23 Best Weekend Getaways In Varanasi Which Will Give You The Urge Of Taking A Road Trip In 2024!

23 Mar 2023

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Varanasi is one of the most famous places in the country. Being touted as the spiritual capital of the nation. There are some of the best holy experiences that are awaiting you in Varanasi. Famous for the Benarasi sarees, lip smacking street food, the peaceful ghats, Ganga aarti, significant temples, Varanasi is a place of its kind. Also famous for being the spiritual capital of India, Varanasi will win you over by its grandness and sanctity. Not just within the city but there is so much more to explore beyond its boundaries. For a quick escape here are some of the weekend getaways from Varanasi which cannot be missed.

23 Best Weekend Getaways From Varanasi

We have curated a list of places that are so near to Varanasi that you can visit them like a weekend getaway. These places will surely win your heart and take you by surprise. Also, we have mentioned all the details such as how far they are, what are the special attractions that you get there, the best time to visit as well as how far it is from Varanasi.

Sarnath: Famous Among Buddha Followers
Vidhyanchal: Popular Pilgrimage Spot
Bodh Gaya: All About Temples, Shrines & Monasteries
Allahabad: Host Of Kumbh Mela
Khajuraho: Admire The Intricate Carvings
Lucknow: The City Of Nawabs
Bandhavgarh National Park: Witness The Wildlife
Patna: For Rich Ancient Heritage
Panna: See Wildlife In Natural Habitat
Rajgir: A Blend Of Buddhism & Jainism
Nalanda: Gape At Unusual Structures
Agra: Home To The 7th Wonder Of World
Vaishali: A Religious Site
Ayodhya: The Birthplace Of Lord Rama
Chitrakoot: Known For Cultural Significance
Orchha: A Little Hamlet In Madhya Pradesh
Satna: Madhya Pradesh’s Religious City
Kushinagar: The City Of Temples & Stupas
Jabalpur: Historical City For Surreal Beauty
Raigarh: Deeply Rooted In Culture
Dhanbad: A Peaceful City In Jharkhand
Buxar: Delve Back To The Battle Era
Gwalior: Famous For Its Fort

1. Sarnath: Famous Among Buddha Followers

Sarnath is said to be the place where Buddha delivered his first sermon under a tree after attaining enlightenment. Sarnath is a major spot for all the Buddhist pilgrims as this one still has an aura that is unmissable and is totally worth visiting. You can witness a lot of stupas and temples being here. It is one of the popular weekend getaways from Varanasi for all.

Location: 10 kilometres north-east of Varanasi
Highlights: Chaukhandi Stupa, Sarnath Thai Temple, Ashoka Pillar
Distance From Varanasi: 10.2 km via Rishpattan Road
Best Time To Visit: October to March

Must Read: 39 Places To Visit In Varanasi For The Best Of Culture, History, & Spirituality

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2. Vidhyanchal: Popular Pilgrimage Spot

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Vindhyachal is one really popular Hindu pilgrimage spot which is near Mirzapur and Varanasi. Also, this one has a lot of temples in the vicinity with each one depicting a unique story that will captivate you. This town is standing gloriously on the banks of holy river Ganga and people usually come here to enjoy a dip into the Vindhyachal to pray to Goddess Ganga and get closer to divinity.

Location: Mirzapur District
Highlights: Vindhyavasini devi temple, Sita kund, Kali Khoh temple
Distance From Varanasi: 64.4 km via Varanasi – Allahabad Road and NH19
Best Time To Visit: October to March

3. Bodh Gaya: All About Temples, Shrines & Monasteries

Bodh Gaya is one really significant pilgrimage sites for Buddhists, this one is actually a village which is in the state of Bihar. It was said that it was under the Bodhi tree where Gautama Buddha attained enlightenment. You will find this place is filled up with pilgrims all through the year who would be seen paying their tribute to the shrines, monasteries, and temples. You will find a lot of tourists from India and abroad visiting Bodh Gaya and exploring the magnificent Buddha statue, the Mahabodhi Temple as well as the Bodhi tree.

Highlights : Mahabodhi Temple, Tibetan Refugee Market, Great Buddha Statue
Distance From Varanasi: 248.9 km via NH19
Best Time To Visit: October to March

4. Allahabad: Host Of Kumbh Mela

Allahabad is just a few kilometres away from Varanasi, this place will remind you of all the great things about Hinduism. This one is the largest city in Uttar Pradesh, also, this is the meeting point of three rivers named the Ganga, the Yamuna, and Saraswati. Allahabad stands gloriously in the ancient town of Prayag. Also, this is the place where the largest Hindu gatherings are held each year on the banks of the Sangam’ named the Maha Kumbh Mela. While Allahabad is usually passed over for more travel-friendly cities, Allahabad has a lot more than just temples and holy city. This place is also well known for the history, heritage, and stories galore. Also, a visit to this place will totally make you want to visit again.

Highlights: Allahabad Fort, Khusro Bagh, Chandrashekhar Azad Park, Anand Bhavan
Distance from Varanasi: 129 km via SH 87 from Varanasi
Best Time To Visit: October to March

5. Khajuraho: Admire The Intricate Carvings

Khajuraho is really famous all over the world for the magnificent temples that are directed by erotic and sensuous carvings that have made it a really famous site all over the world. This is a highly visited site that was made years ago but its charm hasn’t faded a bit. You will find many inscriptions in there that will be really useful for you to learn from.

Location:Chhatarpur district, Madhya Pradesh
Highlights: Khajuraho Dulhadev Temple, Light, and Sound Show, Kandariya Mahadev Temple
Distance From Varanasi: It is 388.9 km via NH135 and NH39 from Varanasi
Best Time To Visit: July to March

6. Lucknow: The City Of Nawabs

Lucknow is really famous all over the world, known for the kebabs and nawabs, architecture and history, literature and culture that has made Lucknow a fascinating site to everyone in the world. Famous for being the capital and the largest city of Uttar Pradesh, Lucknow, is on the banks of river Gomti. Lucknow is famous as the ‘City of Nawabs’. This city is surely worth visiting for its ‘tehzeeb’ and will totally captivate you by its royal ‘andaaz’.

Highlights: Hazratganj Market, Bara Imambara, Lucknow Zoo
Distance From Varanasi: 303.0 km via NH31
Best Time To Visit: October to March

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7. Bandhavgarh National Park: Witness The Wildlife

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This place was earlier famous as a hunting ground for the Maharajas of Rewa, Bandhavgarh National Park is also famous in the world as a tiger reserve. You would see young people coming over to this magical place for a holiday to remember. There is no doubt in the fact that it is one of the places for weekend getaways from Varanasi.

Location: Bandhavgarh, Tala, Madhya Pradesh 484661
Highlights: Wildlife safari
Distance From Varanasi: 349.2 km via NH135
Best Time To Visit: October to June

8. Patna: For Rich Ancient Heritage

Patna is one beautiful place that is on the southern banks of river Ganges and this is on the backdrop of rich ancient heritage as well as the wonderful historical past. Patna is also famous for being the wonderful historical place and is one of the oldest cities in the world. This place was also known as Pataliputra, Patna is also famous for being the hot-bed for the culminating political fortunes. Also, this one is one of the most famous tourist destinations in India. You will find a lot of monuments, artefacts, and grand architectural heritage that will give you a glimpse of the past. This place also holds a lot of religious and spiritual importance, serving as a gateway to pilgrimage sites of Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, and Buddhists.

Highlights : Golghar Bihar Museum Srikrishna Science Centre
Distance From Varanasi: 281.8 km via NH19
Best Time To Visit: October to March

9. Panna: See Wildlife In Natural Habitat

Panna is a famous town that is located in the state of Madhya Pradesh. This one holds a lot of historical significance. Earlier, it used to be a Gond settlement, now this one is serving as a small city in the heart of the country. This is the only city in the country with diamond reserves. Also, famous for having Panna National Park which is a world heritage site and a significant initiative towards wildlife conservation in India.

Location: District in Madhya PradeshHighlights: Diamond Mines, Pandava Falls, and Caves, Panna National Park
Distance From Varanasi: 351.8 km via NH135 and NH39
Best Time To Visit: November to May

Suggested Read: 35 Places To Visit In India In December

10. Rajgir: A Blend Of Buddhism & Jainism

Front view of Shanti Stupa in Rajgir - Bihar

Rajgir is a wonderful place that has gained immense popularity because of its beautiful sceneries as well as its spirituality and historical significance. This one holds strong links to both Buddhism and Jainism. This place is visited by tourists all through the year.

Highlights: Japanese Stupa, Vulture’s Peak or Griddhakuta, Venuvana etc.
Distance From Varanasi: 314.0 km via NH19
Best Time To Visit: October to March.

11. Nalanda: Gape At Unusual Structures

The ruins of Nalanda Mahavihara at the Nalanda University excavation site

Nalanda used to be the most famous Mahavihara of the ancient times. This one got immense popularity for being the place with the first ever university, this one is still very important in terms of architecture, history, culture, spirituality, tourism and a lot more.

Highlights : Hiuen Tsang Memorial Hall, Nalanda University, The Great Stupa
Distance From Varanasi: 321.4 km via NH19
Best Time To Visit: October to March

12. Agra: Home To The 7th Wonder Of World

Agra happens to be the home to one of the 7 wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal. Surely, it cannot have a more glorious explanation to it. Agra will also provide you a sneak peek into the history and architecture as Agra also has many more structures such as The Agra Fort and Fatehpur Sikri. So, this one is a must visit for anyone living in or visiting India.

Highlights : Fatehpur Sikri, Taj Mahal, Agra Fort
Distance From Varanasi: 625.6 km
Best Time To Visit: October to March

13. Vaishali: A Religious Site

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Vaishali is in the interiors of Bihar, this one is a small district that also happens to be a really significant Hindu, Buddhist and Jain worshipping site. This is the city where you can see Lord Mahavir. This site was the first republic of the world and got its name after King Vishal from the time of Mahabharat. Also, Vaishali is famous for being the city where Lord Buddha delivered his last sermon. This city is surrounded by groves of mango and banana as well as many extensive rice fields, now this place is also a part of Tirhut division of Bihar. This village is also an important religious and historical attraction site and is visited by tourists all through the year.

Location: district in Bihar

Highlights: The Ashoka pillar, Abhishek pushkarni (coronation tank)Vishwa Shanti Stupa, Archeological museums Buddha’s stupa
Distance From Varanasi: 314.2 km via NH19
Best Time To Visit: October to January

14. Ayodhya: The Birthplace Of Lord Rama

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Ayodhya is majorly famous for being the birthplace of Lord Rama, this site has been controversial for about a decade now. However, this one has a lot of significance and spirituality that is totally worth diving deep into. You have to visit the famous Ram janmabhoomi and various other temples here.

Highlights: Ramjanma Bhoomi, Kanak Bhawan, Nageshwarnath Temple
Distance From Varanasi: 202.7 km via Harlalka Road
Best Time To Visit: October to March

15. Chitrakoot: Known For Cultural Significance

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Chitrakoot is a really small town which is situated in the north Vindhyan range. As per the legends, Chitrakoot was the place where Lord Rama, his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana has stayed for eleven and half out of their fourteen years of exile and thus, this place is really special and is really popular for religious tours.

Highlights: Gupt Godavari, Kamadgiri, Ramghat
Distance From Varanasi: 259.4 km via NH19
Best Time To Visit: July to March

16. Orchha: A Little Hamlet In Madhya Pradesh

Image Credit: Sharvarism for Wikimedia Commons

Settled on the banks of Betwa River, Orchha is a historical town that is gradually gaining prominence among travelers due to the collection of architecture. The word Orchha literally translates to ‘a hidden place’ and was founded by Bundela Rajput Chief in the year 1501. It is dotted with beautifully carved temples and huge palaces that outshow everything else in the town. Along with this, one can also explore cenotaphs, mural paintings, and frescos from earlier eras which makes it a perfect place for weekend getaways from Varanasi.

Highlights: Raja Mahal, Jehangir Mahal, Chattris, Chaturbhuj Temple, Ram Raja Temple, Betwa River, Orchha Fort
Distance From Varanasi: 527 kms
Best Time To Visit: July – March

17. Satna: Madhya Pradesh’s Religious City

Image Credit: Sharadjadiya for Wikimedia Commons

The list of weekend getaways near Varanasi cannot miss Satna. It has an abundance of dolomite and limestone deposits which is why it is one of the biggest cement producing industries. Not only this, but there are also several attractions that call travelers to Satna. As it is well-known amidst travelers, the city is a perfect place for peace-seeking people. There are historical ruins as well as some temples to explore in the city. Due to its historical significance, several photographers wander through its main attractions to get a perfect shot.

Highlights: Venkatesh Temple, Bharhut Stupa, Ramvan, Sharadha Devi Temple, Madhavgarh Fort, Jagatdev Talab
Distance From Varanasi: 283 kms
Best Time To Visit: October-March

18. Kushinagar: The City Of Temples & Stupas

Image Credit: Shweta for Wikimedia Commons

Located in Uttar Pradesh, Kushinagar is famous for spiritual visits as it is home to several temples and stupas. It is believed that Gautam Buddha achieved nirvana or the highest level of spiritual enlightenment in this city after his death. This is the reason why most of the locals here are followers of Buddha and it is one of the popular places for weekend getaways from Varanasi. Moreover, several international tourists also arrive here from all over the world to worship in the Buddha temples. Besides the temples, there are forts and sculptures also that define Kushinagar very well.

Highlights: Wat Thai Temple, Ramabhar Stupa, Meditation Park, Nirvana Temple
Distance From Varanasi: 277 kms
Best Time To Visit: November-February

19. Jabalpur: Historical City For Surreal Beauty

Image Credit: Hrithik Thakur for Wikimedia Commons

Jabalpur is a city that is endowed with amazing beauty and remarkable history. The city has River Narmada flowing through the rocky terrains and offers some of the most surreal views. With breathtaking views to behold and rich history to explore, Jabalpur makes a perfect weekend getaway near Varanasi. Moreover, there are nature parks to visit, Dhuandhar Waterfalls to admire, and Tilwara Ghat where the ashes of Mahatma Gandhi were immersed.

Highlights: Balancing Rock, Dumna Nature Park, Tilwara Ghat, Dhuandhar Falls, Chausat Yogini Temple, Madan Mahal Fort
Distance From Varanasi: 459 kms
Best Time To Visit: October-March

20. Raigarh: Deeply Rooted In Culture

Image Credit: Swapna Ann James for Wikimedia Commons

If you want to immerse yourself in the culture of a place then there cannot be a better place than Raigarh that is located in Chhattisgarh. It is a developing industrial city that is popular among tourists as it is deeply rooted in its cultures. Here, you can witness a spectacular performance of Kosa (classical music) and Kathak dance. Besides this, it is also dotted with grand forts, temples, dams, waterfalls, and gardens which keep a tourist busy in exploring. There is no doubt in the fact that Raigarh is one of the perfect destinations for weekend getaways from Varanasi.

Highlights: Raigarh Fort, Ram Jharna, Balaji Temple, Mankeshwari Temple, Kamala Nehru Park, Indira Vihar Zoo, Gomarda Wildlife Sanctuary
Distance From Varanasi: 485 kms
Best Time To Visit: November-March

21. Dhanbad: A Peaceful City In Jharkhand

Image Credit: Anup Sadi for Wikimedia Commons

Popularly known as the Coal Capital of India, Dhanbad proves to be one of the best places for weekend getaways near Varanasi. Apart from being popular famous for factories and coal mines, this city is also known for its natural beauty and tourist attractions. From lakes and falls to dams and parks, there is a lot to explore here for a traveler. Several photographers and nature lovers opt for Dhanbad than any other destination as it is a peaceful place without much tourist crowd.

Highlights: Panchet Dam, Maithon Dam, Tochanchi Lake, Bhatinda Falls, Birsa Munda Park
Distance From Varanasi: 418 kms
Best Time To Visit: September-March

22. Buxar: Delve Back To The Battle Era

Image Credit: Bunny Bunny for Wikimedia Commons

When we first hear about Buxar, our minds go back to the history class when we read about the Battle of Buxar. Since then, the place has been a major tourist hub and travelers come here to know more about the battleground and history. This is the place where the famous Chhath Puja is held every year and the place comes to life during this period. Apart from this, it is also praised for natural beauty. All of this in combination makes Buxar a great choice for weekend getaways from Varanasi.

Highlights: Chausa Battlefield, Katkauli Ka Maidan, Biharu Ji Temple
Distance From Varanasi: 135 kms
Best Time To Visit: October-February

23. Gwalior: Famous For Its Fort

Image Credit: Gyanendra Singh Chauhan for Wikimedia Commons

Gwalior oozes with culture and traditions which makes it an amazing place for a weekend getaway near Varanasi. It is mainly known for its hilltop fort which is often described as ‘ pearl among fortresses in India’. As several dynasties ruled over Gwalior, their influence is clearly visible in the architecture and temples that dominate the cityscape. Moreover, it also organizes the famous Tansen Music Festival at Tansen’s Tomb. Travelers from all over India to witness the grandeur of this place.

Highlights: Gwalior Fort, Man Singh Palace, Sun Temple, Gujari Mahal, Tansen Memorial, Jai Vilas Palace, Sarod Garh, Tigra Dam
Distance From Varanasi: 591 kms
Best Time To Visit: Ocotber-March

Furhter Read: 4 Awesome Water Parks In Varanasi That Will Add A Touch Of Excitement To Your Trip

Now that you know about all the amazing places to head to near Varanasi, What are you waiting for? Pack your bags and head to any of the above destinations of your choice and have a great weekend trip with your friends or family. These places are the perfect locations to go and enjoy a great time away from home. So if you plan a vacation in Varanasi anytime soon, make sure to not miss out on these weekend getaways.

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Frequently Asked Questions About Weekend Getaways From Varanasi

How can you reach Varanasi?

Now traveling to Varanasi is easier than ever, this place is majorly connected to all the main cities of the country Varanasi has its own airport as well as regular trains from cities like Mumbai and Delhi till Varanasi Junction and Mughal Sarai Junction. Also, this place is well connected by buses as well.

Are there any good places to stay in Varanasi?

Varanasi has many great top hotels in there such as Brijrama Palace, Nadesar Palace, Shiva Inn Lord Vishnu Guest House, Suryauday Haveli, Kedar Guest House, etc.

What is famous in Varanasi?

Varanasi happens to be the oldest city in the country, the most famous of the places are the ghats, temples, etc.

What can I buy from Varanasi?

You can buy a lot of things from the markets of Varanasi such as Banarasi Silk Saris, Crystal and Stone Shivalinga, Flutes, Glass Beads, Rudraksha Mala, Wooden Toys, The Holy Water of Ganga, etc.

What are the seasons in Varanasi?

Varanasi has three seasons:
Summers: April to June.
Monsoon: July to September.
Winters: October to March.

Which Ghat is most famous in Varanasi?

Dashashwamedh Ghat is the most famous ghat to visit in Varanasi.