Where we go

The oldest living city, and the one most visitors under-plan.

2 to 3 days

220 km each way, and a day that only works if you leave at six.

1 long day, or 2 with a night there

The closest of the major circuits, and the only one that works as a day trip.

1 day, or 2 with the Kumbh grounds

Where the Buddha attained enlightenment, and the one site that rewards staying.

2 nights

Twelve kilometres and eight centuries away from the city's noise.

Half a day

Where Rama spent eleven of his fourteen exile years, and far quieter than Ayodhya.

1 full day on site, 2 nights total

The closest Shakti Peeth to Varanasi, and the easiest half-day pilgrimage.

A day trip, or a night to do the parikrama unhurried

Where shraddh is performed, and where the itinerary is built backwards from a morning window.

1 night minimum, 2 for the fuller circuit

The Buddha's birthplace, across a border that ends trips when the paperwork is short.

1 night minimum, within a longer circuit