Varanasi Walking Tours: Lanes and Ghats

October 18, 2026

Walking is the only way to cover Varanasi’s old city, because the lanes (galis) are pedestrian and cars and buses stop at Godowlia or about 1.5 km short of the temple. These routes run from the lanes to the river steps. Carry a small bag, zip it, and keep your phone in a front pocket. Prices are in Indian rupees (INR, roughly 95 to the US dollar) and are approximate.

Vishwanath Gali and Kachori Gali circuit

Start at Godowlia and follow the lanes toward the temple. Watch for cows and motorbikes, which share the narrow lanes with you. Kachori Gali is the stop for kachori with sabzi at breakfast, and Blue Lassi is nearby for lassi. Kashi Chaat Bhandar serves tamatar chaat, with most sources placing it in the Godowlia area. End at Kashi Vishwanath Temple, or turn back before the cremation grounds, which are not part of any walk. Phones, cameras, other gadgets and pens are not allowed inside the temple, so leave them in a free locker or at your hotel. Foreign visitors with a valid passport can buy a darshan ticket for INR 600 at the head-office help desk with the original passport. The temple trust FAQ lists the rules.

Assi to Kedar Ghat

This quieter stretch heads south from Assi Ghat past Tulsi Ghat and Lolark Kund to Kedar Ghat, with its red and white temple. It is a quieter stretch than the central ghats. When the Ganga floods in July to September, parts of the route go under water, so check conditions and stay on the steps.

Thatheri Bazaar and the weaving quarters

Thatheri Bazaar is the brass market, and Ram Bhandar there is known for kachori with sabzi and maalpua, a sweet fried pancake. The weaving quarters of Madanpura, Alaipura and Lallapura make Banarasi brocade, a product with a geographical indication. Visit a weaver directly, and avoid shops that a driver or a friendly stranger steers you to.

Subah-e-Banaras and the ghats north

The free dawn programme at Assi Ghat starts before sunrise and runs about two hours, with chanting, a morning aarti, a fire ritual, raga music and yoga. Afterwards you can continue north along the ghats. See the official site for the format.

Evening aarti walk

Walk to Dashashwamedh Ghat 30 to 45 minutes before sunset, which is around 5:45 pm from October to March and 6:45 pm from April to September, with times shifting daily. Watching from the steps is free.

Guided walks

VaranasiWalks meets at Assi Ghat and offers walks of about 2.5 to 3 hours, and Roobaroo Walks covers heritage routes. A heritage walk from Assi to Manikarnika is sold as a standard route, but it passes the burning ghat without entering it. Do not photograph pyres, bodies or mourners, and decline any stranger who offers a rooftop view, because the offer usually ends in a demand for “wood money”. Manikarnika is under a restoration project, so conditions there can change. See VaranasiWalks for current walks, or browse Varanasi walking tours and confirm the route and the price per person.

Safety and comfort

Wear shoes you can take off easily, carry bottled water, and walk early or late in summer, when April to June reaches about 45 degrees C. Do not bathe in the Ganga, and stay on the steps during the flood season.