How To Reach Varanasi

Regarded as the spiritual capital of India, Varanasi is a city in Uttar Pradesh, in the north of India. There are almost 2,000 temples on the streets of Varanasi, making it a very popular tourist spot. Since the city is known for its temples, it is very popular amongst pilgrims and hence it is quite easy to reach Varanasi by air, rail and by road as well. The city also has a well developed transport network, connecting it to other cities in India and making it easy for tourists to travel. Not sure how to go? Below are some of the best ways to reach Varanasi.

The main airport that serves the city of Varanasi is the Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport. This airport is located at a distance of 23.8 km from the center of the city and serves both international and domestic passengers. It is the 21st busiest airport in India and sees a good amount of crowd throughout the year. Various tourists travel from different cities in India as well as other cities in the world to Varanasi. Major domestic as well as international airlines run frequently from this airport. Once you reach the airport, you can take a cab, bus or even an auto rickshaw to go to your destination.

Since Varanasi is a famous tourist spot, a lot of people prefer going to city via road. The city is well connected to neighbouring cities in the state like Lucknow, Allahabad, Mathura and more by various highways and expressways. Also, many national highways connect the state to other states, making it easy to drive from anywhere in India or within Uttar Pradesh. There are a number of inter and intrastate busses that run for the convenience of the passengers as well; these busses are comfortable and some of them have a luxury sleeper arrangement too. Busses are inexpensive and easy to get from neighbouring states of Uttar Pradesh or cities close to Varanasi.

Travelling to a destination by train is one of the most exciting things, especially if you’re travelling with family and friends. Varanasi has good rail connectivity with the main railhead being Varanasi Junction Railway Station, distanced at 1.9 km from the city center. Since the station is so close to the city, it is the most convenient way to travel to Varanasi. Regular trains ply to and from Varanasi to other cities in India and they are pretty frequent as well. Trains are a good way to travel as they are budget friendly and comfortable at the same time. Once you reach the railway station, you can take a taxi, auto or a bus to reach your destination in the city.

Due to the amount of people who go to Varanasi every year, public transportation is very important. There are various ways to travel around in Varanasi; you can take a taxi, an auto, a bus, walk around on foot and even take a boat on the Ganges. There are many rental agencies that will give you a good package for hiring a cab to go sightseeing; often AC taxis are useful in the summer heat when you want to go sightseeing. An inexpensive option is the bus, which is more or less comfortable but can be a hassle during peak season due to the crowd or bad weather. Other than this, there are autos that are fairly cheap or you can even hop on a boat on the Ganges River that will take you to different temples in the city.