Varanasi · Things to do

A boat at dawn

Daily, before sunrise

A wooden boat on the Ganga at first light, the ghats and their buildings catching the sun

A wooden boat on the Ganga at first light, the ghats and their buildings catching the sun

Varanasi has eighty-four ghats, from Assi in the south to Adi Keshava in the north. From the water at first light they read as a single continuous façade, which is impossible to see from the steps themselves.

Boats go up from Assi towards Manikarnika and back. The hour before and after sunrise is when the light is on the buildings and the river is busy with bathers, priests and morning prayers.

Agree the price and the route before you board, and ask for help getting in and out if anyone in the party needs it. A rowed boat is quieter and slower than a motor boat and better for it. We arrange boats for guests with a boatman we use ourselves rather than whoever is on the steps that morning.

Things to do

More in Varanasi

All things to do
Subah-e-Banaras at Assi Ghat — musicians and listeners on the steps at sunrise, mist on the riverSubah-e-Banaras at AssiChanting, yoga and classical music, at sunrise.Ganga aarti — priests on raised platforms swinging tiered brass lamps, the crowd behind themGanga aarti at DashashwamedhThe evening offering to the river, done in full.Sarnath — the giant seated Buddha statue among trees, one of the modern temples around the siteSarnathWhere the Buddha gave his first sermon.A handloom in a Varanasi weaving workshop, gold zari thread on the warp, the weaver's hands at the shuttleBanarasi silk, at the loomSee the brocade woven before you are sold any.Ramnagar Fort from the river — sandstone walls and balconies above the far bank of the GangaRamnagar FortThe Maharaja's fort, and its magnificently odd museum.

Stays

Where to stay in Varanasi

All houses
Pratham, Varanasi: double bed with an ochre runner facing a leaded-glass window, wooden ceiling with a fan, air conditioning and a door open to the screened verandahPrathamOur first house: amber light, a wooden ceiling and a balcony full of flowersMinimilist, Varanasi: white bedroom with a double bed under a yellow-and-white block-print spread, saffron curtains at a barred window, two wall sconces and a marble floor with an inlaid borderMinimilistWhite walls, marigold accents and room to thinkBoutique, Varanasi: teal bedroom with gold wall mouldings, dark tufted headboard, blue cushions and runner, upholstered bench at the foot of the bedBoutiqueThree rooms, three moods: blue and gold, rose, and emeraldSantorini, Varanasi: white room with a teak bed, blue cushions and runner, blue shutters open to the balcony and a blue console table oppositeSantoriniWhitewash, cobalt and jali windows framing the Varanasi skyGardenia, Varanasi: double bed with a yellow headboard and bedspread, rolled towels laid out, mustard wardrobes either side of a white arched niche, marble floorGardeniaSunlit yellow rooms that open onto a shaded garden lawn