Day 1 · Arrival, Temples & Twilight Aarti

Arrivals – Fly into Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport or roll in by rail; chauffeured pickup and assisted check-in at vetted hotels (3-star upwards).[^^arrival]

Afternoon Temple Circuit (14:00 – 17:30)

• Kashi Vishwanath Complex – Sugam Darshan support, Annapurna & Vishalakshi shrines, ritual walkthrough.[^kv]
• Kaal Bhairav Temple – Seek permission from the guardian deity of Kashi before continuing exploration.[^kaal]
• Old City Heritage Walk – Silk looms, handicraft alleys, flower market photo ops and local snack tasting.[^oldcity]

Evening River Experience (17:30 – 20:30)

• Private Boat Ride – Sunset cruise covering 84 ghats, cremation briefing handled sensitively.[^boat]
• Dashashwamedh Ganga Aarti – Reserved ghat/boat seating, synchronized lamps, conch shells, percussion.[^aarti]

Dinner & Stay – Return to hotel for dinner (MAP/AP upgrades available) and overnight rest.

Day 2 · Sunrise Mystique, Sarnath & Cultural Deep Dive

Subah-e-Banaras (05:30 – 08:00)

• Sunrise Boat Ride – Watch the ghats awaken, yoga practitioners, priests, and morning aarti at Assi Ghat (05:00 summer / 05:30 winter).[^sunrise]
• Old City Walk – Narrow galis, shrine hopping, chai and kachori stalls coming alive.[^walk]

Breakfast (08:00 – 09:00)

• Hotel buffet or iconic kachori-sabzi + jalebi at Ram Bhandar / Chachi ki Kachori.[^food]

Temple & Campus Loop (09:30 – 12:00)

• Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple – Tulsidas legacy and laddu prasad experience.[^sankat]
• Durga Kund & Tulsi Manas Temple – Shakti energy and Ramcharitmanas inscriptions.[^durga]
• Banaras Hindu University (BHU) – New Vishwanath (Birla) Temple, Bharat Kala Bhavan museum, leafy boulevards.[^bhu]

Sarnath Excursion (12:30 – 15:00)

• Dhamek Stupa, Chaukhandi Stupa, Mulagandhakuti Vihara, 80-ft Buddha statue and Archaeological Museum (Fri closed).[^sarnath]

Cultural Add-ons (15:30 – 17:00)

• Banarasi silk weaving studio, artisan interactions, souvenir curation.[^silk]
• Optional Ramnagar Fort detour for royal armory and vintage car museum (time permitting).[^ramnagar]

Departure (17:00 onwards) – Assisted hotel checkout, onward drop to airport/rail.