My India experience was a little different to your ordinary trip - mainly because I was there just before we went into lockdown in the UK, and the snowball effect of the virus was really starting to show. We got to Varanasi on the 12th March, and checked in to goStops hostel a little naive, not quite realising the effect Coronavirus was already having on tourism. We were excited for all the hostel activities and the prospect of meeting new people, but we were quickly informed that it was so quiet none of the activities would be taking place. So much room... for no activities.
That's not how Brennan and Dale would want it.
So, armed with my Klook app and the power of Google (on some seriously sketchy WiFi) we managed to sort ourselves out with a bit of an itinerary. Although I can imagine, in normal circumstances - a 'things to do in Varanasi' blog would be much meatier, and filled with a little more action. But c'est la vie!
Sunrise boat ride
This was actually organised through our hostel - the only thing we could organise through them - and it cost about 350INR (£3.60). One of the positives I took from the lack of tourists was that there were only 6 of us (from 3 different hostels) on the boat, so it was a much more intimate tour.
We got picked up at 5am, and wandered through the eerily quiet streets down to the ghats. I didn't actually realise an Indian city could be quiet at any time of day, so it was nice to take it all in before the madness of everyday Varanasi life erupted. The guy took us over to a morning Assi Ghat ceremony, which consisted of rituals, singing and chants against the backdrop of a pre-sunrise sky, before taking us back down the ghats along the river Ganges to observe the morning rituals along the various sections of the ghats - from people bathing to bodies burning.
Unfortunately the sky was cloudy, so we didn't get to experience the beauty of the sunrise in the way I'd seen it in other people's photos, but it was still worth it. Particularly because one of the people on the boat was a guy who worked at Brick Lane Hostel, and he told us various tales and stories of Varanasi culture before allowing me to tag along with him on a street tour he was giving a couple of his hostel guests once we'd docked.
Wander the ghats
Even without a tour, a stroll along the ghats is seriously interesting - this area is the life and soul of the people of Varanasi, and known all over the world. You'll find ghats that host morning and evening cultural ceremonies, ghats filled with bustling markets, ghats covered in quirky street art, ghats with kids playing cricket or flying kites, ghats where families come from all over the world to bathe and wash away their sins, and even the burning ghat - where cremations take place 24/7. It's like no place I have ever been, or will likely ever go again.
Spiritual walking tour
We booked a guided tour of the city through Klook, because even though we could see everything ourselves, I wanted to learn about the culture, its history and why their spiritual rituals exist. After all, it's one of the most (if not the most) spiritual cities in the world. It cost £10, and Abhi from Yo Tours was amazing - he was so knowledgeable and I would 100% recommend delving into the culture of Varanasi with a spiritual walking tour because there is so much to learn.
Get lost in the maze of narrow laneways
I've never gotten lost in a destination quite as much as I got lost in India. Thankfully, when it comes to Varanasi's Old Town that's kind of perfect. The crumbling, narrow laneways are full of life (and cows, scooters, and monkeys!) but by getting lost it means you can stumble upon locals going about their daily life, little temples underneath houses, monks chanting as they march the street, sweet stalls and street food vendors creating tasty delicacies, and people selling trinkets. We also happened to find Good Vibes Hostel among the madness, and if I was to go back to Varanasi, I'd stay there for sure.
Go for a bite at Mona Lisa Cafe
A guy we met at Good Vibes Hostel told us about Mona Lisa Cafe - apparently one of the most famous restaurants in Varanasi, and it was just round the corner from the hostel so we popped in for lunch. Clean, tasty, cheap, friendly staff and a great little roof terrace... what's not to love?! Apparently they also offer boat tours which seem to get rave reviews on TripAdvisor.
Cooking lesson
Unfortunately this was one of the hostel activities which was unavailable when we stayed there, and when we tried to contact other companies they'd stopped running them due to the virus. So, unfortunately I can't actually recommend any. However, I've heard it's one of the best places to go for a cooking lesson - and I would have loved to have come away saying I'd had a cooking lesson in one of the oldest and most spiritual cities in the world. When looking for classes, I noticed the lesson Klook's app directs you to is also popular on Trip Advisor etc, so I'd recommend having a look at her cooking class.
Yoga
From sunrise/sunset classes along the ghats, to intimate classes nestled into the labyrinth of the Old Town, you're not short of places to do a little downward dog in Varanasi. I'm not a yogi myself, and didn't get the chance to take it up while I was in Varanasi, but I can't write a list of top things to do in a spiritual city, without mentioning this centuries-old practice.
I know this is quite a basic list of things to do in Varanasi, and if I visited at any other time I'd be hunting down places off-the-beaten path, but our circumstances were far from ordinary, so a basic list will have to do!
If you're heading to India, have a read of my India travel tips and things to know before you go, and check out my dedicated India travel page.
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