Every morning · On the Ganga
The sunrise boat ride in Varanasi: when to leave, where to board
The ghats face east, across the Ganga, so every morning the sun comes up straight onto the city. From a boat in the half-light you see Varanasi wake - bathers on the steps, bells, smoke, the first aarti at Assi. It is the one early start nobody regrets.
Facts checked ·
When the sun comes up
Sunrise moves by well over an hour through the year. Calculated for Varanasi on the 15th of each month, it falls at about these times - allow a minute or two either way:
- November
- About 6:15 AM
- December
- About 6:35 AM
- January
- About 6:45 AM
- February
- About 6:35 AM
- March
- About 6:10 AM
- April
- About 5:35 AM
- May
- About 5:15 AM
- June
- About 5:05 AM
- July
- About 5:15 AM
- August
- About 5:30 AM
- September
- About 5:45 AM
- October
- About 5:55 AM
Be on the water 30 to 45 minutes before sunrise. The sky over the far bank starts to colour well before the sun appears, and that half-hour is the best of the ride.
Leaving from Shivpur
At dawn the roads are empty, so the drive is quick: Dashashwamedh Ghat is about 6 km from the hotel, and Assi Ghat a little further south along the river. Leave the hotel roughly an hour and a quarter before sunrise - around 5:20 AM in December, before 4 AM in June - and you will be boarding in the blue light. The travel desk arranges the cab, and will book the boat for you if you ask the night before.
Where to board, and which boat
- Assi Ghat, at the southern end, is the calmer start, and hosts Subah-e-Banaras, the morning aarti with music, before sunrise. A boat north from Assi passes the whole crescent of ghats.
- Dashashwamedh is central and the easiest to reach by car.
- A rowboat is slow and quiet - the ride most people picture. A motorboat covers more of the river in the same time, but you hear the engine.
- The Varanasi Municipal Corporation fixed boat fares in January 2025 and displays the lists at the major ghats. Agree the fare, the route and the time on the water before stepping in, and ask for life jackets.
- Fare complaints go to the Kashi Integrated Command and Control Centre help desk on toll-free 1533.
On the river
- Manikarnika is the city's great cremation ghat. Boats pass close by; keep the camera down there - photographing cremations is considered deeply disrespectful.
- In December and January the river is cold at dawn and often misty. Take a shawl or a jacket.
- Bring small notes for the boatman, and for the diya - a leaf-cup lamp - that sellers offer to float on the water.
In the monsoon, when the Ganga rises, the administration can suspend all boat operations until the water drops, and the evening aarti moves to rooftops beside the ghat. If you are visiting between July and September, check with the front desk before you set an alarm.
Questions guests ask
What time is sunrise in Varanasi?
It ranges from about 5:05 AM in June to about 6:45 AM in January. In November it is about 6:15 AM, in March about 6:10 AM.
What time should I start the sunrise boat ride?
Be boarding 30 to 45 minutes before sunrise. From Hotel Vagmi, leave about an hour and a quarter before sunrise.
Which ghat is best for a sunrise boat ride?
Assi Ghat is the calmer start and hosts the Subah-e-Banaras morning aarti; Dashashwamedh is the most central and easiest to reach by car.
Are boat fares in Varanasi fixed?
Yes. The Municipal Corporation fixed fares in January 2025 and the lists are displayed at the major ghats. Agree the fare and route before boarding; complaints go to toll-free 1533.
Do boats run in the monsoon?
Not always. When the Ganga rises, the administration can suspend all boat operations until the water drops. Ask the front desk before you plan a dawn ride between July and September.
Stay in Shivpur
Hotel Vagmi is in Shivpur - quiet and residential, about 6 km from Dashashwamedh Ghat and 2 km from Varanasi Junction. The travel desk arranges cabs and pickups, and will book your boat if you ask the night before.
Checked against
- NOAA Global Monitoring Laboratory - solar calculator (sunrise times for Varanasi)
- Amar Ujala - Varanasi boat fares fixed by the Municipal Corporation (13 Jan 2025)
- DD News - Varanasi ghats submerged as Ganga water level rises
- Deccan Herald - Location of Ganga Aarti altered in Varanasi as water level rises
Timings and fees in Varanasi change with the season and the festival calendar. Every figure above was read from these sources on the date shown - confirm on the day, or ask the front desk.