Varanasi

Where to stay

Most budget guesthouses cluster around two areas: the narrow galis near Dashashwamedh Ghat, which put you a short walk from the main evening aarti on the river, and the quieter streets around Assi Ghat to the south, where the pace is slower and rooftop cafes outnumber tour-package crowds.

Getting around

• Walk the ghats at dawn instead of paying for a boat ride. The light is good, the cremation grounds at Manikarnika Ghat are accessible on foot, and you see everything without a middleman.
• Shared autos from Godowlia to Sarnath cost almost nothing and get you to the Dhamek Stupa and deer park in under 30 minutes. Most first-timers skip Sarnath entirely and wish they hadn't.
• Touts near Dashashwamedh Ghat will offer a 'free' boat ride that ends at a silk shop. There is no free boat ride. A polite no and a kept walking pace is the correct response.

When to go

Hostels are cheapest during the monsoon months of June through September, when the ghats partially flood and the heat is serious. November through February is the busiest stretch, and beds fill up fast around Mahashivaratri, which typically falls in February or March.