| Quick answer- Mathura to Varanasi is about 663 km via NH 19, or about 715 km via the Agra Lucknow Expressway, which is longer but faster. By road it takes 10 to 13 hours. Direct trains including the Shiv Ganga Express and Kashi Vishwanath Express run from Mathura Junction and take 8 to 15 hours, with 3AC around ₹1,100 to ₹1,300. Vrindavan adds 12 km. There is no direct train to Vrindavan and no airport at either end. Ayodhya sits naturally on the route. Experience My India has guided 50,000 plus pilgrims since 2018, rated 4.5 stars. WhatsApp +91-7302265809. |
Introduction
Somewhere on the road between Mathura and Varanasi, usually around Kanpur, the character of the journey changes.
You have left Krishna’s country, the green flat Braj land of cow paths and temple bells, and you are heading toward Shiva’s city, which is older and darker and sits on a river that has been carrying the dead for three thousand years. Pilgrims who make this trip often say the same thing afterwards, that it felt like completing something rather than travelling somewhere.
I am Gurudutt. I was born in Braj Bhoomi and I have arranged this journey for pilgrims since 2018. It is about 663 to 715 km depending on which road you take, and this guide gives you the honest picture: both routes, the trains that actually work, the Ayodhya stop that most people should make, and whether attempting it in one day is wise.
For the twin towns before you leave, our places to visit in Mathura and Vrindavan guide covers both.
Distance at a Glance
| Route | Distance | Travel time |
| Mathura to Varanasi via NH 19 | About 663 km | 11 to 13 hours |
| Mathura to Varanasi via Agra Lucknow Expressway | About 715 km | 10 to 11 hours |
| Vrindavan to Varanasi | Add about 12 km | 11 to 12 hours |
| By train, Mathura Junction to Varanasi | About 690 to 725 km | 8 to 15 hours |
| Via Delhi by air, then road | Two legs | 5 to 6 hours total |
You will see figures from 600 km to 717 km quoted online. They are not contradicting each other, they are describing different roads. The next section explains which one to take.
The Two Roads, and Why the Longer One Is Faster
This is the part that confuses people, and it is the same pattern as the Mathura to Vrindavan hop covered in our distance and route guide: the shorter road is not the quicker one.
NH 19, the shorter road
About 663 km. This is the direct route and it is what a map will show you first. It passes through towns and mixed traffic, so despite being 50 km shorter it usually takes longer, around 11 to 13 hours.
The Agra Lucknow Expressway, the faster road
About 715 km. Longer on paper but far smoother, running via Agra and Lucknow on a proper expressway for most of the distance, and it typically completes in 10 to 11 hours.
The expressway has maintained rest stops and food courts, highway patrol, and dhabas open around the clock. The toll is roughly ₹600 for a car, so carry FASTag or cash.
For a family driving with elders and children, the expressway is the better road every time. Fifty extra kilometres on good tarmac beats fifty fewer through town traffic.
By Train, the Sensible Choice
For most pilgrims, the train is the better answer, and I say that as someone whose business is arranging cars.
| Detail | |
| Rail distance | About 690 to 725 km |
| Journey time | 8 to 15 hours depending on the train |
| 3AC fare | About ₹1,100 to ₹1,300 |
| Departs from | Mathura Junction |
| Arrives at | Varanasi Junction or Banaras station |
Direct trains include the Shiv Ganga Express, the Kashi Vishwanath Express, the Kota Patna Express, the Patliputra Humsafar and the Agra Kolkata Express. There are both day and night options.
Take the overnight train. This is the single best piece of advice on this page. An overnight journey costs you no daylight at all. You board at Mathura in the evening, sleep, and step off in Varanasi in the morning ready for the ghats. A daytime road journey costs you an entire day of your pilgrimage.
Book through IRCTC well ahead in peak season, because these trains fill.
Important for Vrindavan. There is no direct train to Vrindavan. You travel to Mathura Junction and cover the last 12 km by road, which takes 30 to 40 minutes. Experience My India arranges station pickup at either end. WhatsApp +91-7302265809 with your train details.
By Road, What the Drive Is Actually Like
It is a long day. Ten to thirteen hours behind glass, and anyone who tells you it is a pleasant drive has not done it with three generations in the car.
That said, it is comfortable if you plan it properly. Leave by 6:00 AM at the latest. Take the expressway. Plan two proper stops rather than five short ones. And treat the arrival day as an arrival day, not a sightseeing day.
The natural halts are Agra, about an hour and a half from Mathura, Kanpur, roughly halfway, and Prayagraj, which many pilgrims add as a stop in its own right for the Triveni Sangam.
A private cab for the journey is the practical choice for a family or group, and it lets you break the trip wherever you like. Our Vrindavan Mathura tour by car service covers long distance transfers as well as local sightseeing.
By Air, and Why It Rarely Helps
There is no airport at Mathura or Vrindavan. The nearest are Agra, about 61 km away, and Delhi IGI, about 170 km away.
So flying means driving to Delhi, flying to Varanasi, then a transfer at the far end. On paper the total is five to six hours, which sounds attractive. In practice, once you add the drive to Delhi, check in, security and the transfer at Varanasi, you have spent most of a day anyway and paid considerably more than the train.
Flying makes sense if you are returning home from Varanasi and need to connect onward. For the Mathura to Varanasi leg itself, the overnight train beats it on almost every measure.
Adding Ayodhya, the Natural Stop
Here is the thing most distance guides never mention. Ayodhya sits between Braj and Kashi, and adding it costs you very little extra travel.
Ayodhya is Ram Janmabhoomi, and since the temple opened it has become one of the most visited pilgrimage sites in India. Going Mathura to Ayodhya to Varanasi turns a long transfer day into a proper three city yatra: Krishna’s birthplace, Ram’s birthplace, and Shiva’s city.
This is exactly why our longer circuits are built the way they are:
- The 5 Days Mathura Vrindavan with Ayodhya Varanasi Tour covers Braj, Ram Janmabhoomi and the Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh.
- The 6 Days Mathura Vrindavan Ayodhya Kashi Tour does the same circuit at a pace that suits senior pilgrims.
If you are travelling this far, adding Ayodhya is the easiest good decision on the whole itinerary.
Vrindavan to Varanasi and Banaras
Varanasi, Kashi and Banaras are three names for the same city, so if you have searched for the Vrindavan to Banaras distance, this is your answer.
| Detail | |
| Vrindavan to Varanasi by road | About 664 km via NH 19, or about 715 km via the expressway |
| Travel time | 11 to 12 hours |
| Direct train | None. Travel via Mathura Junction |
| From Mathura Junction to Vrindavan | 12 km, 30 to 40 minutes |
Vrindavan adds roughly 12 km to the Mathura figures, and about half an hour, because you first have to get to Mathura Junction. Everything else in this guide applies equally.
Should You Do This in One Day
Technically, yes. Ten to thirteen hours of driving fits in a day if you start before six.
Honestly, I would not recommend planning temple visits on the same day you make this journey. You arrive tired, and Kashi Vishwanath at the end of a thirteen hour drive is not the darshan you travelled for.
The better shapes are these. Overnight train, arriving fresh in the morning with your whole day intact. Or the road with the arrival day treated as a travel day, with the ghats and the temple starting the following morning. Or road with Ayodhya as an overnight stop, which breaks the journey and adds a major pilgrimage site.
Our best time to visit guide covers the seasonal side of planning a longer circuit.
[id=“krishna-to-shiva”] Krishna to Shiva, Why Pilgrims Make This Journey
The 663 km between Mathura and Varanasi is not just a transfer. For a lot of the families I take, it is the point of the trip.
Mathura belongs to Krishna. It is where he was born, in a prison cell, and the whole of Braj is soft with his childhood: the sand at Gokul, the hill at Govardhan, Radha’s town on its ridge.
Varanasi belongs to Shiva. It is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities on earth, and it does not soften anything. The ghats, the fires, the Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh, the narrow galis behind Kashi Vishwanath.
Pilgrims who do both in one journey often say it completes something. You have walked with the child god and then stood in the city of the destroyer, and the distance between them stops feeling like kilometres.
Best Time to Travel
| Season | Conditions |
| October to March | Best. Pleasant for the long drive and for both cities |
| April to June | Very hot. Travel overnight or start before 5:30 AM |
| July to September | Monsoon greenery, but slower traffic and heavier rain |
| December and January | Watch for fog, which reduces visibility and slows the road badly |
The distance does not change with the season. The experience does. Winter fog on the Agra Lucknow Expressway in December and January can add two hours to a journey and is genuinely dangerous in the early morning. If you are travelling in those months, take the train.
Ground Truth, What Nobody Tells You
The longer road is the faster road. NH 19 is 663 km but slower. The Agra Lucknow Expressway is 715 km and quicker by two hours. Take the expressway.
Take the overnight train and lose no daylight. This is the single best decision available on this route. A day spent driving is a day of your pilgrimage gone.
There is no direct train to Vrindavan. Everything routes through Mathura Junction, then 12 km by road.
Ayodhya is on the way. Adding Ram Janmabhoomi costs very little extra travel and turns a transfer into a three city yatra.
Do not plan darshan on your arrival day. Kashi Vishwanath after thirteen hours in a car is not what you came for.
December and January fog is real. It can add two hours and it is dangerous before dawn. Take the train in deep winter.
Know Before You Travel
- Mathura to Varanasi is 663 km via NH 19 or 715 km via the Agra Lucknow Expressway.
- The expressway is longer and faster. Toll is around ₹600 for a car.
- Direct trains run from Mathura Junction, 8 to 15 hours, 3AC around ₹1,100 to ₹1,300.
- The overnight train is the best option for most pilgrims.
- There is no direct train to Vrindavan. Route via Mathura Junction, then 12 km.
- No airport at Mathura or Vrindavan. Agra is 61 km, Delhi IGI is 170 km.
- Ayodhya sits naturally between the two. Add it.
- Treat the arrival day as a travel day, not a darshan day.
- For the temples before you leave, see our Vrindavan temple timings guide.
Tour Packages by Experience My India
If you are travelling this far, a planned circuit is worth far more than a series of bookings.
| Package | Covers |
| 5 Days Mathura Vrindavan with Ayodhya Varanasi Tour | Braj, Ram Janmabhoomi, Kashi Vishwanath, Ganga Aarti |
| 6 Days Mathura Vrindavan Ayodhya Kashi Tour | The same circuit at a senior friendly pace |
| 4 Days Mathura and Vrindavan Tour | Braj only, full circuit including Barsana and Gokul |
| 84 Kos Parikrama Tour | The complete 252 km Braj parikrama |
Because pricing on the Kashi circuits moves with train availability, WhatsApp +91-7302265809 for a current quote rather than a stale figure. We reply within 30 minutes.
Related Guides
- Mathura to Vrindavan Distance and Route
- Places to Visit in Mathura and Vrindavan
- Delhi to Vrindavan Distance and Route
- Vrindavan Temple Timings 2026
- Braj Distance Chart
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Mathura to Varanasi distance?
Mathura to Varanasi is about 663 km via NH 19, or about 715 km via the Agra Lucknow Expressway. The expressway is longer but faster, taking 10 to 11 hours against 11 to 13 hours on NH 19. By train the rail distance is about 690 to 725 km, covered in 8 to 15 hours depending on the service. Experience My India arranges the full transfer. Call +91-7302265809.
Which route is faster from Mathura to Varanasi?
The Agra Lucknow Expressway, despite being about 50 km longer at 715 km. It runs on proper expressway for most of the distance with maintained rest stops and food courts, completing in 10 to 11 hours. NH 19 is 663 km but passes through towns and mixed traffic, taking 11 to 13 hours. Toll on the expressway is around ₹600 for a car. Experience My India uses the expressway on every transfer.
Are there direct trains from Mathura to Varanasi?
Yes. Direct trains from Mathura Junction include the Shiv Ganga Express, Kashi Vishwanath Express, Kota Patna Express, Patliputra Humsafar and Agra Kolkata Express, with both day and night options. Journey time is 8 to 15 hours and 3AC fares run about ₹1,100 to ₹1,300. Book through IRCTC well ahead in peak season. Experience My India arranges station pickup at both ends. Call +91-7302265809.
What is the Vrindavan to Varanasi distance?
Vrindavan to Varanasi is about 664 km via NH 19 or about 715 km via the Agra Lucknow Expressway, taking 11 to 12 hours by road. Vrindavan adds roughly 12 km and half an hour to the Mathura figures. There is no direct train to Vrindavan, so rail travellers route through Mathura Junction and cover the last 12 km by road. Experience My India arranges the transfer. Call +91-7302265809.
What is the Vrindavan to Banaras distance?
Banaras, Kashi and Varanasi are three names for the same city, so the answer is the same: about 664 km via NH 19 or 715 km via the Agra Lucknow Expressway, taking 11 to 12 hours. The overnight train from Mathura Junction is the most practical option, since it costs you no daylight. Experience My India includes this leg in its 5 day and 6 day Kashi circuits. Call +91-7302265809.
Is it better to travel by train or road from Mathura to Varanasi?
The overnight train, for most pilgrims. It costs you no daylight at all, since you board in the evening and arrive in the morning ready for the ghats. A road journey takes 10 to 13 hours of your day. Road is better if you want to stop at Agra, Ayodhya or Prayagraj on the way. Experience My India arranges either. Call +91-7302265809.
Can I add Ayodhya between Mathura and Varanasi?
Yes, and you should. Ayodhya sits naturally between Braj and Kashi, so adding Ram Janmabhoomi costs very little extra travel and turns a long transfer into a three city yatra of Krishna’s birthplace, Ram’s birthplace and Shiva’s city. Experience My India runs 5 day and 6 day circuits built around exactly this route. WhatsApp +91-7302265809 for a current quote.
Is there a flight from Mathura to Varanasi?
No. There is no airport at Mathura or Vrindavan. The nearest are Agra, about 61 km away, and Delhi IGI, about 170 km away. Flying means driving to Delhi, flying to Varanasi and transferring at the far end, which takes most of a day and costs far more than the train. For this leg the overnight train is better on almost every measure. Experience My India can arrange either.
How long does it take to drive from Mathura to Varanasi?
Ten to eleven hours via the Agra Lucknow Expressway, or 11 to 13 hours via NH 19, depending on traffic and stops. Leave by 6:00 AM at the latest and plan two proper halts rather than several short ones. Natural stops are Agra, Kanpur roughly halfway, and Prayagraj. Experience My India provides a private vehicle with an experienced long distance driver. Call +91-7302265809.
Can I visit temples in Varanasi on the day I arrive from Mathura?
You can, but I would not recommend it. After a 10 to 13 hour road journey, Kashi Vishwanath is not the darshan you travelled for. Either take the overnight train and arrive fresh with your day intact, or treat the arrival day as a travel day and begin at the ghats the next morning. Experience My India builds itineraries this way. Call +91-7302265809.
When is the best time to travel from Mathura to Varanasi?
October to March is best, with pleasant weather for both the journey and both cities. April to June is very hot, so travel overnight or start before 5:30 AM. Monsoon brings slower traffic. Watch out for December and January fog on the expressway, which can add two hours and is genuinely dangerous before dawn. In the deep winter, take the train. Experience My India adapts to your season.
Conclusion
Six hundred and sixty three kilometres, or seven hundred and fifteen if you take the better road. Ten to thirteen hours by car, or one night on a train that costs you nothing of your daylight.
The practical advice is short. Take the expressway if you drive, take the overnight train if you can, add Ayodhya because it is on the way, and do not plan darshan for the day you arrive.
Since 2018, Experience My India has arranged this journey for more than 50,000 pilgrims, and we are rated 4.5 stars by the families who trusted us. Our 5 day and 6 day circuits run Braj to Ayodhya to Kashi, planned so the travel days do not eat the pilgrimage.
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