Cheap flights from London to Varanasi

September is the cheapest month on this route, and the fare calendar here runs from September through February, so the whole autumn and winter stretch is worth comparing rather than a single week. Prices move around the big Indian festival season and the winter holidays, and the quiet weeks on either side of those dates usually hold the better fares. Flying out midweek gives you more connections to choose from, and because every option involves a long-haul leg, booking early helps more than it does on short flights. If your plans are flexible, shift your dates by a few days rather than a few weeks.

IndiGo is the low-cost name on this route, while Air India, Qatar Airways, Turkish Airlines, Gulf Air, Kuwait Airways, Lufthansa and LOT Polish Airlines are the full-service carriers you will see alongside it, with Lufthansa City Airlines and Air Dolomiti on the European legs. None of them fly non-stop from London, so what separates them is where you change planes and how long you wait. A low-cost ticket usually covers little beyond a cabin bag, while a full-service long-haul fare tends to include a checked allowance and meals, so read the fare rules before you compare. Mixing carriers on one journey is common, so check whether your bags are tagged through to Varanasi.

Lal Bahadur Shastri is the airport that serves Varanasi, and it sits outside the city rather than in it, so you will need a taxi, a pre-booked transfer or a hotel pick-up for the last stretch into town. Arrivals from abroad land here after a long journey, often late at night or in the early hours, so sort your transfer before you fly rather than haggling on the pavement. Immigration and baggage can take a while when several international flights land together, and the airport is small enough that everything sits close to the exit. Keep some local currency for the ride and have your onward address written down, and check the entry rules for India well before departure.

Currency

INR (₹)

Power sockets

Type C, D, G · 230 V

Language

English, Hindi

Emergency number

112, 100, 101

Calling code

+91

Internet domain

.in, .بھارت

Population of Varanasi

1.2 M (2011)

Time zone

UTC+05:30 (Asia/Kolkata)

Country facts: Wikidata

• Check which London airport your ticket uses, since Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Luton and London City all appear on this route.
• Confirm what the fare includes, because a low-cost ticket and a full-service one differ sharply on checked bags and meals.
• If you book your legs separately, leave a generous gap, since a missed connection on separate tickets is yours to fix.
• Sort your entry permission for India before you pay, and check your passport has enough validity left.
• Check whether your bags are tagged through to Varanasi or need collecting at the transfer airport.
• Compare dates across the September to February window rather than fixing on one week.