This is the written version of the Varanasi Ayodhya Prayagraj 4 Nights 5 Days Itinerary, for anyone who would rather read every stop in order than scan the day cards above.
Day 1 in Detail: Old-City Temples & the Evening Aarti in Varanasi
Land in Varanasi, settle in, and give the day to the three old-city temples before the river takes over at dusk.
1. Check in and get your bearings
On arrivalWhether you land at Lal Bahadur Shastri Airport or come in by train to Varanasi Junction or Manduadih, go straight to your hotel first. This is a five-day trip across three cities, so there is no need to rush the first hour — settle in properly before the old city starts pulling at you.
2. Kal Bhairav Temple
Late morningCustom has visitors ask Kal Bhairav's permission before the main temples — he is considered the guardian of Kashi. It is open roughly 5:00 AM–1:30 PM and 4:30–9:30 PM, entry is free, and 30–45 minutes is enough.
The last stretch to the shrine is on foot — no vehicle reaches the lane.
3. Kashi Vishwanath Temple
Late morningThe centrepiece of the old city: one of the twelve Jyotirlinga shrines, rebuilt in 1780 and reached today through the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor that opened in December 2021. Phones and cameras are not allowed inside, so use a locker or leave them at the hotel.
Budget 1.5–3 hours depending on the queue — Mondays and the month of Shravan are the busiest.
4. Annapurna Temple
MiddayA two-minute walk from Vishwanath. Hours run roughly 4:00–11:30 AM and 7:00–11:00 PM — closed most of the afternoon — so if you arrive here late morning, you may end up back this evening instead.
5. Break, or a walk through Vishwanath Gali
AfternoonThree temples on foot in old-city heat is enough for most people. Head back to the hotel, or use the break to browse Vishwanath Gali and the Godowlia market for Banarasi silk — there is no obligation to buy anything.
6. A boat ride before the aarti
Evening, optionalNot essential, but worth it if you have the time. Boats leave from ghats such as Assi, Dashashwamedh, Namo and Kedar, and watching the aarti from the water beats the crowded steps.
Agree the fare before boarding if you are hiring one on the spot, or book ahead through us.
7. Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat
Around duskThe ritual begins around dusk — roughly 5:45–6:00 PM in winter, 6:45–7:00 PM in summer — and runs about 45 minutes.
Get to the ghat steps at least 45 minutes early if you want to sit rather than stand at the back.
8. Manikarnika Ghat
By boat or on foot, optionalThe main cremation ghat, best seen from the water at a respectful distance if you choose to see it at all. It is a place of mourning — do not photograph the cremations.
9. Dinner and street food
After the aartiTamatar chaat, kachori-sabzi and a glass of thick Banarasi lassi are worth seeking out. Prices are low enough to eat at two or three stalls instead of committing to one restaurant.
Overnight in Varanasi — the first of two nights here. A hotel near the ghats keeps tomorrow's early start short; our own budget hotel near Assi Ghat is one option.
Day 2 in Detail: Southern Temples, BHU & Sarnath
A full second day in Varanasi: three more temples before breakfast, then the university campus and Sarnath, with the evening free to rest before you head out to Prayagraj.
1. Sunrise at Assi Ghat
Optional, before 7 AMSkip this if you would rather sleep in. Subah-e-Banaras, the free government-run morning programme, starts around sunrise — about 5:30 AM, earlier in summer — and the ghats are at their calmest.
2. Durga Temple
By 7 AMAlso called the Monkey Temple, for a reason — keep food out of sight. An 18th-century red Nagara-style shrine beside Durga Kund, open 4:00 AM–1:00 PM and 3:00–9:00 PM; 30 minutes is enough.
3. Tulsi Manas Mandir
MorningA short walk from the Durga Temple, dedicated to Lord Rama and built where the saint Tulsidas is said to have written the Ramcharitmanas. Roughly 6:00 AM–8:00 PM in winter, 5:30 AM–9:00 PM in summer.
4. Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple
MorningFounded, by tradition, by the poet-saint Tulsidas. No phones or cameras inside.
Busiest on Tuesdays and Saturdays — expect a longer queue on those days.
5. Banaras Hindu University & the New Vishwanath Temple
Late morningOne of Asia's largest residential university campuses — worth the drive-through alone. Stop at the New Vishwanath (Birla) Temple inside the campus, and add the Bharat Kala Bhavan museum if it happens to be open.
6. Breakfast — hotel or street style
BreakfastHotel breakfast is the easy option. For the local version, look for kachori-sabzi and jalebi from a street stall, finished with a Banarasi paan.
7. Sarnath
AfternoonAbout 10 km out, and where the Buddha is said to have given his first sermon. See the Dhamek Stupa, the Deer Park, the Chaukhandi Stupa and the Archaeological Museum if you have an extra half hour.
Give it 2–3 hours in total, including the drive.
8. Dinner and an early night
EveningYou have a longer drive ahead tomorrow, so keep the evening light — dinner near the hotel and an early night sets you up for the road to Prayagraj.
Second night in Varanasi. Keep your bags packed for an after-breakfast start tomorrow.
Day 3 in Detail: Varanasi to Prayagraj: The Sangam
Leave Varanasi after breakfast for Prayagraj, about 130 km away, and spend the rest of the day at the Sangam and the city's landmarks.
1. Drive to Prayagraj
MorningAfter breakfast and check-out, it is about 130 km to Prayagraj — roughly 2.5 to 3 hours by road. Prayagraj was called Allahabad until 2018, and it sits at the Triveni Sangam, where the Ganga and Yamuna meet the mythical, invisible Saraswati.
2. Lete Hanuman Mandir
Late morningA short stop close to the Sangam — a large reclining Hanuman idol that is said to be partly submerged each year when the Ganga rises in the monsoon.
3. Triveni Sangam: boat ride and a holy dip
MiddayThe reason most people come here. A holy dip at the meeting of the three rivers is the centrepiece of the visit, and a boat out to the confluence gets you closer to it.
The boat and the dip are not fixed into the plan — book at the ghat, or ask us to arrange it. Carry a change of clothes and a towel if you mean to bathe.
4. Anand Bhavan
AfternoonThe Nehru family's ancestral home, now a museum on India's independence movement — worth it if that history interests you. Museums keep their own hours, so confirm before you go.
5. Allahabad Fort
AfternoonBuilt by Akbar in 1583 beside the Sangam. Much of it is under military use today, so public access is limited — the Ashoka Pillar, Saraswati Koop and Patalpuri Temple are the parts usually open, along with the ancient Akshaya Vat banyan tree.
Access changes without much notice — check locally on the day.
6. Khusro Bagh
If time allowsA walled Mughal-era garden with the tombs of Prince Khusrau and his mother — a calm, unhurried place to end the day if you have the time.
7. Check in and rest
EveningHead to your Prayagraj hotel for the night. Dinner is not part of this plan — eat wherever you like near the hotel.
Overnight in Prayagraj — the only night of this trip outside Varanasi and Ayodhya.
Day 4 in Detail: Prayagraj to Ayodhya: Hanuman Garhi, Kanak Bhawan & the Saryu
Drive on to Ayodhya, then spend the afternoon and evening on Hanuman Garhi, Kanak Bhawan and the Saryu ghats — the Ram Mandir itself is saved for tomorrow morning.
1. Drive to Ayodhya
MorningAfter breakfast and check-out, allow roughly four hours on the road from Prayagraj to Ayodhya — more if traffic is heavy. This is the leg that makes the extra night worthwhile: you arrive unhurried instead of packing Ayodhya into a single afternoon.
2. Check in and settle in
On arrivalAyodhya sits on the Saryu and is revered as Lord Rama's birthplace, one of Hinduism's seven most sacred cities. Check in, freshen up, and take a short break before the afternoon.
3. Hanuman Garhi
AfternoonA hilltop temple to Hanuman, and by tradition the temple to visit before the Ram Mandir. A flight of steps leads up to it, so wear shoes you can climb comfortably in.
Tuesdays and Saturdays, Hanuman's days, tend to be busier.
4. Kanak Bhawan
AfternoonDedicated to Ram and Sita, and believed to have been gifted to Sita by Kaikeyi — known for its richly adorned idols and a genuinely peaceful atmosphere. Hours shift through the year, so confirm locally.
5. Dasharath Mahal
If time allowsAn optional stop at the palace traditionally linked to King Dasharatha, Rama's father — easy to add if the afternoon has room to spare.
6. Ram ki Paidi and the Saryu aarti
EveningA series of bathing ghats along the Saryu, and the setting for the evening aarti — a quieter, less crowded version of what you saw in Varanasi. It follows sunset, so the time shifts with the season.
Overnight in Ayodhya. This is the night the four-day version of this trip skips — it is what makes tomorrow's Ram Mandir darshan unhurried.
Day 5 in Detail: Ram Mandir Darshan & Departure
An early, calm morning at the Ram Mandir, then whatever else fits before your drop — no drive to get through first.
1. Ram Janmabhoomi Temple (Ram Mandir)
Early morningThe birthplace of Lord Rama, and the reason most people build a trip around Ayodhya at all. The temple was consecrated in January 2024, and going early — straight after breakfast, with no onward drive weighing on the morning — is the whole point of the extra night.
Security is strict: phones and bags generally are not allowed inside. Darshan slots and entry rules are set by the temple trust and do change, so confirm them for your date before you go.
2. Ramkatha Park
If time allowsA park dedicated to the life of Lord Rama — a quiet place to sit between temple visits, if the morning has left you any spare time.
3. Guptar Ghat
If time allowsA quieter ghat on the Saryu, believed to be where Rama took his jal samadhi. Less crowded than the ghats nearer the centre of town.
4. Drop at Ayodhya Dham Junction or the airport
DepartureHead to Ayodhya Dham Junction or Maharishi Valmiki International Airport with time in hand. Build in some buffer — this is the end of a five-day trip, not the moment to cut it close.
Trip ends with your drop at Ayodhya.
Good to Know Before You Go
- Phones and cameras are not allowed inside Kashi Vishwanath, Sankat Mochan or the Ram Mandir — travel light on those mornings.
- Dress modestly for every temple on this route: shoulders and knees covered, and shoes that are easy to slip off.
- The old-city lanes to Kal Bhairav, Annapurna and Kashi Vishwanath are walked, not driven — factor in the extra time.
- The Sangam boat ride and holy dip are optional add-ons, not fixed into the plan — bring a change of clothes if you want to bathe.
- Ram Mandir entry rules — darshan slots, what you can carry in — are set by the temple trust and do change. Confirm them for your dates before you travel.
- Timings across all three cities come from published visitor guides and shift on festival days — confirm locally if your trip falls near one.