How To Reach Sarnath

Sarnath, a town in Uttar Pradesh which is located 10 km away from Varanasi, is very significant for Buddhist pilgrims. In the 5^th or the 6^th Century, Gautam Buddha gave his first sermon in Sarnath, making the town a highly religious for Buddhists. The town is one of the most important pilgrims in India and therefore reaching there is fairly easy. Since Sarnath is situated close to Varanasi, it serves as the place through which one can reach Sarnath via air, road or rail. Take a look below at some of the best ways to reach Sarnath.

Sarnath does not have an airport of its own; therefore the nearest airport that serves the people of this town is in Varanasi known as Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport situated at a distance of 26.2 km from the main town of Sarnath. As Varanasi is also a place of pilgrimage, it is an important airport in India and has flights from different cities in India as well as some international destinations. Once you reach the airport, you can take a taxi or a bus to go to your destination in Sarnath; the ride should take about 45 minutes to an hour, depending on the vehicle.

Sarnath is well connected to different cities of Uttar Pradesh and other cities in adjacent states as well. Since the town is so close to Varanasi, it is the best to come through this city into Sarnath. There are several highways and expressways that are linked to Sarnath via Varanasi; the most common ones will take you through Varanasi very quick. You can also reach Sarnath by bus; busses run by UPSRTC ply from Varanasi and some neighbouring cities as well and take you to Sarnath. The bus is inexpensive and luxury busses are quite comfortable for distances too.

Sarnath has a railway station of its own but it is not well connected to other cities in Uttar Pradesh, except for Varanasi. There are regular trains plying from Varanasi to Sarnath and vice versa, therefore the main rail head is located in Varanasi, known as the Varanasi Junction Railway Station. From there onwards, you can take another train to reach the Sarnath Railway Station which is 2.1 km from the center of the town. Once you come out of the railway station, you can easily get public conveyance to get to your destination in Sarnath.

Travelling by bus is the best way to get around Sarnath. It is inexpensive and quite frequent, giving you enough time to plan and reach places for sightseeing. Autos are available to get to Sarnath from Varanasi but they aren’t allowed to enter the backstreets of Sarnath, hence you cannot use rickshaws to get around town. You can find cycle rickshaws that can take you around to certain places, but you might have to haggle a bit for the pricing. The best way to move around would be by foot so that you can have a look at the life in Sarnath from up-close.