Places to visit inVaranasi

The best places to visit in Varanasi are the ghats on the Ganges, the temples of the old city and Sarnath just outside. This guide to Varanasi attractions covers timings, entry fees and visiting etiquette, with each figure marked by how well it was sourced.

Varanasi, also called Banaras and Kashi, lies on the Ganges in eastern Uttar Pradesh and is described by Wikipedia as one of the world's oldest continually inhabited cities. Its river front is a long line of stone ghats where people bathe, pray and perform rituals. Dashashwamedh Ghat hosts the evening Ganga Aarti, Assi Ghat marks the southern end and the morning Subah-e-Banaras programme, and Manikarnika Ghat is the main cremation ground.

A short walk inland, the Kashi Vishwanath Temple, one of the twelve jyotirlingas, anchors the old city, whose lanes also hold temples such as Sankat Mochan and the red sandstone Durga Temple. Across the river, Ramnagar Fort holds a museum of royal possessions. Banaras Hindu University's Bharat Kala Bhavan houses a large collection of Indian art, and Sarnath, about 8 km north-east, is where the Buddha delivered his first teaching.

Most visitors spend two to three days and structure them around dawn and dusk on the river. Wikipedia describes a humid subtropical climate with summer highs reaching 46 degrees Celsius, monsoon rain from July to October and cooler, more pleasant weather from October to March. Plan walking in narrow lanes, crowds on festival days and modest dress at religious sites.