Kashi Bowls Food Tour in Varanasi with More Than 15 Tastings

What's Included

Meeting and pickup

Itinerary

• 1
  Varanasi

  Varanasi is one of the world's oldest inhabited cities, where temple bells ring through ancient lanes and the scent of marigolds, ghee and woodsmoke hangs in the air. Known as the City of Light, it has drawn pilgrims, poets and holy men to the sacred Ganges for thousands of years. Over four hours and 15+ tastings, we'll explore the old city's twisting galis, traditional eateries and historic food specialists, with visits to the sacred ghats and colourful flower market en route. Before we get started, our tour reflects the local cuisine and the limitations of traditional eateries mean we unfortunately cannot cater for every dietary restriction. Here's an honest appraisal so nobody is disappointed: ✓ Suitable for vegetarians, pescatarians, no pork diets, and no seafood diets. No stops are halal certified but the tour is fully vegetarian. ⚠ Possible for gluten intolerance and mild nut allergies, though some tastings may be unsuitable. ✖️ Unsuitable for vegans and lactose intolerance.

  15 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 2
  Varanasi

  Begin with one of Varanasi's great culinary obsessions: lassi. Rich buffalo milk is churned into a thick, creamy drink and served in a traditional clay kulhad. In a city where dairy has been central to religious offerings and everyday cooking for centuries, it's a fitting way to begin. Then follow the hiss of hot oil to a beloved local counter. Crack into chota kachori, a crisp, puffed pastry stuffed with spiced lentils, and dunk it into aloo ki sabzi, a tangy potato and vegetable stew that has fuels the morning Banarasi crowd. If our timing is right, we'll catch the jalebiwala squeezing batter into bubbling oil in hypnotic spirals before plunging the golden coils into sugar syrup. Pair them with rabdi, milk reduced slowly in enormous kadais until thick, creamy and fragrant with cardamom.

  45 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 3
  Varanasi

  Next, duck into an old-school sweet and snack shop where the recipes are as important as the people making them. Sample chena dahi bhalla, delicate cheese dumplings bathed in cool, spiced yoghurt, alongside fiery masala kaju cashews and silky khandvi, thin chickpea-flour rolls finished with mustard seeds and curry leaves. These historic shops are an essential part of everyday life in Varanasi. Sweet-making has long been intertwined with Hindu festivals, religious offerings and family celebrations, and many local specialists have spent generations perfecting just a handful of dishes.

  45 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 4
  Varanasi

  Now loosen the belt. It's time for a proper Banarasi vegetarian thali. Start with crisp phalahari pakodi fritters and a golden aloo paratha, flatbread stuffed with seasoned potato and cooked until blistered on the griddle. Then the table fills. Seasonal vegetable curries, rich paneer sabzi, comforting golden daal, cooling mint raita and warm roti arrive together in one generous spread. The word thali simply refers to the plate, but across India it has become shorthand for a complete meal built around balance and variety. In Varanasi, where vegetarian cooking is deeply embedded in the city's religious culture, it's one of the best ways to understand the local table.
The vegetables and curries change with the seasons, so no two lunches are quite the same.

  1 hour • Admission ticket free
• 5
  Manikarnika Ghat

  Fully fed, we'll leave the food stalls behind for one of Varanasi's most extraordinary places: Manikarnika Ghat. This is among Hinduism's most sacred cremation grounds, where funeral rites have been performed for generations beside the River Ganges. Many Hindus believe that cremation in Kashi offers liberation from the cycle of rebirth. We'll approach respectfully, learning about the city's profound relationship with life, death and spiritual liberation. Then return to the old city with a restorative cup of masala chai, brewed with milk and warming spices before being poured into a traditional clay cup. There are still a couple of sweet surprises ahead: malpua, a golden pancake soaked in fragrant syrup, and parwal ki mithai, the wonderfully unusual sweet made from pointed gourd stuffed with rich khoya milk.

  45 minutes • Admission ticket free
• 6

  Finish by weaving through Phool Bazar, Varanasi's colourful flower market, where mountains of marigolds and fragrant blossoms are threaded into garlands for temples, shrines and religious ceremonies. Flowers have been central to Hindu worship for centuries, and here you'll see the daily work behind the offerings carried to the city's sacred sites. Our final tasting is thandai, a cooling milk drink blended with nuts, saffron and aromatic spices. Particularly associated with festivals such as Holi and Maha Shivaratri, it's a fitting finale in a city where food and religious tradition are so closely connected.

  30 minutes • Admission ticket free

Additional info

• Infants and small children can ride in a pram or stroller
• Public transportation options are available nearby
• Infants are required to sit on an adult’s lap
• Not recommended for pregnant travelers
• Suitable for all physical fitness levels
• Not recommended for severe allergies

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