Tight schedule- what's the minimum lenght of stay in Varanasi

cazaresil · Dec 12th, 2004, 03:53

Friends, i know this may sound weird and against the principles of most of you- but.... i have a tight schedule, don't want to miss varanasi and wonder what is the absolutely minimum lenght of stay i need there. thank you!

bijapuri · Dec 12th, 2004, 10:18

go ahead and miss it, lol. It'll be there when you return

monkgonemad · Dec 12th, 2004, 10:54

i really enjoyed the old part -but many here have complained of the dirt, filth, stench. to me, it epitomizes why i travel - old cities/temples and culture. i stayed about ten days (in jan or feb??) but it was chilly and few tourists.

id say - 2 full days should be ok but you may want to say 3 as it will take a bit of doing to learn your way around the maze of gangs -you may lose some valuable time (missing something critical you wanted to see/do).

varanasi -one of my fave places in india and the world (travelwise) for me is more a place to absorb ambiance than for 'doing stuff'.

book your train out when you arrive!

Matty Gee · Dec 12th, 2004, 17:12

How can you quantify love?

open_air · Dec 12th, 2004, 18:23

A couple of years back I met a guy on the train from Varanasi to Delhi. He has travelled over night to Varanasi and then spent half a day there before he embarked the night train to Delhi to fly home because he couldn't bare being in India and not seeing it. According to him that was too short and the transit train-city train was too exhausting to be able to enjoy the place to the max.
Still, I think he was happy he did it.

nomadelmundo · Jan 17th, 2005, 15:05

we stayed in V for 2 full days and 1 night... it was very relaxing... we had a Ganga side view from our Sita Guest House, right at the beginning of the Ghats and Varanasi was one of the most calming places in India, less touting and no cars or auto-rickshaws by the river! Sort of like India's version of Venice... beauty of Varanasi is that it's an holy place for the people of India... people are there because they want to be there! My only regret was not being able to swim in the Ganga, fully...
2 days 1 night a must, catch the Punja at the main ghat around 630pm... you won't regret it!
Will

mercedes10 · Jan 17th, 2005, 15:18

If time's tight, I would definitely say that 2 days would suffice. I was glad I saw Varanasi but I certainly wouldn't rush back. I found it quite a stressful place to be - incredibly busy & noisy & dirty - very overwhelming. That said, seeing the sunrise over the Ganges is incredible and the night ceremony also has to be seen. My image of India before I ever went there was always of the colourful people on the ghats - and it was incredible to see that sight for real. Beyond the whole ganges experience I didn't really enjoy Varanasi as a place though so I'd say 2 days would be fine.

Chandra · Jan 17th, 2005, 20:48

Well, it depends if you want to see it or experience it. You could see it in two days. But you will miss out on the feeling on the city. The first two times I came here I stayed for a week, and I liked it. The city has many interesting things to see, but even the second time it didn't give me a reallly special feeling. This time, though, I've stayed for two months, and now I understand the place a lot better, and I also like it a lot better (read: I love it!). The next time I come to India I plan to make it my main stop with only a few short stops in other places.

But to see the main attractions a couple of days would be sufficient.

beach · Jan 17th, 2005, 21:07

It's not about time. The timing is what matters, especially in a place like Varanasi. The sunrise and early morning ambiance is diffrent, the bustle of day time is diffrent, the evening bid farewel to the day is different. That is the most charming part than just the sight seeing.....

Enjoy it in full, than just a Varanasi entry stamp on your passport

Dec 12th, 2004, 03:53	#1
cazaresil Member Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Washington, D.C. Posts: 30	Tight schedule- minimum stay in Varanasi Friends, i know this may sound weird and against the principles of most of you- but.... i have a tight schedule, don't want to miss varanasi and wonder what is the absolutely minimum lenght of stay i need there. thank you! Last edited by cazaresil : Dec 12th, 2004 at 10:39. Reason: New title

Dec 12th, 2004, 10:18	#2
bijapuri laid traps for troubadours Join Date: Aug 2003 Location: Priustan Posts: 2,598	go ahead and miss it, lol. It'll be there when you return __________________ Focusing your life solely on making a buck shows a certain poverty of ambition. It asks too little of yourself. Because it's only when you hitch your wagon to something larger than yourself that you realize your true potential. Barack Obama lookit me!!!: http://www.flickr.com/photos/bijapuri/ Utube fuzzy logic: http://youtube.com/profile_videos?user=bijapuri&p =r

Dec 12th, 2004, 17:12	#4
Matty Gee What's wrong with curry for breakfast? I love it! Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Cambridge UK Posts: 212	How can you quantify love? __________________ Check my gallery out : http://www.indiamike.com/photopost/showgallery.php?cat=500&ppuser =3636

Jan 17th, 2005, 15:05	#6
nomadelmundo a.k.a Sanyasin - the Wandering Aesthetic Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Ohio, USA Posts: 149	we stayed in V for 2 full days and 1 night... it was very relaxing... we had a Ganga side view from our Sita Guest House, right at the beginning of the Ghats and Varanasi was one of the most calming places in India, less touting and no cars or auto-rickshaws by the river! Sort of like India's version of Venice... beauty of Varanasi is that it's an holy place for the people of India... people are there because they want to be there! My only regret was not being able to swim in the Ganga, fully... 2 days 1 night a must, catch the Punja at the main ghat around 630pm... you won't regret it! Will __________________ Visit my forum for backpackers, trekkers & hikers where you can share stories, discuss trails, and upload unlimited amount of travel photos for FREE... @ PlanetNomads.com

Jan 17th, 2005, 20:48	#8
Chandra Compulsive India traveller Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: Oslo/Trondheim, Norway Posts: 195	Well, it depends if you want to see it or experience it. You could see it in two days. But you will miss out on the feeling on the city. The first two times I came here I stayed for a week, and I liked it. The city has many interesting things to see, but even the second time it didn't give me a reallly special feeling. This time, though, I've stayed for two months, and now I understand the place a lot better, and I also like it a lot better (read: I love it!). The next time I come to India I plan to make it my main stop with only a few short stops in other places. But to see the main attractions a couple of days would be sufficient. Last edited by Chandra : Aug 31st, 2005 at 17:36.

Dec 12th, 2004, 10:54	#3
monkgonemad Aimless Drifter, Shiftless Idler, Useless Waster Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: SoEastAsia/AsiaSubCont Posts: 416	i really enjoyed the old part -but many here have complained of the dirt, filth, stench. to me, it epitomizes why i travel - old cities/temples and culture. i stayed about ten days (in jan or feb??) but it was chilly and few tourists. id say - 2 full days should be ok but you may want to say 3 as it will take a bit of doing to learn your way around the maze of gangs -you may lose some valuable time (missing something critical you wanted to see/do). varanasi -one of my fave places in india and the world (travelwise) for me is more a place to absorb ambiance than for 'doing stuff'. book your train out when you arrive!

Dec 12th, 2004, 18:23	#5
open_air Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Berlin, Germany Posts: 62	A couple of years back I met a guy on the train from Varanasi to Delhi. He has travelled over night to Varanasi and then spent half a day there before he embarked the night train to Delhi to fly home because he couldn't bare being in India and not seeing it. According to him that was too short and the transit train-city train was too exhausting to be able to enjoy the place to the max. Still, I think he was happy he did it.

Jan 17th, 2005, 15:18	#7
mercedes10 Maha Guru Member Join Date: Sep 2003 Location: Scotland Posts: 556	If time's tight, I would definitely say that 2 days would suffice. I was glad I saw Varanasi but I certainly wouldn't rush back. I found it quite a stressful place to be - incredibly busy & noisy & dirty - very overwhelming. That said, seeing the sunrise over the Ganges is incredible and the night ceremony also has to be seen. My image of India before I ever went there was always of the colourful people on the ghats - and it was incredible to see that sight for real. Beyond the whole ganges experience I didn't really enjoy Varanasi as a place though so I'd say 2 days would be fine.

Jan 17th, 2005, 21:07	#9
beach Lost in translation Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: India ! Posts: 2,233	It's not about time. The timing is what matters, especially in a place like Varanasi. The sunrise and early morning ambiance is diffrent, the bustle of day time is diffrent, the evening bid farewel to the day is different. That is the most charming part than just the sight seeing..... Enjoy it in full, than just a Varanasi entry stamp on your passport

Thread Tools
Show Printable Version Email this Page
Display Modes
Linear Mode Switch to Hybrid Mode Switch to Threaded Mode

Similar Threads
Thread	Thread Starter	Forum	Replies	Last Post
Varanasi - 1 night stay???	Tracey81	Lodging and Hotels in India	3	Aug 13th, 2005 12:26
Planning time in Kerala on a tight schedule	ABCDguy	Kerala	1	Dec 9th, 2004 06:39
Varanasi! looking for a nice place to stay	Watson	Lodging and Hotels in India	8	Oct 29th, 2004 20:37
back to India! where to stay in Varanasi	picklepak	Varanasi	5	Jan 14th, 2003 11:46
Varanasi - Places to Stay	Sadhu	Varanasi	1	Nov 3rd, 2001 18:30

User Name		Remember Me?
Password