Varanasi on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Yes, Varanasi is one of the best budget destinations in India: the ghats, the ceremonies and the old city are free, and street food is excellent and cheap. A realistic minimum is about ₹1,700 per person a day (about ₹700 for a shared budget room, ₹500 food, ₹300 sights, ₹200 transport).
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | ₹700 | ₹2,500 | ₹10,000 |
| Food & drink | ₹500 | ₹1,200 | ₹3,000 |
| Sights & tickets | ₹300 | ₹800 | ₹2,000 |
| Local transport | ₹200 | ₹600 | ₹2,000 |
| Per person, per day | ₹1,700 | ₹5,100 | ₹17,000 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Varanasi day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Subah-e-Banaras, the sunrise ceremony at Assi Ghat
- The Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat in the evening, watched from the steps
- The 4 km ghat walk from Assi to Dashashwamedh, past Kedar, Chet Singh and Darbhanga ghats
- The old-city lanes around Vishwanath Gali and Kachauri Gali
- Kashi Vishwanath temple (entry is free; use the lockers for phones and bags)
- The Dhamek Stupa area and the Mulagandha Kuti Vihar temple at Sarnath
Cheap eats
- Kachori sabzi with jalebi: about ₹40–100
- Tamatar chaat: about ₹40–80
- Lassi in a clay cup: about ₹40–120
- Malaiyo (winter milk foam): about ₹30–60
- Vegetarian thali in a simple restaurant: about ₹150–350
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay around Assi Ghat and in the lanes behind it, where guesthouses cost roughly ₹1,000–2,500 a room, with the morning ceremony on the doorstep. Check recent reviews for cleanliness, hot water in winter and noise.
Getting around cheaply
Walk the ghats and lanes, and use e-rickshaws or auto-rickshaws with the fare agreed first (usually ₹50–200). Sarnath is about 10 km away, 30–45 minutes by auto-rickshaw. From the airport, an app taxi is usually cheaper than a pre-paid taxi.
A sample budget day
- Morning: sunrise ceremony at Assi Ghat (free), then a shared boat or a walk along the ghats
- Lunch: kachori sabzi and jalebi in the old city (about ₹80) and a lassi (about ₹80)
- Afternoon: auto-rickshaw to Sarnath and back (about ₹300–400 shared) and the Sarnath museum (a small fee)
- Evening: Ganga Aarti from the Dashashwamedh steps (free), then a thali (about ₹250) and a paan
- Total: about ₹1,600–1,800 per person including a shared guesthouse room of about ₹700
More ways to save
- Share a sunrise boat with other travellers from your guesthouse to split the cost.
- Bargain politely for boats; prices vary by season and demand.
- Order plain lassi and thandai, and say 'no bhang' clearly.
- Eat where locals queue, and at breakfast, when the kachori shops are freshest.
- Visit Sarnath on a day other than Friday, when the museum is usually closed.
- Travel in October–November or February–March for good weather, avoiding the Dev Deepawali price peak.
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Common questions
Can you visit Varanasi on a budget?
Yes, at about ₹1,600–1,800 per person a day with a guesthouse room, street food and free ceremonies on the ghats.
What is free in Varanasi?
The sunrise ceremony at Assi, the evening aarti at Dashashwamedh, the ghat walk, the old-city lanes, Kashi Vishwanath and the stupa area at Sarnath.
What is the cheapest way from Varanasi airport to the ghats?
An app taxi such as Uber or Ola, usually cheaper than a pre-paid taxi of roughly ₹800–1,200; the trip takes 45–75 minutes.