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Varanasi Full-Day Tour: Including Sunrise and Sunset Ganges River Boat Ride
4.4
13 Ratings
Varanasi
Experience the magic of Varanasi with a full-day tour that includes a sunrise and sunset boat ride on the Ganges River. Explore iconic landmarks, visit a renowned museum, and witness the mesmerizing evening aarti ceremony.
Experience the magic of Varanasi with a full-day tour that includes a sunrise and sunset boat ride on the Ganges River. Explore iconic landmarks, visit a renowned museum, and witness the mesmerizing evening aarti ceremony.
Duration:
14 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Ganges River - After early morning pickup at 5:30 am from your hotel or other desired location in Varanasi leave for a boat ride (Hand Rowed Boat) on the Ganges to see the bathing Ghats (river bank) & cremation site. Sunrise on the riverfront, as seen from a boat, can be a spiritually uplifting sight. The life on the Ghats bound in an endless…
- Ganges River - After early morning pickup at 5:30 am from your hotel or other desired location in Varanasi leave for a boat ride (Hand Rowed Boat) on the Ganges to see the bathing Ghats (river bank) & cremation site. Sunrise on the riverfront, as seen from a boat, can be a spiritually uplifting sight. The life on the Ghats bound in an endless string of rituals, ever-changing aspects of the river & the wide landscape across have fascinated visitors from all over the world.
What's Included
- Professional private local guide for sightseeing
- Bottled water provided
- Morning and evening Boat Rides on the Ganges river
- Transport in a private air-conditioned vehicle
- Hotel and airport pick-up and drop-off services
- Professional private local guide for sightseeing
- Bottled water provided
- Morning and evening Boat Rides on the Ganges river
- Transport in a private air-conditioned vehicle
- Hotel and airport pick-up and drop-off services
What's Not Included
- Entrance fees
- Lunch
- Entrance fees
- Lunch
Additional Information
Take a complete day’s private exploration of Varanasi, featuring sunrise and sunset guided river tours (Rowed by Hand) on the sacred Ganges. Discover notable locations in and near Varanasi, such as the Bharat Kala Bhavan museum at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), and Dhamekh Stupa at Sarnath — a significant Buddhist destination. Cap off the day by…
Take a complete day’s private exploration of Varanasi, featuring sunrise and sunset guided river tours (Rowed by Hand) on the sacred Ganges. Discover notable locations in and near Varanasi, such as the Bharat Kala Bhavan museum at Banaras Hindu University (BHU), and Dhamekh Stupa at Sarnath — a significant Buddhist destination. Cap off the day by observing the evening aarti ritual from the sunset river excursion.
- Dress code - Temples is a sacred house of God and a place of daily worship. To preserving its sanctity and spiritual ambiance one must follow the below dress code within temple complex:
- Upper Wear: Must cover the shoulders, chest, navel, and upper arms Lower Wear: Must be at least below knee-length Remove footwear outside the temple. Socks are fine, you can keep wearing them.
- Vegetarian option is available, please advise at time of booking if this is required (meals are at your own expense)
- A moderate amount of walking is involved please wear comfortable shoes
- The duration of transfers are approximate, the exact duration will depend on the time of day and traffic conditions
- Please note: The Archaeological Museum in Sarnath is closed on Fridays
- During rainy season (July to September), Boat ride is subject to availability due to Ganges river overflow.
Location
Ganges River
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.4
(13 Ratings)
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Towelkalvin
Oct 3, 2025
Day trip in Varanasi - We enjoyed a boat trip on the Ganges River in the morning.
Afterward, we visited the BHU campus and learned about the history and significance of the school.
Last but not least, we watched the Ganga Aarti in the evening.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
113sum
Apr 12, 2025
A day out in Varanasi - Filip our guide foe the day. Was absolutely brilliant. He was really informative and clearly explained things to us about our tour. My parents were with us and he took time to make sure they were both safe and that we were not doing the journey too quickly. The tour itself is a very early start at 5.15am but so worth it. A journey on the Ganges by boat with Dilip explaining all the ghats. We then stopped back at the hotel for breakfast before round 2. The evening was the absolute highlight. Dilip was mindful that my mom was struggling so suggested a change to make her life easier. This turned out to be the highlight of the whole day. We cannot thank Dilip enough for looking after us. Bid you get the chance go on this tour and if you get Dilip you are even luckier.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
L8177hpjulieh
Dec 17, 2024
Amazing Varanasi - Brilliant day - don’t hesitate to book this tour!
Big thanks to our driver for a comfortable ride to the amazing sights we encountered and to Dilip, our guide, who ensured we had the perfect day and an understanding of everything we encountered ( no idea how he retains all that knowledge).
Varanasi is a special place and this tour is highly recommended.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Maipenbc
Dec 16, 2024
Great way to start your visit - sunrise to sunset tour! - A great way to start our stay in Varanasi with this Sunrise to Sunset tour. Our guide for the day was Dilip Singh and we must say he is fantastic. He gave us a great introduction to the city and his knowledge and enthusiasm on its history is incredible. He also shares great stories! It is a full day tour with many highlights throughout the day from the sunrise boat ride to ending with an evening Aarti ceremony. An incredible experience. Thank you Dilip. And for the restaurant recommendation, we enjoyed it and the view!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
94marcelag
Jan 28, 2020
Fantastic Tour ! - This trip to Varanasi was amazing.My tour guide and his driver were very friendly, Organized and Punctual. I enjoyed the whole trip , it was very interesting to see the sunset and the cremation traditions . I highly recommend this company to anyone who is visiting Varanasi !!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Deepasg2710
Nov 25, 2019
Great Tour, Very Knowledgeable Guide - The trip started off on a super high note with the morning chants of Om Namah Shivaya and a beautiful sunrise at the Ganges, with the sun rising, hundreds of sea gulls flying all around and meditating in the middle of Ganges was surreal and divine. Followed by a great tour around Saranth and the city of Banaras. The best part of the entire tour was the guide - Mr. Saurabh Shukla who was so knowledgeable on the city and its rich history. He would chant the mantras and the dohas with equal authority and would narrate the stories of each of the temples & monuments we visited with utmost clarity. The driver too - Mr. Guddu was very humble and kind. We altered the tour slightly to include some of the places that we wanted to visit and they were kind enough to accommodate these changes. All in all, it was a very well conducted tour and hassle free.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Kate
May 4, 2019
Great tour, informative and emotional - I visited Varanasi with my boyfriend and we had a full day tour with Mr. Amed in Varanasi who was extremely knowledgeable and overall a very smart guy who understood what we wanted and accommodated our needs (for example, not visiting any stores as we were tried of that after a week in India). I highly recommend this tour, it was a highlight of our trip!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Genevieve
Dec 4, 2017
The Varanasi tour was fantastic... - <p>The Varanasi tour was fantastic! Everything was very organized and timely. It's a long day; however I was very appreciative of the built in breaks. Our tour guide Nilesh was so great and didn't overlook a single detail during the day. I definitely recommend this tour!</p>
Review provided by Viator
Mark
Feb 22, 2018
Overpriced & underwhelming - First of all, I would like to say that my guide and driver were very kind. The guide in particular was very friendly and well-informed, and we got on very well together.
However, I think the tour was severely overpriced for what was offered. At the very least breakfast, lunch and entry fees should have been included in the price. Also, Varanasi seems to have very few sites of interest apart from the ghats. For me, as a Buddhist, Sarnath was the main place of interest.
It should be noted that the tour itinerary could be independently arranged at a small fraction of the price of this tour!
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Jawahar_j
Aug 24, 2018
Not worth for huge money charged Small India car arranged Tour guide services only good one . Never book again sorry - Not worth for huge money charged small indica car arranged not standard and not comfortable . Tour guide Mr Jaideep services good . We did not call expect from viator from this bad experience. We stay on own in Brij Rama place and enjoy royal service but local sight seeing we trust you sorry we lost money and receive sub standard services
Review provided by Viator
