As the light goes, the riverbank fills with people. Boats push off from the ghats for the sunset hour, rowers and motorboats alike, and after sunset a crowd gathers at Dashashwamedh Ghat for the evening aarti ceremony, which can be watched from the steps or from a boat on the water.
Varanasi is not a city that goes out to drink and dance. Its evenings are built around the river, the ghats and the lanes behind them: boat rides, ceremonies, chai and lassi stalls, cafes, and long walks through narrow alleys. It suits travellers who want atmosphere and ritual rather than a bar scene, and who are happy to be out early and to make their own way home.
Where to go out in Varanasi
1. The ghats along the Ganges
The ghats are the steps leading down the river bank, and they are where the city's evenings happen. Boat rides are the most popular way to take them in: a common sunset route starts at Dasaswamedh Ghat or another ghat along the river, heads up to Manikarnika Ghat, and returns to Dasaswamedh just after sunset so you can watch the evening aarti from the boat. Sunrise is another busy time, when the ghats fill with people bathing and starting their day.
This suits anyone who wants the river as the centre of the night. Note that Manikarnika Ghat and Harishchandra Ghat are cremation grounds, and that bathing in the river carries a risk of infection, with the recommendation to bathe further upstream instead.
2. The lanes behind Dashashwamedh Ghat
The network of historical lanes and alleys behind Dasaswamedh, Man Mandir, Tripura Bhairavi and Meer Ghat is the other main evening ground. In the main alley behind Dasaswamedh Ghat, entered to the left at the top of the stairs, you will find small chai and lassi shops set into the walls, silk merchants, western-style cafes, a small perfumery, a traditional instrument store and handicraft stalls.
It suits an unhurried wander with stops for tea. Be aware that motorbikes use these alleys too, so expect to step aside and to hear horns.
3. Assi Ghat and its cafes
Assi Ghat, in the southern part of the city, has a cluster of cafes a short walk from the water. Aum Cafe sits up the steps next to Pizza Town on the riverfront and opens early, which makes it useful for breakfast. El Cafe 80 is in Dumraon Bagh Colony, reached by taking the first left from the ghat, and serves coffee, pizza, pasta and Indian dishes with floor-cushion and table seating. The Mark Cafe, in the same colony, has an experienced barista and is one of the few places in the area to open early and serve breakfast.
This suits a quieter, cafe-based evening or an early start rather than a late night.
4. Chai and lassi stops
Chai shops are found throughout the city. Engineer Chai Wala on Assi Road, a five-minute walk from Assi Ghat and vertically opposite Haifa Hotel, with a smaller branch near The Mark Cafe, sells more than ten varieties of tea in clay cups along with plain and flavoured lassi. Thandai, a cool milk-based drink with pistachios, almonds and saffron topped with cream, is sold at many stores near the main Godowlia, most of which also serve lassi.
This suits a low-key evening of walking and drinking rather than sitting down for a meal. Bhang, a powdered form of marijuana, is often mixed into special lassis and thandai; it is intoxicating, its effects last hours, and tourists have been robbed after consuming it.
5. Restaurants and hotel bars
Alcohol is available at a few restaurants and hotels, among them the Radisson and the Taj; the Radisson Hotel Varanasi on The Mall in Cantonment has a bar. There are also wine shops in the old city, but they have no seating, so the usual arrangement is to buy what you want and take it back to your hotel room.
This suits travellers who want a drink with a meal or in a hotel rather than a bar crawl.
How a night out unfolds
An evening here tends to start on the water. Boat rides are most popular at sunset and sunrise, and the standard sunset run ends back at Dasaswamedh just after sunset for the aarti. The lanes and cafes fill around the same hours; some Assi Ghat cafes open early in the morning and close in the afternoon or early evening, while others run until around 10PM. Chai stalls keep going into the evening, with Engineer Chai Wala open until 9:30PM. Beyond that, the sources describe no fixed late-night circuit, so plan your evening around the river and the lanes and set your own finish.
Festivals and events worth timing a trip around
- Chhath Pooja (November) — a four-day festival for the sun god, with holy bathing, fasting, standing in water for long periods, and offerings to the setting and rising sun.
- Deepavali or Diwali (October–November) — a five-day festival of lights with decorations, temple ceremonies and an aarti at the ghats. The day after is Dev Deepavali, when oil lamps are lit on all the ghat steps; use a boat if you are not with a local, and avoid walking through the ghats that day.
- Maha Shivaratri (February) — streets fill with pilgrims and parades dedicated to Shiva. Temples are extremely crowded and queues are long. It is also the last day of the Dhrupad Mela, a festival of Hindustani classical music that runs night and day for about 72 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Can you drink alcohol in Varanasi?
Yes, at a few restaurants and hotels such as the Radisson and the Taj. Wine shops in the old city sell alcohol but have no seating, so you would take it back to your hotel room.
What is the best time of day to take a boat ride?
Sunrise and sunset are the most popular times. The usual sunset route runs from Dasaswamedh Ghat or another ghat up to Manikarnika Ghat and back to Dasaswamedh just after sunset for the aarti.
Is it safe to bathe in the Ganges?
The sources advise against it. With sunken corpses and cremation taking place, there is a risk of infection from diseases such as hepatitis and bacteria such as e-coli, and bathing further upstream is recommended instead.
What should I know about bhang lassi?
Bhang is a potent powdered form of marijuana often mixed into special lassis and thandai. It can be quite intoxicating, its effects last hours, and tourists have been robbed after consuming it.
Decide whether your evening belongs to the river or to the lanes, check the timing of any festival you are travelling around, and set out before the light goes.