BUDDHIST TOUR
Delhi – Lucknow - Sravasti – Lumbini – Kushinagar – Vaishali - Patna – Nalanda – Rajgir – Bodhgaya – Varanasi – Delhi
Day 01: ARRIVE DELHI
Arrive Delhi by flight. After clearing immigration and custom formalities, you will be meet and greet by our airport representative, traditional welcome garlanding. Transfer to hotel by AC transport.
Overnight stay at hotel.
Day 02: DELHI - LUCKNOW - SRAVASTI
Morning enjoy breakfast at hotel. Later, transfer to airport to board flight for Lucknow. Upon arrival lunch at hotel. Later depart for Sravasti (180 Kms/05 hrs). Upon arrival at Sravasti, check-in at hotel.
Dinner and overnight stay at Sravasti.
Day 03: SRAVASTI – KAPILVASTU - LUMBINI
Morning enjoy breakfast at hotel. Later visit Saheth (Jetvanaram) where Buddha is said to have sheltered for 24 rainy seasons. Maheth (Angulimal Caves) and Anathapindika House.
Lunch at hotel. Later drive to Kapilvastu– The Childhood Home of Gautam Buddha and spent 29 years of his life. Later proceed to Lumbini - UNESCO World Heritage Sites - The Birth Place of Lord Buddha. It is one of the holiest and important site for Buddhists religions. Prince Siddhartha (Lord Buddha) was born on the full moon under a sal tree in the month of April. En-route stops at India/Nepal border for Visa/Immigration formalities (Ensure Double / Multiple Entry Visa for India). Upon arrival in Lumbini, check-in at the hotel.
Dinner and overnight stay at hotel.
Day 04: LUMBINI – KUSHINAGAR
Morning enjoy breakfast at hotel. After breakfast visit Mayadevi Temple - dedicated to mother of Lord Buddha. Inside temple marked Stone pinpoints the exact birth spot. Ashoka Pillar was built by Emperor Ashoka. Puskarini - sacred Pond in which the prince was bathed after birth. Lunch at hotel.
Afternoon drive to Kushinagar (180 kms/05 Hrs drive). One of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites where Gautam Buddha had attained Mahaparinirvana. Upon arrival in Kushinagar visiting Mahaparinirvana Temple where Buddha took his last breathes. Inside the temple Reclining Buddha statue lying 6.1-meter-long. Rambhar Stupa is also known as Mukutbandhan-Chaitya cremation site of Lord Buddha 1.5 Kms from Nirvana Temple. Check-in at the hotel
Dinner and overnight stay at Kushinagar.
Day 05: KUSHINAGAR – VAISHALI – PATNA
morning after breakfast, drive to Patna. En-route visit Vaishali. Ashok Lion Pillar was built by Emperor Ashoka beside Ananda Stupa. Buddha's Relic Stupa was built by Lichchavis. World Peace Pagoda was built by Japanese monk Nipponzan Myhoji. Later proceed to Patna.
Upon arrival at Patna, check-in at the hotel.
Dinner and overnight stay at hotel.
Day 06: PATNA – NALANDA – RAJGIR - BODHGAYA
Morning after breakfast, drive to Bodhgaya. Enroute visit Rajgir - holds great sanctity and importance among Buddhism pilgrimage. Upon arrival, visit Gridhkutta Hill, Bimbisar Jail, and Ajatashatru's Fort.
After lunch drive to Nalanda (15 Kms). Nalanda is one of the oldest universities in the world and an international centre for Buddhist studies. It was one of the greatest monastic universities of the ancient world, established in the 5th century BC. Lord Buddha and the founder of Jainism religion, Lord Mahavir, taught at this university for years. A monument also honours the Chinese traveller monk and writer, Hiuen Tsang, who studied at this university in the 7th century A.D.
Late afternoon, drive to Bodhgaya. Upon arrival, check-in at hotel.
Dinner and overnight stay at hotel.
Day 07: BODHGAYA
Morning after breakfast, worship at Mahabodhi Temple and madidate under the Bodhi tree. This Buddhist site has more significance as it inscription the exact location where Lord Buddha achieved enlightenment and overcame the forces of evil and temptation to attain blissful Nirvana.
Later, proceed towards the international monasteries of Thai, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Japan to explore their unique Buddhist culture and practices. Also visit 80 feet high Buddha statue.
After lunch visit Sujata Village, also known as Senani Village. This village holds importance in Buddhist history as it marks the place where the young maiden Sujata offered rice milk to end Sakyamuni's hard austerity. This incident inspired Lord Buddha to walk on the 'Middle Path' in every aspect of life. The site where he received the offering is marked by the Sujata Temple.
Later, visit Dungeshwari Caves - it believed that Prince Siddhartha performed austere meditation for years at this place, reducing himself to a skeleton.
Dinner and overnight stay at hotel.
Day 08: BODHGAYA - VARANASI
Morning after breakfast, drive to Varanasi (250 Kms/06 hrs). Varanasi - India's holiest and world's oldest living city popularly known as Kashi, Benares or Banaras, located on the sacred Ganges River.
Upon arrival, check-in at hotel and enjoy your lunch.
After lunch, drive to Sarnath (15 Kms/ 30 minutes) – one of the four major pilgrimage destinations for Buddhists the place where Lord Buddha preached his first sermon to his five disciples after attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. Also visit Dhamekh Stupa remarkable structure was built by Emperor Ashoka, Deer Park- The site of Buddha's first teachings and Archaeological Museum (Note: The museum at Sarnath is closed on Friday).
Evening witness Aarti ceremony at the Dashashwamedh Ghat - located at the banks of the holy River Ganga and near to Kashi Vishwanath Temple - Dedicated to Lord Shiva one of the twelve Jyotirlingas. After Aarti ceremony, return back to hotel.
Dinner and overnight stay at hotel.
Day 09: VARANASI / DEPARTURE
Early morning boat ride at river Ganges. Later back to hotel. After breakfast, visit temples of Varanasi. In-time transfer to Varanasi airport or railway station for onward journey.