City / District in Varanasi, Rishikesh, Amritsar & Himachal Himalayas · Varanasi, Rishikesh, Amritsar & Himachal Himalayas
Varanasi (Kashi / Benares) (Varanasi, Rishikesh, Amritsar & Himachal Himalayas) Travel Guide 2026
Varanasi (Kashi / Benares) is a city / district in Varanasi, Rishikesh, Amritsar & Himachal Himalayas (Varanasi, Rishikesh, Amritsar & Himachal Himalayas), India, with a population of 450,000 and regional transit links via Varanasi (Kashi / Benares) Central Station and Varanasi (VNS — 8h Vande Bharat from Delhi), Amritsar (ATQ) & Dehradun (DED).
Province / StateVaranasi, Rishikesh, Amritsar & Himachal Himalayas
Population450,000
Rail HubVaranasi (Kashi / Benares) Central Station
Airport GatewayVaranasi (VNS — 8h Vande Bharat from Delhi), Amritsar (ATQ) & Dehradun (DED)
Highlights & What to See in Varanasi (Kashi / Benares)
- Sunrise Rowboat or Motorboat Ride Along the 84 Ghats (Assi Ghat to Manikarnika Ghat) — Board a boat at 05:30 before dawn to watch morning prayers (Subah-e-Banaras at Assi Ghat) and golden sunlight illuminating centuries-old riverside palaces.
- Evening Ganga Aarti Ceremony at Dashashwamedh Ghat (18:30 / 19:00 Daily) — Seven priests in saffron silk perform synchronized fire-lamp rituals to conch shells and chimes (watch from a moored boat for ₹200–₹400 or arrive 60m early for balcony seats).
- Sarnath (10 km Northeast — Where the Buddha Gave His First Sermon) — Visit the 5th-century Dhamek Stupa and see India's national emblem—the polished Ashoka Lion Capital (250 BCE)—inside Sarnath Museum.
- Kashi Vishwanath Corridor, Banarasi Silk Weaving Alleys & Blue Lassi — Taste famous winter Malaiyyo (saffron-cardamom milk foam) and sizzling Tamatar Chaat.
Transit & Getting There
Connect to Varanasi (Kashi / Benares) via Varanasi (Kashi / Benares) Central Station (Indian Railways Vande Bharat Express (AC Chair & Executive Class), Gatimaan Express (Delhi–Agra in 1h 40m at 160 km/h) & IRCTC Foreign Tourist Quota (FTQ — Code 'FT')) and local transit using IRCTC Foreign Tourist Quota.