Experience one of the oldest living cities in the world through your lens lead by Saurabh Chatterjee, who has been photographing and documenting Varanasi since more than 30 years.
This Varanasi Dev Diwali Photography Workshop is designed for photographers who want more than just sightseeing—it’s about learning, storytelling, and creating powerful images.
📅 Upcoming Dates & Pricing
📅 Dates:
- 22 November to 25 November
- A private tour can be arranged at your convenient dates.
💰 Price: ₹60,000 per person
👥 Group Size: Maximum 6 participants
📍 Start/End: Varanasi
👉 Limited seats available – Enquire Now!
Varanasi is not just a destination—it is an experience of life, death, chaos, and spirituality, all unfolding in front of you every moment.
This photography tour is designed for those who want to capture real India—raw, unfiltered, and deeply human.
🌍 Why This Varanasi Photography Tour?
Varanasi offers endless photographic opportunities—from rituals along the Ganges to the vibrant chaos of its streets.
✔ Street photography in its purest form
✔ Cultural and ritual photography
✔ Portraits of locals and sadhus
✔ Festivals and spiritual ceremonies
👉 This is a place where you don’t chase images—the images come to you
📸 What You Will Experience
🌅 Ghats & Rituals
- Morning life along the river
- Evening Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat
- Spiritual practices and daily rituals
🚣 Boat Photography
- Sunrise boat ride along the Ganges
- Soft golden light illuminating the ghats
- Unique perspectives of life unfolding
🏙️ Streets & Alleys
- Narrow lanes filled with stories
- Light and shadow compositions
- Authentic street photography moments
🔥 Life & Death
- Visit Manikarnika Ghat
- Understand the philosophy of life and death
- Photograph with sensitivity and respect
🧭 How This Tour is Different
Most people visit Varanasi and come back with average images.
👉 This tour focuses on:
- Being at the right place at the right time
- Understanding light, timing, and composition
- Learning how to see, not just shoot
With years of experience in Varanasi, you will be guided to moments that most people miss.
🧠 Learning & Mentorship
This is not just a tour—it is a hands-on photography experience.
- Learn to identify strong compositions
- Understand light in complex environments
- Improve street and portrait photography
- Get continuous guidance during the tour
👉 The goal is to make you independent as a photographer
👤 Who This Tour is For
✔ Street photographers
✔ Travel and documentary photographers
✔ Beginners who want structured guidance
✔ International travelers exploring India through photography
👉 Non-photographers are also welcome—this is an experience beyond photography
⚠️ Important Notes
- This tour involves extensive walking (5+ km daily)
- Narrow lanes and stairs are part of the experience
- The city can be crowded and intense
👉 This is not a relaxed holiday—it is an immersive experience
✨ What Makes Varanasi Unique for Photography
- One of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world
- Every moment is visually rich and unpredictable
- A rare combination of:
- Spirituality
- Culture
- Human emotion
👉 You will never run out of subjects to photograph
🚀 Join the Experience
This is not just about taking pictures.
👉 It’s about seeing India differently
👉 It’s about understanding moments before capturing them
👉 It’s about telling stories through your lens
📩 Enquire Now
Limited seats available
👉 Step into Varanasi with your camera—and leave with a completely new perspective.
My Varanasi Pictures
See my pictures of Varanasi in better resolution here .
(for computer users)Note: A lot of photographers do the Pushkar and Varanasi tours together.
Checkout Pictures and Blog from Varanasi
📍 Day 1 – Arrival & First Impressions
Activity Level: Easy
✨ Experience
- Arrival and hotel check-in
- Introduction to the city and photography approach
- Evening walk along the ghats
📸 Photography Focus
- First interaction with light on the ghats
- Observing scenes and understanding flow
- Street moments and textures
🌆 Evening Highlight
- Witness the iconic Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat
👉 Focus on:
- Light, rhythm, and movement
- Shooting in low light conditions
📍 Day 2 – Sunrise, Ghats & Street Life
Activity Level: Moderate (early start + walking)
🌅 Morning Session (Boat Shoot)
- Sunrise boat ride on the Ganges
- Golden light hitting the ghats
📸 Photography Focus
- Layered compositions
- Silhouettes and reflections
- Daily life along the river
🏙️ Midday – Streets & Alleys
- Explore Varanasi’s narrow lanes
- Capture:
- Shopkeepers
- Pilgrims
- Textures and chaos
🌆 Evening Session
- Return to ghats for changing light
- Experiment with storytelling sequences
📍 Day 3 – Life, Death & Deeper Exploration
Activity Level: Moderate
🔥 Morning – Cultural Depth
- Visit Manikarnika Ghat
👉 Understanding:
- Rituals of life and death
- Photographing with sensitivity
📸 Photography Focus
- Documentary-style storytelling
- Human emotions and expressions
🧭 Afternoon Exploration
- Visit lesser-known ghats
- Interact with locals and sadhus
🌆 Evening
- Optional second Aarti shoot
- Or focus on street storytelling
📍 Day 4 – Advanced Shooting & Departure
Activity Level: Flexible
🌅 Final Shoot
- Sunrise session or street walk
- Apply learnings independently
📸 Focus
- Strong compositions
- Personal storytelling
🎯 Wrap-Up
- Quick review session
- Feedback and improvement guidance
✈️ Departure
Leave with:
- A powerful photo portfolio
- A deeper understanding of Varanasi
Any Questions - Contact us on Whatsapp
Private tours can be arranged on demand.
Note: If you want a customized tour anywhere in India focused on Photography, I will be happy to organise it for you.
Itinerary -
Cost: Rs.60000/-
Only 6 participants on first come first serve basis.
Cost includes
Photography guidance by Saurabh Chatterjee on all days. Stay and meals not included, you may choose any hotel within 2 kms from Assi Ghat
Cost does not include
1) Travel to Varanasi, food and accommodation
💳 Payment Policy
- ₹20,000 – Booking amount
- Balance payment – 45 days before tour start date
⚠️ Cancellation Policy
Cancellations affect planning and logistics, as bookings are made well in advance and last-minute replacements are difficult.
👉 Please confirm your participation only if you are sure.
Cancellation Charges:
- 60 to 45 days prior: 20% of total tour cost non-refundable
- 40 to 15 days prior: 50% of total tour cost non-refundable
- 14 to 0 days: 100% non-refundable
❗ No refund for NO SHOWS
📅 Upcoming Dates
- 22-25 November
- 5 – 14 July 2026
💰 Pricing
- ₹60,000 per person
- Small group experience
👥 Limited Seats
⚠️ Only 6 participants per batch
👉 This ensures:
- Personal attention
- Better photography guidance
- Flexibility during shoots
🔥 Why You Should Book Now
- Peak season dates get fully booked early
- Limited accommodations due to festival
- Small group = very limited availability
👉 Most participants book 2–4 months in advance
📸 What You’ll Gain
- Knowledge on working with light and shadows
- Street + culture photography
- Hands-on guidance throughout the tour
- A strong portfolio from Varanasi
💳 Easy Booking
- ₹20,000 to reserve your seat
- Balance payment 45 days before tour
👉 Ready to Join?
📩 Enquire Now
Get full details, availability, and quick response
Directly connect for faster communication
⚡ Final Reminder
⏳ Seats fill quickly every season
👥 Small group = high demand
👉 If you’re serious about photographing Varanasi, this is the time to secure your spot.
Any Questions - Contact us on Whatsapp
Note: If you want a customized tour anywhere in India focused on Photography, I will be happy to organise it for you.
PICTURES FROM Photography Tour to Varanasi Dev Diwali Nov 2026
Video
FAQ
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
0. Do I need to be fit for the tour?
This tour involved walking for at least 5 kms a day, climbing up and down the stairs. So, you have to be prepared for that.
Please wear walking shoes that are comfortable.
1. How to reach Varanasi?
Varanasi is well connected by air and train.
The nearest railhead is Varanasi, but there are more frequent trains to Deen Dayal Upadhaya (DDU), which is 20 kms from Varanasi.
2. Is this trip only for Photographers?
No, anyone can join. We will spend a lot of time taking some great pictures though. I'm sure everyone loves doing that.
We have had non-photographers in our previous trips and they enjoy as much.
3. I have no knowledge on Photography. Will I get some help?
Yes, absolutely. Saurabh will be assisting you all the time.
He will help you on how to take some great pictures. So, you will learn while having fun on the go.
4. I don't have a camera. Can I get camera or lenses on rent?
Yes, Camera / Lenses for Rent can be arranged subject to availability.
Pictures and Blog from Varanasi
⭐ Feedback from Previous Participants
🌟 Kenward Family, UK
My wife and I are in our 70’s and my wife needs a stick to help her with her walking. We are both very keen photographers belonging to two camera clubs.
When we decided to return to Varanasi in India, we thought it a good idea to hire a professional photographer to ensure that we knew where and what time of day to visit the various places of interest. After a bit of research, we chose Saurabh Chatterjee from SIA Photo tours. He is based at Hyderabad but agreed to fly into Varanasi to join us.
✨ Our Experience
As soon as we met, we realised that it was exactly the right decision!
Saurabh is a passionate photographer with a wealth of knowledge to impart. He has won numerous awards and has been published in several journals.
Our first meeting started at 1pm with a walk along the ghats. Within 15 minutes, Saurabh had changed my way of choosing my camera settings and introduced us to the ‘SIA’ (shutter, ISO and aperture) method. Remarkable!
Then he had me looking at shadows and graffiti! My wife and I have been taking images for 60 years, but all that changed! We ended the day with lots of great images.
🌅 Learning & Guidance
We were very happy to start the next day at 4am to see the sunrise and receive more instruction.
This enthusiasm continued every day that he was with us, and involved:
- A visit to some traditional wrestling
- A guided tour of Varanasi back streets
- Trips to two villages where he helped us with portraits
Saurabh can cover a wide genre of styles.
At the end of our time together, he carried out a critique of our images, making lots of suggestions for improvements which he recorded and emailed to me.
❤️ Personal Touch
At all times, he was careful to look after my wife, treating her like his own mother in a very caring manner.
He even persuaded her to achieve things that she was hesitant to do.
🌟 Final Thoughts
However, I think the best accolade I can afford him is to say that we started as a photographer with two clients and ended as three close friends.
We are very much hoping that we will be able to meet up with him again, perhaps even in England!
I cannot recommend Saurabh Chatterjee enough!
Any Questions - Contact us on Whatsapp
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