Day 1 Varanasi
Namaste! Welcome to India. You will be picked up from your centrally located hotel between 8.30-9:00 - please be waiting in the lobby for your guide. The ultimate destination for all Hindu pilgrims, Varanasi is full of temples, shrines and devotees. Varanasi is one of the world's oldest continually inhabited cities and is certainly is one of the world's most amazing. Set off by cycle rickshaw to visit some of the oldest part of the city, bustling with tourists and priests, and if you are lucky, watch different rituals being performed. Wander through the Old City with its maze of narrow alleyways packed full of small shops and stalls. See pilgrims bathing in the Ganges River and performing rituals and ceremonies unchanged for hundreds of years; temples full of bells chime and the smell of incense. Spend the evening soaking up the magical atmosphere of a candle flower ceremony.

Day 2 Sarnath - Varanasi
This morning set off on another guided city tour in which you will get a chance to visit a centre famous for weaving Benares silk in pit-looms. Varanasi is known throughout India as the finest producer of silk and the famous Banarasi sari. These intricate sari's are generally reserved for weddings. Take an excursion to Sarnath (approx. 12 km from Varanasi), and located near the confluence of the Ganges and Gomati Rivers. Visit the deer park where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dharma, and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence through the enlightenment of Kondanna. The rest of the day is free for you to spend as you wish.

Day 3 Varanasi
Start early with a sunrise boat ride on the Ganges. Drift gently along the river as the sun rises passing along the many ghats and temples along the banks. Watching pilgrims bathing, and this ancient city waking up and greeting the day, is one the the unmissable sites of this remarkable country. After the boat ride we transfer back to the hotel where this Short Break concludes.

Explore holy Varanasi - an atmospheric blend of temples, river ghats and bazaars. Sail on the Ganges at dawn for a magical experience as the sun rises over pilgrims absolving sins in the river. Explore the city and nearby Sarnath, and wander independently through the bright bustle of the backstreets of Benares. Visiting Shiva's city is a must on any visit to India.

• Transport - Private vehicle, Cycle rickshaw, Boat
• Varanasi - Old City tour
• Varanasi - Ganges boat flower ceremony
• Sarnath - Temple & Museum
• Varanasi - Sunrise boat trip

• Explore the rituals and sights of this ancient and holy city with a local guide
• Visit Sarnath, where Buddha began his teachings
• Spend sunrise on the ganges, watching Varanasi emerge into a new day

Hotel (2 nights)

• Ages: Min 5
• Group size: Min 1, Max 12
• This is a join-in trip, so if other travellers have booked on the same date you will share included activities. As this is not a group itinerary you may be travelling or accommodated on your own, without other Intrepid travellers. If you would prefer the experience of travelling with others, please consider our HHKH trip.
• Please ask your Vacations To Go travel counselor for more information.

For Intrepid Travel terms and conditions, please click here.

* The prices shown are U.S. dollars per person, based on double occupancy, and subject to availability. Prices quoted for land/cruise arrangements are subject to increase without notice. Once we have received your deposit, land/cruise prices are guaranteed. Air prices quoted via phone or email are subject to increase and are guaranteed only from the time that full payment is received. Also, air prices or air promotions mentioned on this site or on the phone do not include baggage fees imposed by airlines.