Solo Travel in Varanasi

The southern ghat famed for its peaceful dawn yoga and Subah-e-Banaras morning aarti — a calmer slice of the river.

A vast leafy campus and the marble New Vishwanath (Birla) Temple — a calm, green contrast to the old city.

Visit the looms of the old Muslim weavers' quarter to see how the city's famous Banarasi silk saris are made.

A tiny, decades-old hole-in-the-wall in the old lanes serving dozens of fresh clay-cup lassis — a Varanasi rite of passage.

A restored 18th-century palace hotel right on Darbhanga Ghat — heritage rooms and a lift down to the river.

Varanasi's main and most vibrant ghat, where the spectacular Ganga Aarti unfolds with fire, chants and crowds each night.

A long-running riverfront guesthouse on the ghats with its own steps to the Ganges and a lovely terrace.

A legendary chaat counter for tamatar chaat, palak chaat and golgappa in the heart of the bazaar.

One of the holiest Shiva temples in Hinduism, its golden spires at the heart of the new riverside corridor.

The principal cremation ghat — a raw, profound encounter with the Hindu cycle of life and death on the Ganges.

A bright fair-trade café and craft shop near Assi with good coffee, breakfasts and a calm work-friendly vibe.

A mellow terraced café on Assi Ghat with wood-fired pizza, apple pie and unbeatable river views.

The crumbling 18th-century riverside fort and palace of the Maharaja of Banaras, with a quirky vintage museum.

Where the Buddha gave his first sermon — the great Dhamek Stupa, monasteries and an excellent archaeological museum.

The daily sunrise programme of Vedic chants, classical music and yoga at Assi Ghat — Varanasi at its most serene.

A dawn rowboat glide past the awakening ghats — the definitive, unmissable Varanasi experience.

A backpacker hostel near the ghats with a sociable rooftop overlooking the Ganges — ideal for solo travellers.