Sunrise boat ride on the Ganga
Ninety minutes from Assi to Manikarnika and back, pushing off twenty minutes before sunrise. ₹1,200 for a private boat for up to six.
- Boards at
- Assi Ghat
- Goes to
- Manikarnika Ghat and back
- Duration
- 1 hr 30 min
- Best time
- 20 minutes before sunrise
- Seats
- 6
What it costs
Prices are per boat, not per person.
The boatman meets you at the Assi steps while it is still dark. You row north past every ghat as the light comes up, turn at Manikarnika, and come back as the morning bathers arrive. This is the hour Varanasi is photographed in, and the hour it is least crowded.
Times move with the season. Sunrise runs from about 5:15 in June to 6:45 in January, so the meeting time moves with it. We send the exact time the evening before rather than printing one that will be wrong half the year.
Rowing or motor. A rowing boat is silent, which matters more at dawn than at any other hour. A motor boat covers the same stretch faster and suits a larger group.
Afterwards. Assi is the right place for breakfast — kachori and jalebi from the stalls at the top of the steps.
Included
- ✓Private boat for your group
- ✓Boatman
- ✓Life jackets
- ✓Hotel pickup within 3 km, on request
Not included
- ✕Tea and snacks, except on the bajra
- ✕Entry or camera fees anywhere you stop
Common questions
- What time does it start?
- Twenty minutes before sunrise — about 6:20 in December and about 5:00 in June. We send the exact time the evening before.
- Can we get off at Dashashwamedh instead of returning to Assi?
- Yes, at no extra cost. Tell us when you book and the boatman will drop you there.
- Is the price per person or per boat?
- Per boat. ₹1,200 covers the whole boat for up to six people, not ₹1,200 each.
- What if it is foggy?
- In late December and January the river fogs over some mornings. The ride still runs but visibility can be short; we will tell you honestly the night before if it looks poor.