The best *Insider* guides and tour of Varanasi - I've booked Streetwise Varanasi for two different trips in 2024. Rahul and his team are excellent guides who offer a unique tour of Varanasi. I was specific about my needs (I was filming a documentary) and Rahul made sure everything I needed to see and experience was covered. He can organize every detail from an airport meeting to hotel recommendations to experiencing an *insider* tour of Varanasi. I've been to Varanasi many times since 2003. Streetwise Varanasi Tours are wonderful guides to this sacred city.

Take a guide - that will change the whole experience - Thanks Cristo for a wonderful, insightful, informative weekend in Varanasi. I would recommend Cristo for his immense passion and knowledge about the city and culture, as well as openness and professionalism. We were 2 ladies in a group, and i felt secure and taken care of. Cristo met us in the airport, and also he was meeting us every morning in a hotel. I totally recommend his assistance if you travel alone or ladies only group

Varanasi god guide - Dear little smoothly Pintus you were like a spiritual wise guide, you are kind like masala tea and knowledgeable like professor. We suggest him to everyone that come to varanasi.can god bless you and your family.

Lovely Varanasi visit! - In the month of March, I visited India with a friend through Eco India Trips and in Varanasi our guide had sent us off with Rahul, and Streetwise Varanasi. We had a lovely experience! Rahul was kind, informative, patient, and so very knowledgeable about Varanasi. He showed us continuous beautiful and interesting places and was very amendable to requests for additional stops. Rahul, thank you for showing us your most incredible and beautiful city! Please add in more street food! 😆

Amazing Varanasi with a great guide - Varanasi is such an amazing place and Rahul was brilliant in showing us all the things we wouldn’t have seen if we had tried to see the city on our own. He took us on boat trips down the Ganges and got us good seats to see the evening ceremonies. Definitely would recommend using him.

Amazing experience! - I stayed for a few days in Varanasi and thanks to Christoforo had the best experience! He arranged a 2 day tour for me in less than 24hrs and went above and beyond to show me all the well known and off the beaten track places of Varanasi. His knowledge and experience as a local was so great and I learned so much and loved hearing all the stories of Varanasi. His uncle took me the 2nd day for a tour of the local temples and spiritual places which was great - he also had a wealth of knowledge about spirituality and history. I especially loved the sunrise and sunset boat trips on the Ganges. I would highly recommend a tour with Christoforo!

Excellent Guide and Recommendations. Thank you! - I reached out to Rahul of Streetwise Varanasi through Facebook and he quickly put together a 1.5 day tour for our film crew. From airport pick up to hotel recommendations to tour planning Rahul was excellent. He booked Vikash as our guide and we feel very fortunate to have an experienced well spoken guide who made the 2 days in Varanasi so memorable. Thank you again!

The real Varanasi - Rahul spent two full days with us in Varanasi. As a local he shared his in-depth knowledge of the area, traditions and beliefs. He knew how to avoid the crowds and gave us many unforgettable experiences which made this part of the trip a true highlight.

Insider Tour of Varanasi - Varanasi is a truly a different world then anything I have ever experienced. Rahul was an amazing guide with a ton of knowledge about the city and the rituals you will see. He was invaluable to my experience of the city. He had a strong network with many different "ins" to the different businesses and sights you will see. I've recommended him to my friends when they want to see Varanasi, India.

A very disappointing experience in Varanasi - I must be cursed, judging from the other reviews here, because I had a complete letdown. The tour began at the hotel reception where I met Rahul Cristoforo, who appeared unwell and was not dressed professionally. He informed me he couldn't guide due to health issues but had arranged for his uncle 'Guru' to take his place. Rahul assured me Guru's English was excellent and his knowledge was on par with his own. Trusting the other reviews, I decided to give it a chance. Sadly, Guru's English was very poor, making communication difficult. He led me through the old city's maze-like streets, stopping constantly to point out unremarkable things like broken stones or dilapidated buildings. Despite my lack of interest, he insisted on visiting his 'aroma therapy' shop and kept misleading me about how close we were, leading us through increasingly crowded streets. He wasn't attentive and I even lost him a couple of times due to his fast pace. I missed out on understanding the spiritual significance of Varanasi due to the language barrier. Additionally, Guru was haggling over every rupee for tuk-tuks, because the 'local transportation' was included in the tour price and he wanted to save some money, but we wasted a lot of time. To his credit, he navigated the city's labyrinthine streets well, and I did see some hidden corners, though they felt sketchy and unsafe at times. I had to cut the tour short as I wasn't comfortable. The next day, I booked a different tour with a professional guide through my hotel, and it was a night-and-day difference. While I believe the people running this tour are good human beings trying to make a living, the entire operation lacks the professionalism and quality one would expect given the price and reviews. For what I paid (~$180), this tour was a complete scam and I'll be requesting a refund. I've been to 45 countries and taken many guided tours and I always try to be understanding while traveling, so I'm very sorry to write this negative review. But I hope this feedback helps other travelers and the organizers, too.