Free walking tours in Varanasi

I had the most beautiful and meaningful solo walking tour experience in Varanasi with Badal Pandey, and I genuinely couldn’t have asked for a better guide. Varanasi is not just a place, it’s a feeling, an emotion and Badal truly knows how to bring that alive. As a solo traveler, I was hoping to experience the real essence of Varanasi not just see it, but truly feel it. Badal made that possible. From the very beginning, the tour felt very personal, warm, and thoughtfully curated just for me. It didn’t feel like a scripted walk, it felt like exploring the soul of the city with someone who deeply understands and respects it. He shared stories of the ghats, the spiritual significance of the rituals, the hidden lanes, the local life, and the deeper meaning behind traditions in such a calm and engaging way. Every place we stopped had context, history, and emotion attached to it. I never felt rushed ,he allowed me to absorb the atmosphere, ask questions, take pictures, and simply be present in the moment. What stood out the most was his genuine passion. You can tell he truly loves Varanasi and takes pride in sharing its depth with travelers. As a solo female traveler, I also felt completely safe and comfortable throughout the walk, which meant a lot to me. Varanasi is intense, spiritual, chaotic, and magical all at once and having someone like Badal guide you through it makes all the difference. This wasn’t just a tour; it was an experience that added meaning to my visit. If you’re traveling solo and want an authentic, heartfelt introduction to Varanasi, I highly recommend booking with him. It was one of the most memorable parts of my trip. Thank you so much, Badal, for making my solo experience in Varanasi so special and unforgettable.🌸✨😍🤗♥️

Akash gave us a really good tour of Varannasi with loads of historical, philosophical and contemporary information. I recommend doing his tour as soon as you get to Varannasi as it will be a good orientation around the city and also you will be able to understand why you see the things you see around the city! Great experience

I joined a walking tour around the centre of Varanasi with Akash, and it was a fantastic experience. He was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, and he took the time to answer all our questions. He guided us through the labyrinth of the old city the way only a true local can. We really appreciated the tour — it helped us understand the city better and enjoy the rest of our stay even more.

The tour is a very solid start to getting to know the basics of Varanasi (plus some hidden things as well). Akash was a knowledgable guide who maneuvered us through the narrows streets with their twists and turns. He gave us a lot of detailed information on top spots you'd usually miss and also told us where taking pictures is allowed/not allowed to avoid confrontations. Overall a very good tour.

Anant was a terrific guide! He helped us understand Varanasi in ways we never would if exploring on our own. We saw lots of hidden treasures and historic places. He was personable and helpful throughout, always willing to answer any question. Note that this was a long tour, almost 5 hours, with a lot of walking. Also note that Anant called and texted us multiple times before the tour, perhaps to ensure we would actually show up

Anant is an exceptionally good guide. He paced the tour really well and brought us to places we would never have discovered ourselves. He answered all of our questions about the city and the people who live there. We come from Ireland and Varanasi is so different for us. Time spent with Anant really added to our visit. Highly recommend! Ger.

We took a walking tour with Anant on 17th Feb. the tour covered the mythology, rich cultural heritage and evidences of social harmony of Varanasi. Anantji’s itinerary is well crafted to provide a detailed glimpse of the versatile and ancient culture and tradition of the old city. Along the way he was prompt in answering all our curious questions surrounding history, traditions, beliefs that make up Kashi. Despite being familiar with a few traditions, we were spellbound by the intricate details and centuries old stories. I would highly recommend a tour with Anantji to experience all that this city had to offer.

I am Japanese the tour was enjoyable in terms of many hidden cultural/religious and historical perspectives. He brought us the and shared many details of Varanasi(Kashi) by his rich knowledge about the city and suggested us seasonally local foods which brought relaxed and informative experience. We also enjoyed night boat sailing along Ganga River. 日本人です。当ツアーではバラナシの文化、宗教、歴史、食 にまつわるあまり知られていない側面を知ることができ、より忘れられない経験になりました。 旅は情報を知っていることでより楽しめると思いますが、Anantさんのツアーはまさにそれを求める観光にピッタリです。

We did this tour with Anant on our last day in Varanasi, but we should have done it sooner! Anant showed us around the busy city centre, we tried delicious food and Anant told us all about Varanasi. We really enjoyed ourselves. We zouden deze tour aan iedereen willen aanraden. Anant is een topper!

The walking tour in Kashi was truly enriching and memorable. It offered deep local insights into the culture, history, and life around the ghats. I especially appreciated the personal touch throughout the experience, which made it feel more meaningful and engaging. The route was beautifully planned, and the views along the way were simply amazing. Highly recommend this tour to anyone wanting to experience the real essence of Varanasi.

We did the tour with Akash. It was amazing! He showed us the most important places and gave a lot of information. Fantastic introduction to Varanasi and Hindu religion. Also just a very nice guy.

Anant is a very friendly guide! He takes you to the most delicious food places, and tells fun facts about the city. Besides food, you visit some other shops, but it is very relaxed. To top off, you get to listen to some music! It was a great experience. Definitely would recommend

What a wonderful tour through old Varanasi. Enjoyed the information and route covered most of the important things you need to know the city and its history.

Spent the morning with Arant and had a great introduction to Old Varanasi, plus some good tips on restaurants.

Anant is a fabulous tour guide. He is informative without lecturing. His knowledge about food and Varanasi is excellent. I highly recommend his tour

Thank you Anant for our food tour today. We thoroughly enjoyed it. We tried loads of different dishes varying between sweet and savoury. Anant is very friendly and kind. We also stopped at a couple of other local shops such as a pashmina shop and a perfume shop. I would recommend this tour if you are new to India/Varanasi and are interested in food! Thank you for having us

We really enjoyed our tour with Akash, he was great and gave us lots of information about Varanasi. Would recommend for anyone new here that wants to know more :)

Il tour con akash è stato molto interessante. Mi ha raccontato un sacco di cose su varanasi sul hinduismo e su le abitudini della città!! Abbiamo visitato posti che da solo non avrei mai visto.

We really enjoyed the food tour!! We tried so many things that were all delicious and it’s great to build your knowledge of Indian street food. Anant was really helpful and showed us some bonus things around the city - would highly recommend!

Anant was the most amazing tour guide, he took us through the city very comprehensively incorporating both the popular and the more hidden locations. He holds great knowledge of the city and its history and I highly recommend his tours to anyone visiting Varanasi!

We had an absolutely wonderful experience with Anant Prakash ji. From the very beginning, he made the tour feel personal, thoughtful, and deeply engaging. Varanasi can be overwhelming if you don’t know where to look or how to experience it beyond the obvious, and Anant ji did a brilliant job of bringing the city alive for us. He shared stories, history, local context, and nuances that you simply wouldn’t get on your own. The tour never felt rushed or scripted, it felt like being shown the city by someone who truly understands and loves it. He was patient, warm, and incredibly knowledgeable, and adapted the experience to what we enjoyed the most. We thoroughly enjoyed every part of the tour, from walking through the lanes to understanding the culture, everyday life, and deeper essence of Varanasi. It was insightful, calming, and memorable all at once. Highly recommend Anant ji to anyone looking for an authentic, enriching Varanasi experience. This tour genuinely elevated our trip and will stay with us for a long time. ✨

Akash was een super goede gids. Een heel aangenaam persoon die veel kennis heeft over Varanasi. Hij probeert ook steeds zijn gasten te betrekken, waardoor het ook interactief is.

It was an informative walking tour with Ananth ji. It was nice to see Varanasi through a local’s lens. Really appreciated all the places he took me to and all the knowledge he shared. Since I was only one person on the tour, he even customized a few things based on what I wanted to see, eat or buy. Highly recommend Ananth and Guru Walks for your Varanasi walking tour.

Muy buena experiencia! Fue mi primer tour y me gustó mucho, Akash fue muy amable y con muy buena información, lo recomiendo!

We had an amazing experience with Anant on this walking tour in Varanasi. We spent more than two hours walking through the streets of the city, during which he explained in a very clear and engaging way the history and development of Varanasi, with a strong emphasis on its spiritual and religious significance. He also gave us great local recommendations, such as places to buy traditional sweets, lassi and fabrics, which made the experience even more complete and authentic. Anant is knowledgeable, friendly and passionate about his city. We would 100% do this tour again and highly recommend it to anyone visiting Varanasi.