I am a solo traveler (70), just completed the Buddhist Circuit tour with VE. It was also my first visit to India.
Aamir, the tour coordinator, did a great job making sure that the tour came off as planned. Bablu was a fantastic driver. He really catered to my every need. Professional, courteous and a lot of fun to be with.
The hotels were excellent. The on-site guides were very good. Just make sure that they speak English clearly. This situation came up only once.
I strongly recommend VE.
We had a good experience on our 2 day tour of Varanasi. The evening aarti was wonderful and our guide Shanu made sure we had great seats. The Sarnath day tour was also very interesting. We got to enjoy great local snacks, but it would have been even better if our second day had included time for lunch. The one thing I’m disappointed in is that we were supposed to attend the morning aarti and unfortunately we didn’t get to, for reasons that were never communicated to us.
Wir habe eine vielfältige und interessante Zeit im Golden Triangle verbracht. Bablu und die verschiedenen Guides haben uns super betreut und waren sehr zuvorkommend. Wir können diese Reise nur weiterempfehlen. Wer Indien kennenzulernen möchte, muss diese Reise machen. Vielen Dank an Varansi Excursion!!
Excellent communication before and during the experience. We were able to see much of what Varanasi has to offer, all with a very knowledgeable guide!
Sunny was an excellent guide — friendly, patient, and very knowledgeable. The tour was well-organized and never rushed. We loved starting with the sunrise on the Ganga, followed by a foodie walk through old Varanasi, a visit to Sarnath and BHU, and ending with front-row seats to the Ganga Aarti. Sunny shared great insights, helped us with photos, and made the day truly memorable. Highly recommend and would definitely book with him again!
I want to thank Babu for an amazing experience. Along with being a fantastic driver, and tour guide a better person. When your 10,000 miles from home, you need someone you can depend on 24 hours a day, and that’s Babu. Babu was very detailed on your day, so you always knew what to expect, and his English is excellent.
The team at Varanasi Excursion are great to work with and really know how to look after their guests. My tour began with some additional time in Varanasi which they arranged at my request (see separate review for Tour Radar). The seven-day Buddhist Tour that followed was brilliantly organised to include all the major sites in the life of the Buddha, and the guides were all informative, although I struggled to understand some of their English. Special mention must go to T K Roy of Kushinagar, who not only had the clearest English but is a fascinating person who seems to have a high standing in his community, as he was greeted warmly wherever we went. Bablu, the driver for the whole tour, is another great character who navigates the hectic Indian roads with a level of skill that is almost superhuman. Nothing is too much trouble for him and he is great at engaging his guests on a personal level. Again, English communication was a challenge, but we overcame it with the help of translation apps. I didn’t meet Aamir, the tour organiser, in person, but he checked in regularly by phone to ensure that everything was going smoothly and arranged for some of my belongings to be couriered to me when they were accidentally left behind – very helpful. Overall, this was a great tour, and some of the hotels were first-rate, although I was disappointed to spend a few nights without hot water and often struggled to find staff who could converse in English. I was touring in the off-season, but I got the impression that many of the staff were not used to dealing with international guests.
Bablu our driver and Aamir the tour operator did everything they could to ensure my daughter and I had the best tour of India. Bablu especially went out of his way to make sure we were happy and took us to some excellent restaurants in each of the places we visited. In our visit of 5 cities we had excellent guides who were knowledgeable of the geography, history and cultures of each area. I would highly recommend using Varanasi Excursions for your trip to India. Just be sure to plan for extra cash for tipping these wonderful people you will be working with.
This was my first visit to Varanasi, and it couldn’t have been more memorable—thanks to Aamir. He put together a meticulously planned and well-balanced itinerary that captured the true spirit of the city. From serene early morning boat rides on the Ganges and guided temple visits to exploring hidden alleys and sampling authentic local cuisine, every element was thoughtfully arranged. His attention to detail ensured that the entire experience was smooth, enriching, and deeply immersive. It was the perfect introduction to the spiritual and cultural richness of Varanasi.
