The brick and stone drum of the Dhamek Stupa at Sarnath among trees

Guides to Kashi

Sarnath ticket online booking 2026: ₹20 online, ₹25 at counter, stepsसारनाथ टिकट ऑनलाइन बुकिंग 2026: ऑनलाइन ₹20, काउंटर पर ₹25, पूरा तरीका

By Kashidwar · Updated 3 November 2026

Official booking siteasi.paygov.org.in · Circle → Sarnath
Indian, SAARC, BIMSTEC₹20 online or card · ₹25 cash
Foreign visitors₹250 online or card · ₹300 cash
Sarnath museum₹5 · 09:00–17:00 · closed Fridays
ChildrenUnder 15 free
BewareFake look-alike ticket sites exist

You can buy tickets for Sarnath, its museum, Chaukhandi Stupa, the Man Singh observatory and Lal Khan's Tomb on the Archaeological Survey of India's own website, and paying online is ₹5 cheaper than cash at the gate (₹50 for foreign visitors). The site has no "Varanasi" option, which confuses many visitors: all of these are listed under the Sarnath circle. We went through the booking ourselves on 3 November 2026; these are the steps and prices it showed.

Book on the official ASI site

Where to book Sarnath tickets online

The official booking site is asi.paygov.org.in (Archaeological Survey of India, run with NSDL's PayGov and Canara Bank). ASI's main website, asi.nic.in, links to it under Online Ticket Booking, and the Agra district website lists the same address. ASI also still links its older e-ticket site, asi.payumoney.com (it opens eticket.webfront.in/asi), where Sarnath is listed under City.

On both sites the first screen shows Agra. Scroll the list down to Sarnath: there is no Varanasi option, and every ticketed ASI monument in and around Varanasi sits in the Sarnath circle. ASI tickets are also sold through apps on the government's ONDC network.

Sources: [1] · [2] · [4] · [6]

How to book, step by step

These are the screens of asi.paygov.org.in as we saw them on 3 November 2026. The site is in English; the words in quotes are its button and menu labels.

Open asi.paygov.org.in/asi-webapp/#/ticketbooking (or asi.nic.in → Online Ticket Booking).
Under "CIRCLE", scroll down and choose "Sarnath".
Under "MONUMENTS", tick what you will visit: "Excavated Remains, Sarnath" is the main site (Dhamek Stupa, Ashoka pillar, monastery ruins); "Archaeological Site Museum, Sarnath" is the museum. When we tried, one booking took two monuments; make a second booking for more.
Click "CONTINUE", then pick the "Visit Date" and "Visit Time" (Forenoon or Afternoon) for each monument. Slots that have already passed today are greyed out; the page shows how many tickets are left.
Click "PROCEED". Choose your origin ("INDIAN", "FOREIGNER", "SAARC" or "BIMSTEC") and the number of adults (15 and over) and children (under 15).
Enter age, email and mobile number. Check the summary: an Indian adult for the site and the museum comes to ₹20 + ₹5 = ₹25.
Tick that you agree to the Do's & Don'ts, click "PROCEED TO PAY" and pay online.
Keep the e-ticket on your phone for the gate. If you lose it, "Regenerate Ticket" on the same site brings it back.

Sources: [1]

Sarnath ticket price 2026: online vs counter

ASI charges less when you pay online or by card: ₹5 less for Indian, SAARC and BIMSTEC visitors and ₹50 less for other foreigners. The online prices below are the ones the booking site showed on 3 November 2026; the cash prices are from the ASI Sarnath Circle's visitor page.

Excavated Remains, Sarnath (Dhamek Stupa area): ₹20 online / ₹25 cash for Indian, SAARC and BIMSTEC visitors; ₹250 online / ₹300 cash for other foreigners
Archaeological Site Museum, Sarnath: ₹5 for everyone
Chaukhandi Stupa: ₹20 online / ₹25 cash; foreigners ₹250 / ₹300
Observatory of Man Singh (Jantar Mantar, Man Mandir Ghat): ₹20 online / ₹25 cash; foreigners ₹250 / ₹300
Lal Khan's Tomb (Raj Ghat): ₹20 online / ₹25 cash; foreigners ₹250 / ₹300
Children under 15: free

Sources: [1] · [3] · [5] · [7]

Buying at the gate (offline)

You do not have to book ahead: each site has an ASI ticket window at the gate. Cash costs the full ₹25 (₹300 for foreigners). Paying by card at the window, or booking on your phone with the QR code on the posters by the gate, gets the lower ₹20 price.

The museum ticket is separate from the site ticket and is bought for the museum building across the road from the excavated site.

Sources: [3] · [5]

Timings and closed days

Check the day before you book, because a ticket is for one date and slot.

Excavated Remains, Sarnath and Chaukhandi Stupa: sunrise to sunset, every day
Sarnath museum: 09:00–17:00 (the booking site's own notice), closed on Fridays
Observatory of Man Singh: sunrise to 21:00 according to UP Tourism
Lal Khan's Tomb: about 06:00–18:00

Sources: [1] · [7] · [8] · [9]

Avoid fake ticket sites

Copies of the ASI booking site have appeared. In October 2025 ASI's technical cell investigated a clone at pilotasi.paygov.org.in that offered cut-price Taj Mahal tickets, and the official booking page itself carries a warning about a fraudulent Taj Mahal tickets website. Open the booking site from asi.nic.in or from the button on this page, check that the address is exactly asi.paygov.org.in, and do not pay anyone who offers a cheaper ASI ticket.

Sources: [1] · [2] · [10]

Other Varanasi tickets

The Sarnath circle on the ASI site also lists Jaunpur Fort and Lord Cornwallis Tomb (Ghazipur), both outside Varanasi. Kashi Vishwanath's Sugam Darshan and aarti tickets are sold on the temple trust's own site, not the ASI one (see our Kashi Vishwanath darshan guide). We found no official online booking for Ramnagar Fort or Bharat Kala Bhavan; buy those at the gate.

Sources: [1] · [11]

Frequently asked questions

Can I book Sarnath tickets online?

Yes, on ASI's official site asi.paygov.org.in: choose Circle → Sarnath, tick "Excavated Remains, Sarnath" (and the museum if you want), pick a date and slot, enter your details and pay.

What is the Sarnath ticket price?

For Indian, SAARC and BIMSTEC visitors ₹20 online or by card and ₹25 in cash; for other foreigners ₹250 online and ₹300 in cash. The museum is ₹5 extra, and children under 15 are free.

How much is the Sarnath museum ticket?

₹5 for everyone. Book it online with the site ticket by also ticking "Archaeological Site Museum, Sarnath", or buy it at the museum. The museum is closed on Fridays.

What is the Sarnath entry fee for foreigners?

₹250 if paid online or by card and ₹300 in cash, plus ₹5 for the museum. Visitors from SAARC and BIMSTEC countries pay the Indian price.

Why can't I find Varanasi on the ASI ticket site?

The site lists monuments by ASI circle, not by city. Varanasi's monuments, including the Man Singh observatory and Lal Khan's Tomb, are under Sarnath.

Is there a ticket counter at Sarnath?

Yes. You can buy at the gate in cash for ₹25, or pay by card or through the QR code on the posters there for ₹20.

Which is the official ASI ticket booking website?

asi.paygov.org.in, linked from ASI's own website asi.nic.in. ASI also links its older e-ticket site asi.payumoney.com. Avoid look-alike addresses such as pilotasi.paygov.org.in.