Varanasi to Khatmand Flights

What's new in Varanasi

• November 2025: A Vande Bharat Express between Banaras and Khajuraho via Chitrakoot was flagged off on 7 November 2025, a run of about 7 hours 45 minutes linking two of northern India's main heritage and pilgrimage sites.
• June 2026: On 25 June 2026 Varanasi became the first airport in India's hub-and-spoke scheme. Passengers flying abroad via Delhi on Air India can complete check-in, baggage drop and immigration in Varanasi before the connecting flight.

Tips for travellers

Guesthouses on and near the ghats, from Assi to Dashashwamedh, put you within walking distance of the river, though cars cannot reach many of the lanes; the Cantonment and Sigra have larger hotels with road access. E-rickshaws, auto-rickshaws and boats are the usual transport, and walking is often fastest in the old city. Boat fares are agreed at the ghats, so settle the route and price before boarding.

October to March is the best season. December and January mornings are cold and foggy, and May and June are very hot. Dev Deepawali, on the full moon about two weeks after Diwali, lights the ghats with oil lamps and fills every boat and hotel. The river rises in the monsoon, and boat trips may be suspended between July and September. Phones, bags and pens are not allowed inside the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and must be left in lockers, and photography at the cremation ghats of Manikarnika and Harishchandra is not appropriate.

Tips for travellers from India

Thamel is useful for restaurants, trekking services and a walk towards Kathmandu Durbar Square. A stay around Boudhanath instead favours the stupa neighbourhood and the eastern side of the city. Patan and Bhaktapur have their own heritage centres across the valley, so they need separate plans rather than being treated as adjacent sections of Kathmandu’s Durbar Square. Tribhuvan Airport is on the eastern side, which can make Boudhanath or Pashupatinath a more logical first outing than a cross-city drive to Swayambhunath.

Pashupatinath restricts entry to the main temple to Hindus; non-Hindu visitors can view permitted parts of the wider complex and riverside. This is a site-specific access rule, distinct from entry to the city’s public squares. Shivaratri brings particularly large pilgrim crowds to Pashupatinath in February or March, depending on the religious calendar. The Nepal Tourism Board publishes separate heritage admission categories, including SAARC rates, so carry the document needed to establish eligibility at ticketed sites. Swayambhunath involves a climb, whereas Boudhanath’s circuit is centred on the stupa at ground level. Pairing those two without considering traffic and the stair ascent can make a short day more demanding than expected. Around Durbar Square, palace courtyards and surrounding streets also require different visiting time.