Trip Scam

DestinationsIndiaVaranasiGetting around

Varanasi, India

Getting around Varanasi

How to travel around Varanasi — 5 options, what they cost, and which booking apps fix the fare before you go.

Last updated 2026-08-11

1. Walking the ghats

Walking the ghats
Photo: nevil zaveri (thank you for 20+M views:) · CC BY 2.0 · source

The riverfront is a continuous walk of some 80 ghats, and the lanes behind are too narrow for cars.

2. Cycle and auto rickshaws

Cycle and auto rickshaws
Photo: Bernard Spragg · CC0 · source

Both are unmetered, and the fare is agreed before setting off.

Watch outDrivers who take you to a silk shop 'on the way' — they earn a commission whether or not you buy.

3. Uber and Ola

Uber and Ola
Photo: mikecogh · CC BY SA 2.0 · source

Both work, and remove the fare argument on longer runs.

4. Varanasi Junction

Varanasi Junction
Photo: Smeet Chowdhury · CC BY 2.0 · source

The main railway station, with overnight services to Delhi and Kolkata.

5. Lal Bahadur Shastri airport

Lal Bahadur Shastri airport
Photo: Ahron de Leeuw · CC BY 2.0 · source

About 25km north-west, roughly an hour through traffic.

Booking apps in India

Agreeing the fare in an app before you travel removes the argument at the end of the journey, which is where most transport scams happen. Links go to each app's official page — lookalike apps are themselves a scam.

Uber

Cars, autos and motorbikes with the fare shown before booking.

Ola

The main Indian ride-hailing operator, covering cars, autos and bikes.

Rapido

Motorbike-taxi first, and usually the fastest way across a congested city.

IRCTC Rail Connect

The official Indian Railways booking app — the only legitimate source for reserved tickets.

Namma Yatri

Zero-commission auto-rickshaw booking run with driver unions, cheaper than the aggregators.

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