In Varanasi, Hire N Ride has self-drive cars that make it easy to leave the ghat lanes for the quieter places around the city. Sarnath is about 10 to 12 km away, Chunar Fort about 36 km via Ramnagar, the Rajdari and Devdari waterfalls about 60 km, and Vindhyachal about 65 to 80 km. The city's festival calendar, from the Ramnagar Ramlila and Navratri to Dev Deepawali, shapes when and how to drive. This guide links every Varanasi route we have published, with distances, timing and where to book.
Inside the old city a car is the wrong tool: the lanes near the ghats are narrow, many are closed to vehicles, and you will walk anyway. A car comes into its own for the drives out, early in the morning or late in the afternoon, and for festival evenings when you need to park well away from the river and plan your exit. Every distance and date below comes from the linked guide, which has the full route and the sources we checked.
Sarnath: a calm morning
Sarnath on a self-drive morning is the easiest trip out of the city. Travel guides and route maps put it about 9.5 to 12 km from central Varanasi, commonly via the Madan Mohan Malviya Road and Sarnath Road corridors linked to NH 31. In light traffic most drivers take 25 to 30 minutes; with cantonment or school peaks, plan 35 to 45 minutes. The main sights are the Dhamek Stupa, the Deer Park, the Mulagandhakuti temple and the Archaeological Museum, which is commonly open from 9 am to 5 pm and closed on Fridays and some national holidays. Pair the morning with the evening aarti back in the city.
Chunar Fort: a riverside stronghold
Chunar Fort swaps the crowded ghats for a quiet Ganga fort. By map routing it is about 7 km from Dashashwamedh Ghat to Ramnagar Fort and about 29 km more to Chunar, roughly 36 km in all. Starting before 8 am makes the first stretch far easier. The fort has a long, layered history: in the 1530s Sher Khan, later famous as Sher Shah Suri, took control of it and Emperor Humayun besieged it; the Mughals finally took Chunar in 1575, in Akbar's time, and much of what stands today is thought to date from his reign. In 1849 Rani Jind Kaur, widow of Maharaja Ranjit Singh, was held here before she escaped in disguise and reached Kathmandu. The guide covers Sonwa Mandap, the sandstone ramparts and a slow river sunset.
Rajdari and Devdari: waterfalls in the Vindhyas
The Chandraprabha waterfalls drive heads south-east into the Vindhya hills. By map routing, Godowlia to Rajdari is about 60 km one way, past Ramnagar and the market town of Chakia, and the full loop with a stop at the Latif Shah dam is about 150 km. From Varanasi Cantt station it is about 64 km, and Rajdari to Devdari is about 2.3 km by road. The sanctuary has an unusual story: in 1957 three Asiatic lions from Gir were brought here, and they roamed the area until about 1970, when the experiment failed under heavy pressure on the forest from people and livestock. Calculated sunset at Rajdari is about 5:26 pm on 19 October and 5:16 pm on 1 November, so leave early and be out of the forest before dark. The guide also covers ID rules at the falls.
Festival drives
Varanasi Navratri by self-drive car covers the city's busiest festival month. In 2026 the Ramnagar Ramlila across the Ganga opened on 25 September and ran for about a month, Sharadiya Navratri ran from 11 to 19 October, Dussehra fell on 20 October and Bharat Milap at Nati Imli was expected the next day. The best drive of the season is to Vindhyachal for Maa Vindhyavasini darshan, roughly 65 to 80 km each way depending on the route; goddess temples there see some of their biggest crowds of the year during Navratri.
Seven things to plan before Dev Deepawali prepares you for the night the ghats are lit with lamps. Drik Panchang lists Dev Deepawali 2026 on Tuesday, 24 November, Kartik Purnima, with the Pradosh-kaal muhurat from 5:08 pm to 7:47 pm. Ganga Mahotsav runs from 20 to 23 November 2026, with the main event at Rajghat and programmes at Namo Ghat, according to the Times of India. In 2025 the Maidagin, Godowlia, Sonarpura and Assi road was closed from 2 pm to 10 pm, and the Namo Ghat and Samneghat approaches from 1 pm; the 2026 traffic plan had not been published when we wrote the guide, so plan to park early, well away from the ghats, and know your exit.
More on each trip
Sarnath. Dhamek Stupa, the massive cylindrical brick structure traditionally linked to the Buddha's first sermon, is the landmark most people recognise first. The modern Mulagandha Kuti Vihara temple and the Deer Park paths add a quieter layer, and they are close enough that you do not need to move the car again. If your only free morning is a Friday, focus on the outdoor archaeological complex and keep the museum for another day. Paid and informal parking sits near the main visitor approaches, and October mornings can leave the grass damp, so wear comfortable shoes.
Chunar. According to Wikipedia, the fort stands on a detached part of the Vindhya range high above a bend in the Ganga, its south-eastern side rising straight off the rocky riverbank. From the ramparts in the late afternoon you can see why so many rulers wanted it: it watches over the river and the land routes east. Map apps usually send you across the Ganga towards Ramnagar, then south-west along the right bank; expect trucks, buses, e-rickshaws, bikes and cattle on the road.
Rajdari and Devdari. The falls have no glacier or spring behind them and depend on the monsoon, so the flow is strongest in July and August and falls steadily after the rains. In the peak months the paths are muddy and weekends are crowded; October is quieter. UP Ecotourism lists chital, sambar, nilgai, wild boar, porcupine and the Indian gazelle among the sanctuary's animals.
Navratri and Ramlila. During Navratri week, a car means you can start for Vindhyachal at 4 am, stay for a full Ramlila episode at Ramnagar and drive back when the crowd has thinned, and carry water, snacks and puja items for elders and children.
Dev Deepawali. Use the car for arrival, Ganga Mahotsav evenings and day trips around the festival, not to get close to the river on the night itself. The Purnima tithi begins at 11:42 pm on 23 November and ends at 8:23 pm on 24 November, and the state has proposed a laser show and green fireworks for the night.
Distances at a glance
| From Varanasi to | Approx. distance | Suggested trip |
|---|---|---|
| Ramnagar Fort | About 7 km from Dashashwamedh | On the way to Chunar |
| Sarnath | About 9.5 to 12 km | Morning |
| Chunar Fort | About 36 km | Half day, sunset |
| Rajdari and Devdari | About 60 km | Day loop of about 150 km |
| Vindhyachal | About 65 to 80 km | Day |
Planning a few days
Two days: Sarnath in the morning of day one and the ghats on foot in the evening; Chunar via Ramnagar on day two, back for sunset on the river.
Four days: add the Rajdari and Devdari loop and, during Navratri, a Vindhyachal day.
Festival trips: for Dev Deepawali, book your car and room well ahead, arrive in the city the day before and keep the festival evening for walking.
Weather and timing
October and November are the comfortable months. Our Navratri guide noted a 16-day outlook with highs of around 29 to 33°C and very little rain in early October, and the days shorten quickly by November. Start drives before 8 am to clear city traffic, and plan to be back before sunset on forest roads such as the one to Rajdari.
Documents
Our Navratri guide notes that car renters in Varanasi need a four-wheeler licence held for at least one year and must be 21 or older, and that foreign visitors need an International Driving Permit and passport. Carry your original licence and a government photo ID at pickup, and keep ID with you at the waterfalls, where checks apply.
Questions travellers ask
Is Sarnath worth a half day from Varanasi?
Yes. It is only about 10 to 12 km away, and a morning covers the stupa, the Deer Park and the museum, which is closed on Fridays.
Can I drive near the ghats on Dev Deepawali?
Expect road closures from early afternoon near the ghats, as in 2025. Park well away and walk.
How far is Vindhyachal from Varanasi?
Roughly 65 to 80 km each way depending on the route, a full day during Navratri.
Practical tips
- Do not try to drive into the old city lanes near the ghats; park on the edge and walk.
- Dress modestly at temples and carry small change for shoe stands and offerings.
- Compare vehicles and reviews on Hire N Ride and Zoomcar before festival dates.
Where to book
Book from the city page: self-drive car rental in Varanasi, which lists the cars hosts have available and current per-day prices.
