Private journeys across India · Replies within 24 hours
Reviewed by Mirza Shadab Beg, Founder, Travelage India, Agra · Last updated 24 October 2026
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Short answer: the Buddhist circuit in India takes about eight days by road. Visit Sarnath, Bodh Gaya, Rajgir and Nalanda, then Kushinagar, where the Buddha died. The drives are long, and Lumbini, in Nepal, can be added as an extension.
The Buddha’s life is told in four great places: Lumbini, where he was born, Bodh Gaya, where he attained enlightenment, Sarnath, where he first taught, and Kushinagar, where he died. Three of them, with Rajgir and Nalanda, lie in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Lumbini lies in Nepal, just across the border.
This eight-day route follows the Indian sites in order, by road. The drives are long, because the roads of the Ganges plain are slow, and the journey is better for it: a sense of the distances the Buddha walked. We plan around temple hours, pilgrim festivals and winter fog.
If you want to add Lumbini, we can arrange a day trip or an extension from Kushinagar, which needs a visa for Nepal and a border crossing.
Met at the airport or station and taken to your hotel. In the evening, watch the Ganga aarti with your guide.
Take a boat on the Ganges at sunrise, then drive about 10 km (6 miles) to Sarnath and visit the Dhamek Stupa, the ruins and the museum.
Drive about 250 km (155 miles) to Bodh Gaya (four and a half to five hours). Visit the Mahabodhi Temple in the evening, when pilgrims gather.
Return to the Mahabodhi Temple and the Bodhi tree at dawn, then visit the Great Buddha Statue and the monasteries.
Drive about 80 km (50 miles) to Rajgir (two hours). Visit Vulture Peak and the ropeway, then the ruins of Nalanda, about 15 km (9 miles) away, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Drive about 100 km (60 miles) to Patna (two and a half hours). Visit the Patna Museum and the Buddha relic stupa if time allows.
A long drive of about 270 km (six to seven hours), with a stop at Vaishali if time allows. Arrive in the evening.
Visit the Mahaparinirvana Temple and the cremation stupa, then drive about 55 km (35 miles) to Gorakhpur (an hour and a half) for your onward journey.
Pilgrimage sites have their own customs and long roads. Here is what we arrange.
The long legs are broken with stops and rests, and we advise on the pace you want.
Your guide explains the customs at each site, from taking off shoes to walking around a stupa.
A government-approved guide joins you in each city, matched to the language and pace you prefer.
Your guide is chosen for the language you prefer and the things you love. Ask for Japanese or Russian and we will arrange it where we can.
Here is every leg with its distance and likely drive time. Times vary with traffic and stops.
| Leg | Distance | Drive time | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Varanasi to Sarnath | about 10 km (6 miles) | 30 to 45 minutes | Dhamek Stupa and museum |
| Varanasi to Bodh Gaya | about 250 km (155 miles) | 4.5 to 5 hours | Arrive in the late afternoon |
| Bodh Gaya to Rajgir | about 80 km (50 miles) | 2 hours | Nalanda is about 15 km (9 miles) further |
| Rajgir to Patna | about 100 km (60 miles) | 2.5 hours | Rest before the long day |
| Patna to Kushinagar | about 270 km (170 miles) | 6 to 7 hours | Stop at Vaishali |
| Kushinagar to Gorakhpur | about 55 km (35 miles) | 1.5 hours | Onward journey |
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The right route depends on your time and what you hope to see. The highlighted row is the journey on this page.
| Journey | Time needed | How you travel | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 Days Varanasi Spiritual Tour | 3 days / 2 nights | Private luxury car and guide | Varanasi and Sarnath, unhurried |
| Varanasi, Prayagraj & Ayodhya | 5 days / 4 nights | Private luxury car and guides | Three holy cities in one journey |
| Golden Triangle with Varanasi | 8 days / 7 nights | Car, plus one flight | Monuments first, then the Ganges |
| Agra Mathura Vrindavan | 2 days / 1 night | Private luxury car | Krishna temples and the Taj Mahal |
| Varanasi & Bodh Gaya Buddhist Tour | 5 days / 4 nights | Private luxury car and guide | Ganges and the Buddha’s path |
| North India Spiritual Journey | 9 days / 8 nights | Car, plus one flight | Rishikesh to Prayagraj |
| Khajuraho & Varanasi Heritage Tour | 7 days / 6 nights | Car, plus one flight | Agra, Orchha, Khajuraho, Varanasi |
| Buddhist Circuit India Tour | 8 days / 7 nights | Private luxury car and guides | Sarnath to Kushinagar |
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The sites of the Buddha’s life in India: Sarnath, Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Nalanda and Kushinagar, along with Vaishali. Lumbini, his birthplace, is in Nepal.
Eight days for the Indian sites at a comfortable pace, or five days for Varanasi, Sarnath and Bodh Gaya only.
No. It is in Nepal and needs a visa and border crossing. We can arrange it as an extension.
The ruins of an ancient Buddhist monastic university, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, near Rajgir in Bihar.
October to March. Bodh Gaya is crowded from November to February. April to June is very hot.
Yes. Our Varanasi & Bodh Gaya Buddhist Tour is five days.
Yes. You have your own luxury car, driver and licensed guides. Nothing is shared with other travellers.
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A Travelage representative meets you at the airport or station in Varanasi with a name board. Share your arrival details and we confirm everything the day before.
8 days / 7 nights. Starts in Varanasi and ends in Gorakhpur, with a private luxury car and licensed guides.
Dress modestly, remove shoes at temples, and ask before photographing people. Photography is not allowed at the cremation ghats. Your guide explains this on the day, and rules and timings can change. At the stupas and temples, remove shoes, walk clockwise and keep your voice low. Rules and timings change, and your guide advises on the day.
October to March is the most comfortable. Bodh Gaya is busiest from November to February, when large Buddhist gatherings take place. Winter fog can slow the roads. April to June is very hot, and July to September is monsoon.
Lumbini is in Nepal, about 100 km (60 miles) from Kushinagar. A visit needs a Nepali visa and a border crossing at Sunauli. We can arrange it as an extension. Tell us your plans.
