Badal - Stadtführer in Varanasi

Akash gave us a really good tour of Varannasi with loads of historical, philosophical and contemporary information. I recommend doing his tour as soon as you get to Varannasi as it will be a good orientation around the city and also you will be able to understand why you see the things you see around the city! Great experience

I have done around 20 walking tours around the world, and I have never experienced anything as uncomfortable and disrespectful as what happened at the end of this tour in Varanasi with our guide, Niwas. To be fair, there were positive aspects at the beginning. Niwas was very understanding and kind enough to wait for us when we got stuck in traffic and arrived late. During the walk, he was a good guide and provided interesting information. However, the way he handled the tips at the end completely ruined the experience. As anyone who uses these platforms knows, the concept is "pay what you feel it’s worth." When a couple handed him their contribution, Niwas did something I’ve never seen: he counted the money in front of everyone and began to humiliate them. He started complaining loudly, saying, "This is not enough for two people," and "I told you at the beginning the minimum is €10 per person." He created an extremely tense and embarrassing scene, literally shaming the couple in front of the entire group. To make matters worse, he started walking behind them, calling his "manager" on the phone and insisting they speak to his boss to justify the amount. He then rudely said he would give the money back, claiming that if they were going to pay that little, he’d rather take nothing. If you want to charge a fixed price of €10 or €15, you should not be on a "Free Walking Tour" platform. You should sell your services as a private guide with a set fee. Using a tip-based platform to then humiliate guests into paying a specific amount is dishonest. My advice: Even though Niwas is a knowledgeable guide and was patient with our arrival, I cannot recommend this tour. The risk of being publicly humiliated is not worth it. You are better off hiring a private guide for a fixed price, it might even end up being cheaper, and you won't have to deal with this kind of unprofessional behavior.

I joined a walking tour around the centre of Varanasi with Akash, and it was a fantastic experience. He was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable, and he took the time to answer all our questions. He guided us through the labyrinth of the old city the way only a true local can. We really appreciated the tour — it helped us understand the city better and enjoy the rest of our stay even more.

Our guide was not Badal but Niwas. His English was poorly, and he often did not understand questions. He came 30 minutes late and to the wrong place. In the end he was shaming people in front of the group who paid less then 15€ p.p. Which was very unprofessional and leaves a negative feeling after the tour. Information given overall during the tour was interesting but sometimes a bit chaotic.