There is no sugarcoating it: Varanasi is intense. It is crowded, loud, smoky, and visually raw. But visiting Varanasi with kids can be an incredibly rewarding – and certainly memorable – family adventure if you approach it with the right mindset.
I will always remember our first visit. We had only been in India for one week and our kids were only 4 and 5 years old at the time. But fast forward to now and we’ve since visited India six more times and Varanasi with kids twice more!
Here is our tried, tested and honest survival guide for navigating this magical city as a family.
What Exactly is Varanasi?
This is the first bit of planning for Varanasi with kids. We hear all kinds of graphic images on mention of Varanasi. But – spoiler alert – it doesn’t have to be as complicated as it first sounds!
Varanasi is the spiritual heart of India. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, along the banks of the sacred Ganges River.
For centuries, pilgrims have travelled here to bathe in the holy waters, pray, and cremate their deceased loved ones on the open-air riverside steps (ghats).
Explaining Varanasi to Your Kids
Like with travel with kids anywhere in the world, kids see it differently. My best advice is that before you arrive, explain it to them. (Because Varanasi with kids is somewhere that needs explaining!).
Essentially, you need to prepare your children for what they will see.
Explain that Varanasi is a place where people celebrate both life and death openly. Tell them that for Hindus, dying or being cremated in Varanasi is a special thing because it is believed to free the soul.
By framing the open cremations at the burning ghats as a respectful celebration of life rather than something scary, children can process the sights with curiosity instead of fear.
Plus there is a lot more to see and do in Varanasi with kids!
Top 5 Things to Do in Varanasi with Kids
Contrary to the usual destination lists in India that are crammed with activities and ‘sights’ to see, Varanasi is more about walking around and taking it all in. There is a LOT to take in!
These are our best recommendations and 5 kid-approved things to do in Varanasi with kids to add to your itinerary.
1. Take a Sunrise Boat Ride
The absolute best way to experience Varanasi (with kids or otherwise) without being overwhelmed by the crowds is from the water. You can get a wooden rowboat at dawn out along the River Ganges, literally watching the city wake up. You will see pilgrims bathing, priests performing rituals, and the morning sun hitting the ancient palaces. It’s stunning (and like nowhere else).
2. Watch the Evening Ganga Aarti
Every evening at Dashashwamedh Ghat, there is a ritual of fire, music, and chanting that takes place to honour the river. The energy is electric.
You can see this from the shore (in theory). But the best way to keep kids safe and comfortable, is to book a boat trip. We highly recommend going with Ravi. He will arrange it so that you can watch the Aarti from a seat on a parked boat facing the ghat so you can watch the entire spectacle from a safe distance.
3. Explore the Narrow Alleys
Away from the river, Varanasi is a maze of tiny, winding alleyways. This is a more relaxing side to explore in Varanasi with kids. But it is still busy and colourful enough to be interesting!
4. Get a Chai at a Trendy Café
We love hearing the familiar call of the Chai Wallahs whereever we’re travelling in India. But here in the small streets of Varanasi, they are selling their hot, sweet tea from tiny stalls and nooks underneath houses that look far too small to be shops!
Varanasi became a massive hub for travellers and hippies back in the 1960s, and that laid-back, hipster energy is still alive and well today. It has created a surprisingly cool café culture hidden away in the maze of streets.
You will see the same travellers sitting for hours drinking chai in the exact same spot day after day. We almost became those travellers ourselves!
The only real difference is that when you’re travelling with kids, your companions don’t tend to sit still for quite as long. Still, we drank our fair share of chai and found our favourite spots at Ashish Cafe and Mona Lisa Cafe. Or sitting out on the top steps of Ganga Mahal Ghat with a chai, watching the vibrant world go by, is a pretty cool place for a family breather.
5. Walk the Ghats (Mindfully)
Walking along the massive stone steps that line the edge of the River Ganges is an absolute adventure. This is what Varanasi is most famously known for, and the ghats are a sensory overload in the best way possible.
You’ll pass kids playing games of cricket on the stone steps, colourful sadhus (holy men), pilgrims bathing in the sacred water, and street barbers hard at work. Obviously keep a close eye on your kids, hold their hands tightly near the water’s edge, and just take your time soaking in the incredible atmosphere. There is a heck of a lot going on!
Use a Local Guide for Varanasi with Kids
We cannot stress this enough: you absolutely need a guide when visiting Varanasi with kids. Navigating the intense crowds, understanding the complex rituals, and managing the logistics while keeping your children safe is exhausting on your own.
Albeit it isn’t officially a ‘need’. But it is our best recommendation for a visit to Varanasi with kids!
We highly recommend our trusted local guide, Ravi Gaur. We have used Ravi multiple times over the years and confidently send all our friends his way.
He knows how to pace a tour perfectly for children, keeps the touts away, and provides a safe, welcoming shield for your family.
You can reach Ravi directly on WhatsApp at +91 85769 16590.
Contact Ravi Gaur:
- Tip: Message him with your dates; he can also arrange airport or train station pickups.
- WhatsApp: +91 85769 16590
Our Best Tips for Varanasi with Kids
Obvs there are all kinds of tips for travelling in India with kids – let alone Varanasi. Though I have to confess our first visit to Varanasi with kids, we arrived just a few days before Holi Festival. Things in the city were warming up already and behaviour at all kinds of turns was more than just can be blamed on Varanasi!
Do check what time of year you are visiting and steer clear of festivals.
But if I was to focus on the most important things to know; here is what I recommend:
- Protect Against the Water: The Ganges is highly polluted. Teach your kids to keep their hands out of the river and ensure they absolutely do not swallow any drops – Ganges water or tap water!
- Hold Hands Tightly: The crowds at the main ghats can surge instantly. Keep your children close at all times. That goes for India but even more so
- Watch for Animals: Street cows and monkeys are everywhere. Remind kids not to pet them, corner them, or carry open food that might attract a stray monkey.
Family Travel Logistics: Varanasi with Kids
Planning for travel anywhere makes things feel smoother. But especially for family travel in India!
These are a few tips on logistics for visiting Varanasi with kids.
Where to Stay
Avoid the chaotic, noisy centre of the old city when travelling with kids. (We made this mistake on our second trip and regretted the poor planning on my part!).
Instead, stay in the Cantonment area or choose a reputable heritage hotel located on a quieter, southern ghat (like Assi Ghat). This ensures you have a peaceful, clean sanctuary to retreat to when the kids need a break.
We stayed at Assi Ghat at the Hotel Temple on Ganges, and location-wise, this was a great choice for our stay.
Assi Ghat is the southernmost ghat along the River Ganges, and is the best place to stay if you want to be close to the morning and evening Aartis. The hotel itself is basic, but felt safe and easy for us in Varanasi with the kids.
Getting There
Varanasi is well-connected. You can fly directly into Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport from major hubs like Delhi or Mumbai. Or if you are ready for it, taking an overnight AC sleeper train is an authentic (adventurous!) Indian transit adventure that older kids love.
Getting Around
Inside the old city alleys, your only option is to walk. But it’s easy to get around Varanasi. Remember, the ancient city was designed to be walked on foot (and for donkeys and cows to make their way around too).
For moving between the ghats, jumping into a local rowboat or motorboat is the easiest and most scenic method.
For longer trips across town, flag down an auto-rickshaw (tuk-tuk). But do agree on the price before hopping in!
Final Thoughts: Visiting Varanasi with Kids
If you are debating Varanasi and only have two days, don’t overthink it – just book it. Or if you felt worried before about venturing out in Varanasi with kids, I hope to have convinced you otherwise!
Varanasi is a totally unique destination in India. It is all kinds of learning; and it really is a sensory explosion (good, bad and interesting) that your family will talk about for years to come.
Go slow, keep an open mind, and let Ravi show you the magic of this ancient city! 🙂
Planning your own family adventure to India? Check out our guide to Amritsar or Jaisalmer with kids to help plan your days.
Have you visited Rajasthan with your little ones yet? Let us know your favourite family-friendly spots and tips in the comments below!
Safe travels, adventurers!
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Travel Planning for India & Beyond
These are the companies we use while traveling and that we would recommend to anyone planning and booking travel.
- Booking.com – The best all-around accommodation booking site. They have the widest selection of budget accommodation and it’s easy to filter and sort into price and availability with all the extras you are looking for personally.
- 12GoAsia – Book trains anywhere in Asia through 12Go.
- Skyscanner – Our favourite flight search engine. They can search small websites and budget airlines that larger search sites often miss. We book all our flights through Skyscanner.
- GetYourGuide – A huge online marketplace for tours and excursions offered all around the world. Everything from walking tours to street-food tours, cooking classes, desert safari’s and more!
- SafetyWing – A global travel insurance that covers people from all over the world while outside their home country. You can buy short or longterm; and even if you are out of the country.
- World Nomads – Travel insurance tailored for short or longterm travel and nomads (including those who have already left home). Make sure you have travel insurance before planning any more reasons to visit India!
Hi! I’m Sarah. I am the self-confessed dreamer, travel-schemer and the main editor behind this blog. I love to write, and it is a dream come true to share so many experiences together and inspire others in our stories.
