Varanasi is one of the world's oldest living cities, where ghats line the Ganges and rituals unfold at dawn and dusk. Add a Sarnath visit, narrow lanes of temples and silk shops. October to March is cool and best for visiting.
Month by month
Best: January, February, March, April, November, December
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
Avoid Poor OK Good Excellent Peak
Worth avoiding: July, August, September.
How long to stay
2–4 days is the sweet spot.
Flight time
About 16h from the US East Coast, 10h from Europe, 2h from South Asia.
Good to know
- Take a dawn boat ride on the Ganges for the best light and rituals.
- Ghat cremations are sacred; observe from a respectful distance and do not photograph.
- Wear shoes that are easy to remove at temples.
Plan a trip to Varanasi
Pick your dates and Offdays builds a day-by-day itinerary from Varanasi's best places.
Destination