boatman. They also have a very small chai stand on the ghat. You'll find him. As my aunty used to say about India, "send a cryptic message through a monkey and some rickshaw wallah will come find you."

webwalla

There really aren't any other contact details other than to go to Assi ghat and ash for Sham (long "a" like when the doctor asks you to open your mouth and say, "ahhhhh"). Everyone on the ghat knows he and his family. One of his brother is named Muna and also is a boatman. They also have a very small chai stand on the ghat. You'll find him. As my aunty used to say about India, "send a cryptic message through a monkey and some rickshaw wallah will come find you."

Dyanne

Thanks again, webwalla.....