Journey through the most spiritual, sacred and beautiful Buddhist Circuit with the best tour packages from Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, and rest of the world

This Buddhist Circuit Tour is designed to offer a journey through the major pilgrimage sites associated with the life of Gautama Buddha. The tour is ideal for those who are interested in Buddhism or the life of Gautam Buddha. This is also meant for Buddhist pilgrims, historians, and cultural enthusiasts. Excursion2India has designed the tour to provide a deep spiritual and historical experience across the most important destinations associated with Buddha in India and Nepal. The tour can easily be customized as per the requirements of our guests and can include or exclude any places. It covers prominent most Buddhist locations like Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, Kushinagar, and more.

Buddhist Circuit with tour packages from Delhi, Kolkata, Mumbai, and rest of the world: 

Places Covered: Delhi – Varanasi – Bodh Gaya – Rajgir – Nalanda – Vaishali – Kushinagar – Lumbini – Kapilvastu – Sravasti – Lucknow – Agra – Delhi

No. of Days: 12nigts/13days or 13nights/14days

Detailed Itinerary:

Day 1: Arrival in Delhi:

Arrive in Delhi, transfer to hotel, and rest after your journey. During evening, if time permit, feel free to visit Akshardham Temple or Lotus Temple if that is what you feel like doing for an orientation into India’s spiritual diversity. Overnight in Delhi.

Day 2: Delhi – Varanasi:

Ganga Aarti at Dasaswamedh Ghat, Varanasi

In the morning, after breakfast, transfer to the airport to take a flight to Varanasi. Check into a hotel on arriving in in Varanasi. After a quick freshening up, go for a visit to Sarnath, the place where Buddha delivered his first sermon. Some of the significant landmarks in Sarnath are Dhamek Stupa, Chaukhandi Stupa, Sarnath Archaeological Museum, and the Ashoka Pillar.

Return to Varanasi before dark and witness the spectacular Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat on the Ganges. This is an enriching cultural experience in itself. You can do a small boat tour in the Ganges after the conclusion of the Aarti ceremony.

Enjoy your dinner somewhere. Overnight in Varanasi.

Day 3: Varanasi: 

Start with the day with an early sunrise boat cruise in the Ganges. Have a look at the different “ghats” (Banks of the Ganges River). This can prove an enriching experience. Return to the hotel afterwards and enjoy a nice breakfast.

Refresh yourself, and later in the day, go out for a walking tour of the narrow lanes and roads of Varanasi. All these have quite rich history and there are numerous stories attached to practically every nook and corner.  Varanasi has also been a home to classical music and dance forms of India. It is also known for its vivid and unique cuisines. Later, visit weaving center to see how the local weavers make silk textiles and sarees. You can also buy some as souvenirs.

Witness the Ganga Aarti in the evening. Enjoy your dinner in the evening. Overnight in Varanasi.

Day 4: Varanasi – Bodh Gaya:

Mahabodhi Temple, Bodh Gaya

Early morning you can go for yet another boat ride on the Ganges for a mesmerizing sunrise experience. After breakfast, transfer by road to Bodh Gaya (approx. 5 hours). Check into a hotel on arrival in the afternoon. Towards evening, visit the Mahabodhi Temple complex, where Buddha attained enlightenment.

Enjoy your dinner. Overnight in Bodhgaya.

Day 5: Bodh Gaya:

Enjoy a day of serenity and spirituality in Bodh Gaya. Main highlights of Bodh Gaya are Bodhi Tree, Mahabodhi Stupa, various monasteries, and meditation sessions. You can enjoy evening meditation session as well. Or else, you can participate in chanting with monks.

You can also visit some other temples in Bodh Gaya. Enjoy your dinner. Overnight in Bodh Gaya.

Day 6: Bodh Gaya – Rajgir – Nalanda:

Have your breakfast in the morning and depart for Rajgir,  a drive of around 2 hours. Rajgir has a history of more than 2000 years old.

Check into a hotel in Rajgir. Go out for a sightseeing tour of Rajgir and Nalanda. Important highlights of Rajgir are Vulture’s Peak (Griddhakuta), Japanese Peace Pagoda, and Ajatashatru’s fort. After sightseeing tours, enjoy lunch at your own hotel or a restaurant.

After lunch, proceed to Nalanda University ruins, which was once the most famous Buddhist learning center.

Towards evening, return to Rajgir hotel. Enjoy your dinner. Overnight in Rajgir.

Day 7: Rajgir – Vaishali:

Japanese Peace Pagoda, Rajgir

Get up leisurely this morning. Enjoy your breakfast, pack your bags, and check out from the hotel to proceed to Vaishali. This is at a drive of around 3 hours from Rajgir.

Check into a hotel on arrival in Vaishali. Vaishali is an important site where Buddha preached his last sermon. Visit the most significant highlights of Vaishali. These include Ashokan Pillar, Ananda Stupa, and Buddha Stupa I & II.

After the sightseeing tour of Vaishali, get back to your hotel. Enjoy your dinner. Overnight in Vaishali.

Day 8: Vaishali – Kushinagar:

Ramabhar Stupa, Kushinagar

After breakfast in the morning, check out from the hotel and proceed for Kushinagar, the place where Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana (final liberation). This is a drive of around 5 hours. Check into a hotel in Kushinagar on arrival.

Keep the day at leisure. Take some well deserved rest. Enjoy your meal. Overnight in Kushinagar.

Day 9: Kushinagar – Lumbini (Nepal): 

Have an early breakfast and head off to explore Kushinagar sites. These include Mahaparinirvana Temple, Rambhar Stupa (cremation site), and the Japanese Temple.

Mayadevi Temple, Lumbini

In the afternoon, proceed to Lumbini in Nepal. Lumbini is the birth place of Gautam Buddha. This is a drive of around 3 hours,  including border formalities at the India-Nepal border. Check into a hotel on arrival in Lumbini. Later, proceed to do a brief sightseeing tour of Lumbini.

Lumbini Highlights include a visit to the Maya Devi Temple, Ashoka Pillar, and the Sacred Garden in Buddha’s birthplace.

Enjoy your dinner Overnight stay in Lumbini.

Day 10: Lumbini (Nepal) – Sravasti (India)

After breakfast in the morning, check out from the hotel and proceed to Sravasti, a place where Gautam Buddha spent the maximum number of rainy seasons. Visit Kapilvastu on the way to Sravasti. Kapilvastu is some 45 minutes drive from Lumbini. Kapilvastu is the place where Siddhartha Gautam grew up and lived for the first 29 years of his life before leaving to pursue the spiritual path which led to his enlightenment.

From Kapilvastu, Sravasti is a little more than 3 hours drive. Check into a hotel on arrival in Sravasti.

Mulagandhakuti -The remains of Buddha’s hut at Jetavana Monastery, Sravasti

In the afternoon visit Jetavana Monastery, Anandabodhi Tree, and other Sravasti monasteries. Towards evening, join a meditation or chanting session with local monks. Enjoy your dinner. Overnight in Sravasti.

Day 11: Sravasti – Lucknow: 

In the morning, after breakfast, check out from the hotel in Sravasti. Proceed to Lucknow, a drive of around 3 hours. Check into a hotel in Lucknow on arrival.

In the afternoon, go for a sightseeing tour of Lucknow. Drive past Rumi Darwaza and Clock Tower. Have a guided tour of Chhota Imambada, which is famous for its labyrinth, popularly called “Bhool Bhulaiya“.

Enjoy some of the delicacies of Lucknow. Overnight in Lucknow.

Day 12: Lucknow – Agra: 

Enjoy your breakfast in the morning and check out from the hotel. Proceed to Agra, a drive of a little more than 5 hours from Lucknow.

Taj Mahal with tourists

Check into a hotel on arrival in Agra. Immediately afterward, go for a sightseeing tour of Taj Mahal, one of the wonders of the world. Appreciate the amazing beauty of this wonderful monument built in white marble. Standing tall even after 400 years of coming into existence, the grandeur of Taj Mahal is an experience of a different kind altogether.

You can buy some souvenirs made in white marble in Agra by the descendants of the workers who actually built Taj Mahal.

Enjoy a nice dinner. Overnight in Agra.

Day 13: Agra – Delhi:

Check out from the hotel in Agra in the morning after breakfast and proceed to Delhi. Check into a hotel on arrival in Delhi. Afterwards, go on to do a sightseeing tour of Delhi. Drive past the various highlights of New Delhi. This includes India Gate, Parliament and President Estate. Visit Qutub Minar, and if time permits, visit Humayun’s Tomb.

Later in the evening, you can enjoy farewell dinner at a nice restaurant. Afterward, you can check out from the hotel as per your flight schedules. Drive to the airport for your International Flight.

Tour Ends with Happy Memories from the Buddhist Circuit Tour.

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