Bharat Kala Bhavan Museum Tickets and Tours

Ayodhya,Varanasi & Prayagraj Spiritual Tour -Various options

10/10

Nice hotel for Men or women by trevoling

Full Day Private Guided Tour of Varanasi

Highly recommend!

My parents had an awesome experience. Entire trip was so well managed . They can’t stop raving about their experience . Thank you to the entire team at Five Senses Tour for a fabulous trip !

Varanasi-city of Ganges, same day visit

Varanasi Family Trip Review (Dec 21–25)

✅ Varanasi Family Trip Review (Dec 21–25) Overall Rating: ★★★★☆ Purpose: Pilgrimage & Cultural Experience Family: 2 Adults + 2 Kids (11 & 3 years) Duration: 4 Nights ________________________________________ Trip Highlights & Observations Day 1 – Dec 21 (Sunday) • Travel: o Started at 5:30 AM from Noida to NDLS for Vande Bharat Express (scheduled 6:00 AM, delayed to 7:30 AM due to fog). o Delay was manageable as starting at 4 AM in winter with kids would have been tough. o Tip: Vande Bharat is a good option for comfort and speed. Alternatively, Shiv Ganga Express (overnight) is better if you want to reach early morning. • Hotel: o Stayed at JSR Ganga Hotel near Ahilyabai/Dashashwamedh Ghat. o Pros: Location advantage (walking distance to ghat). o Cons:  Access through dirty, crowded lanes.  Overpriced (₹4,500/night for Super Deluxe with breakfast).  Breakfast never on time (starts after 9:15 AM vs promised 8:30 AM).  Poor staff professionalism, limited food options.  Hot water issue (central heater starts late). o Recommendation:  Book room without breakfast (ample food options outside from 6:30 AM).  Prefer hotels near Nandi Chowk instead of inside narrow lanes.  Location near ghat is not essential as most time is spent in city/temples. • Meals: Plenty of restaurants available for all cuisines. ________________________________________ Day 2 – Dec 22 (Monday) • Temple Visit: o Used Sugam Darshan ticket (₹300/adult, kids free) at Kashi Vishwanath Temple. o Darshan completed in 15–20 mins via Gate No. 2. o Tip: Avoid hiring pandas (priests) inside temple; they charge ₹300–₹500 unnecessarily. o Food: Tried Malayo (winter special sweet) and Kachori-Puri (~₹50) – highly recommended. • Evening Activities: o Boat Ride: ₹2,000 for private boat (Assi Ghat + 1-hour ferry). o Dashashwamedh Ghat Walk & Kashi Vishwanath Corridor visit. o Ganga Aarti:  Starts at 6:30 PM (winter).  Paid boat seating ₹200/head OR free seating (reach by 3 PM for good spot).  Tip: Carry warm clothes (jackets, caps, thermals).  Public toilets are far – be prepared for 2 hrs without access. ________________________________________ Key Recommendations ✔ Travel by Vande Bharat or overnight train for convenience. ✔ Avoid hotels deep inside lanes; choose central location near Nandi Chowk. ✔ Skip hotel breakfast – explore local street food early morning. ✔ Use Sugam Darshan tickets for temples; avoid extra payments to pandas. ✔ Plan Ganga Aarti seating early and dress warmly in winter. ✔ Try local delicacies like Malayo (seasonal) and Kachori-Puri. Day 3 – Tuesday, Dec 23 • Morning Plan: o Booked a local taxi online (Maruti Ertiga, clean and well-maintained). Driver Mr. Harshal was courteous and knowledgeable. o Started at 9:00 AM from PDR Mall, reached Vindhyachal Temple (Mirzapur district) around 11:00 AM. • Vindhyavasini Temple: o Temple closes for Dhoop Aarti at 12:00 PM, so rushed for darshan. o Bought mala and prasad tokri for ₹600 (price felt high, but no time to negotiate). o Entered via Gate #2 (closest gate). o Experience:  Initially smooth entry with help of a panda (priest).  Inside, some pandas demanded ₹1000–₹1500 for “special darshan” – declined.  Tip: Avoid paying extra; stick to official queues. o Observation: In Vindhyachal and nearby temples (Astrology Temple, Kalika Temple), many pandas ask for money – disappointing practice. • Kalika Temple: o Closed from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM for Mangal Aarti. o Waited and had smooth darshan of Mahakali – one of the most revered temples. • Ashtabhuja Temple: o Driver guided well to the top (instead of ropeway, which some drivers suggest for extra charges). o Temple dedicated to Mahalakshmi, located inside a cave – unique experience. o Also visited Astrology Temple nearby (again faced pandas asking for money). o Tip: Politely refuse extra payments; take directions and move on. • Return Journey: o Had local chaat and malayo near parking – delicious. o Started back at 3:30 PM, reached Varanasi around 5:00 PM (PDR Mall drop). ________________________________________ Evening Plan • Decided to visit Bhaironath Temple: o Took a cycle rickshaw (₹120) – worth it due to distance and effort. o Observation: Huge crowd (Tuesday is auspicious for Bhaironath). o Skipped darshan due to long queue but bought souvenirs:  Bhaironath face with Rudraksha (₹50 each)  Pairs made from Varanasi saree cut-outs o Returned to hotel by 8:30 PM. • Night at Ghat: o After rest, visited Ahilyabai Ghat. o Had snacks and then went to Maggie Point (terrace seating post-Aarti – great decision!). o Enjoyed Maggi and tea, then met a local Bengali uncle who suggested visiting Ghat Temple – offered prayers there. o Returned to hotel around 9:30 PM, had dinner at hotel (good quality). ________________________________________ Key Takeaways for Day 3 ✔ Book a reliable cab online; Ertiga was spacious and comfortable. ✔ Avoid paying pandas for special darshan – official queues are enough. ✔ Carry snacks/water for temple waiting times. ✔ Bhaironath Temple is very crowded on Tuesdays – plan accordingly. ✔ Evening terrace experience at Maggie Point was a highlight! ✔ Try local delicacies like malayo and chaat near temple parking. Day 4 – Wednesday, Dec 24 • Morning: o Breakfast at JSR Ganga Hotel was delayed (started at 9:30 AM) and had limited options despite high charges (₹4,500/night with breakfast). o Tip: Avoid hotel breakfast plans in Varanasi; better to eat outside early morning. • Sarnath Visit: o Started around 11:30 AM from hotel; negotiated with an auto driver (Satyam Gupta – very polite and knowledgeable) for ₹1,600 (original quote ₹2,000) for full-day sightseeing (Sarnath + local Varanasi spots). o Reached Sarnath by 12:40 PM. o Places Covered:  Sarnath Temple  Sarnath Museum (Entry ₹10/adult via online booking)  Dhamek Stupa & historical ruins  Banarasi Silk Gramodaya Factory (optional; not necessary) o Tip: Allocate 4–5 hours for Sarnath if you love history; we spent ~2.5 hours due to time constraints. o Local guides available for ₹50–₹100 for explanations. • Return & Local Temples: o Returned to Varanasi around 3:30 PM. o Visited Sankat Mochan Hanuman Mandir (mobile deposit lockers available; darshan smooth in 15–20 mins). o Then visited BHU Vishwanath Temple – must-visit, very peaceful. o Tried Keshav Pan on the way (average; nothing special). • Evening Plan: o Hungry, so had snacks near Nandi Chowk. o Decided to visit Kal Bhairav Temple:  Took bike taxis (₹100 per bike) to reach temple.  Temple was crowded; requested police at VIP gate for entry (helped since kids were with us).  Darshan completed in 15–20 mins.  Tip: Pandas inside temple ask for money – avoid paying; buy offerings outside. o Returned to Nandi Chowk via bike taxi (₹100 each). • Night Experience: o Stopped at “I Love Pushpa Chai” shop near hotel:  Ordered tea in clay pot (₹50), malai toast (₹80), malayo (₹100).  Observation: Overpriced and not special; avoid this shop. o Returned to hotel and had dinner in-room (fried rice ₹500) – good quality. ________________________________________ Key Takeaways for Day 4 ✔ Sarnath is a must-visit for history lovers; plan 4–5 hours. ✔ Negotiate auto fares; ₹1,600 for full-day sightseeing was fair. ✔ Avoid overpriced tourist tea shops; explore authentic local stalls instead. ✔ Kal Bhairav Temple is crowded; VIP gate entry possible if with kids (request politely). ✔ Skip hotel breakfast plans; street food is better and timely. Day 5 – Thursday, Dec 25 (Checkout & Return Journey) • Morning: o Check out done at JSR Ganga and requested for hotel bill which was said that they will share over WhatsApp however after 2-3 times follow-up they have not shared the bill. o Planned checkout early for Vande Bharat Express from Varanasi Junction to New Delhi (scheduled 6:00 AM). o Received SMS at 3:30 AM about delay to 8:15 AM, but later train was delayed further to 1:00 PM and finally departed at 2:35 PM. o Observation: Indian Railways updates were inconsistent; better communication could have saved early checkout and discomfort in cold weather. • Hotel Checkout: o Completed checkout the previous night for convenience. o Staff helped carry luggage to Nandi Chowk, from where a three-wheeler auto was hired for ₹200 to Varanasi Junction. o Tip: Clearly instruct auto drivers to drop inside station premises, not outside on main road (extra ₹20 parking fee is common excuse). • Station Experience: o After reaching station at 7:30 AM, received SMS that train was delayed till 1:00 PM. o Opted for Premium Lounge:  Charges: ₹100 per person for 2 hours + GST (₹118 per person).  Spent ~6 hours in lounge (total ₹900) – comfortable due to heater and seating.  Bought snacks and tea during wait. o Tip: If delay info is received early, stay at hotel longer instead of station. • Train Journey: o Train departed at 2:35 PM, reached New Delhi at 11:00 PM. o Took cab home, reached around midnight. ________________________________________ Overall Trip Review ✔ Duration: 4 nights, 5 days ✔ Purpose: Pilgrimage & cultural experience ✔ Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5) ✔ Highlights: • Kashi Vishwanath Temple & Corridor • Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat • Sarnath historical sites • Vindhyachal & Kal Bhairav temples • Local delicacies: Malayo, Kachori-Puri, Chaat ✔ Challenges: • Hotel overpriced & poor breakfast service • Pandas demanding money at temples • Train delays & poor communication ✔ Recommendations: 1. Hotels: Avoid ghat-side hotels; choose near Nandi Chowk (₹1500–₹2000 range). 2. Meals: Skip hotel breakfast; explore local street food. 3. Temple Darshan: Use Sugam Darshan tickets; don’t pay pandas. 4. Local Travel: Auto/taxi for full-day sightseeing ₹1600–₹2000; bike taxis ₹100 per ride. 5. Boat Ride: Private ₹2000–₹2500; shared ₹200 per person. 6. Ganga Aarti: Reach by 3:30 PM for good seating; carry warm clothes in winter. 7. Shopping: Souvenirs like Rudraksha, Bhaironath face, Banarasi saree cut-outs. 8. Winter Travel: Pack thermals, jackets, caps for evening ghat visits.