Journey Into the Eternal: Roobaroo’s Exclusive Cultural Immersion in Varanasi
Saffron sunlight spills over the Ganges. Conch shells echo across ancient ghats. Priests raise flaming lamps by the river. Welcome to a regular Varanasi evening!
Pure devotion- is this all that Varanasi can offer?
What if you could wrestle like a pahalwan, master family-style curries, and sail past twinkling lamps?
Today, let’s learn about the oh-so-many things to do in Varanasi that you and your family can enjoy!
Highlights…
From hands-on craft workshops to riverside ceremonies, things to do in Varanasi are mind-boggling! But not to worry, here’s our top thirteen must-dos:-
- Visit an Akhada (wrestling in holy mud!):
- Witness Classical Music Shows (evening ragas by the river!):
- Cooking Sessions with a Local Family (spices & stories!):
- Essential Varanasi Walk (lanes, legends, & the living soul!):
- Evening Ganga Aarti (flames rise, bells ring, & the river listens!):
- Witness Ganga Dussehra (the spectacular arrival of the guardian river!):
- Drinking the Famous Banarasi Lassi (thick, sweet, and worth the spoon!):
- Painting & Mask-Making Workshops (painting rituals, moulding stories!):
- Visiting the Nepali Temple (wait, are we still in India?):
- Textile Walking Tours (where threads tell stories!):
- Yoga Sessions (for when you want to slow down the city!):
- Village Tour (beyond the ghats!):
Visit an Akhada (wrestling in holy mud!):
Let’s start with a bang- quite literally!
In a quiet corner of Varanasi Uttar Pradesh, young wrestlers oil their bodies, tie their langots, bow to the mud pit and wrestle.
Dating back to the 1500s, an akhada holds quite a legacy. Head to Tulsi Akhada at Tulsi Ghat. You’ll witness wrestlers training with wooden clubs in the mud pit. Every push-up and grapple carries centuries of ritual. Kushti, also known as wrestling, is devotion in motion- strict diet, celibacy, and tough training.
You can watch and cheer from the ringside and feel free to interact with the pahalwans and hear their stories. And, if you’re game, ask to try basic stance drills under guidance.
Experience this holy sport firsthand!
P.S.: While we have your fresh attention, Varanasi is a highlight stop in our curated North India tour. So join us on this journey to connect culture, heritage, and unforgettable fun!
Witness Classical Music Shows (evening ragas by the river!):
When night falls in Varanasi, the river listens to the hums of sitar, tabla, and flute.
Baithaks at the International Music Centre Ashram invite you to sit cross-legged and enjoy soulful ragas and rhythms. If you are a music lover, plan your visit in April. Witness the famed Sankat Mochan Sangeet Samaroh, which draws India’s top maestros for six nights of free classical recitals.
Fun Fact: The Sankat Mochan festival even mixes classical with Bollywood music, attracting huge crowds for this spring event.
Let the music tell you where you are!
Cooking Sessions with a Local Family (spices & stories!):
If you’re a foodie and wondering what your things to do in Varanasi are, this one’s right for you.
Step into a Banarasi kitchen where cumin crackles, dough is kneaded by hand, and laughter steams with chai.
In a private guided cooking workshop, you’ll learn to cook a full North Indian thali– dal, paneer curries, seasonal vegetables, fresh breads, and sweets like jalebi or rabri. Oh, even samosas and masala chai.
Your host supervises each step and shares family culinary secrets passed down through generations. Once you’re done, we’ll sit and eat together- like old friends, not tourists.
This is your exclusive opportunity to learn about local ingredients and culinary culture firsthand. All while making hands-on memories!
Essential Varanasi Walk (lanes, legends, & the living soul!):
In this curated list of things to do in Varanasi, how could we have forgotten this must-do?
No Varanasi tour is complete without getting lost (guided and intentional!) in the labyrinthine alleys and ghats!
A guided walk through the old city of Varanasi reveals a hidden world of narrow gallis, bursting with flower sellers, silk weavers, and temple bells. Pass glowing shrines, crumbling merchant mansions, spice stalls, and the sacred smoke of Manikarnika Ghat.
Speaking of ghats, don’t miss our detailed guide on a guided walk through the ghats of Varanasi.
Pro tip: Start your walk just after sunrise when the lanes are calmer and soft light hits the ghats just right!
Evening Ganga Aarti (flames rise, bells ring, & the river listens!):
As the sun sinks behind the ghats, the Ganges becomes a stage!
At Dashashwamedh Ghat, priests in flowing robes take their place on raised platforms. Bells ring in rhythm. Conch shells echo. Brass lamps circle the air in slow, sacred arcs. Fire, smoke, and mantra rise together- offered to the river as goddess.
Thousands gather, some seated on stone steps, others afloat in boats swaying gently on the water. Diyas flicker in the dusk. Incense hangs like mist.
The ceremony feels timeless, like the river itself!
No wonder many travellers begin their Rajasthan private tour with a holy stop in Varanasi.
Every gesture holds a spiritual meaning. Fire purifies. Incense carries prayers. The Ganga listens in silence.
Do you want something quieter?
Nearby, Assi Ghat hosts a smaller, more intimate aarti. Timing shifts with the season.
Witness Ganga Dussehra (the spectacular arrival of the guardian river!):
Each year in late May or June, Varanasi celebrates Ganga Dussehra- the sacred day the Ganges is believed to have descended to Earth.
At sunrise, the ghats fill with pilgrims taking holy dips. You’ll witness spectacular rituals unfolding throughout the day- flower offerings, bhajans, and extra-special aartis (especially at Assi Ghat).
By evening, the guardian river of Varanasi shimmers with drifting oil lamps and prayers.
What you’ll experience is the most powerful and community-driven expression of love for the holy Ganga. Catching this auspicious occasion first-hand is truly one of the most memorable things to do in Varanasi.
Are you curious to witness it all?
Explore the top fifteen most important Varanasi ghats.
Drinking the Famous Banarasi Lassi (thick, sweet, and worth the spoon!):
Creamy. Chilled. Almost a dessert.
Banarasi lassi isn’t your regular milkshake- it’s a slow, rich indulgence. Try the classic at the seventy-year-old Blue Lassi Shop near Manikarnika Ghat or the ultra-decadent Pahalwan Lassi, layered with malai, rabri, and chopped nuts.
Our pick?
Shiv Prasad Lassi Bhandar near Ramnagar Fort- served in a clay cup, so thick you’ll need a spoon!
Fruit flavours are fun, but the traditional sweet lassi hits differently. For foodies, this is one of the most delicious things to do in Varanasi.
Pro tip: Visit early- the best blends sell out by noon.
Painting & Mask-Making Workshops (painting rituals, moulding stories!):
Are you looking for a souvenir that tells a story?
Join local artisans- many trained at Banaras Hindu University- for hands-on workshops in papier-mache mask-making and painting. Sculpt with clay from the Ganges. Shape epic characters from the Ramayana. Paint your keepsake with earthy colours and age-old techniques.
Do you prefer brush to pulp?
Try miniature art or ghat sketches under the open sky.
These workshops aren’t just creative but a window into Banaras’s folk traditions and artistic soul!
Visiting the Nepali Temple (wait, are we still in India?):
Tucked beside Lalita Ghat, the Nepali Temple stuns with red-painted pagodas, hand-carved wooden beams, and soft monk chants echoing in the air.
Built by a nineteenth-century king in exile, it’s a replica of Nepal’s Pashupatinath Temple- complete with its tiered roof and sacred Shivling.
Locals call it “Mini Khajuraho” for a reason!
This serene corner of the city feels worlds away. Many travellers stop here while tracing spiritual circuits through India. If that’s your rhythm too, take a look at our Buddhist tour to India.
We must admit- of all the things to do in Varanasi, this one lingers.
Textile Walking Tours (where threads tell stories!):
In the old saree quarters of Varanasi, looms click softly behind ancient doors.
Walk through Dal Mandi and Ansari lanes where generations of weavers craft shimmering Banarasi silks, brocades, and muslins by hand. You’ll watch zari threads stretched like gold across bamboo frames, meet artisans, and even pass courtesans’ quarters tied to this legacy.
For lovers of fashion, craft, or history, this is among the most vibrant things to do in Varanasi.
Yoga Sessions (for when you want to slow down the city!):
There’s something about doing yoga in Varanasi that just lands differently.
Perhaps it’s the Ganga breeze at sunrise on Assi Ghat. Or, it’s stepping into a quiet ashram where the world feels paused. Places like Kaivalya Yoga School or Yoga Niketan don’t just teach- they invite.
You can drop in for a morning hatha session, or stay longer and fold into a retreat with meditation, massage, and temple visits.
Yoga sessions at Varanasi are not about getting the poses accurate. It’s about finding your rhythm and letting the city slow down with you!
Village Tour (beyond the ghats!):
Swap the temple bells’ chimes for handloom clinks and sugarcane rustles!
A quick drive from the city, hermits like Sarai Mohana and Chiraigaon offer looms, lunches, and immersive glimpses of slow village life. Watch sarees woven by hand, share tea with locals, or join in a harvest.
If you’re looking to ground yourself, this village tour must be there in your things to do in Varanasi list.
Sarnath Buddhist Circuit (the quiet just outside the city!):
Sometimes, a short drive takes you somewhere that feels centuries away!
Around thirty minutes from Varanasi, Sarnath Uttar Pradesh is where Buddha gave his first sermon. You’ll walk past ancient monasteries, the towering Dhamekh Stupa, and the broken Ashoka Pillar, still standing proud in silence.
Stop by the museum. Step into the Sri Lankan temple. Or just sit by the Bodhi tree sapling and watch the afternoon drift.
P.S.: Are you planning something wider? Check out our iconic India itinerary and luxury India tours for more.
And that’s just the surface. These are only a few things to do in Varanasi, but the real magic?
It’s in the moments you didn’t plan for. Let the city show you the rest!
