Again, what wood and what are you expecting for a colour. Personally, I do not use stains. I generally use Tung Oil, using 400 grit sandpaper to help fill in the pores (a very short explanation; see Youtube for more information). About four to five coats will fill in the pores and leave a nice smooth satin finish that is easy to repair if needed. This is durable.
The colour will represent what the wood is: black walnut will be dark; cherry will come out lighter and will nicely age, etc).
I have used varnishes, but as always they require skill to ensure smooth coats, no running, etc. I found Tung Oil was more forgiving.