Varanasi – Kashi, the city of light – is one of the oldest living cities in the world, and nothing captures its spirit like the river at dawn. On the Varanasi Sunrise Boat Ride & Sarnath Tour you glide along the holy Ganges as the sun rises over the far bank, while pilgrims bathe, pray and offer flowers and lamps on the long stairways of the ghats.
From the boat you pass the palaces and temples of the riverfront and Manikarnika Ghat, the most sacred cremation ground in Hinduism, where fires have burned day and night for centuries. Back on land, you watch the morning Subah-e-Banaras aarti at Assi Ghat and follow your guide through the narrow lanes of the old city to the golden Kashi Vishwanath Temple, one of the twelve Jyotirlingas of Lord Shiva.
After breakfast you drive about 10 km to Sarnath, where the Buddha gave his first sermon after his enlightenment. Here you see the great Dhamek Stupa, the ruins of ancient monasteries, the Mulagandha Kuti Vihara with its murals, and the Sarnath Museum, home of the Ashokan Lion Capital – the national emblem of India. It is a perfect half day for Hindu and Buddhist pilgrims, photographers and anyone visiting Varanasi.
Highlights
- Sunrise rowing-boat ride along the ghats of the Ganges
- Manikarnika Ghat and the riverside palaces and temples
- Morning aarti at Assi Ghat
- Darshan at Kashi Vishwanath Temple
- Sarnath – Dhamek Stupa, Mulagandha Kuti Vihara and the Ashokan Lion Capital
Good to know
- Pick-up is about 30 minutes before sunrise from your Varanasi hotel.
- Phones, cameras and bags are not allowed inside Kashi Vishwanath; lockers are available.
- Sarnath Museum is closed on Fridays.
- Dress modestly for temples; there is walking through narrow, busy lanes.
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