About This Tour
Overview
This 15-night journey traces the sacred biography of Gautama Buddha across the plains of India and Nepal. Begin in Delhi with the Red Fort, Qutub Minar and Humayun's Tomb, then fly to Varanasi — the oldest living city on earth — for the evening Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat and a dawn boat ride along the ghats, before Sarnath, where the Buddha delivered his first sermon. Continue to Bodhgaya, the holiest of all Buddhist sites, to meditate beneath the Bodhi Tree at the Mahabodhi Temple where enlightenment came. Journey through Nalanda's vast red-brick university ruins and the hills of Rajgir — where the Buddha taught and the first Buddhist council convened. Pass Vaishali's Ashokan pillar and lion capital, then reach Kushinagar, the site of the Buddha's parinirvana. Cross into Nepal at Sunnauli for Lumbini — his birthplace — the Maya Devi Temple and the sacred garden with its international monastery zone. Visit Kapilvastu, the young prince's palace town, and Sravasti's Jetavana monastery, where the Buddha spent 25 rainy seasons. Then the Nawabi grandeur of Lucknow and the sacred Ayodhya of Lord Ram, before flying home from Delhi with the memory of two thousand five hundred years of faith.
Duration
15 Nights / 16 Days
Tour Type
Pilgrimage · Heritage · Private
Region
India & Nepal — Uttar Pradesh · Bihar · Lumbini
Holy Sites
Lumbini · Bodhgaya · Sarnath · Kushinagar · Sravasti
Flights
Delhi → Varanasi · Ayodhya → Delhi (included)
Languages
Hindi, English, Nepali, Bhojpuri
Top Experiences
Highlights
Varanasi & Sarnath
The evening Ganga Aarti on the ghats, a dawn boat ride past the burning pyres, and Sarnath's Dhamekh Stupa where the Buddha preached his first sermon
Bodhgaya — Enlightenment
Meditate beneath the Bodhi Tree at the Mahabodhi Temple, a UNESCO site and the most sacred place in the Buddhist world
Nalanda & Rajgir
The sprawling red-brick ruins of the world's first great university, and the Griddhakuta Hill where the Buddha taught the Lotus Sutra
Kushinagar — Parinirvana
The reclining Buddha of the Parinirvana Stupa and the 6-metre statue marking the place where the Buddha passed into nirvana
Lumbini, Nepal
The Maya Devi Temple and sacred garden of the Buddha's birthplace — UNESCO-listed, ringed by the monasteries of 15 nations
Lucknow & Ayodhya
The Bara Imambara's grand hall and labyrinth, and the new Ram Mandir on the banks of the Sarayu at holy Ayodhya
Visual Journey
The Buddha's World at a Glance
What's Covered
Includes / Excludes
✓ Included
- 15 nights accommodation with breakfast
- Delhi → Varanasi and Ayodhya → Delhi internal flights
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver for the entire tour
- Sunnauli (Nepal) border-crossing assistance
- Entry tickets — Mahabodhi Temple, Sarnath, Nalanda, Vaishali, Kushinagar, Lumbini, Bara Imambara, Ram Mandir, Qutub, Humayun's Tomb
- Ganga Aarti experience + dawn boat ride on the Ganges at Varanasi
- Local guides at all monuments & airport transfers
✕ Not Included
- International airfare to / from Delhi
- India & Nepal visa fees and travel insurance
- Lunches, dinners & beverages
- Camera fees at monuments & monasteries
- Monastery donations & puja offerings
- Personal expenses, tips & gratuities
Day by Day
Itinerary
Day01
Arrive Delhi
Welcome to the capital
- Arrive at Indira Gandhi International Airport; meet your representative and transfer to your hotel
- Evening at leisure — or a first taste of Delhi's street food in Connaught Place
- Overnight in Delhi
Day02
Old & New Delhi
Seven centuries in one day
- Morning: the Red Fort and Jama Masjid, then a cycle-rickshaw ride through Chandni Chowk
- Afternoon: the Qutub Minar, Humayun's Tomb and India Gate
- Evening: drive past Rashtrapati Bhavan on the Rajpath
- Overnight in Delhi
Day03
Delhi ✈ Varanasi
Flight to the holy city
- Transfer to the airport and fly Delhi → Varanasi (flight included)
- Afternoon: walk the labyrinthine lanes of the old city to Kashi Vishwanath Temple
- Evening: the mesmerising Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat
- Overnight in Varanasi
Day04
Varanasi & Sarnath
Dawn ghats & the first sermon
- Pre-dawn boat ride along the ghats — the burning pyres of Manikarnika and the morning rituals
- Morning drive to Sarnath: the Dhamekh Stupa, the Mulagandha Kuti Vihara and the Archaeological Museum's Lion Capital
- Afternoon: silk-weaving workshops of the old city; evening at leisure by the Ganges
- Overnight in Varanasi
Day05
Varanasi – Bodhgaya
~250 km / 6 hrs
- Drive south through the fields of Bihar to Bodhgaya, the heart of the Buddhist world
- Afternoon: first darshan at the Mahabodhi Temple and the descendant of the original Bodhi Tree
- Evening: candlelit prayers and monks' chanting around the temple complex
- Overnight in Bodhgaya
Day06
Bodhgaya — Enlightenment
A full day of meditation & stupas
- Dawn meditation at the Vajrasana — the Diamond Throne where the Buddha sat
- Visit the 25-metre Great Buddha Statue and the monasteries of Bhutan, Tibet, Thailand, Japan & Myanmar
- Afternoon: the Sujata Kuti stupa across the river, where milk-rice was offered before enlightenment
- Overnight in Bodhgaya
Day07
Bodhgaya – Nalanda – Rajgir – Patna
~130 km / 4 hrs via the ruins
- Morning: the vast red-brick campus of Nalanda — the world's first great residential university, a UNESCO site
- Continue to Rajgir: the ropeway up Griddhakuta (Vulture's Peak), the hot springs and Venuvana monastery
- Evening drive to Patna, Bihar's capital on the Ganges
- Overnight in Patna
Day08
Patna – Vaishali – Kushinagar
~280 km / 6 hrs
- Morning stop at Vaishali — the Ashokan Pillar, Lion Capital and Buddha's last sermon site, plus the World Peace Pagoda
- Drive north across the Gandak river towards Uttar Pradesh's Buddhist belt
- Arrive in Kushinagar, where the Buddha attained parinirvana
- Overnight in Kushinagar
Day09
Kushinagar – Lumbini
~130 km / 3 hrs via Sunnauli border
- Morning: the Parinirvana Stupa and the 6-metre reclining Buddha statue of Kushinagar
- Cross into Nepal at the Sunnauli border (assistance included)
- Drive to Lumbini, the birthplace of the Buddha
- Overnight in Lumbini
Day10
Lumbini — Birthplace of the Buddha
The sacred garden & monasteries
- Full day in the UNESCO-listed Lumbini Sacred Garden: the Maya Devi Temple, the marker stone of the Buddha's birth and the ancient Ashoka Pillar
- Explore the international monastery zone — the golden Myanmar temple, the Thai temple and the Tibetan monasteries
- Evening: the World Peace Pagoda and a lakeside stroll at sunset
- Overnight in Lumbini
Day11
Lumbini – Kapilvastu – Sravasti – Balrampur
~180 km / 5 hrs
- Morning: Kapilvastu (Tilaurakot), the palace town where Prince Siddhartha grew up, and the stupas marking his renunciation
- Re-enter India and drive to Sravasti — the Jetavana monastery where the Buddha spent 25 rainy seasons
- Evening: the Anandabodhi Tree and Angulimala's stupa
- Overnight in Balrampur
Day12
Balrampur – Lucknow
~200 km / 5 hrs
- Drive south through the sugarcane fields of the Terai to Lucknow, the city of Nawabs
- Afternoon: the Bara Imambara — its 60-metre central hall and the famous Bhool Bhulaiya labyrinth
- Evening: Hazratganj's chikan-embroidery shops and a walk past the Rumi Darwaza
- Overnight in Lucknow
Day13
Lucknow — City of Nawabs
Imambaras, gardens & kebabs
- Morning: the Chhota Imambara, the graceful Rumi Darwaza and the British Residency ruins
- Afternoon: La Martiniere College's eccentric architecture and the sweeping lawns of the Kaiserbagh
- Evening: a Lucknowi dinner of galouti kebabs and kakori kebabs — the city's famous legacy
- Overnight in Lucknow
Day14
Lucknow – Ayodhya
~140 km / 3 hrs
- Drive east to Ayodhya, the sacred capital of Lord Ram on the Sarayu river
- Evening: the majestic new Ram Mandir and aarti at the river ghats
- Darshan of Hanuman Garhi and Kanak Bhawan
- Overnight in Ayodhya
Day15
Ayodhya ✈ Delhi
Morning darshan & flight home
- Early morning aarti and boat ride on the Sarayu river
- Fly Ayodhya → Delhi (flight included)
- Transfer to your Delhi hotel for a final night
- Overnight in Delhi
Day16
Depart Delhi
Farewell to India
- Morning at leisure — last-minute shopping at Dilli Haat
- Transfer to Indira Gandhi International Airport for your flight home
- End of the Buddhist Circuit of India & Nepal — may the journey of the Dharma stay with you.
Where You'll Stay
Hotels & Pilgrim Residences
Delhi — 5★ City Hotel
2 nights on arrival · 1 night on return
3 Nights Total
Varanasi — Heritage Hotel by the Ganges
2 nights · close to the ghats and old city
2 Nights
Bodhgaya — 4★ Pilgrim Hotel
2 nights · minutes from the Mahabodhi Temple
2 Nights
Patna — 4★ City Hotel
1 night · on the banks of the Ganges
1 Night
Kushinagar — Pilgrim Hotel
1 night · near the Parinirvana Stupa
1 Night
Lumbini — Garden Resort
2 nights · beside the Sacred Garden in Nepal
2 Nights
Balrampur — Heritage Hotel
1 night · between Sravasti and Lucknow
1 Night
Lucknow — 5★ City Hotel
2 nights · in the heart of Hazratganj
2 Nights
Ayodhya — Riverside Hotel
1 night · on the banks of the Sarayu
1 Night
We will arrange and confirm your hotel stays as per the trip and budget — hotel options are not fixed and can be customised to your preference. Contact us for details
Good to Know
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time for this pilgrimage?
The cool season, November to March, is ideal — mild days and crisp mornings for the dawn boat ride and temple visits. Buddha Purnima (the full moon of May) is the most auspicious time at Bodhgaya and Lumbini, though summer heat and monsoon crowds follow.
Do I need visas for both India and Nepal?
Yes — the tour crosses the border at Sunnauli. Most nationalities can get the India e-Tourist Visa online, and the Nepal visa on arrival at the border (fees payable in cash). We'll send exact requirements with your booking confirmation.
Which holy sites does the tour cover?
All four of Buddhism's principal pilgrimage sites: Lumbini (birth), Bodhgaya (enlightenment), Sarnath (first sermon) and Kushinagar (parinirvana) — plus Nalanda, Rajgir, Vaishali, Kapilvastu and Sravasti, and the Hindu holy city of Ayodhya.
What should I pack for temples and monasteries?
Carry modest, respectful clothing — shoulders and knees covered for temples and monasteries, where shoes are removed. Pack light layers for winter mornings, a scarf or shawl, and a small offering of flowers or incense if you wish to participate in puja.
Can I add meditation retreats or longer stays?
Easily. We can add extra nights at Bodhgaya or Lumbini for Vipassana courses, add the hill monastery of Dharamshala, or extend into Kathmandu for the Boudhanath and Swayambhunath stupas. Just tell us your dates.
How strenuous is the tour?
Very manageable. There are long scenic drives between sites, but all visits are unhurried with private transport throughout. The only climb is optional — the cable car or walk up Griddhakuta Hill at Rajgir. We can pace every day to your comfort.
Full Route
Tour Map