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Varanasi Ganga Aarti Tour: Experience the Riverside Hindu Ritual and Boat Ride
4.5
75 Ratings
Varanasi
Experience the mesmerizing Varanasi Ganga Aarti Tour, a riverside Hindu ritual and boat ride. Witness the captivating Ganga Aarti ceremony and explore the sacred cremation place on an enchanting evening boat ride.
Experience the mesmerizing Varanasi Ganga Aarti Tour, a riverside Hindu ritual and boat ride. Witness the captivating Ganga Aarti ceremony and explore the sacred cremation place on an enchanting evening boat ride.
Duration:
4 hours
Cancellation:
24 hours
Highlights
- Ganges River - Ghats in Varanasi are riverfront steps leading to the banks of the River Ganges
- Dasaswamedh Ghat - Main Ghat of Varanasi
- Manikarnika Ghat - Manikarnika Ghat, the main burning ghat, is the most auspicious place for a Hindu to be cremated. Dead bodies are handled by outcasts known as doms, and are carried through the…
- Ganges River - Ghats in Varanasi are riverfront steps leading to the banks of the River Ganges
- Dasaswamedh Ghat - Main Ghat of Varanasi
- Manikarnika Ghat - Manikarnika Ghat, the main burning ghat, is the most auspicious place for a Hindu to be cremated. Dead bodies are handled by outcasts known as doms, and are carried through the alleyways of the old town to the holy Ganges on a bamboo stretcher, swathed in cloth.
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Ganga Aarti - Aarti is a Hindu ritual, in which light is offered to one or more deities. Aarti also refer to the songs sung in praise of the deity, when offering of lamps is being offered.
Hindus in India worship the river Ganges as goddess. Every evening in Varanasi, aarti is performed at the Dashashwamedh ghat. We can watch it from the ghat or from the waterside in a boat. It is a beautiful, resonant, and majestic spectacle with a very precise choreography involving rituals performed by several priests with the sound of bells, drums, cymbals, and Sanskrit mantras. The river is also worshiped with flower petals.
What's Included
- Hotel pickup and drop-off by private AC vehicle [If needed]
- Private Boat ride
- A private chair in a private balcony with best view of aarti
- Professional English speaking Guide [For Safe & Honourable tourism we provide only incensed Guide]
- Professional guide in other language [French/ German, Spanish/ Italian] on demand and availability
- Hotel pickup and drop-off by private AC vehicle [If needed]
- Private Boat ride
- A private chair in a private balcony with best view of aarti
- Professional English speaking Guide [For Safe & Honourable tourism we provide only incensed Guide]
- Professional guide in other language [French/ German, Spanish/ Italian] on demand and availability
What's Not Included
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Tips
- Food and drinks
- Gratuities
- Tips
Additional Information
Experience the magic of Varanasi with our exclusive Evening Ganga Aarti tour. Start with an enchanting evening boat ride along the sacred Ganges River, offering a unique perspective on ancient cremation grounds and vibrant ghats. This serene journey sets the stage for the highlight of the evening: the Ganga Aarti.
Aarti is a deeply spiritual Hindu ritual…
Experience the magic of Varanasi with our exclusive Evening Ganga Aarti tour. Start with an enchanting evening boat ride along the sacred Ganges River, offering a unique perspective on ancient cremation grounds and vibrant ghats. This serene journey sets the stage for the highlight of the evening: the Ganga Aarti.
Aarti is a deeply spiritual Hindu ritual where light is offered to deities, accompanied by devotional songs. In Varanasi, the Ganges is revered as a goddess, and every evening, aarti is performed at the historic Dashashwamedh Ghat. Witness this awe-inspiring ceremony from the best vantage point—either from the ghat on a private balcony or aboard our boat on the water.
The Ganga Aarti is a mesmerizing spectacle, with precise choreography and a harmonious blend of bells, drums, cymbals, and Sanskrit mantras by priests
Join us for an unforgettable evening that combines the tranquility of a boat ride with the spiritual vibrancy of the Ganga Aarti.
- A minimum of 2 people per booking is required
- A maximum of 10 people per booking
- Children must be accompanied by an adult
Location
Ganges River
Cancellation Policy
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.
Customer Ratings
4.5
(75 Ratings)
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Natalia_j
Mar 24, 2025
Amazing evening tour with Vinod in Varanasi! - My evening tour with Vinod was incredible and I felt very comfortable and safe with him in my first day in Varanasi as I was taking the tour by myself as my husband unfortunately got sick that day. He was a gentleman and was always making sure I was comfortable as we toured Varanasi. I highly recommend this evening tour with Vinod! He was fantastic and I had an unforgettable experience - do not hesitate to book!
Review provided by Viator
Trish
Mar 11, 2025
Excellent evening for a once in a lifetime experience - We had a wonderful evening with Indrajeet experiencing a boat ride on the Ganges , cremations, the amazing Aarti with the best seats and a terrifyingly crowded but enjoyable walk through the center of Varanasi followed by a rickshaw ride. What an evening! We are seasoned travellers but have never quite experienced anything like this. Indrajeet listened carefully to our requests re not too much walking and confirmed seats for the Aarti because of my husband’s back problems and was a kind and knowledgeable guide
Review provided by Tripadvisor
417avif
Mar 10, 2025
An Evening to Remember! - Indrajeet was a great guide and showed us an evening we won’t forget for some time! He started by taking us on a boat ride to show us the crematorium site. And even though we had seen it earlier in the day, we were able to gain new insight and perspective by bearing witness on the boat.
Be then brought us to the Aarti ceremony where he had planned every detail- finding us the perfect seats for the ceremony. After it was done, we discussed each piece of the ritual and he patiently answered all of our questions before escorting us to where we were going for dinner.
We had an incredible time and can’t recommend this tour more highly.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Lini_m
Mar 3, 2025
Best Tour on the Ganges. - We met Ashok at Assi Ghat and he was very knowledgeable about the history of the city. We walked along to the tour boat and had the boat entirely to ourselves. We had a great tour on the Ganges at sunset, watching a cremation ceremony and learning about the Hindu reincarnation and funeral passage. We toured up the Ganges past Dashashwamedh Ghat to the new Ghat.
We then took the boat leisurely back to Assi Ghat where we watched the evening ceremony with front row seating. It was a wonderful! Highly recommend.
Review provided by Viator
Meander738118
Mar 2, 2025
An unforgettable evening! - Vinit was our professional and knowledgeable guide. He was very attentive and he gave us very interesting insights about Varanasi. He definitely widen our understanding of Varanasi, its history and of Hindu rituals and traditions. The boat ride was great because we saw buildings and temples that we could not appreciate just by walking along the ghats and we learned historical details, which we really appreciated. After the ride, Vinit took us to a location from which we were able to see the Aarti without any obstruction and sitting comfortably. It was a wonderful location to see everything and we think witnessing this ceremony is a must in Varanasi. It is an unforgettable experience. Afterwards Vinit took us to our hotel through small streets in the old section of town, which was a delightful way to end the evening. Thank you Vinit for a wonderful tour and thank you Indrajeet for coordinating our contact with Vinit!!
Angela & Albert
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Robert_f
Feb 7, 2025
Excellent tour guide. He... - Excellent tour guide. He was flexible because of some time constraints. Knowledgeable and fun to be with. Hiighly recommend this tour
Review provided by Viator
Shirish
Feb 2, 2025
Journey worth its weight in gold. - We took this boat ride on 1 feb 2025. The crowds were humongous due to the Maha Kumbh Mela. This also created certain uncertainities regarding the ride happening, but Indrajeet was very accomodating. He adjusted our ride to a time convenient for us and also advised us selflessly regarding a second boat ride in the morning. He sent Vinod to pick us up from our stay. Vinod navigated the lanes of Varanasi so that we encountered less crowds.
The boat trip was a private one, the boatman, Vinod and us. Vinod provided interesting info and insights. The Ganga itself inspires great awe, the boat ride gave us the wonderful opportunity to be in it's close proximity for more than an hour. On Vinod's suggestion i meditated for a while on the ride. The ghats are impressive . The crowds inspiring.
An experience I recommend not to be missed.
The life jackets on the boat need to be better.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Zgall1
Jan 29, 2025
Ganga aarti tour - Vinod took us on an excellent tour. He knowledgeably answered all of our questions and made sure we got great seats for the ganga aarti.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
Rakesh_j
Jan 15, 2025
Surreal experience!!! - One of the best things I did in Varanasi, our tour guide was a gem of a person. He was wonderful human being and explained us everything and helped us with everything. It was surreal experience to do the boat ride on Ganges and then enjoy the gangs Arti.
Review provided by Viator
Tpeace012014
Jan 6, 2025
Unforgettable experience - We really enjoyed our tour with Mr. Satish Maurya. He is from Varanasi and shared his experience and knowledge with us. It is really helpful to have a guide to show you around Varanasi, and also explain what is going on around you, as well as to help you find a place to see the Aarti ceremony. Varanasi is a fascinating place, and to have someone with experience show you around is well worth it--- as well as to organize the boat tour and a good place to see the ceremony.
Review provided by Tripadvisor
