3N / 4D
2N / 3D
Festivals
Uttar Pradesh
Varanasi Festival & Culture Tour — 2N / 3D
Package ID: TG-CITY-002184
Festivals & Culture · Uttar Pradesh · Holy city — Experience Varanasi around its festival season — culture, colour and local celebration, planned to the calendar. Varanasi is not an easy city and it is not meant to be. The ghats at dawn — pilgrims bathing, boats moving through the mist, cremations continuing as they have for centuries — are the reason people come, and the reason some find it overwhelming. Two nights is the minimum that works: one dawn boat ride, one Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh in the evening, and a morning in the lanes of the old city, which are too narrow for cars and easy to get lost in. Sarnath, where the Buddha gave his first sermon, is a half day and a complete change of pace. Go with a guide who knows the etiquette around the cremation ghats — photography there is deeply resented and correctly so. This 2-night festivals & culture package is built around Varanasi's real highlights, priced on enquiry and tailored to your dates — the day-by-day below is a flexible framework.
Package IDTG-CITY-002184
Duration2N / 3D
StartsVaranasi
EndsVaranasi
Best seasonOctober to March
Ideal forCulture & festival travellers
- Duration
- 2N / 3D
- Cities
- Varanasi
- States
- Uttar Pradesh
- Start → End
- Varanasi → Varanasi
- Transport
- Private air-conditioned car for transfers & sightseeing
- Hotels
- 3★ / 4★ (confirmed at quotation)
- Meals
- Daily breakfast (meal plan configurable)
- Best season
- October to March
- Ideal for
- Culture & festival travellers
Day by day
Complete itinerary
Tap any day to expand. Drive distances and times are realistic approximations, stated up front and traffic-dependent — never hidden.
Day 1 Arrive VaranasiAirport / station → Varanasi
- Private transfer & hotel check-in
- Dawn boat ride on the Ganges
- Ganga Aarti, Dashashwamedh Ghat
- Old city lanes
Festivals & Culture focus: Experience Varanasi around its festival season — culture, colour and local celebration, planned to the calendar.
Arrive in Varanasi and settle in. The order of sights below is a flexible framework — your consultant confirms the exact day-by-day, timings and hotels for your dates and pace at the quotation stage.
Dawn boat ride on the Ganges: The reason to come. Leave the hotel by 05:00; agree the boat rate beforehand.
Ganga Aarti, Dashashwamedh Ghat: Evening. Arrive an hour early or watch from a boat, which is better.
Old city lanes: Too narrow for vehicles. Take a guide — getting lost here is genuinely easy.
✓ Dawn boat ride on the Ganges✓ Ganga Aarti, Dashashwamedh Ghat✓ Old city lanes
🛏 Overnight: Varanasi
Day 2 Varanasi — sightseeingVaranasi
- Sarnath
- Kashi Vishwanath Temple
Sarnath: Where the Buddha first taught. Quiet, green, and a relief after the ghats.
Kashi Vishwanath Temple: Security is strict; phones not permitted. Expect queues at festival times.
✓ Sarnath✓ Kashi Vishwanath Temple
🛏 Overnight: Varanasi
Day 3 DepartureVaranasi → airport / onward
- At the hotel
- Private transfer for your onward journey
Private transfer for your onward journey (nearest airport: Lal Bahadur Shastri (VNS), 26 km). We plan the final morning around your real departure time.
✓ Onward transfer
Where you stay
Hotels
| Destination | Nights | Category | Meal plan |
|---|---|---|---|
| Varanasi | 2 | 3★ / 4★ | Breakfast |
Specific hotels are confirmed against your dates and budget at quotation — we never claim a named property is included unless your package explicitly specifies it.
Meals
What's included, day by day
| Day | Breakfast | Lunch | Dinner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Day 1 · Arrive Varanasi | — | Optional | Optional |
| Day 2 · Varanasi — sightseeing | ✓ | Optional | Optional |
| Day 3 · Departure | ✓ | Optional | Optional |
✓ Included · Optional add-on · — not included. Meal plan (CP / MAP / AP) is configurable per booking.
Inclusions
What's in the price
- ✓Accommodation on twin sharing (category confirmed at quotation)
- ✓Daily breakfast
- ✓All transfers & sightseeing by private air-conditioned car
- ✓Timed to the local festival season — exact dates confirmed at planning
- ✓Local cultural experiences arranged where available
- ✓Toll, parking & driver allowance
- ✓Applicable taxes (GST)
Exclusions
Not included
- ✕Flights & train fares (can be added on request)
- ✕Entry tickets, guide, activity & session charges unless specified
- ✕Lunch & dinner unless specified
- ✕Personal expenses, tips & shopping
- ✕Travel insurance
- ✕Anything not listed under inclusions
Good to know
Important information
- •Festivals & Culture extras (sessions, activities, festival timing) are arranged and confirmed — never guaranteed blind; we advise what is genuinely available in your travel window.
- •Best time to visit: October to March.
- •This package is a customisable framework — the detailed day-by-day, specific hotels and final inclusions are confirmed at quotation for your exact dates and party.
- •Attraction & activity timings and weekly closures change; we confirm current details close to travel.
- •Carry a government photo ID (Aadhaar / passport) — hotels and some sites require it.
Who is this for
Ideal travellers
👨👩👧Family
💑Honeymoon
👴Seniors
👥Friends
🏢Corporate
🧳Solo
Make it yours
Customize this trip
Change hotel category · add or remove nights · extend the route · upgrade transport · add flights, activities, meals or travel insurance. This is the default; almost everything is configurable.
Pricing
Starting from
Figures on enquiry · priced for your dates
On enquiry / per person · twin sharing
We price the real configuration — your exact party, dates, hotel category and inclusions — rather than publish an average that changes the moment you ask.
| Occupancy | Price / person |
|---|---|
| Single occupancy | — |
| Double / twin sharing (per person) | — |
| Triple sharing (per person) | — |
| Child with bed | — |
| Child without bed | — |
Price varies with travel dates, hotel availability, season, number of travellers and selected inclusions. The occupancy grid above is the live structure; figures populate from configurable pricing fields — never hard-coded.
Questions
Package FAQs
Is Varanasi suitable for a first trip to India?
It is intense — crowds, noise, open cremation and very little that is sanitised for visitors. Many people find it the most memorable place they go; some find it too much. We will be honest with you about which you are likely to be.
Can I photograph the cremation ghats?
No. It is a funeral, it is resented, and people will confront you. Anyone offering to arrange photographs for a fee is exploiting grieving families.
How many nights do I need?
Two. One for the dawn boat and evening aarti, one for the old city and Sarnath. A third suits anyone wanting to slow down.
What makes this a festivals & culture package?
Experience Varanasi around its festival season — culture, colour and local celebration, planned to the calendar. The theme shapes the pacing and the extras; the sights themselves are Varanasi's real highlights. Everything is customisable at quotation.
How is the price calculated?
On enquiry. We price your exact party, dates, hotel category and inclusions; a consultant replies within one working day and no payment is required for a quote.
How do we get there and get around?
Varanasi is served by Lal Bahadur Shastri (VNS), 26 km (rail: Varanasi Junction, 5 km). Local transfers and sightseeing are by private air-conditioned car; flights or trains can be added.
Ready to plan?
Enquire, get a quote or customise
Every button opens one short form — a consultant replies within one working day and your enquiry lands directly in our travel-desk CRM. No payment required.