What to watch out for, what taxis should cost, and where help is, with a source for every fact.
Coverage: built from open sources (travel guides, news, official alerts, open maps). Many incidents go unreported, so an absence of reports is not proof of safety.
Before you go
Taxis
We found no officially notified per-km fare for Varanasi's autos, e-rickshaws or taxis; e-rickshaws mostly run shared on traffic-police-assigned routes at a per-seat fare. On busy days drivers multiply this: Amar Ujala reported ₹30-40 per seat becoming up to ₹100 on the Godowlia to Kal Bhairav route over New Year 2025. Ask locals for the usual per-seat fare, agree whether a quote is per person or for the whole vehicle, and note the driver's name and phone number, which must be displayed in the vehicle.
Incidents are counted only when the source article was opened and found to name the place and the event (4 of 5 stored incidents passed this check). Many incidents are never reported.
Swimming (sea, rivers and ghats)
2 reported incidents since 2025, 2 deaths. Latest: 2026-09-30.
Where: Dandi Ghat, Hanuman Ghat, Bhelupur
Swim only where lifeguards are on duty and inside the flagged area; a red flag means no swimming.
Rivers can look calm and still pull hard below the surface: at ghats, stay on the steps or hold the chains.
Don't swim after drinking, at night, or alone.
If caught in a current, don't fight it: swim parallel to the shore, then back in.
Keep children within arm's reach in the water.
General advice; review pending.
Water sports (rafting, parasailing, boats, coracles)
1 reported incident since 2025. Latest: 2025-01-31.
Where: Man Mandir Ghat
Use only licensed operators with a visible registration; ask for it.
Always wear a life jacket and a helmet for rafting, and check the harness and straps yourself before parasailing.
Don't go out in rough sea or strong wind, even if the operator says it's fine.
Agree the price and duration before you start.
General advice; review pending.
Scooters, bikes and roads
No checked incidents in our records yet.
Wear a helmet, every ride; it's the law and it saves lives.
Carry your driving licence; rent only from shops that ask for it.
Photograph the scooter before you take it, to avoid false damage claims.
Don't ride after drinking or on unlit roads at night.
General advice; review pending.
Theft, assault and harassment
No checked incidents in our records yet.
Keep valuables out of sight in crowds, markets and on beaches.
Share your live location with someone you trust at night.
Call 112 in an emergency; 181 is the women's helpline.
General advice; review pending.
Scams and overcharging
No checked incidents in our records yet.
Use prepaid taxi counters or booked cabs; agree the fare before getting in.
Book trains and tickets only on official sites or counters.
Report overcharging to the National Consumer Helpline (1915).
General advice; review pending.
Known scams
Scam
How it works
How to avoid it
Source
'Your hotel has burned down' driver
Rickshaw and taxi drivers say your hotel has burned down, is flooded or closed, to take you to a hotel that pays them commission.
Don't believe it; insist, threaten to get out, and refuse to pay until you reach your hotel.
Drivers overhear you calling your hostel for a pickup, and another driver turns up pretending to be from it, then takes you to a commission-charging hostel.
Be wary when calling for a pickup within earshot of other drivers.
Touts posing as cremators or hospice volunteers explain the cremation process, then ask you to pay (usually ₹500) for wood to burn the body of someone who can't afford it.
Say you have no money or that you don't feel comfortable donating.
Violent crime is rare, but be careful in the lanes after dark. (Wikivoyage, Varanasi, 'Stay safe' (CC BY-SA 4.0))
Carry a light or phone in the alleys at night; sleeping cows and broken paving stones make them hard to navigate. (Wikivoyage, Varanasi, 'Stay safe' (CC BY-SA 4.0))
Packs of stray dogs can become aggressive at night. (Wikivoyage, Varanasi, 'Stay safe' (CC BY-SA 4.0))
Varanasi is one of the most polluted cities in the world; watch air quality data and consider a certified mask on longer stays. (Wikivoyage, Varanasi, 'Stay safe' (CC BY-SA 4.0))
Past incidents
Each row links to its source. No names are shown.
Date
Where
Activity
What happened
Source
2026-09-30
Dandi Ghat
swimming
A 63-year-old pilgrim from Tamil Nadu slipped into deep water while bathing at Dandi Ghat and was rescued by the NDRF.
The chaotic streets of Varanasi are sometimes too much to handle on foot. Therefore, it will often be convenient to travel by cycle rickshaw, E-rickshaw or auto-rickshaw. A short journey of a few kilometres should cost under ₹50, while a longer journey within the city, such as between the ghats and the train station, will cost ₹100. Further journeys, such as to Sarnath (10 km), cost ₹500 there and back (with a one- to two-hour waiting period) or ₹300 one way by auto-rickshaw.
There is a pre-paid auto-rickshaw stand at Varanasi Junction NR .
By car or taxi
While taxis and cars-for-hire do exist, you can hire them for airport/railway/bus station transfers and for major city tour specially for BHU,Sarnath and Ramnager tour. You can travel from other cities to Varanasi by car as it's well connected to the major cities of the country.
Big Cab Varanasi. Big Cab Varanasi is also present in Varanasi. (updated Apr 2024)
Stay safe
Violent crime is rare, but still do be careful in the lanes after dark.(Safe maximum times)
Carry a light or phone; power outages are now rare, but due to sleeping cows and broken paving stones, the alleys are hard enough to navigate in daylight, let alone in pitch dark.
Though generally well behaved, packs of stray dogs can become aggressive at night
Rickshaw and taxi scams are common in Varanasi, and the driver will inevitably tell you that the hotel that you wish to go to has burned down, is flooded, or closed. Don't believe him. Drivers receive commission from hotels for bringing in new guests, and this is one way to trick newcomers to going to these places. Don't get annoyed, but see the exchange as playful banter and part of the Varanasi experience. However, if the driver continuously refuses to follow your instructions, threaten to get out of the rickshaw. If after all this you still end up to a different place, just refuse to pay until you arrive at your hotel. The same procedure will need to be followed when sight seeing, as drivers will inevitably try to take you to handicraft stores, from which they receive commission. If calling for a pickup from a more respectable hostel, be wary that other taxi drivers may listen in to your phone conversation then tell another taxi driver who will pick you up pretending to be your hostel, then take you to a commission charging hostel.
As you approach Manikarnika Ghat, you will be approached by touts posing as cremators or volunteers in a local hospice. These people will explain the cremation process and even lead you to a good viewpoint. They will then take advantage of your emotions by asking you to pay for some wood to burn the body of someone who can't afford it. They will usually insist on receiving ₹500; if you offer less, it will initially be declined. This is a scam. Either tell him you have no money or that you don't feel comfortable donating.
Varanasi is one of the most polluted cities in the world. Many websites show air quality readings taken in the early morning, when pollution is at its lowest. Hourly air quality data is available here. Keep an eye on air quality data and consider wearing a (certified) mask, especially if you are spending an extended period of time in the city.
Taxi fares: what the rules say
We found no officially notified per-km fare for Varanasi's autos, e-rickshaws or taxis; e-rickshaws mostly run shared on traffic-police-assigned routes at a per-seat fare. On busy days drivers multiply this: Amar Ujala reported ₹30-40 per seat becoming up to ₹100 on the Godowlia to Kal Bhairav route over New Year 2025. Ask locals for the usual per-seat fare, agree whether a quote is per person or for the whole vehicle, and note the driver's name and phone number, which must be displayed in the vehicle.
Figure
What it is
Source
Date
₹30 to ₹40 per passenger on ordinary days; up to ₹100 per passenger on a peak day
Shared e-rickshaw, Godowlia crossing to Kal Bhairav temple, as reported by a newspaper (not an official fare); a Mumbai family of five was charged ₹500
Urban ropeway, Varanasi Cantonment railway station to Godowlia; fare finalised by the administration (Varanasi Development Authority). Still under construction when reported, so check it is running.
Drivers of public vehicles in Varanasi must display their name, phone number and Aadhaar number in the vehicle, and traffic police have assigned routes to autos and e-rickshaws through barcodes (July 2025). (Amar Ujala)
Only 4,500 autos in Varanasi hold permits but more than 11,000 are on the roads, and some drivers have stuck on fake QR codes (August 2026). (Amar Ujala)
Collected by hand from the sources linked; checked 2026-11-13. Official figures conflict, so all are shown. Paid a fare recently?Tell us what you paid.
Help nearby
Nearest places by straight-line distance, from Overture Maps open data (CDLA-Permissive-2.0), fetched 2026-11-13. Map data can be out of date: call ahead where you can.
Spot
Nearest hospital
Nearest police
Nearest pharmacy
Dashashwamedh Ghat
Janta Sewa Hospital 1.1 km
Police Station-Rajendra Ghat 0.0 km +919454404348
Chakravarty Medical Store 0.2 km +919936441215
Manikarnika Ghat
Shah Nursing Home 0.7 km
Police Station-Chowk Varanasi 0.4 km +915422413777
Chakravarty Medical Store 0.5 km +919936441215
Assi Ghat
Alok Health Care Home 0.2 km +915422313187
Durgakund Police Chowki 0.8 km +919454404378
Abhishek Medical Store 0.6 km +919807557886
Kashi Vishwanath Temple
Shah Nursing Home 0.8 km
Police Station-Rajendra Ghat 0.3 km +919454404348
Chakravarty Medical Store 0.2 km +919936441215
Sarnath
Vinayanjali Healthcare 1.1 km +919838983379
Police Thana Sarnath 1.2 km
Samyak Pharmacy 1.8 km +919450553104
Varanasi Junction
Vijayanjali Hospital varanasi 0.3 km +919415088935
Adarsh Thana Cantt 0.9 km
A Square pharma 0.9 km +918090216676
Spot locations were checked against Wikidata: 4 of 6 agree; 2 map points were wrong and use Wikidata's location instead (Dashashwamedh Ghat, Sarnath).
Official alerts
No active official disaster or weather alerts mention this place right now.
Safety-related headlines from local papers (Times of India, Varanasi) and GDELT. Links only; read the original for details. Not every article is about safety, and many incidents are never reported.
Firecracker scare sends pet parrot flying, sisters announce Rs 4,000 reward (Times of India, Varanasi, 2026-11-14) read
Krishna’s triumph over Kaliya Nag draws thousands to Tulsi Ghat (Times of India, Varanasi, 2026-11-14) read
Army havildar’s celebratory firing injures two at Ghazipur wedding (Times of India, Varanasi, 2026-11-14) read
Inactive CSC IDs misused in ₹3-cr cyber fraud; 2 held (Times of India, Varanasi, 2026-11-13) read
23-year-old shot dead in busy Ghazipur market (Times of India, Varanasi, 2026-11-12) read
Monkey lands on helmet of biker, 2 killed (Times of India, Varanasi, 2026-11-12) read
Two girls killed after wall collapses on them (Times of India, Varanasi, 2026-11-12) read
Murder accused who surrendered at police station injured in encounter (Times of India, Varanasi, 2026-11-12) read
3,881 lost, stolen mobile phones recovered in Varanasi zone in 100 days (Times of India, Varanasi, 2026-11-11) read
If you are travelling with…
Women
Share your live location with someone you trust when travelling at night.
Use the prepaid taxi counter or a booked cab; note the vehicle number before getting in.
Stay on lit, busy roads after dark; avoid empty beach stretches at night.
Call 112 in an emergency or 181 for the women's helpline.
Teens
Don't swim after drinking, at river mouths or outside the safe season.
Go in groups and tell someone where you're going and when you'll be back.
Wear a helmet on rented scooters.
Kids
Swim only at beaches with lifeguards, and only in flagged areas.
Keep children within arm's reach in the water.
Carry water and avoid the midday sun.
Elderly
Know the nearest hospital to where you stay (see Help nearby).
Carry a list of medicines and an emergency contact.
Be wary of calls claiming to be police or officials asking for money: hang up and call 112.
Helplines (India)
Number
For
112
Emergency (police, fire, ambulance), all India
1363
India Tourism helpline for tourists
181
Women's helpline
1930
Cybercrime and online fraud
1915
National Consumer Helpline (overcharging, cheating)
Report a fare or a scam
Paid a taxi fare, met a scam, or found something here out of date? Tell us in 30 seconds: where, what happened or what you paid, and when. No names, please.
Report form coming soon
Sources and licences
Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0 (quoted sections are share-alike)
Overture Maps places, CDLA-Permissive-2.0
NDMA SACHET alert feed
News links: Times of India, Varanasi RSS feeds, GDELT Project
Fare figures: the news and government sources linked in the fares table