The tour starts early in the morning, at 5am, where you will take a boat cruise on the river Ganges to observe the way of life of the pilgrims by the Ghats. You will rise before dawn and step gingerly onto a rickety boat as the boat coasts off. You will wait for the daily miracle to unfold as the sun rises over the horizon. The sounds of conchs and the temple bells ring in the pink fabric of the dawn.
After breakfast, you will start the city tour of Varanasi around 9am where you visit the Bharat Mata Temple with a big relief map of India in marble. Then you will visit the Durga Temple, Tulsi Manas Mandir, the Benaras Hindu University which has an art gallery and the mosque of Moghul Emperor Aurangzeb.
Afterward, you will head to Sarnath, an important pilgrimage center for Buddhists. This is where Buddha preached his first sermon after attaining enlightenment. Sarnath’s temples and archaeological museum are full of Buddhist art and treasures.
Later in the evening, you will enjoy a rickshaw ride passing through the busy streets and bazaars of Varanasi that will take you to the holy river, the Ganges, where you will cruise to witness the Aarti ceremonies amidst hundreds of lighted candles and flower offerings.
After your long day, you will be dropped off at your accommodation in Varanasi.
