Varanasi Self-Guided City Walking Tour & Scavenger Hunt

Duration2h

Free cancellationFull refund up to 24 hours before

Instant confirmationYour booking is confirmed right away

TicketMobile or paper ticket accepted

LanguagesNorwegian, German, Hindi, Swedish, Finnish, Russian, Korean, Portuguese, Chinese, Greek, Cantonese, English, Italian, French, Hungarian, Spanish, Czech, Ukrainian, Japanese, Chinese, Polish, Danish, Romanian, Dutch, Turkish

Private tourOnly your group will participate

Overview

One of the oldest living cities on Earth turns its lanes and riverfront into a game you'll never forget.

This app-led scavenger hunt takes you through Varanasi on foot, using phone-based riddles to guide you from one landmark to the next. No guide, no fixed start time.

• Witness Dashashwamedh Ghat, stage of the nightly Ganga Aarti
• Approach the golden spires of Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple
• Study the carved woodwork of the Nepali Temple above the river

Available in 24 languages including English, French, German, Spanish, Italian — see the full list when booking and choose yours when you start the game in the app.
Around 2 hours - any group size.

Millennia of stories, two hours of play.

What's included

Free download of the Explorial App from your appstore (iOS or Android smartphone required)
Points and scoring system: Compete between players of your group and beat the cities high score.
Live Location: navigate within the map with marked locations. Always know where you are.
Learn about the cities stories, history, and local legends
Total flexibility: no waiting, start anytime, walk at own pace and do as many breaks as you want.
Self-guided walking tour with interactive riddles, trivia challenges and photo tasks.

Live-Guide: 100% self-guided; no one will meet you or join your group. Start anytime you want.
Entrance fees are not required for this game. All puzzles relate to the public areas of the sights
This is not an audio guide but an sightseeing, gaming and learning experience

What to expect

Starting at the ghats near Ghasi Tola on the Ganges riverfront, you'll open the Explorial app, enter the 6-digit game code that you received by text and Viator chat message, and step into the sacred maze. The tour is fully self-guided — no guide, no fixed start time, just your group and the city.

Dashashwamedh Ghat sets the scene — the busiest of Varanasi's riverside steps, where the Ganga Aarti fire ceremony draws crowds each evening. Riddles move through boats, bells and pilgrims.

Near Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple, trivia honours one of Hinduism's holiest shrines and the gold that crowns it.

Then the Nepali Temple offers a quieter riddle: a pagoda of carved teak brought from Kathmandu, hiding above the burning ghats.

Allow around two hours, moving with the city's rhythm rather than against it. The final scores are almost beside the point — almost.

Nepali Temple (Kathwala Temple)
Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple

Meeting and pickup

Meeting point

Book your Explorial tour today. Start whenever you want.

*** After booking, you’ll receive your game code via text message and a Viator message.

*** Download the Explorial app for free.

*** Head to the meeting point and enter the game code provided (6 digits) to start the tour.

End point

Book your Explorial tour today. Start whenever you want.

*** After booking, you’ll receive your game code via text message and a Viator message.

*** Download the Explorial app for free.

*** Head to the meeting point and enter the game code provided (6 digits) to start the tour.

Additional information

Service animals allowed
Public transportation options are available nearby
Suitable for all physical fitness levels
Max 15 people per booking. For larger groups, make multiple bookings.
After booking you receive a text message and a Viator message with your game code. Download the Explorial app from your appstore. Open the app, enter your 6 digit game code
Weather & Health Guarantee: If bad weather or illness prevents you from starting the tour, you can simply reschedule it for another day. You can also rebook to a different city or request a refund
Smartphone required: Bring your own fully charged smartphone with an active mobile data connection to the start of the tour. Please disable any VPN and avoid city Wi-Fi, as these will cause the app to malfunction or disconnect.
Recommended attire: It’s best to wear weather-appropriate clothing and comfortable walking shoes — approx. 2 hours of light walking

Cancellation policy

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.

Reviews

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