15 Days Buddhist Tour In India and Nepal With a Visit To Taj Mahal

Receive a warm welcome on arrival by our representatives and transfer to the hotel for an overnight stay.

Transfer to the airport after breakfast to board the flight to Patna. Enjoy assistance on arrival and check-in at the hotel.

Visit some of the major attractions around Vaishali like the Ashoka Pillar, Bawan Pokhar Temple, and three Buddha Stupas. It is said that the Buddha visited this place thrice and spent quite a long time here.

Leave Patna after breakfast and head to Rajgir.

See the Nalanda on the way. Nalanda was an acclaimed Mahavihara, a large Buddhist monastery in the ancient kingdom of Magadha (modern-day Bihar) in India.

Get to Rajgir, just 15 km from Nalanda. Explore the complex of temple and monasteries.

Overnight stay at Rajgir Hotel.

Proceed to Bodhgaya after breakfast via Mahakala Caves.

Drive about 12 km northeast of Bodh Gaya to reach the ancient Dungeshwari Cave Temples, also known as Mahakala Caves. It is believed that Lord Buddha meditated in the three caves here before continuing his journey to Bodhgaya. The caves here also feature Buddhist shrines which are called Sujata Sthan by the natives.

Arrive in Bodhgaya and check in at the hotel. Enjoy free time for leisure or shopping.

Visit the place where Prince Siddhartha reached the Buddha state. There is a magnificent Mahabodhi Temple and the Tree from the original sapling still stands in the temple premises. The temple is an architectural amalgamation of many centuries, cultures and heritages.

Over night stay at Bodhgaya Hotel.

Leave Bodhgaya for Varanasi after breakfast.

Visit Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple. This impressive structure, dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva, has earned the nickname "The Golden Temple" for its striking spire — plated in some 800 kilograms of pure gold. The distinctive design of this temple has gone on to inspire the architecture of hundreds of other temples across India.

Head to Manikarnika Ghat, and see the perpetual cremations that happen on this ghat. Hindus believe that Manikarnika Ghat is one of the most auspicious places for the departed to reach moksha (emancipation from the cycle of spiritual rebirth). The funeral pyre at this ghat burns 24 hours, and around 100 cremations take place every day.

Overnight stay at Varanasi hotel.

Visit the Sarnath after breakfast. Sarnath is a place located 10 kilometres northeast of Varanasi near the Ganges and the Varuna rivers in Uttar Pradesh, India. The deer park in Sarnath is where Gautama Buddha first taught the Dhamma and where the Buddhist Sangha came into existence through the enlightenment of Kondanna.

See Dhamek Stupa, situated 12 kilometres away in the village of Sarnath. Here, find the Dhamek Stupa, a massive stone and brick structure that's 43.6 meters tall and 28 meters in diameter. The stupa was built more than 1,500 years ago to replace a structure that dated back to 249 BCE.

Return to Varanasi in the evening. Free time for leisure.

Leave Varanasi for Kushinagar after breakfast. It is one of the four sacred places related to Lord Buddha. Buddha delivered his last sermon, attained Mahaparinirvana (salvation) in 483 BC and was cremated at Rambhar Stupa. The reclining nirvana statue of Lord Buddha inside the temple is 6.10 mt. long and is made of 5th-century red sandstone.

See other popular attractions like the Indo-Japanese Temple, Burmese Temple, Chinese Temple, Thai Temple, Korean, Sri Lankan, Tibetan temples, 15 Acres Meditation Park, Museum.

Overnight stay at Kushinagar hotel.

Leave Kushinagar after breakfast for Shravasti. Its most important religious place was the Jetavana Monastery, which was erected in a garden outside the city's walls and presented to the Buddha by a wealthy banker, Anathapindaka. Other important Buddhist monasteries were the Rajakarama and the Purvarama.

Overnight stay at Shravasti hotel.

Cross the border towards Nepal for Lumbini. Lumbinī is the place where, according to Buddhist tradition, Queen Mahamayadevi gave birth to Siddhartha Gautama at around 563 BCE. The site is now being developed as a Buddhist pilgrimage centre, where the archaeological remains associated with the Lord Buddha's birth form a central feature.

Overnight stay at Lumbini hotel.

Visit Kapilavastu (Nepal). Kapilavastu (“Place of Kapila”) is the name of the city where Siddhartha Gautama grew up and lived for the first 29 years of his life before leaving to pursue the spiritual path which led to his enlightenment. The Ashoka Pillar situated at Kapilavastu marks the latter references about the place.

Return to Lumbini. Evening time is free for leisure or shopping on your own.

Transfer to Gorakhpur Airport to board flight to Delhi.

Transfer to a Delhi hotel later in the evening. The rest of the time is free for leisure or shopping in Delhi markets on your own.

Overnight stay in Delhi hotel.

Visit the Red Fort. Shah Jahan constructed Red Fort in 1939. It was the main residence of the Mughal Dynasty and is located in the city centre.

Head to the Qutub Minar. It is a five-story tapering tower with a height of 73 meters. The spiral staircase in this minaret has 379 staircases.

Go to Lotus Temple, which is famous for its flower-like shape. Lotus Temple is a house of worship that is open to all.

Continue to Connaught Place. It is a frenetic business and financial hub centred on a ring of collonaded Georgian-style buildings with global chain stores, vintage cinemas, bars, and Indian restaurants.

Overnight stay at Delhi hotel.

Check out from Delhi hotel after breakfast.

Go to India Gate. It is a war memorial located near the Rajpath.

Stop by Raj Ghat, a memorial dedicated to Mahatama Gandhi. It is a great place to learn more about the history of the country.

Stroll in the streets of Chandni Chowk or take a cycle rickshaw ride in Chandni chowk & Khari Baoli Spice Market. It is a busy shopping area with markets full of spices, dried fruit, silver jewellery, and vivid saris. In contrast, the narrow side streets are crowded with tiny shops selling essential oils, stationery, and traditional Indian sweets.

Visit the Taj Mahal, an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the southern bank of the river Yamuna in the Indian city of Agra. It was commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the tomb of his favorite wife, Mumtaz Mahal; it also houses the tomb of Shah Jahan himself.
Head to the Agra Fort, a historical fort in the city of Agra in India. It was the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty until 1638 when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi. Before capture by the British, the last Indian rulers to have occupied it were the Marathas.
Visit the market and free for leisure.