Dev Deepawali 2026 trip planner: boat ride, 3-day package and costs
Dev Deepawali 2026 in Varanasi is on Tuesday, 24 November 2026. Plan three days: arrive on Monday, 23 November, watch the festival from the river on the 24th, and leave on Wednesday, 25 November. GhatGo offers two ways to book — the Dev Deepawali boat ride alone at ₹3,000 per person, or the 2 Nights / 3 Days Dev Deepawali package with hotel, private cab and the boat ride, at ₹17,999 for 2 guests or ₹29,999 for 4 guests.
Dev Deepawali 2026 at a glance
- Date: Tuesday, 24 November 2026 (Kartik Purnima). For the festival itself — its history, the evening schedule and why the river is the best vantage point — read our Dev Deepawali guide.
- Best trip length: 2 nights / 3 days, Monday, 23 November to Wednesday, 25 November.
- On the river: board by 4:15 PM, cast off around 4:45 PM, back by about 8:30 PM.
- Booking deadlines: package by Saturday, 21 November; boat ride until 12:00 PM on 24 Nov 2026 or until seats run out.
Two ways to book Dev Deepawali with GhatGo
Everything on Dev Deepawali evening revolves around the river, so both options are built around the same festival boat ride. The only question is how much of the rest of the trip you want arranged for you.
Which one should you pick?
- You live in or near Varanasi, or your hotel is booked: take the boat ride. At ₹3,000 per person it covers the full evening — the ghats lit with diyas, the Maha Aarti, the laser show and the fireworks.
- You are travelling in for the festival: take the package. Hotels across the city fill up weeks ahead of Dev Deepawali; the package locks in your room and a private cab alongside the boat seats, in one booking.
- The maths for two: the boat ride alone is ₹6,000. The package is ₹17,999 and adds two hotel nights, an airport or station pickup, a temple-sightseeing day and Sarnath. For 4, it is ₹29,999 — ₹7,500 per person.
- Bigger groups: the package covers up to 4 guests online and the boat ride up to 20 per booking. For more, send an enquiry from the Dev Deepawali page and we will arrange it.
A 3-day Dev Deepawali itinerary
This is the plan the Dev Deepawali 2026 Package follows. If you are booking only the boat ride, it still works as a template for your own stay.
Day 1 (Monday, 23 November): Arrival & Varanasi temple sightseeing
- Pickup from Varanasi airport or railway station
- Hotel check-in and rest
- Sightseeing by private cab — Sankat Mochan, Durga Temple, Manas Mandir, Tridev Mandir, Mani Mandir, BHU
- Back to the hotel
Day 2 (Tuesday, 24 November): Kashi darshan & the Dev Deepawali boat ride
- Early-morning darshan, on your own — Kashi Vishwanath, Annapurna Mandir, Kaal Bhairav
- Back to the hotel and rest
- Dev Deepawali boat ride — Ganga Aarti, laser show and fireworks
- Back to the hotel
Day 3 (Wednesday, 25 November): Sarnath & departure
- Breakfast
- Sightseeing by private cab — Sarnath
- Hotel check-out
Getting around on Dev Deepawali day
Roads around the ghats close to traffic on Dev Deepawali, usually from the afternoon. That is why the package has no cab on day 2: a car cannot get you any closer to the temples or the boarding ghat. Do your Kashi Vishwanath, Annapurna and Kaal Bhairav darshan early in the morning, rest at the hotel, and set out on foot or by e-rickshaw with time to spare — you need to be at the boarding point by 4:15 PM. The exact meeting point comes with your confirmation.
When to book
As soon as your travel dates are fixed. Dev Deepawali is the busiest night of the Varanasi calendar and the number of boats permitted on the river is capped, so seats sell out ahead of the date. Online booking for the package closes on Saturday, 21 November so that rooms and cabs can be confirmed; the boat ride on its own stays open until 12:00 PM on 24 Nov 2026 if seats remain. Dev Deepawali bookings are non-refundable once paid, so book once your plans are firm.
What to pack
- A warm layer. Late-November evenings on the river turn cold once the sun sets.
- Flat, comfortable shoes. You will walk to the ghat and climb the steps.
- Government ID. Needed for hotel check-in and Kashi Vishwanath.
- A charged phone and power bank. For photos — and your booking details arrive on WhatsApp.
Book your Dev Deepawali 2026
- Dev Deepawali 2026 boat ride — ₹3,000 per person →
- Dev Deepawali 2026 Package, 2 Nights / 3 Days — from ₹17,999 →
Frequently asked questions
Should I book the Dev Deepawali boat ride or the package?
Book the boat ride alone (₹3,000 per person) if your hotel and transport are already arranged. Book the Dev Deepawali 2026 Package (₹17,999 for 2 guests or ₹29,999 for 4 guests) if you are travelling in for the festival — it adds 2 nights’ hotel stay and a private cab for pickup, temple sightseeing and Sarnath, with the boat ride included for every guest.
How many days do I need for Dev Deepawali in Varanasi?
Three days and two nights is the comfortable minimum. Arrive the day before (Monday, 23 November), spend Dev Deepawali (Tuesday, 24 November 2026) on the ghats and the river, and leave the morning after. Arriving on the day itself is risky because roads near the ghats close to traffic by the afternoon.
What does a Dev Deepawali 2026 trip to Varanasi cost for two people?
With GhatGo, the boat ride alone is ₹6,000 for two. The full 2 nights / 3 days package — 2 nights’ hotel, private cab on day 1 and day 3, and the boat ride — is ₹17,999 for two, or ₹29,999 for a group of 4. Flights or trains, lunch and dinner are extra.
When does Dev Deepawali booking close?
Online booking for the Dev Deepawali 2026 Package closes on Saturday, 21 November so hotels and cabs can be confirmed. The boat ride on its own stays on sale until 12:00 PM on 24 Nov 2026, or until seats sell out — the number of boats allowed on the river that night is capped.
Can I change the dates of the Dev Deepawali package?
No. The package runs on fixed dates — Monday, 23 November to Wednesday, 25 November — because day 2 has to be Dev Deepawali itself. If you are arriving earlier or staying longer, book the boat ride on its own and arrange the rest of your stay separately.