Your nights, stops & travel days
How to read this route before booking
Read the overnight sequence alongside the day-wise plan. A city appearing in the route may be a visit or transfer stop rather than an additional hotel night. The detailed itinerary explains what is scheduled on each day.
Share your arrival and onward departure times before confirming. Ask which visits remain practical around your connections, where the vehicle drops you and whether local shuttles, guides or activities cost extra.
Package prices by group size
12-day land-only pilgrimage; twin sharing, comfortable standard hotels, breakfast/dinner and private road transport planning allowance; 10 adults for headline. Flights and visas extra.
| Adults | Per adult | Party estimate |
|---|---|---|
| 2 adults | US$1,795 | US$3,590 |
| 4 adults | US$1,295 | US$5,180 |
| 6 adults | US$1,095 | US$6,570 |
| 10 adults | US$895 | US$8,950 |
| 15 adults | US$795 | US$11,925 |
| 20 adults | US$745 | US$14,900 |
What is this estimate based on?
The figures are planning allowances, not a supplier contract or a claim that another operator sells this exact itinerary. Hotel and vehicle choices, travel dates and occupancy can change the final price. Child rates, single rooms, tickets, unlisted meals and extra services are separate unless expressly included.
Research reviewed 13 October 2026: published six-day Nepal entry prices around ₹14,500–₹14,999 provide a broad market reference; eight- and twelve-day Buddhist offers vary substantially by group size and land-service scope. We use an independent provisional budget, not a copied competitor fare.
Get the price for your dates
Send dates, travellers and room preference. Get a written itinerary and price.
Summary itinerary
Your detailed itinerary
Open a day for the plan, overnight stop, meals and relevant place notes.
Private itinerary proposal: final services, conditions and the overnight plan are confirmed in writing.
DAY1Arrive in GayaBodh Gaya · Overnight stop
Meet the pre-arranged transfer and settle into Bodh Gaya. International and domestic flight connections are separately confirmed.
DAY2Mahabodhi and personal practiceBodh Gaya · Overnight stop
Spend time in the temple complex and select monasteries, subject to access. Keep a quiet part of the day for individual practice.
DAY3RajgirRajgir · Overnight stop
Travel to Rajgir for its Buddhist associations and a considered visit programme. Confirm hill access, walking and any ropeway operation for the date.
DAY4NalandaRajgir · Overnight stop
Visit the ancient monastic university archaeological site. Distinguish the ruins from the modern university; museum opening and tickets are checked separately. Return to the same base.
DAY5Transfer to VaranasiVaranasi · Overnight stop
Allow a full road day with comfort breaks, then check into the hotel. Avoid adding an obligatory evening programme after a delayed arrival.
DAY6SarnathVaranasi · Overnight stop
A focused day at the first-sermon landscape, archaeological remains and accessible monasteries. Museum and site rules determine the final sequence.
DAY7Varanasi to KushinagarKushinagar · Overnight stop
Travel north with breaks. If time permits, an initial visit can be made, but the following morning retains the main pilgrimage programme.
DAY8KushinagarKushinagar · Overnight stop
Visit Mahaparinirvana Temple and Ramabhar Stupa at a pace suited to the group. This second night avoids turning the visit into a hurried stop before a border transfer.
DAY9Cross to LumbiniLumbini · Overnight stop
Travel through the Sunauli approach, complete formalities and check in. Keep original documents and entry permissions available.
Place previews help you plan. Only visits expressly stated in your confirmed itinerary are included.
DAY10LumbiniLumbini · Overnight stop
Visit the Sacred Garden and selected monasteries. Walking, local transport and group practice requirements are agreed ahead of time.
Place previews help you plan. Only visits expressly stated in your confirmed itinerary are included.
DAY11Lumbini to ShravastiShravasti · Overnight stop
Return to India and continue to Shravasti. This is a transfer-led day; border permission and road timing determine the final plan.
DAY12Jetavana and departure planTour ends · Departure day
Visit Jetavana, then use the agreed onward transfer. A Lucknow drop is quoted separately in the final plan, with an overnight buffer recommended before an early flight.
Does this itinerary fit your dates?
Send dates, travellers and room preference. Get a written itinerary and price.
Your stay & the journey between places
Choose the rooming and transport around the people travelling. Photographs below are planning references from our supplied collection; your booking names the actual arrangements.
Your room & sharing plan
Confirm the property, room category and whether the beds are twin or double. A third adult may use an extra bed or mattress; ask about space and bedding before choosing triple sharing.
- Room occupancy
- Bed arrangement
- Bathroom facilities
Location & hotel facilities
Check the overnight city, access from parking, stairs or lift and meal timings. Tell us about mobility and dietary needs while planning. Any hotel upgrade must be included in your accepted quote.
- Access & walking
- Meal plan
- Upgrade options
Transport matched to your group
Vehicle choice follows your traveller count, luggage and route. Confirm airport or station pickup, daily sightseeing scope and any local vehicle changes.
- People & luggage
- Route & parking
- Local transfers
What to ask about accommodation before payment
Request hotel names or the agreed selection basis, room category, occupancy, meal count and any extra-bed charge. Check whether early check-in, late checkout, heating or air-conditioning, hot water and Wi-Fi are included where you need them. Facilities vary by property and overnight location.
For a family, list adults and child ages with the rooms you require. For friends, choose twin, double or triple arrangements explicitly. A room photograph alone does not establish the allocated category, view or number of beds.
What to ask about the vehicle and access
Confirm passenger seating, luggage space, the pickup and final drop, operating hours and sightseeing scope. A through vehicle may stop at a parking area rather than a temple entrance, old-city lane or hill viewpoint. Ask whether the last section requires walking, a local shuttle or a different vehicle.
Keep optional outings separate from the base programme. A new stop can add waiting, distance, tickets or an overnight change. Request an updated route and total price rather than relying on a verbal addition to the original itinerary.
Inclusions & exclusions
This is a private proposal. Final inclusions and charges must be confirmed in your written quotation.
Scope to confirm
Inclusions are itemised in your individual proposal
Request private transport, hotel nights and an agreed meal plan
Request guide language and pilgrimage support in advance
Extra unless expressly included
International/domestic flights unless separately quoted
Visa and entry permissions unless expressly included
Personal donations, purchases and insurance
Unquoted activities or additional nights
The accepted booking summary controls the service scope. A place named in the itinerary does not automatically include its ticket or activity charges.
The route, place by place
Bodh Gaya → Rajgir → Nalanda → Sarnath → Kushinagar → Lumbini → Shravasti
View the route diagram
Your route through India & Nepal
Follow the stops in travel order. Open a place guide below for practical visiting information.
Illustrative location diagram · Not to scale or for navigation. Lines are tour connections, not road alignments or borders.
About your departure place
Gaya / Bodh Gaya · arrival, pickup and onward travel
Share flight details and the group’s arrival pattern before fixing the first visiting day. Airport assistance, luggage capacity and the hotel transfer must be listed in the proposal. Do not assume a religious-site visit can be completed between arrival and check-in. International travellers should check permissions for both India and Nepal, including any return into India.
Keep the pickup contact and written meeting instructions accessible. Tell the desk about changes to your arrival. Read the practical planning guide →
About the places you’ll visit
Bodh GayaPlace guide & practical planning+
Bodh Gaya is the centre of a Buddhist pilgrimage built around the Buddha's enlightenment. The Mahabodhi Temple Complex is the essential visit, not a brief stop between hotels. International pilgrims often value time for worship and reflection here more than an expanded list of distant attractions.
Explore Bodh Gaya →RajgirPlace guide & practical planning+
Rajgir gives a Buddhist circuit a landscape of hills and places associated with teaching and retreat. It is commonly paired with nearby Nalanda, but the two visits offer different experiences. Rajgir needs attention to the particular sites and physical access; Nalanda centres on the archaeological remains of a great monastic institution.
Explore Rajgir →NalandaPlace guide & practical planning+
Nalanda adds the story of Buddhist learning to a pilgrimage itinerary. The UNESCO-listed archaeological site preserves the remains of a monastic and scholastic institution, including monasteries, shrines and stupas. This ancient site is distinct from the modern university, a difference worth making clear when arranging transport and guiding.
Explore Nalanda →SarnathPlace guide & practical planning+
Sarnath, near Varanasi, is associated with the Buddha's first sermon after enlightenment. Its stupas, archaeological remains and living places of worship make it an essential part of the Buddhist circuit. Plan it as a meaningful visit in its own right, even when the overnight hotel is in Varanasi.
Explore Sarnath →KushinagarPlace guide & practical planning+
Kushinagar marks the Buddha's Mahaparinirvana and is one of the core Buddhist pilgrimage places. The Mahaparinirvana Temple and Ramabhar cremation site have distinct significance; a good visit explains that distinction and leaves space for reflection. Its connection with Gorakhpur makes it a practical starting or finishing stage for an eastern Uttar Pradesh pilgrimage.
Explore Kushinagar →LumbiniPlace guide & practical planning+
Lumbini is a pilgrimage destination with a clear purpose: the birthplace of the Buddha. The Maya Devi sacred area and Ashoka pillar give the visit its historical focus, while the wider monastic landscape invites a slower pace. It can feature in a Nepal holiday or a dedicated India–Nepal Buddhist circuit, but those two visits need different amounts of time.
Explore Lumbini →ShravastiPlace guide & practical planning+
Shravasti offers a quieter stage of a Buddhist pilgrimage, centred on the Jetavana area and the tradition of the Buddha's teaching here. It is well suited to travellers who value time in the landscape rather than a dense sequence of city attractions. Its role in the circuit should be chosen with the onward route in mind.
Explore Shravasti →Explore the destinations in photos
Your route briefing
Know the route before you book
Start with the overnight stops, then check the road days, room-sharing basis and optional activities. Ask the travel desk to explain any part that is unclear.
- Which days are mainly transfers?
- What is included in the displayed price?
- Where can the plan be adjusted for your group?
The written itinerary remains your booking reference.
Tour details & practical planning
01Choose twelve days for depth across the circuit
The longer proposal is designed for visitors who want the principal pilgrimage places together with Rajgir, Nalanda and Shravasti.
The longer proposal is designed for visitors who want the principal pilgrimage places together with Rajgir, Nalanda and Shravasti. These additions change the road sequence and overnight plan; they are not optional half-hour stops on the eight-day tour. Decide which visits require guiding and which should remain quieter time.
International groups should settle the entry and exit cities alongside the route. Check the guide’s language and days of service, hotel rooming and meal preferences before comparing total prices. An extension to another country is a separate proposal, not an implied inclusion in this circuit.
02A researched route, confirmed for your group
This is a proposed itinerary for enquiry, not a bookable fixed departure.
This is a proposed itinerary for enquiry, not a bookable fixed departure. The route uses private road transfers, with flights arranged only if requested and quoted. No train travel is assumed. Tell us your nationality, arrival airport, preferred language and the amount of time you want for practice.
04Long drives and accessible visits
Even this route contains long transfers.
Even this route contains long transfers. Ask to add an overnight stop if the group prefers shorter days. Temple precincts and archaeological grounds may involve uneven surfaces, steps and security checks. Discuss mobility and luggage before deciding transport.
05Pricing and confirmation
Request an itemised quotation in INR or USD, with the currency basis and validity stated.
Request an itemised quotation in INR or USD, with the currency basis and validity stated. It will distinguish accommodation, meals, guide services, vehicle use, entry fees, visas, flights and personal expenses. Deposit, amendment and refund terms are supplied before payment.
06Why choose twelve days rather than the shorter circuit?
The longer proposal adds Rajgir, Nalanda and Shravasti to the principal pilgrimage places.
The longer proposal adds Rajgir, Nalanda and Shravasti to the principal pilgrimage places. These are not interchangeable attractions: they add different historical and devotional contexts. Choose the extended route when the group wants that breadth and is willing to give it the necessary road and visiting days.
Avoid judging the programme only by the number of sites. The useful difference is whether there is time to understand and experience them without treating each as a hurried stop. If the available flights shorten the visit, discuss removing a place rather than compressing the same list into fewer workable days.
07Rajgir and Nalanda need distinct attention
Rajgir calls for planning around the particular sacred places the group intends to visit.
Rajgir calls for planning around the particular sacred places the group intends to visit. Access modes and walking can differ. Nalanda is an archaeological landscape where interpretation, sun exposure and walking pace matter. Give the guide a clear brief on the group’s interests before combining them in the schedule.
Agree where longer explanations are helpful and where the group prefers quiet time. A knowledgeable narrative can make a visit more meaningful, but the exact language and guiding service must be booked and confirmed. Specialist lectures, private access or religious meetings are not assumed inclusions.
08Manage energy across a longer journey
A twelve-day trip involves repeated packing and transfers.
A twelve-day trip involves repeated packing and transfers. Ask for the longest road days and the earliest starts to be identified in the proposal. Hotel location, meal timing and opportunities to rest become more important as the journey progresses.
For older travellers or a group with mixed walking abilities, ask where a shorter visit or a resting place can be arranged. Let the organiser know about practical assistance requirements early. The group should not discover at the entrance that the planned approach is unsuitable for several travellers.
09Agree priorities and optional extensions
Choose the non-negotiable places before adding optional stops.
Choose the non-negotiable places before adding optional stops. A change of arrival city or an extra destination can affect the border sequence and final connection. Separate the core circuit from extensions in the quotation so the additional nights, guide days and vehicle use are clear.
Before payment, review accommodation, guide language, meal counts, transport, entry arrangements and cancellation terms. Check documents for both countries and any re-entry. The longer route remains a private proposal; exact dates, prices and suppliers are confirmed for your group, not invented as standard availability.
Booking terms & payment
From enquiry to a confirmed booking
- Send your dates, travellers, room preference and pickup requirements.
- Review the written itinerary, service scope, rooming arrangement and itemised price.
- Accept the applicable payment and cancellation terms before paying.
- Retain the payment acknowledgement and written booking confirmation.
The deposit, payment milestones, balance deadline and supplier conditions are supplied with your private quotation. The fixed group’s 50% payment schedule does not automatically apply to this trip.
An enquiry or prepared WhatsApp message does not reserve a seat, room or vehicle.
Cancellation & refund policy
Private booking cancellation conditions
Your quote must state the cancellation slabs, notice period, charge basis and any non-refundable supplier commitments before you pay. No standard private-tour percentage or processing deadline has been verified for this route, so the fixed Nepal group schedule is not applied here.
Request changes or cancellation in writing and retain acknowledgement. Ask for an itemised explanation of recoverable amounts, amendment charges and refund timing. Flights, trains and separately booked services follow their own supplier conditions.
Terms & conditions
Service scope, route changes and traveller responsibilities
Only services expressly listed in your accepted booking form part of the package. A destination photograph does not confirm a hotel, room view or included experience. Confirm tickets, local shuttles, meal counts and special requests in writing.
Road conditions, weather, queues, site rules and operating restrictions can change the visiting order or overnight plan. Material changes and proposed extra costs should be explained. Carry required original documents, report at the agreed time and tell the desk about practical assistance needs before booking.
Unused services, amendments and complaints are handled under the accepted booking and supplier conditions. Statutory consumer rights remain unaffected. Full booking terms → · Privacy policy
Your booking questions, answered
Is this itinerary fixed?
This is an illustrative private route for discussion. Dates, overnight stops, services and price are confirmed only in your written quotation.
How are charges calculated for different group sizes?
The desk prices the actual group, dates, rooms and vehicle. Two travellers do not pay the same per-person vehicle share as a larger group. No current private fare is represented as confirmed here.
Are entry tickets and optional activities included?
Check the inclusions and exclusions on this page and the accepted booking summary. An itinerary mention does not by itself include the ticket, local shuttle or activity charge.
What should I confirm about rooms?
Ask for hotel names or the agreed selection basis, each night, double or twin bedding, extra-bed arrangements and any child or single-room supplement.
How do I request changes or cancel?
Contact the desk in writing and retain acknowledgement. The fixed Nepal departure has the schedule below; private bookings use the cancellation and supplier conditions supplied before payment.
What should I send with my enquiry?
Send dates, departure city, adults and children with ages, room preference and the places that matter most. Mention luggage or practical assistance needs; do not put passport numbers or identity scans in the website form.
