Buddhist Pilgrimage: Gaya, Varanasi, Kushinagar & Lumbini

Arrive in Delhi, meet & greet with guide followed by transfer to hotel for check-in.

Overnight in Delhi

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel to welcome the fresh day in Delhi. Around 9:30am, meet with the tour guide then proceed for the sightseeing of Old Delhi & New Delhi.

Proceed to the Red Fort (closed on Mondays), named for its red-sandstone walls, it is a designated UNESCO World Heritage Site. This fort complex was constructed by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan to be his residence. In front of the Red Fort, there is the imperial avenue known as Chandni Chowk.

Pass through alleyways where it seems to be getting narrower and end up at the Jama Masjid, the largest Muslim mosque in India. You can also enjoy the Rickshaw ride crossing the streets in Old Delhi.

Visit Raj Ghat – the cremation site of Mahatma Gandhi.

Later, head to New Delhi for the sightseeing tour, which includes a visit to Qutab Minar, India Gate, a 42 meter archway built in memorial of Indian soldiers killed during the first World War. Witness the famous War Memorial Arch and see the contrast between Old and New Delhi.

Carry on our tour, drive past Rashtrapati Bhawan. It was initially constructed as the Imperial residence of the Viceroy in the early 20th century. Nowadays, it is the current residence of the President of India and Parliament House. This unique circular architecture was built with huge colonnades, which house the Upper and Lower House of Parliament. Proceed to the Government secretariat buildings at Connaught Place, where the heart of New Delhi and busy shopping centre are.

Also visit Humayun’s Tomb built in 1565 AD & Birla Mandir.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight in Delhi

Start the morning with a packed breakfast, then proceed to Delhi Airport for your connecting flight to Gaya.

On arrival in Gaya, meet and greet with the guide then transfer to the hotel for check-in.

Later, enjoy sightseeing of Bodhgaya. Here under the Bodhi Tree, Shakyamuni Gautama attained supreme knowledge to become Buddha, “the Enlightened one”, the founder of one of the great religions of the world. See the River Niranjana flow quietly outside the tiny hamlet, in which the Buddha bathed after attaining enlightenment.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight in Bodhgaya

After breakfast, enjoy an excursion to Nalanda & Rajgir.

Nalanda – a great centre of Buddhist learning and one of the most famed university citadels of ancient times.

Rajgir- First mentioned in the ancient Hindu epic Mahabharata as the capital of Magadh, ruled by the mighty King Jarasandha, this city is estimated to be about 3,000 years old. Buddha visited this city multiple times and delivered a famous sermon on the Gridhakuta (Vultures Peak). Visit the top of the hill and you will discover a stupa built by the Japanese government, while on top of another hill you will find a cave where the first Buddhist council was held.

After the visit, drive back to Bodhgaya.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight in Bodhgaya

After breakfast, the day is free at your leisure for meditation, or to embark on your own activities.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight in Bodhgaya

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel, then check out and leave Bodhgaya for Varanasi by car (approx. 275 km/6 hr drive). Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel for check-in.

In the evening, attend Ganga Aarti at Holy River Ghats.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight in Varanasi

Take an early morning boat excursion in the River Ganga, a ferry pilgrimage to Ghat, where people bath early in the morning to offer the prayers to the rising sun. Return to the hotel for breakfast.

Later, enjoy a sightseeing tour of the city including the Bharat Mata Temple with a big relief map of India in marble, Durga Temple, Tulsi Manas Temple, and Banaras Hindu University – an art gallery and the Mosque of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb built on the site of an ancient Hindu Temple.

In the afternoon, enjoy an excursion to Sarnath. It was here that the Lord Buddha delivered his first sermon and set in motion the wheel of law of Buddhist faith.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight in Varanasi

After breakfast, leave Varanasi for Kushinagar (approx. 300 km/7 hrs drive).

Upon arrival, transfer to the hotel for check-in.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight in Kushinagar

Enjoy breakfast at the hotel and take in the sights of Kushinagar, the place where Lord Buddha took his last breath.

In the morning, visit Kushinagar – one of the principle centres of the Buddhist Pilgrimage, and the place of Mahaparinirvana. The monuments of Kushinagar are situated in three districts comprising the main site of the Nirvana temple, the centre Stupa, and surrounding Monasteries.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight in Kushinagar

After breakfast, drive to Lumbini (approx. 185 km/ 3-4 hrs drive). On arrival, transfer to the hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is free at your leisure.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight in Lumbini

In the morning, have breakfast at the hotel.

Later, enjoy sightseeing of Lumbini. See the Pillars of Ashoka, a series of columns erected with edicts by the Mauryan King Ashoka, then visit the famous Maya Devi Temple, an ancient Buddhist temple and the birthplace of the Buddha.

Meals: Breakfast
Overnight in Lumbini

After breakfast at the hotel, transfer to the Bhairwa Airport for your flight to Kathmandu, and thereafter your departure flight home.

Meals: Breakfast