Assi Ghat Retreat
Hotel
Days 1, 3
Varanasi: Ghats and Sarnath - 4 Days (Dashashwamedh Ghat, Assi Ghat, Manikarnika Ghat & Uttar Pradesh)
Four days on the ghats, with two dawns on the river. Four days in a restored ghat-side haveli with a private boat for both river trips and a guide who has lived in the old city.
The Monsoon Ledger
Runs this trip
Walking / cultural tour
Four days on the ghats, with two dawns on the river
Group Tour
Join a fixed-date departure with other travellers
Top Highlights
Dashashwamedh GhatThe aarti happens every evening at the same ghat and the boat is a better vantage than the bank, which is packed. Assi GhatManikarnika is a cremation ghat that has burned continuously for centuries. Dhamek StupaThe Sarnath museum holds the Ashokan lion capital that is the national emblem — the actual one.
Itinerary
The aarti happens every evening at the same ghat and the boat is a better vantage than the bank, which is packed.
Varanasi, Dashashwamedh GhatHow the day runs
- 1 hrsTransfer to a ghat-side guesthouse
- 1 hrs6:00 PM — the aarti, watched from a boat
- MealsDinner
- AccommodationAssi Ghat Retreat
Included Activities
- Airport transfer
- Ghat-side guesthouse
- Evening boat for the aarti
LANDMARKS Dashashwamedh Ghat Ganga aarti Old city lanes Start point Varanasi, Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport (VNS), Varanasi 00:00 - 23:59Manikarnika is a cremation ghat that has burned continuously for centuries. Photography there is not permitted and the guides will tell you why plainly.
Assi Ghat, Manikarnika Ghat, VaranasiHow the day runs
- 2 hrs5:15 AM — rowed north along the ghats at first light
- 9:00 AM — the lanes, Kashi Vishwanath and the silk weavers
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationVaranasi Lodge
Included Activities
- Dawn boat
- Guided old-city walk
- Guesthouse night
LANDMARKS Assi Ghat Manikarnika Kashi Vishwanath Vishwanath Gali The Sarnath museum holds the Ashokan lion capital that is the national emblem — the actual one.
Varanasi, SarnathHow the day runs
- 1 hrs9:00 AM — north to the deer park
- 1 hrs3:00 PM — across the river to the fort
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationAssi Ghat Retreat
Included Activities
- Sarnath entries and museum
- Guesthouse night
LANDMARKS Dhamek Stupa Sarnath Museum Ashoka pillar Ramnagar Fort Walking the ghats at dawn on the last morning, without a guide or a boat, is what people remember.
Assi Ghat, VaranasiHow the day runs
- 5:30 AM — the ghats on foot at dawn, no boat
- 1 hrs11:00 AM — airport transfer
- MealsBreakfast
- AccommodationNot included — onward travel
Included Activities
- Airport drop
- Day 1Airport transfer
- Day 1Ghat-side guesthouse
- Day 1Evening boat for the aarti
- Day 2Dawn boat
- Day 2Guided old-city walk
- Day 2Guesthouse night
- Day 3Sarnath entries and museum
- Day 4Airport drop
- Day 1 · 1 nightAssi Ghat Retreat
- Day 2 · 1 nightVaranasi Lodge
- Day 3 · 1 nightAssi Ghat Retreat
- Day 1Varanasi to VaranasiTransfer to a ghat-side guesthouse
- Day 3Varanasi to Sarnath9:00 AM — north to the deer park
- Day 3Sarnath to Ramnagar Fort3:00 PM — across the river to the fort
- Day 4Varanasi to Varanasi11:00 AM — airport transfer
Where you'll stay
All accommodations are subject to change
Varanasi Lodge
Lodge
Day 2
What you'll eat
3 breakfasts and 1 dinner across 4 days, at the lodges you sleep in. It opens with dinner on day 1 and closes with breakfast on day 4.
- DinnerServed on day 1
- BreakfastServed on days 2–4
4 meal services named in the itinerary. Vegetarian and vegan covered; Jain, gluten-free and allergies on notice at booking
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Customer reviews
Overall rating
4.0/5
Based on 7 reviews
Review summary
Food4.0/5
Guide3.4/5
Itinerary3.6/5
Transport3.9/5
Accommodation3.9/5
Tour operator4.3/5
Sort by:Recommended
5
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Tara D'Souza – Indore2025-10-09 · Verified booking
Uttar Pradesh done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. Good value for what's included.
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4
T
Tom Bergman – Amsterdam2025-10-09 · Verified booking
Uttar Pradesh done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. Good value for what's included.
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2
D
Daniel Okafor – Melbourne2025-10-09 · Verified booking
Too much time on the coach and not enough at the places we'd come for.
Reply from The Monsoon Ledger
Thanks for writing this up. We've passed your note to the team.
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4
S
Sofia Marchetti – Dublin2025-10-09 · Verified booking
Everything was arranged properly — transfers, entries, all of it. Recommended.
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3
E
Elena Petrova – Lisbon2025-10-09 · Verified booking
Hotels were a step below what I expected for the price. Guides answered every question, including the daft ones.
Reply from The Monsoon Ledger
Thank you. We've taken the point about the transfer and are reviewing it.
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5
K
Karan Shah – Bengaluru2025-10-09 · Verified booking
Well paced over 4 days with enough free time to not feel herded. Never went hungry, and the tea appeared exactly when it was needed. Would book with them again.
Reply from The Monsoon Ledger
Glad you enjoyed it. Hope to see you on another trip.
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5
R
Rohit Verma – Mumbai2025-10-09 · Verified booking
Uttar Pradesh done well. The itinerary had room to breathe. No complaints about any of the hotels — all of them well placed. Plenty to eat and they were happy to work around a gluten allergy. Solid operator.
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Questions people ask
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