Choosing your moving date
At the Varanasi end, the dates to avoid are the big festivals: Dev Deepawali, usually in November, Mahashivratri, Diwali, Holi and Chhath, when the old city and the roads to the ghats fill with crowds. Across the plains, May and June are very hot, and December and January bring dense fog that can slow the drive for hours each morning.
February to March and October, before Dev Deepawali, are usually the easiest windows. If you're arriving in Delhi NCR in late October or November, expect poor air for several weeks.
Getting goods out of the old city
If you live in the galis behind Dashashwamedh, Godowlia or Vishwanath, no truck can reach the door. Every carton and piece of furniture has to be carried by hand or hand cart to the nearest road, and some large pieces may not turn the corners at all. Ask the mover to see photos or visit before quoting, so they bring enough people and plan the carry properly.
Start very early, before the lanes fill, and keep one person at the house and one at the vehicle throughout. Homes in Sigra, Lanka, Mahmoorganj or the Cantonment usually have room for a truck.
Packing for a long drive
At around 781 km, your goods will usually spend at least a night in the truck. Ask for furniture to be wrapped in blankets and stretch wrap, with corner protection on polished wood and glass, and for mattresses and sofas to be covered in plastic in the monsoon.
Many Varanasi homes have a pooja room with idols, brass and copper vessels and framed pictures. Ask for each to be wrapped separately and packed upright, or carry the most precious pieces yourself, along with documents, jewellery and medicines.
On the road
There are two broad ways to Delhi: the old NH 19 through Prayagraj, Kanpur, Agra and Mathura, or the Purvanchal Expressway joining the Agra–Lucknow and Yamuna expressways into Greater Noida. Ask the mover which they plan to take, whether your goods travel alone or in a shared truck, and whether they'll be moved between vehicles at any point.
On longer routes a truck usually covers about 400 km a day after dispatch, so two days is a sensible expectation.
Arriving in NCR
If you're moving into Delhi itself, heavy goods vehicles face daytime entry restrictions on many roads, so the unload may be early in the morning or late in the evening; check that your building allows moving then. Noida and Greater Noida, where the expressways arrive, are often simpler. Most NCR societies ask for notice, permitted hours, a lift booking and sometimes a refundable deposit.
Tell the mover the exact city and sector, and share the society's rules before loading day.
Students, teachers and transfers
Many people on this route are students and teachers moving between BHU and Delhi's universities, or families on government and bank transfers. A student's room can usually be booked as a few-items move rather than a full-house quote.
If your employer is paying, ask what documents they need, such as an itemised quote and a GST invoice in a particular name. Every mover we work with provides a GST invoice.
Settling in
Register with your society or RWA for parking and visitors on the first day, and find out how water, power backup and cooking gas work. Book internet as soon as you have the address. Delhi NCR is far bigger and faster than Varanasi, so check your commute at peak hours before you sign a lease. Our guide to moving in Delhi NCR covers each part of the region in more detail.