Located around 40 km from the city of Varanasi, Chunar is an ancient town on the banks of River Ganges. A popular attraction in this town is Chunar Fort that was established by Maharaja Vikramaditya, king of Ujjain, for his brother, Raja Bhartihari. The fort is sprawled across an area of 34,000 sq ft and is a solid structure standing on a rock. Since it is located on a steep slope, it used to be practically impregnable. From here, one can get splendid views of the gushing Ganges as it flows in its pristine glory.

Other attractions in the fort complex are the samadhi (grave) of Bhartihari, the bungalow of Warren Hastings (former governor-general of India), prisons, the Hanging Place and the Sonwa Mandap. There is also a well called the Well of Love, which was constructed by king Vikramaditya for his wife, who used it for ablutions. The well also has secret dungeons and changing rooms. A stone umbrella built by king Sahadeo to mark his victory over 52 rulers, is another interesting sight. It is said an underground tunnel running from the fort connects it to nearby Vijaygarh and Raigarh.

There are several legends around the establishment of Chunar, among which the most popular one says that it was earlier known as Charandari, because Lord Vishnu took his first step here during his Vaman incarnation in the Satyug period. However, Chunar came to be highlighted after the visit of Mughal emperor Babur, followed by other Mughals successors, and later the British.