Home - How to Reach

How to Reach

VARANASI is the cultural capital of India and the melting pot of Indian civilization. Varanasi or Benaras has a well-developed transport network and is well connected to all the major Indian cities and states by air, road and rail.

Access :

AIR : The Babatpur airport is 22 km from the Cantonment (Cantt.) area where the most comfortable hotels are located, and 30km (18 miles) from the riverfront. It has daily air connections to major Indian cities like Delhi, Agra, Khajuraho, Kolkata (Calcutta), Mumbai. A taxi should run you Rs 300 to the Cantonment, while the airport shuttle charges Rs 40

RAIL : Varanasi’s main railway station is the junction station near the cantonment area. It is about 3 km away from the old city center and can be accessed on auto rickshaws or cycle rickshaws. The other major rail station is at Mughal Sarai, 16 km from Varanasi and you should get off at Varanasi Cantonment. There are regular trains connecting Varanasi and the Indian Capital Delhi. It takes about 12-13 hours and the trains are Swatantrata Express and Shiv Ganga Express. Trains to other Indian Cities are also available from the Hindu pilgrimage center Varanasi.

ROAD : The Varanasi Bus Stand, 250 km from the railway station, is from where most buses leave. To Lucknow (Rs 95), Gorakhpur (Rs 70), Faizabad (Rs 70) and Allahabad (Rs 40), there are private deluxe buses. If you have to board a buses to Gaya, Gorakhpur and Sonauli (to go to Nepal), you have to go to the Cantonment Bus Station. Buses and taxis ply regularly between Mughal Sarai and Varanasi. Driving to Varanasi is not recommended as the roads are bumpy and with no interesting stoppage en route.

Distances from nearby cities :

Agra - 565 km
Allahabad - 128 km
Bhopal - 791 km
Bodhgaya - 240 km
Kanpur - 330 km
Khajuraho - 405 km
Lucknow - 286 km
Patna - 246 km
Sarnath - 10 km
Lumbini (Nepal) - 386 km