Varanasi is not a one temple city. People come here thinking they will just tick off Kashi Vishwanath and be done, and then they realise there are half a dozen other temples within walking or short auto distance that are just as meaningful, and every single one of them runs on its own schedule. Some open before sunrise, some shut for a few hours in the afternoon, and a couple of them have separate morning and evening darshan windows that catch first time visitors off guard.

I have put together this guide the way I would explain it to someone standing outside their hotel with a half formed plan and a phone full of open tabs. No confusing temple jargon, just clear opening and closing times for every major temple in the city, plus a few practical notes that most guides skip.

Before you dive in, if you want someone local to actually plan this out for you, darshan slots, timing between temples, transport, all of it sorted, we genuinely enjoy putting these itineraries together: let's plan your temple day

Kashi Vishwanath Temple Timings

This is the temple everyone comes for, and its schedule is the busiest of all the ones on this list.

Temple Timing

• Open: 2:30 AM
• Closed: 11:00 PM
• Daily Break: 11:00 AM to 12:30 PM (Bhog Aarti)

Aarti Schedule

• Mangala Aarti: 3:00 AM
• Bhog Aarti: 11:15 AM
• Sandhya Aarti: 7:00 PM
• Shringar Aarti: 9:00 PM
• Shayan Aarti: 10:30 PM

General darshan is completely free. If you want a faster line, Sugam Darshan is available for a small fee through the official temple website, and it genuinely saves hours during peak season.

If your trip includes the evening Ganga Aarti as well, the good news is Dashashwamedh Ghat is just a five minute walk from the temple, so the two fit naturally into one evening. We have a full breakdown of aarti timings and viewing spots in our Ganga Aarti timing guide if you want to plan that part too.

One honest tip, mornings between 6:00 AM and 8:00 AM, right after Mangala Aarti and before the tour groups arrive, tend to be the calmest window for darshan.

Kaal Bhairav Temple Timings

Locals consider this the first temple you should visit in Varanasi, even before Kashi Vishwanath, since Kaal Bhairav is believed to be the guardian deity of the whole city.

Regular Days

• Morning: 5:00 AM to 1:30 PM
• Evening: 4:30 PM to 9:30 PM

Tuesday and Sunday

• Morning: 4:00 AM to 1:30 PM
• Evening: 3:00 PM to 10:30 PM

The temple closes for a couple of hours in the afternoon for cleaning, so plan around the gap between morning and evening darshan depending on the day.

Entry is free, and the temple is fairly compact, so a full visit including a bit of queue time usually takes under an hour outside of peak hours.

Sankat Mochan Hanuman Temple Timings

Dedicated to Lord Hanuman and founded by the saint Tulsidas, this temple sits close to Banaras Hindu University.

Regular Days

• Open: 5:00 AM
• Closed: 10:00 PM

Tuesday and Saturday

• Open: 4:30 AM
• Closed: 10:30 PM (extended further for special late night aarti)

Tuesdays and Saturdays are the busiest days here by far, since they are traditionally associated with Hanuman worship. Daily aarti happens multiple times, generally in the early morning, midday, and evening.

If you are visiting on a weekday, mornings before 8:00 AM are noticeably quieter than the rest of the day.

Durga Temple Timings

Also known as the Monkey Temple because of the large number of monkeys around the premises, Durga Temple is dedicated to Goddess Durga and is known for its striking red exterior.

Temple Timing

• Morning: 5:00 AM to 12:00 PM
• Evening: 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM

The temple gets particularly lively during Navratri, when the daily rituals and crowds are noticeably bigger than usual. Since it sits close to Sankat Mochan and Tulsi Manas Temple, many visitors cover all three in a single outing.

Annapurna Temple Timings

Located just a couple of hundred metres from Kashi Vishwanath, this temple honours Goddess Annapurna, worshipped as the goddess of food and nourishment.

Temple Timing

• Morning: 4:00 AM to 11:30 AM
• Evening: 7:00 PM to 11:00 PM

Aarti Schedule

• Mangala Aarti: 4:00 AM
• Sandhya Aarti: 5:30 PM to 6:30 PM

Since it sits so close to Kashi Vishwanath, most people combine both temples into a single walk through Vishwanath Gali.

Vishalakshi Temple Timings

This is one of the Shakti Peethas, considered highly sacred, and is located near Manikarnika Ghat at Mir Ghat.

Temple Timing

• Open: 5:00 AM
• Closed: 9:00 PM
• Evening Darshan: 4:00 PM to 9:00 PM

It is a smaller, quieter temple compared to the bigger names on this list, tucked into the narrow lanes of old Varanasi, so it works well if you want a calmer darshan experience without the bigger crowds. Timings extend a little during Navratri and Dev Deepawali, so if you are visiting around those dates, expect slightly longer hours and more footfall.

Tulsi Manas Temple Timings

Built in 1964 and dedicated to Lord Rama, this temple is known for its walls carved with verses from the Ramcharitmanas.

Temple Timing

• Morning: 5:30 AM to 12:00 PM
• Evening: 3:30 PM to 9:00 PM

There is a small museum inside the temple premises with animated scenes from the Ramayana, which does have a nominal entry fee, though the temple itself is free to enter. Mornings tend to be quieter, and the temple works well as a combined visit with Durga Temple and Sankat Mochan since all three sit within a short distance of each other.

Sarnath Timings

A short drive from the main city, Sarnath is where Buddha is believed to have delivered his first sermon, and it is one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites in the world.

Archaeological Site (Dhamek Stupa, Deer Park)

• Open: 6:00 AM
• Closed: 6:00 PM
• Entry Fee: around ₹25 for Indian visitors

Archaeological Museum

• Open: 9:00 AM
• Closed: 5:00 PM
• Weekly Off: Friday

A full visit covering the stupa, the museum, and a couple of the Buddhist temples in the area usually takes about three to four hours, so most travellers treat it as a half day trip from Varanasi. If Sarnath and the wider Varanasi sightseeing are both on your list, our guide on places to visit in Varanasi has a fuller breakdown of how to fit everything in without rushing.

A Simple Way to Plan Your Temple Day

If you are trying to cover several of these in one day, group them by location rather than by importance. Kashi Vishwanath, Kaal Bhairav, and Annapurna Temple all sit close together in the old city lanes, so they work well as one morning loop. Sankat Mochan, Durga Temple, and Tulsi Manas Temple are clustered near BHU and Durgakund, making a natural second loop. Vishalakshi Temple fits in naturally if you are already near Manikarnika Ghat, and Sarnath is best kept as a separate half day trip since it is outside the main city.

If your trip is short and you are trying to fit temples, ghats, and the Ganga Aarti into a tight schedule, our 2 day Varanasi itinerary walks through exactly how to sequence a trip like this without feeling rushed.

Quick Tips

• Dress modestly at every temple on this list, shoulders and knees covered, and carry a scarf or dupatta if you are unsure.
• Footwear is not allowed inside any of these temples, so wear something that slips on and off easily.
• Phones and cameras are restricted inside Kashi Vishwanath specifically, so check the cloakroom rules before you enter. 
• if a temple has an afternoon closure, do not plan to arrive right at that gap, since most of them shut sharply for cleaning and rest periods.

Make Your Temple Visit Easier

Varanasi rewards a little planning, especially when it comes to temple timings, since half the experience is in catching the right aarti or arriving before the crowds settle in. Keep this guide handy, group your temples by area, and leave a little buffer for the narrow lanes in between. And if you would rather not juggle timings and routes on your own, our team knows this city inside out and would be happy to build your temple itinerary around your dates. You can browse our Varanasi trip packages or tell us your travel dates and we will take it from there.