Time Zone: IST (GMT + 0530 Hrs)
Best time to visit: Varanasi is an all weather destination. However, Summer months of May and June can be scorchingly hot. July, August and September are the rainy season and sometimes, water level in Ganga can rise to such a level that the ghats are not visible at all. Best time to visit Varanasi is from October to March End.
Visa: Citizens of the following countries do not require visas to enter India (unless arriving from mainland China), and may remain in the country without any limit of stay (unless otherwise noted): Bhutan, Nepal,Maldives (90 days)
Foreign citizens possessing an Overseas Citizen of India registration certificate are also exempt from visa obligations. Citizens of Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, mainland China, Nepal, Pakistan, or Sri Lanka are generally not entitled to hold Overseas Indian Citizenship.
e-Tourist Visa (ETA): Please do not confuse e-Tourist Visa with Visa-On-Arrival. On 27 November 2014, the Electronic Travel Authorisation (ETA) facility became operational for citizens of over 40 eligible countries, including those who are eligible for visa on arrival. The list was further expanded to 113 countries in August 2015. ETA is issued for tourism, visiting friends and family, short duration medical treatment and business visits. The scheme was renamed to e-Tourist Visa (eTV) on 15 April 2015 due to lot of confusion created with Visa-On-Arrival.
An application for e-Visa must be made at least four calendar days in advance of the date of arrival and can be made as early as 120 days in advance. The visa is valid for 60 calendar days from the date of arrival, and can be obtained twice in a calendar year. Double entry is permitted on e-Tourist Visa and e-Business Visa. Triple entry is permitted on e-Medical Visa. The duration of stay cannot be extended. The eTV fees are divided into four slabs of zero, US$25, US$48 and US$60, depending on nationality (based on reciprocity), plus a bank fee of 2.5{49f9190c1867e985d57323ad911a6aa27750780cc835c4548b16b9f592908bce} of the visa fee.
e-Tourist Visa allows arrival at the following 24 airports and 3 sea ports:
| Ahmedabad | Amritsar | Bagdogra | Bengaluru |
| Chandigarh | Chennai | Coimbatore | Delhi |
| Guwahati | Gaya | Goa | Hyderabad |
| Kochi | Kolkata | Jaipur | Kozhikode |
| Lucknow | Mangaluru | Mumbai | Nagpur |
| Pune | Thiruvananthpuram | Tiruchirapalli | Varanasi |
| Sea Ports | Cochin | Goa | Managulru |
Citizens of the following countries and territories who hold ordinary passports are eligible to obtain the e-Tourist Visa (unless they are of Pakistani origin):
European Union (All European Union citizens), Albania, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Burundi, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Cape Verde, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Costa Rica, Cote D’Ivoire, Cuba, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Eritrea, Fiji, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Ghana, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guyana, Haiti, Honduras, Hong Kong, Iceland, Indonesia, Israel, Jamaica, Japan, Jordan, Kenya, Kiribati, Laos, Lesotho, Liberia, Liechtenstein, Macau, Macedonia, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Mali, Marshall Islands, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Mozambique, Myanmar, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Cook Islands, Niue, Nicaragua, Niger, Norway, Oman, Palau, Palestine, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Suriname, Swaziland, Switzerland, Taiwan, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United States, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vatican City, Venezuela, Vietnam, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Visa-On-Arrival: India is slowly replacing the Visa-on-Arrival system with Electronic Travel Authorization system. Citizens of Japan can apply for visa on arrival in Bengaluru, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kolkata or Mumbai since 1 March 2016.
Currency: Indian Rupee (INR) Sign: ₹
Banks/ATMs: ATMs of all major Indian banks are available in Varanasi. They accept all Visa/Master Cards. Major Indian Banks have their branches in Varanasi. Major International Banks like CitiBank, Standard Chartered Bank, HSBC, Deutsche Bank etc are not present in Varanasi.
Mobile/Internet: BSNL, Reliance, Idea, Vodafone, Airtel and Aircel provides excellent mobile connectivity. Internet cafe are very popular and available in all major areas, but wi-fi hotspots are not available easily except hotels/guesthouses. Aircel, Airtel, BSNL, Idea and Vodafone also offer 3G data services for internet usage.
Power: Electrical sockets (outlets) in Varanasi usually supply electricity at between 220 and 240 volts AC. 2-pins and 3-pins plug are widely used. Power outage was very common in Varanasi, but since, it is now represented by the Prime Minister of India in the Parliament, it enjoys VIP status in power supply and power cuts are very rare now.
