Rituals and occasions
Temple, ritual & pujaOccasions, dining & giftsPhotography & filmsSpecialist servicesThis six-day pilgrimage begins with two nights in Varanasi: the evening aarti at Dashashwamedh on arrival, then darshan at Kashi Vishwanath, a boat along the ghats and an afternoon at Sarnath. On Day 3 you drive to Prayagraj for a boat to the Triveni Sangam and a visit to Anand Bhawan. Chitrakoot follows, with Ramghat, the Kamadgiri parikrama and the Mandakini aarti, and a morning at Sphatik Shila, Sati Anusuya Ashram and Gupta Godavari before the drive back to Prayagraj or Varanasi.
Hindu pilgrims and families who want Kashi and the Sangam together with Chitrakoot, the forested hills where Ram, Sita and Lakshman are believed to have spent much of their exile. Comfortable for most ages, with the Kamadgiri parikrama walked in full, in part or not at all.
Day 4 combines a drive of about three hours with Ramghat, the parikrama and the evening aarti, and Day 5 ends with the drive back, about three hours to Prayagraj or about six to Varanasi. Chitrakoot airport's passenger flights have been suspended since December 2024, so we do not plan around it unless a current schedule is confirmed. Arrive on Day 1 by mid-afternoon to see the evening aarti; winter fog can delay flights, trains and roads in December and January.
A proposed programme with its travel and rest built in. We adjust the order to your arrival, the season and your pace.
Your driver meets you at the airport or station and takes you to the hotel for check-in. Premium and Luxury guests are also welcomed by a member of the team.
Time to settle in. Your coordinator calls to go through the week, temple dress and the timings for tomorrow morning.
The Ganga aarti on the main ghat. At Standard you watch from the ghat steps, Premium arranges seating where it is available, and Luxury watches from a private boat. Crowds are heavy on festival nights.
Overnight · Varanasi
A boat along the ghats as the city wakes: a shared scheduled ride at Standard, a private boat with a guide at Premium and Luxury, subject to river conditions.
A planned visit through the temple corridor. Phones and bags are not allowed inside, and queues can take minutes or several hours; no darshan time is promised.
Back to the hotel through the heat of the day.
About half an hour north of the city, the deer park where the Buddha gave his first teaching: the Dhamek Stupa, the monastery ruins and the Archaeological Museum, which is closed on Fridays. Luxury guests visit with a specialist guide.
Overnight · Varanasi
About 120 km west, usually three hours by road.
A boat from the ghats near the fort out to the meeting point of the Ganga and the Yamuna, where pilgrims bathe and offer flowers and lamps. Shared at Standard, private at Premium and Luxury, and subject to river conditions.
A pause at the hotel.
The Nehru family home, now a museum of the freedom movement, with its rooms kept much as they were. It is closed on Mondays; if your Day 3 falls on one, we suggest a temple visit instead.
Overnight · Prayagraj
About 125 to 130 km south-west, usually three hours, into the low forested hills on the Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh border.
The stepped ghats on the Mandakini where, by tradition, Ram bathed during his exile. A short walk along the river before check-in and lunch.
The forested hill at the centre of Chitrakoot's pilgrimage. The parikrama path is about 5 km and paved, and many pilgrims walk it barefoot; walk all of it, part of it, or offer darshan at the main entrance. Premium and Luxury guests walk it with a local guide.
The evening aarti on the steps of the Mandakini. Luxury guests watch from a small private boat where boats are operating.
Overnight · Chitrakoot
The riverside rock linked with Ram and Sita, an easy visit in the cool of the morning.
A drive south to the ashram of Sati Anusuya beside the Mandakini, and on to the cave shrine of Gupta Godavari, where water runs underfoot inside the caves.
A break before the road.
About three hours to Prayagraj, or about six hours to Varanasi if your departure is from there. We fix the choice with your onward connection.
Overnight · Prayagraj or Varanasi
Your driver drops you at the airport or station for your onward flight or train.
Overnight · Departure day
Varanasi's lanes, ghat steps and temple queues mean a fair amount of walking and standing, and Sarnath involves a kilometre or two on paths and lawns. At Chitrakoot the Kamadgiri parikrama is about 5 km on a paved path, and Gupta Godavari has narrow cave passages with shallow water underfoot. Both are optional.
The Varanasi boat leaves around sunrise, between about 5.30 and 6.30 am depending on the season, and Day 4 starts soon after breakfast to fit the drive, Ramghat and the parikrama before the evening aarti.
Boats in Varanasi, at the Sangam and at Ramghat board from ghat steps or riverbanks that can be steep, uneven and wet. Operation depends on water levels, weather and local orders, and is often suspended at the monsoon peak.
Temple queues can mean long periods of standing, and some shrines have steps without rails. Tell us about mobility needs early so we can plan shorter visits, wheelchair assistance where it is practical and a host to stay close. We do not describe this route as fully accessible.
October to March is the most comfortable season, with cold and sometimes foggy mornings in December and January. April to June is very hot. July to September brings monsoon rain, high rivers and frequent boat suspensions. Festivals such as Diwali, Dev Deepawali, Ram Navami and the Magh Mela at Prayagraj bring large crowds and scarce rooms.
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 drop at Prayagraj or Varanasi airport or station on the last day
Private chauffeured transport for the whole route in the upgraded vehicle group below
Vehicle group upgraded to an Innova Crysta or similar SUV, subject to availability and named in your quotation
A member of the team welcomes you at Varanasi airport or station and sees you to the hotel. No restricted-area or baggage-hall access is implied
Seating for the evening aarti where an arranged viewing place is available; otherwise standing room on the ghat steps
Private rowing boat with a guide along the ghats at first light, about an hour
Private boat from the ghat to the Triveni Sangam and back
Accompanied darshan assistance at Kashi Vishwanath and Kamadgiri: queues, lockers, footwear and timings. Official paid darshan tickets are booked separately where available
Local guide for Ramghat and the Kamadgiri parikrama (Day 4), and for Sphatik Shila, Sati Anusuya Ashram and Gupta Godavari (Day 5)
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.
Sacred & ritualA Rudrabhishek, the Vedic worship of Shiva through the bathing of the lingam, arranged with a priest, materials, venue and timing defined in advance.
Sacred & ritualA hosted puja to the Ganga on the ghats of Varanasi, with a priest, materials and scope defined in advance and each stage explained as it happens.
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.
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.
As demanding as you choose. The Kamadgiri parikrama is about 5 km on a paved path, and Gupta Godavari has narrow passages with shallow water underfoot. Each is optional, and darshan at Kamadgiri's main entrance takes only a short walk. Hanuman Dhara, a hillside spring up a long flight of steep steps, can be added for those who want the climb.
Whichever suits your onward connection. Prayagraj is about three hours from Chitrakoot and Varanasi about six, so we fix the last night once your flight or train is known. Chitrakoot airport's passenger flights have been suspended since December 2024, so we do not plan around it.
Both. Chitrakoot's sacred sites lie on either side of the state border, and you cross it several times in a day without any formalities.
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.
Tell us the places on your mind, your dates and who is travelling. We reply with a written proposal shaped around you.
