My advice would be staying in Varanasi if you are visiting Sarnath unless you are a religious travellor and really want to get into the essence of sarnath. Its barely 30 minutes by car or autorickshaw from Varanasi and most of the tourists also chose this option. Theme: OtherDirections: Try looking for an accomodation with a local family. See my Varanasi accomodation tip for a good one.