Renting out your home in Varanasi

Our advice for Varanasi

Varanasi is not a city guests pass through casually. People come to Kashi for a reason — a pilgrimage, a last rite for a parent, a festival on the ghats, a visit to a son or daughter at Banaras Hindu University, or simply to watch the evening aarti. Hosting here means understanding those reasons and respecting them.

Old city or new city?

The lanes behind Dashashwamedh, Assi and the Kashi Vishwanath Corridor are where most visitors want to wake up, close enough to walk to the river before sunrise. The trade-off is access: cars cannot reach many of these galis, luggage has to be carried, and guests must be guided carefully from the nearest drop-off point. Areas such as Lanka, near BHU, Sigra or the Cantonment are easier for families, older pilgrims and anyone arriving with heavy bags or needing medical care. The airport at Babatpur and the city's railway stations make both options reachable; the question is the kind of guest you want.

Guests you will meet

• Pilgrims and extended families, often travelling in groups and preferring vegetarian kitchens.
• International travellers, many also visiting Sarnath, who want a rooftop and a river view.
• Parents of students and visitors to the university hospital, who stay longer and value quiet.
• Photographers and festival-goers for Dev Deepawali, when the ghats are lit with lamps and demand peaks.

How to prepare the property

Keep interiors simple, clean and culturally aware: a small puja corner, a clear note on house customs, and no assumption that everyone wants the same food. Provide power backup, water storage and a reliable geyser — winter mornings on the river are cold. For old-city homes, build a step-by-step arrival guide with photos from the drop-off point, and consider arranging a porter.

Points of caution

During the monsoon the Ganga rises and the ghats can flood, which affects both access and the view guests paid for; say so in your listing. Uttar Pradesh's 2025 Bed & Breakfast and Homestay Policy offers registration through the state tourism department, and we recommend confirming its requirements for your building before the first booking. Old structures may also need an honest check of wiring and stairways.