Boat Expedition to Ramnagar Fort, Durga Temple and a Visit to a Rural Village Tour

The Mughal style Ramnagar fort, built in the 18th century, is situated on the opposite bank of river Ganga and can be reached by boat (or by auto - see below for details).

Our boat tour begins at Dasashwamedh Ghat where we will head south, passing the Harishwar burning ghat, grand Maharaja palaces, an ashram for widows, the colorful Kedar Ghat temple and the water buffalo bathing area along the many ghats. During the ride, the Varanasi tour guide will introduce you to the history and folklore of Varanasi and point out famous landmarks and riverside ceremonial rituals.

The Ramnagar fort houses a museum displaying the Royal collection which includes vintage cars, royal palkies, an armory of swords and old guns, ivory work and an impressive antique clock that displays year, month, week and day but also astronomical facts about the sun, moon and constellation of stars. You will get a glimpse into the glamorous past of the Maharajas where decadence was just a part of everyday life. To this day, it still remains the ancestral home of the Maharaja of Banaras.

Also, in the area is the Durga Temple a favorite destination for worshipers and pilgrims. We will visit the temple and then venture into a local village where life moves at a much slower pace. Women in electric colored sarees work the neon green fields (a juxtaposition of colors worthy of a painting) children play, large groups of water buffallos shuffle along quietly and men work fixing this and that. The local people couldn’t be friendlier and invitations for chai run amok. While Varanasi proper has so many landmarks to visit, it is refreshing to get outside the city and get a glimpse of real village living.

We will return to the main ghat on the gentle currents of the Ganga where we will finish the tour.

From here we will help you find transportation back to your hotel.

(If you’d prefer to do the tour in a car, let us know and we’d be happy to arrange that. An added option is to start the tour later in the day and go to the evening Aarti ceremony. If interested, contact us for details).

Start: Varanasi Old City Tour office

End: Dasashwamedh Ghat

When: 9:00am - 1:00pm (tour duration is approximately 4hours). Start time varies depending on weather, so please check with us.