Rituals and occasions
Temple, ritual & pujaOccasions, dining & giftsPhotography & filmsSpecialist servicesTwo of the great temple towns of Uttar Pradesh lie about 200 km apart by road. This suggested five-day version gives each two nights so that neither is rushed. In Varanasi, the evening aarti watched from a boat, an early darshan at Kashi Vishwanath and an afternoon at Sarnath. In Ayodhya, the Sarayu aarti at Naya Ghat on the evening you arrive, a morning at the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, Hanuman Garhi, Kanak Bhawan and Dashrath Mahal, and a last quiet hour at Ram Ki Paidi before you leave.
Families and devotees who want Kashi Vishwanath and the Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir in one journey, including travelling parents: this is the parent journey for SHRAVAN Varanasi and Ayodhya.
Ayodhya has fewer flights than Varanasi or Lucknow, so check the schedule before you fix Day 5; from Lucknow, allow for the three-hour drive. Fog can delay flights and slow the highway on December and January mornings. The route can also run in reverse, arriving in Ayodhya and leaving from Varanasi, if the flights suit better.
A proposed programme with its travel and rest built in. We adjust the order to your arrival, the season and your pace.
You are met and driven to your hotel, about an hour from the airport.
Check in, eat and rest.
A boat along the ghats as the lamps are lit, held off Dashashwamedh so you watch the aarti from the water. A seat on a shared boat in Standard; a private boat with your host in Premium; the most suitable private boat, such as a covered or seated boat where one operates, in Luxury. If boats are stopped, you watch from the ghat instead.
Overnight · Varanasi
Darshan at the temple and a walk through its corridor to the river. In Standard you join the general darshan line; in Premium your host escorts you, with priority access where the temple allows; in Luxury, VIP protocol darshan where the temple trust's official arrangements allow, with your host throughout. Phones, smartwatches, cameras and other electronic devices are not allowed inside and are deposited before entry, and footwear is left outside. Queues can take minutes or hours, and darshan timing cannot be promised.
Back at the hotel until early afternoon.
About 30 to 45 minutes by road, 10 km north-east of the city.
The Dhamek Stupa, the excavated monasteries and the Archaeological Museum with the Lion Capital of Ashoka: with a specialist guide in Premium and Luxury, with your driver in Standard. The museum is closed on Fridays, so if Day 2 falls on one, the stupa and site remain open and the museum is left out or moved.
Rest before tomorrow's road day.
Overnight · Varanasi
An unhurried start.
About 200 km by road, usually around four hours with a stop, longer in winter fog.
Nothing is planned until the evening.
The evening aarti on the Sarayu at Naya Ghat, near Ram Ki Paidi. In Premium your host comes with you; in Luxury, a private boat on the Sarayu before the aarti, where boats are operating.
Overnight · Ayodhya
An early darshan, before the day grows busy, with a security check, a queue and a fair distance on foot inside the complex. In Standard you join the general line; in Premium your host escorts you, with priority access where the trust allows; in Luxury, VIP protocol darshan where the temple trust issues passes. Phones and bags are not allowed inside and are deposited before the security check. Opening hours change by season, with a winter schedule from November, so timings are confirmed for your dates.
Hanuman Garhi, reached by a steep flight of about 76 steps, then Kanak Bhawan, the temple that tradition says Kaikeyi gave to Sita, and Dashrath Mahal, held to stand where King Dashrath's palace stood. Anyone who prefers not to climb can wait below Hanuman Garhi. A local guide joins you in Premium and Luxury.
Back at the hotel for the afternoon.
Free, or a second evening by the Sarayu.
Overnight · Ayodhya
A quiet hour at Ram Ki Paidi, the chain of ghats on the Sarayu, and the old Nageshwarnath temple beside it. In Luxury, a priest can lead prayers by the river if you wish.
A late checkout is requested where the hotel can offer one.
Transfer to Ayodhya airport or Ayodhya Dham Junction, or the drive of about three hours to Lucknow airport or station.
Overnight · Departure
Varanasi means ghat steps and the walk to Kashi Vishwanath, barefoot inside; Sarnath is level. At the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir expect a security line, a queue and a fair distance on foot within the complex. Hanuman Garhi is a steep climb of about 76 steps.
Day 2 starts early for Kashi Vishwanath, Day 4 early for the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir, and Day 5 with an early hour at Ram Ki Paidi.
The Varanasi evening boat boards from ghat steps that can be wet and uneven; in Luxury, a Sarayu boat boards from the ghats at Ayodhya. Life jackets should be worn. Boats on both rivers can be stopped when the water is high, usually July to September.
One road day of about four hours, with the rest of that day kept light until the evening aarti. Hanuman Garhi's steps and the ghats are the hardest parts, and both can be skipped. For parents, SHRAVAN Varanasi and Ayodhya adds a senior travel companion and an assessment of pace and assistance before we quote.
October to March is the most comfortable time. Ram Navami in spring and Deepotsav around Diwali bring very large crowds to Ayodhya, with road closures and changed timings; Shravan and Mahashivratri do the same at Kashi Vishwanath. April to June is very hot.
The same journey at three levels of comfort and support. The quotation names the actual hotels, vehicle and inclusions before you pay anything.
Comfortable and well located, with the essentials arranged well.
Better stays and more help: private boats, escorted darshan, a stronger car.
The finest stays, a luxury car and every special session handled for you.
Every level: a named coordinator on phone and WhatsApp, and one complete quotation before any payment.
Arrival transfer from Varanasi airport or station, and departure transfer to Ayodhya airport or Ayodhya Dham Junction, or to Lucknow airport or station.
Private chauffeured transport for every drive, including Sarnath and the Varanasi to Ayodhya road journey. The driver is not a sightseeing guide.
Vehicle upgraded to an Innova or Innova Crysta-class SUV, confirmed for your party and luggage; subject to availability and named in your quotation.
A welcome at Varanasi airport arrivals or the station platform and help to the car. No access to restricted airport areas is implied.
A travel host with you for the evening boat, Kashi Vishwanath, Sarnath, the Sarayu aarti and the Ayodhya temple morning. A companion and organiser, not a guide or carer.
A private boat for your party for the aarti, in place of the shared boat; category and capacity confirmed in your quotation.
Escorted darshan at Kashi Vishwanath and the Ram Janmabhoomi Mandir: timing plan, security and cloakroom, and company in the queue as far as permitted, with priority access only where each temple's official arrangements allow.
Sarnath with a specialist guide: the Dhamek Stupa, the excavated monasteries and the museum, which is closed on Fridays.
A local guide in Ayodhya for Hanuman Garhi, Kanak Bhawan and Dashrath Mahal; allow about two hours.
Keep Premium and add any of these on their own. They are quoted with your journey.
Add them to My Journey. If something is already part of your tier it shows as included, and nothing is charged twice.
WalksA guided walk through the lanes and shrines of old Kashi, explaining the beliefs, rituals and etiquette behind them, and where darshan begins and this walk ends.
An interpreter or language assistant for visits, rituals and conversations, in the language you request, confirmed with a named supplier before your journey.
A companion for older guests who sets a comfortable pace, helps with steps and crowds, and keeps family informed with consent, within a defined non-medical scope.
Wheelchairs, walking aids and assistants requested separately, with each part of your route assessed for steps, ramps and boarding before anything is confirmed.
Restaurant reservations and a clear relay of your dietary needs, from Jain and sattvic meals to allergies, with included meals kept separate from extra bookings.
Help finding and booking flights and trains that fit your journey, with fares and terms shown separately and nothing treated as confirmed until tickets are issued.
Yes. Arriving in Ayodhya and leaving from Varanasi works equally well, and the choice usually follows the flights. The visits stay the same; only the order changes.
We do not sell priority access. Where the temple trust issues passes for darshan or aarti, we apply on your behalf, subject to its rules and availability: that is what Premium's priority access and Luxury's VIP protocol darshan mean. Otherwise an early visit with a host is usually the calmest approach.
About 200 km, usually around four hours with a stop, and longer in winter fog. Nothing demanding follows it: you rest at the hotel until the Sarayu aarti that evening.
Many do, at this pace. The hardest parts are the ghat steps, the walk to Kashi Vishwanath and the climb to Hanuman Garhi, and each can be adapted or skipped. For fuller support, SHRAVAN Varanasi and Ayodhya adds a senior travel companion and an assessment before we quote.
Availability and cancellation. Hotels, vehicles, boats, guides and temple arrangements are confirmed when we prepare your quotation, and they depend on dates, weather, river levels and the rules of each site. Cancellation terms follow the suppliers in your journey and are set out in the quotation. Booking terms
This is a request for a personalised quotation, not a booking. No payment is required to send your preferences.
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