Varanasi for international travellers

• Most nationalities can apply for an Indian e-Visa (tourist) online at the official government portal, indianvisaonline.gov.in. Apply at least a week before travel and use only the official site — many look-alike sites charge extra.
• Varanasi’s Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport (VNS) is an authorised e-Visa entry point, but international flights are limited. Most visitors arrive via Delhi, Mumbai or Kolkata and take a 1–1.5 hour domestic flight.
• Your hotel will register your stay (Form C) with your passport — this is normal.

• Cash is still king in the old city — rickshaws, boats, temple offerings, street food. Carry small notes (₹10–₹200).
• ATMs are common around Godowlia, Lanka and the Cantonment. Use ATMs inside banks or malls where possible.
• Larger hotels and restaurants take international cards. Smaller places often do not.
• India’s UPI payments are everywhere; some schemes now let foreign visitors load a UPI wallet on arrival at major airports. Otherwise, rely on cash.

Buy a local prepaid SIM (Jio or Airtel) at the arrival airport in Delhi or Mumbai, or in Varanasi at an official store. You will need your passport, visa, a passport photo and a local address (your hotel). Activation can take a few hours. An eSIM from your home provider or an international eSIM app is the simplest alternative. More in SIM, internet & money.

• Foreign nationals are welcome at Kashi Vishwanath and take a separate foreigner ticket at the darshan booking desk near Gate 4: original passport, photocopies of passport and visa, and a fee (reported at about ₹600). Step by step.
• Phones, bags and leather are not allowed inside — leave them at your hotel or in a locker.
• Remove shoes before entering any temple, and socks too where asked.
• Dress modestly: shoulders and knees covered. A light scarf or stole is useful everywhere.
• Walk clockwise around shrines and do not touch priests or offerings uninvited.
• If a priest offers a blessing, a small donation (₹10–₹100) is customary but optional. You may say no.

• Manikarnika and Harishchandra are cremation ghats. Watching respectfully from a distance is accepted; photographing cremations is not. Never photograph mourners.
• Bathing in the Ganga is a profound ritual for Hindus. If you join, do so at a main bathing ghat (Dashashwamedh, Assi) in daylight and do not swim out — currents are strong.
• Public displays of affection are frowned upon.
• Do not hand out money to children; give to an established charity instead.

• Drink only sealed bottled or filtered water. Avoid ice and raw salads from street stalls in your first days.
• Hand sanitiser, tissues and oral rehydration salts (ORS) are worth carrying.
• Mosquito repellent is useful from July to October.
• Hospitals with English-speaking doctors include the Sir Sunderlal Hospital at BHU and several private hospitals in the Cantonment and Mahmoorganj areas. Travel insurance is strongly recommended.