📍 Uttar Pradesh, India
Uttar Pradesh · 8 destinations & hidden spots
Assi Ghat, Varanasi, Varanasi district
Varanasis most beloved cultural ghat at the confluence of the Assi and Ganges rivers. Host to the enchanting Subah-e-Banaras programme, a morning cultural festival of classical music, yoga, and meditation at dawn on the ghat.
Hidden Gem
Sipah, Jaunpur, Uttar Pradesh
Built in 1408 by Sultan Ibrahim Sharqi, this masterpiece of Sharqi architecture features a soaring 87-foot central arched pylon and rich stone carvings, showing no minarets.
Hidden Gem
Chunar, Mirzapur district
A formidable sandstone cliff fortress rising 280 feet above the Ganges, held by the Chandelas, Mughals, Sher Shah Suri, and the British East India Company. Its Balmiki Kund sacred spring, Shonit Putri temple, and British-era barracks create a layered archaeological canvas against sweeping river panoramas.
Dashashwamedh Ghat, Varanasi, Varanasi district
The most celebrated ghat in Varanasi. Every evening at sunset, seven priests perform the resplendent Ganga Aarti using giant camphor flames, conches, and incense to electrifying music, one of Indias most awe-inspiring spectacles.
Vishwanath Gali, Varanasi, Varanasi district
One of the 12 sacred Jyotirlinga shrines of Lord Shiva, set in the heart of the worlds oldest living city. The Kashi Vishwanath Dhaam Corridor (2022) integrates the ancient temple with the Ganga riverfront via a grand promenade of 23 rebuilt temples.
Hidden Gem
Lakhaniya, Mirzapur district
A dramatic tiered cascade plunging through dense forest gorges amid ancient rock engravings and cave shelters near Chunar. Pre-historic rock art paintings on the surrounding cave walls make this a unique convergence of natural beauty and archaeological heritage.
Sarnath, 10 km north of Varanasi, Varanasi district
The sacred site where Gautama Buddha delivered his very first sermon to five ascetics in the Deer Park. The cylindrical Dhamek Stupa (500 CE) marks the spot of the sermon, standing 43 metres tall amid ruins of ancient monasteries.
Hidden Gem
Jaunpur city, Jaunpur district
Jaunpurs magnificent 16th-century Akbari Shahi Pul, a 13-arched sandstone bridge crossing the Gomti still in daily use. Nearby, the 1408 Atala Mosque with its distinctive pylon propylon represents the unique Sharqi style of architecture, a distinct pre-Mughal Indo-Islamic school.
