Welcome to Varanasi - contd.
Getting there and around...
By air
Indian Airlines flies to Babatpur Airport which is 22 kms. from Sarnath. There is a
direct, daily flight connection between Varanasi and New Delhi and also to
Kathmandu. Varanasi is also connected by air to Agra, Khajuraho, Calcutta, Bombay,
Lucknow and Bhubaneshwar.Following chart shows the name of the airports and their
offices along with the telephone number in Vanarasi.
Babatpur Airport
Tel :(542)622090.
Indian Airlines office
The office is near Hotel de Paris,Cantt
Tel : (542)43746, (542)45959. Timings 1000 to 1300 hrs. and 1400
to 1700 hrs.
Air India.
Tel :(542)46326, 46457.
Modiluft.
Tel : (542)46466.
Sahara India
Tel : (542)342355, (542)43094.
Airport City Bus Service : Runs twice daily via Indian Airlines Office and Govt. of India
Tourist Office. Charges Rs 25/- one way.
By rail
Varanasi is an important and major rail junction. The city is linked by trains with all
metros and major cities across the country - New Delhi (760 Kms.), Bombay (1509
Kms.), Calcutta (735 Kms.), Madras (1970 Kms.) , Lucknow (286 Kms.).There are
three railway station - Kashi, City and Varanasi Junction (also known as Varanasi
Cantonment), which is the main station and has computerised booking.There are not
many trains running directly between here and Delhi or Calcutta but most Delhi to
Calcutta trains do pass through Mughal Sarai, 18 km south of Varanasi. This is about
45 minutes by bus or shared autorickshaw.From Varanasi Junction, expresses take
13 to 16 hrs. to Delhi and 13 hours to Calcutta. Other expresses take 28 hrs. to
Bombay, 39 hrs. to Madras, 3 hrs. to Allahabad, 41/2 hrs. to Patna, 5 hrs. to
Lucknow.Railway reservations at Varanasi Junction (Cantonment) station, Tel : 131,
135. Timings 0800 hrs and 1430 to 2000 hrs. For train information dial : 131.
By road
Varanasi is connected with Calcutta (677 Kms.), Delhi (765 Kms.), Madras (1901
Kms.), Bangalore (1763 Kms.) and to the rest of the country by good motorable,
all-weather roads.
Best season
The best season to visit Varanasi is undoubtedly September end - November. This is
chiefly on two accounts. Firstly, the weather during these months is rather mellow and
secondly, this is the festive season in India, especially the northern plains. So tourists
at this time can enjoy the gaiety and splendour that these festivals offer.
Conducted tours
Morning tours :
Organised tours start from the Tourist
Bungalow and the Govt. of India Tourist
Office, Varanasi. Fare Rs 60/- per
person.The morning tour leaves at 6 a.m.
and takes you down the Ganges by the
ghats, around the various temples and out
to the university. The morning tour finishes
at 12.15 p.m.
Afternoon tours :
Tours start from the Government of India
Tourist Office on the Mall in the afternoon.
Tel : 43744. Fare Rs 50/- per person.The
afternoon tour commences at 2 p.m. The
afternoon tour takes you out to Sarnath. In
summer, all tours leaves half an hour
earlier. The tour’s don’t get unconditional
recommendations and many people prefer
to do things themselves. Organising a
boat for sunrise over the ghats is easy
and rickshaw-wallahs are keen to get a
pre-dawn rendezvous arranged for the trip
down to the river. Get them to take you to
a large ghat such as Dasaswamedh,
since there will be a number of boats to
choose from.
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