Varanasi in March
Uttar Pradesh, India
Go for Holi—March scores 4/5, the festival intensity is real and photogenic, but expect crowds, heat, and chaos rather than peace.
Peak crowds
March is one of Varanasi's busiest months. The score rates conditions — weather, access, value — not how many people you'll share them with. Dev Deepawali (Nov) and Maha Shivaratri (Mar) are the most crowded. Summer is brutal but empty.
March brings Holi to Varanasi, and the ghats become the world's most dramatic color battlefield. Temperatures are pleasant at 28-32°C, the Ganges is at its winter-low level exposing the full height of the ancient steps, and the morning light is clean and warm. Post-Holi, the city settles into a sweet shoulder-season groove — good weather, manageable crowds, fair prices.
The March story
Holi on the Varanasi ghats is wilder than anywhere else in India. Color flies from rooftops, ghats become slip-and-slide zones of gulal and water, and the thandai (spiced milk, sometimes with bhang) flows from every corner shop. If you want the uninhibited version of Holi, this is it — but protect your camera and wear clothes you'll throw away. Post-Holi March is excellent for exploring the city's non-spiritual side: the Bengali Tola neighborhood with its intellectual heritage, the Ramnagar Fort across the river (the Maharaja's collection of vintage cars and palanquins is delightfully eccentric), and the street food circuit — kachori sabzi for breakfast, chaat at Kashi Chaat Bhandar, malaiyo (winter milk foam dessert) in its last days before summer ends the season. The Ganges at low water reveals archaeological fragments in the ghat walls that high water hides. March is the last comfortable month before the heat arrives.
Why March scores 8.0/10
Weather
Warm but manageable. Holi celebrations (wild here).
Festivals this month
Holi
PEAK ALERT · OCTOBER
Varanasi is at its best in October.
Save it to your shortlist and we'll help you catch October before it fills up.
What to do in Varanasi this March
- 1Walk the ghats at dawn before crowds gather and photograph the light hitting the Ganges
- 2Attend Holi celebrations in the narrow lanes—expect colored powder, water balloons, and crowds that require patience
- 3Paddle a small boat on the Ganges at sunset to see cremation ghats and temples from the water
- 4Photograph street food vendors and pilgrims in the chaotic markets around Dashashwamedh Ghat
- 5Visit Sarnath's Buddhist temples and museum 10km north, cooler and far quieter than the city
Who should go
- ✓First-time travelers
- ✓Senior citizens
- ✓Holi enthusiasts wanting the most intense celebration in India
- ✓Food travelers catching the tail end of winter street-food season
- ✓History buffs wanting low-water Ganges views of exposed ghat architecture
- ✓Shoulder-season planners wanting good weather without peak-season pricing
Who should think twice
- ✗Travelers who dislike being covered in color — Holi is inescapable in the old city
- ✗Clean freaks — the days around Holi are gloriously messy
- ✗Late-March visitors who are heat-sensitive — temperatures climb fast after the 20th
All 12 Months
| Month | Score | Note |
|---|---|---|
| January | 8.0/10 | Cool, pleasant 8-22C. Makar Sankranti kite festival. |
| February | 8.0/10 | Pleasant 10-24°C. Maha Shivratri celebrations at Kashi Vishwanath — city's biggest event. Ganga Aarti magical. Book ahead. |
| Marchviewing | 8.0/10 | Warm but manageable. Holi celebrations (wild here). |
| April | 6.0/10 | Getting hot 28-40°C. Ghat walks only at dawn and dusk. Morning boat ride on Ganga still feasible. Midday brutal. |
| May | 2.0/10 | Brutal 38-45°C. Stone ghats radiate heat. Walking impossible midday. Even boat rides scorching. Skip unless pilgrim. |
| June | 2.0/10 | Worst month 40-47°C plus pre-monsoon humidity. Ghats too hot to walk on barefoot. Dangerous heat. Avoid completely. |
| July | 4.0/10 | Monsoon. Ganga floods lower ghats. Steps slippery. Boats restricted in high water. Humid 30-38°C. Interior temples ok. |
| August | 4.0/10 | Ganga at peak flood level. Lower ghats submerged. Boat rides restricted or suspended. Humid. Silk shopping still on. |
| September | 6.0/10 | Easing 26-34°C. Post-monsoon clarity returning. Ganga receding. Ghats re-emerging. Evening aarti resuming full scale. |
| October | 10.0/10 | Best month 22-32°C. Post-monsoon clean skies. All ghats accessible. Dev Deepawali (Nov) prep. Ganga Aarti at peak. |
| November | 10.0/10 | Excellent. Dev Deepawali (Diwali on the ghats). 15-28C. |
| December | 10.0/10 | Peak winter comfort. 8-22C. Fog possible but atmospheric. |
What to pack for March
- ▸Lightweight cotton clothing in neutral colors (Holi colors stain)
- ▸Sunscreen and wide-brimmed hat
- ▸Slip-on shoes (easier to remove at temples and ghats)
- ▸Facemask or scarf (air quality and Holi powder)
- ▸Quick-dry towel
- ▸Water bottle
- ▸Camera with extra batteries or power bank
Nearby in Uttar Pradesh scoring high in March
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