Varanasi rewards the person who slows down and punishes the one who tries to tick boxes. Give it three days if you can. Two if you must. Never one.
Arrive for the evening, not the morning
The Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat happens at dusk every day. Get there forty-five minutes early, or better, watch it from a boat. The boat costs a little more and gives you the whole ghat lit up like a stage. This is the moment most people came for. Do not let a late train take it from you.
The next morning, before sunrise
Subah-e-Banaras is the quiet version of the city. A boat from Assi Ghat as the sun comes up over the river, the sound of bells starting, people bathing, a haze on the water. It is the best hour of the whole trip and it costs you sleep. Pay it.
Kashi Vishwanath
The corridor has made the temple easier to reach than it has been in centuries. Go early or late to avoid the middle-of-the-day crush. Phones and bags are not allowed inside, so carry as little as possible. Dress modestly and be ready to remove your footwear a good distance from the sanctum.
Walk the ghats
From Assi to Manikarnika is roughly two and a half kilometres along the river. Walk it once in daylight. You will pass wrestlers, washermen, chai stalls, and at the end, the cremation ghat, which you should approach with respect and without a camera.
Eat
Kachori sabzi for breakfast in the old city, lassi in a clay cup, and if you are there in winter, malaiyo, a saffron milk froth that exists nowhere else.
What to wear
Light cotton, covered shoulders and knees, footwear that comes off in seconds. White is the traditional colour for Kashi and you will notice how many people honour it. A cotton stole is useful for the temple, the boat, and the evening chill.