Varanasi Sightseeing: Temples, Forts, Stupas

October 18, 2026

Varanasi sightseeing covers working temples, a river fort, Buddhist ruins and museums, and several of them are places of worship first and sights second. Dress with shoulders and knees covered, take shoes off where asked and keep voices low. Prices are in Indian rupees (INR, roughly 95 to the US dollar), and fees and hours change, so check before you go.

Kashi Vishwanath Temple and the corridor

The Kashi Vishwanath Corridor opened in December 2021 and links the temple to Lalita Ghat on the river. The temple was rebuilt in 1780 by Ahilyabai Holkar, and the gold plating was funded by Ranjit Singh in the 1830s. It is open 03:00 to 23:00, and general entry is free. Phones, cameras, other gadgets and pens are not allowed inside, and free lockers are at the entrances. Sugam Darshan, the queue-skip option, costs INR 300 per person, and foreign visitors with a valid passport can buy a darshan ticket for INR 600 at the head-office help desk, showing the original passport. Staff at the gate decide who enters the sanctum, so follow their directions. The trust FAQ lists timings and rules.

Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple and Durga Mandir

Sankat Mochan, linked to the poet Tulsidas, has monkeys around it, so keep bags closed. Durga Mandir is an 18th century red temple with a kund, or water tank, in Durgakund in the south of the city, near the university and Assi, and not near the burning ghats.

Banaras Hindu University

The New Vishwanath (Birla) Temple, built between 1931 and 1966, has a 77 m spire and is open to all faiths with no fee. Shoes come off and photography is not allowed. Hours are reported differently by different sources, so check them. The Bharat Kala Bhavan museum on the campus is closed on Sundays at least, and its hours are reported differently, so confirm before you go.

Sarnath

Sarnath, about 10 km from the ghats, was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site on 25 July 2026. The park holds the Dhamek and Dharmarajika stupas, the remains of the Ashoka pillar and the Chaukhandi Stupa, built in 1588. The museum holds the Lion Capital of Ashoka and is open 10:00 to 17:00, closed on Fridays. Fees are not officially confirmed, so check at the gate. See the UNESCO announcement .

Ramnagar Fort and the Saraswati Bhawan museum

The fort stands across the river, about 14 km by road via the bridge, and was built in 1750 by Maharaja Balwant Singh. The museum shows vintage American cars, palanquins, an armoury and an astronomical clock dated 1852, and it is open 10:00 to 17:00. A museum listing gives about INR 200 for a foreign adult, though the fee is not officially confirmed. See the museum listing .

Rajghat Study Centre

On the river at Rajghat, the Krishnamurti Foundation’s study centre welcomes day visitors to its library and bookshop. It also takes guests, at about INR 1,400 for a single and INR 2,200 for a double plus tax, with a two-night limit.

The river and the ghats

The ghats are best seen from the steps in the morning or from a boat. Manikarnika and Harishchandra are working cremation grounds where families are mourning, so keep away, stay quiet and put cameras down. Decline anyone who offers a rooftop view for a fee, because the offer usually ends in a demand for “wood money”. Do not swim in the Ganga or drink its water, and check that boats are running in the July to September flood season.

Getting around

Cars and buses stop at Godowlia or about 1.5 km short of the temple, and the lanes beyond are for e-rickshaws and walking. For guided sightseeing, browse Varanasi sightseeing tours .