Varanasi · How to Reach

Varanasi is one of the best-connected cities in northern India, sitting on the historic Delhi–Kolkata rail and road trunk that once formed the spine of the Grand Trunk Road. However you arrive, expect the final approach into the old city to slow to a crawl — the lanes near the ghats simply cannot take vehicles, and that last stretch is part of the experience.

By air. Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport (airport code VNS), at Babatpur, lies roughly 26 km northwest of the city centre. It handles domestic flights to Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Kolkata and other metros, plus a limited number of international services. From the airport, pre-paid taxis and app-based cabs run into town; allow around an hour or more depending on traffic, as the route passes through congested stretches near the city. The site injects live flight options separately, so check current schedules there.

By train. Rail is the classic — and often the most convenient — way to reach Kashi, and the city has several stations. The principal one is Varanasi Junction (station code BSB), universally known as Varanasi Cantt, close to the Cantonment and a short auto ride from the ghats. A second major terminal is Banaras (station code BSBS) at Manduadih, redeveloped into a modern station and now the origin for several premium services, including Vande Bharat Express connections. A third key hub, Pandit Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Junction (formerly Mughalsarai), sits across the river and is a major stop for long-distance trains that don't enter Varanasi city directly. Because Varanasi lies on the Delhi–Kolkata trunk route, it is served by a dense web of express and superfast trains from across the country; the semi-high-speed Vande Bharat has cut journey times from Delhi considerably. Live train timetables appear in the site's train box — use those for exact departures.

By road. National highways radiate from Varanasi toward Prayagraj (Allahabad), Lucknow, Gorakhpur, Kolkata and beyond, and long-distance state and private buses connect it to towns across Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Self-drive and hired cars are practical for reaching the city and for day trips, though driving inside the old quarter is not.

Getting around locally. This matters more in Varanasi than in almost any other Indian city. Cars and auto-rickshaws can only take you to the edge of the old city — to points such as Godowlia crossing or Dashashwamedh road-head — and from there you walk. Auto-rickshaws and battery-powered e-rickshaws are the everyday workhorses for medium distances; cycle-rickshaws serve shorter hops; app-based cabs work for the airport, stations and outlying sights like Sarnath and Ramnagar. Agree fares in advance or insist on the meter, and expect drivers to drop you at the nearest motorable point rather than your exact door. Within the ghats and the lanes behind them, walking is the only option — wear sturdy, washable footwear and be ready for uneven, sometimes slippery steps. Finally, remember that the river itself is a highway: a rowed or motorised boat is often the fastest and most beautiful way to travel between ghats, and boatmen can be hired at Dashashwamedh, Assi and elsewhere. Negotiate the rate before boarding.