Ready Set Travel - Save up to $4,000 per couple OR enjoy FREE or half-price single supplement See the offer
The Award-Winning Tour Specialist
Varanasi Holidays

Varanasi Holidays

Book your holiday to Varanasi with Wendy Wu Tours

Celebrating 25 Years of tour excellence

Brace yourself. You're about to enter one of the most blindingly colourful, unrelentingly chaotic and unapologetically indiscreet places on earth.

Previously known as Kashi (City of Life) and Benares, this is one of the world's oldest continually inhabited cities in the world and is considered as one of Hinduism's seven holy cities. Pilgrims come here to the ghats lining the River Ganges to wash away a lifetime of sins in the sacred waters or to cremate loved ones. Here the most intimate rituals of life and death take place in public, and the sights, sounds, and smells can be overwhelming.

The old city of Varanasi is situated along the western bank of the Ganges and extends back from the riverbank ghats in amaze of alleys too narrow for traffic. You can walk all the way along the ghats, apart from during and immediately after the monsoon, when the river level is too high.

Most visitors agree Varanasi a magical place, but it's not for the faint-hearted. Varanasi is unique, and a walk along the ghats or a boat ride on the river will live long in the memory.

Travel Expert

How can we help?

For advice on where to go, what to do and how to choose your perfect tour, talk to our Travel Experts.

Call 1300727998

Popular Holidays to Varanasi

Varanasi offers a wealth of wonderful sights and experiences. What better way to explore them than on a Wendy Wu tour?

OFFERS
Ready Set Travel
Save up to $4,000 per couple OR enjoy FREE or half-price single supplement on select departures to Japan, China, Southeast Asia, India, South Korea, Latin America and more.
Ready Set Travel offer
Grand Tour of India
Display Map
Classic Group Tour
Grand Tour of India
29 days from $13,530pp
10 Reviews  
Includes international airfares
Delhi (2N) - Varanasi (2N) - Khajuraho (1N) - Jhansi - Agra (2N) - Ranthambore (2N) - Jaipur (2N) - Pushkar (1N) - Khmisar (1N) - Jaisalmer (2N) - Jodhpur (2N) - Udaipur (2N) - Aurangbad (2N) - Mumbai (1N) - Kochi (2N) - Houseboat (1N) - Kovalam (2N) - Trivandrum
  • Fully Inclusive
    Touring with Guides and entrance fees
  • Flights
    International flights and current taxes
  • Physical Rating 2
    Walking, some steps and extended time on your feet.
Tour Highlights:
  • Feel the buzz of Delhi
  • Explore ancient Varanasi
  • Marvel at the Taj Mahal
  • See Rajasthan's hill forts
  • Tour cosmopolitan Mumbai
  • Cruise Kerala's backwaters
Ready Set Travel offer
Highlights of India
Display Map
Classic Group Tour
Highlights of India
18 days from $8,030pp
36 Reviews  
Includes international airfares
Delhi (2N+1N) - Agra (1N) - Jhansi - Khajuraho (1N) - Varanasi (2N) - Jaipur (2N) - Jodhpur (2N) - Udaipur (2N) - Bundi (1N) - Ranthambore (2N)
  • Fully Inclusive
    Touring with Guides and entrance fees
  • Flights
    International flights and current taxes
  • Physical Rating 1
    Walking, some steps and time on your feet.
Tour Highlights:
  • Enjoy the buzz of vibrant Delhi
  • Discover Udaipur's palaces
  • Search for tigers in Ranthambore
  • Marvel at the Taj Mahal
  • Explore ancient Varanasi
  • Admire the Amber Fort
Subscribe Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest offers and receive $100pp off  your Wendy Wu tour.

Things To See In Varanasi

No trip to Varanasi would be complete without seeing one of the wonders listed below.

Varanasi at a Glance

We all enjoy a good fact or two - here are a few useful ones about Varanasi:

Varanasi Climate

Month
Min
Average Temperate(°C)
Max
Monthly Rainfall(mm)
  • Jan
  • 9
    23
    16
  • 19
  • Feb
  • 12
    26
    19
  • 18
  • Mar
  • 16
    33
    24
  • 8
  • Apr
  • 22
    38
    30
  • 6
  • May
  • 26
    40
    33
  • 10
  • Jun
  • 27
    38
    33
  • 107
  • Jul
  • 26
    34
    30
  • 309
  • Aug
  • 25
    33
    29
  • 288
  • Sep
  • 24
    33
    29
  • 245
  • Oct
  • 21
    33
    27
  • 32
  • Nov
  • 14
    29
    22
  • 9
  • Dec
  • 10
    25
    17
  • 5

Varanasi Tour Reviews

Rated 4.6 out of 5 based on 5545 reviews

Review for Highlights of India
We added an extra day cut out the,night flight which was a big start.
18 days of the best experience of India an a ton packed tour of life and history of this beautiful country.

However not for the faint hearted. A lot of walking and long bus rides so you need to fairly fit as the temperature was also around 33 degrees + most days.
Highlight. Varanasi where my father came from. To "To tread the boards" where he was born was magic.

Twilight. There really was not one in this vibrant land.
Nov 10, 2024
Review for Highlights of India
Utterly Superb. I've wanted to visit India for many years - was planning on 2020 but we all know what happened then! - so finally got around to booking. I expected India to be a complete assault on the senses and it delivered in spades. Colourful, noisy, fast moving, in your face and unlike any country I've ever visited. It was a little bit crazy in the best possible way - I loved the sights, sounds, colours, the smells (OK not so much those of Indian Train toilets LOL). I don't think I'll ever quite get used to cows ambling along wherever they please ... including the middle of the road but thats just part of the local colour.

This was my second Wendy Wu Tour - I came back as the first was superb in every way and this one delivered again. Thats twice now that WW has knocked it out of the park. Ive just booked another tour for 2025 to Japan.

1) The itinerary was comprehensive and varied - the pace a little relentless at times as we crammed in as much as possible but worth it totally. We visted all the major "bucket list" sights of Northern Indian from New & Old Delhi (such a contrast), to Taj Mahal and Agra (Taj is every bit as magnificent as imagined), Varanasi (the 5 am start to see the sunrise and Ghats on Ganges was well worth it to see such an incredible site), the Khajuraho (with the Kama Sutra carvings) temples, the night, time jeep ride and magnificent sights of Jaipur, the very macho military city of Jodphur complete with jet fighter fly-overs and the magnificent hotel, the lakes and water palaces of Udaipur and the Tigers at Ranthambore and the superb Shergarh Hotel. Wall to wall palaces, forts, temples, rickshaw rides, Tuk Tuk, jeep rides, coaches, flights and train - you name it we did it.
2) The National guide Vishal was an ever smiling guy who sorted out any minor issues along the way and was a fountain of knowledge on his country as well as being very proud of it and eager to share with visitors. The local guides and coach drivers/assistants were also excellent but special mention has to be given to the superb driving of the cool, calm Mr Singh who Id trust to drive me anywhere and the ever smiling assistant Krishna.
3) The Hotels were all of very good quality - two of which where utterly superb in Jodphur and Ranthambore. The Udaipur Hotel had issues - which the hotel did sort out rapidly but they shouldn't have needed to have the issues pointed out... the other hotels didnt.
4) Food was plentiful and good quality. Generally I would have liked it spicier as I like my food hot and flavourful but appreciate that the hotels and restaurants needed to cater for the wide range of palates of the group. Shergarh was very accommodating in making mine spicier when I asked.
5) Excellent value for money - a lot of bang for the buck.
6) An absolutely superb group of people to travel with - 28 of us from various parts of the UK, Ireland, some Aussies and Kiwis. Everyone seemed to get on really well and the WhatsApp group set up by our guide Vishal was great for sharing photos, schedules etc. The group I travelled with made an already amazing holiday into an incredible experience I will never forget.
Absolutely no hesitation in recommending Wendy Wu Tours - Ive already booked my third tour for 2025!
Apr 13, 2024
Review for HIGHLIGHTS OF INDIA
Service rating : First class organisation throughout the trip ensuring a very smooth and super journey around northern India.
Product : Value for money. Good all round variety of experience. Varanasi is a must!
Feb 19, 2018
Review for HIGHLIGHTS OF INDIA
Service rating : Service during tour very good.
Product : Umid very excellent guide. Tour including Varanasi first rate.
Apr 06, 2016
Review for HIGHLIGHTS OF INDIA
Service rating : Excellent service through out the whole experience. we had a fabulous time,
the ******/ guide was very knowledgeable and extremely helpful. through out the tour he checked that we were happy with everything he was eager to please.
Product : We totally loved the tour. wonderful places, acceptable hotels. if I had to fault the tour I would say start in Delhi traveling next to Udaipur continuing on route and ending at Varanasi. We finished at Udaipur this was the least impressive city - I think finishing at Varanasi would of been a total high.
Oct 13, 2015

Varanasi Travel Blog

Read our latest articles or travel inspiration, exciting news about our destinations and all things Wendy Wu Tours

20
Mar

India’s Must See ‘Quiet Achievers’

Everyone knows the Taj Mahal in Agra is at the top of every India’s must see list. However,...
2
Jun

Incredible India: Your gateway to vibrant diversity, rich culture and wonder

Travelling to Delhi or Mumbai is a unique cultural experience, especially to first time travellers...
27
Jul

Traveller Tales: Uncover the wonders of India

Returning customers Peter and Doreen travelled to Rajasthan in October/November 2019, having first...