Cultural Walking Tour Of Varanasi

There is a reason that travelers come to Varanasi, and it's to experience the rich spiritual culture that resides in the city. Your English-speaking guide will take you on an unforgettable tour of the most noteworthy temples and spiritual sites in the area. Upon meeting your guide, you first head to the local Shiva Temple in order to offer prayers. Called the Kashi Vishvanath Temple, this temple stands at the holy river Ganga, and one of the holiest of India's Shiva temples. This is followed by a visit to another temple, the Mini Khajuraho. This very old and beautiful temple is famous for the incredible woodwork made by highly skilled craftsmen. From here you'll visit the oldest buildings around Varanasi, marveling at their architecture and hearing colorful history behind them and the people who had lived within them. Your walk will takr you to Manikarnika Ghat, one of the holiest of the riverfronts along the sacred Ganga River. Believed to be where human souls are saved, elderly individuals all over India make a pilgrimage to this holy temple in order to spend the last of their days taking in the blessings of the ghat. You next head to the Man Singh Observatory, built in the 1700s with incredible views of the river from its vantage point. You get time to shop, if you prefer, after this stop, as you head to a local traditional market, the Old Kashi. It's a great place to buy some local wares, mementos, and more. Your tour ends with a prayer for life, as you head to Lolark Sasthi, where hundreds of thousands of female devotees visit the pond and immerse themselves into a sacred pond. The waters, it is believed, will help a woman conceive. It's the perfect end to a cultural tour that maps out life in Varanasi.