Drive to Bodh Gaya 13 km and check into hotel.Take a sightseeing tour of this holy seat of the Buddhist religion.Here is where Gautam Buddha achieved enlightenment while meditating under a bodhi tree. There is a serene temple here, as well as the offshoot of the tree that offered shade to Buddha. The original tree was destroyed by Emperor Ashoka's queen, but a sapling of it was saved in time and planted in Sri Lanka by his daughter. A sapling of that tree was brought back to Bodh Gaya, which still stands to tell this tale.
After breakfast, proceed to Dungeshwari cave temples, 13 km. Here Buddha spent years
of penance before attaining 'nirvana' or enlightenment. After lunch, return to Gaya
to visit the Brahmajuni Hill, believed to be the site of Buddha's fire sermon. There
is a cave and a temple on the hill top.
Return to hotel for night stay.
After breakfast, depart for Rajgir, 70 km, 2 hrs by road. Arrive in Rajgir and check
into hotel.
Rajgir was the capital of the Magadha kingdom and is a pilgrimage for Jains and
Hindus as well. The Japanese Buddhists have built the massive Vishwashanti Stupa on
the Ratnagiri Hill which can be accessed by a chairlift.
The stupa has statues of Buddha at the four stages of his life - birth,
enlightenment, teaching and death. From the hill top, the Jain shrines can also be
viewed, scattered across 26 distant hills. Griddhakuta, located on Ratnagiri Hill is
another site where Budhha stopped by to preach.
Return to hotel for night stay.
After breakfast, proceed to Nalanda, 12 km.Spread over 14 hectares, the Nalanda
University Ruins Archaeological Complex is set amidst expansive lawns which offset
the spectacular layout and carvings of this ancient university. The monasteries and
the viharas are separated by a central valley. Interesting structures to look out
for include: steps leading up to perhaps a dais for professors and stupas with
images of the Buddha carved in.
According to the Chinese traveler Xuan Zang who also taught at the university during
685 and 762 AD, 10,000 monks and professors resided here at the time. After the walk
around the ruins, visit the Xuan Zang Memorial Hall, a Chinese pagoda built by
Chinese Buddhists.
Return to Rajgir hotel for night stay.
After breakfast, proceed to Patna by road, 80 km.Arrive in Patna and check into
hotel. Patna is Bihar's capital city
and can be used as a base to visit the Buddhist sites of Vaishali and Kesariya. It
also rests on its ancient past as Pataliputra, the capital of the various dynasties
that ruled over the region.After lunch, take a local sightseeing tour of Patna. This
would include: Golghar (built as a granary), Gandhi Museum, Patna Museum, Har Mandir
Takht, Qila House or Jalan Museum with some really rare relics like Napolean's bed
and Marie Antoinette's porcelain; and the ruins of Pataliputra.
Return to hotel for night stay.
After an early breakfast, depart for Vaishali, 44 km.This is where Buddha preached
his last sermon. The ruins of the Kolhua complex enclose the 2300 year old Ashoka
pillar. A Japanese Peace Pagoda has also been built here.
After lunch, proceed to Kesariya, 70 km. Kesariya marks the site where Buddha gave
away his begging bowl before his death. A massive Buddhist stupa built during the
rule of the Pala kings is being excavated here.
Return to Patna for overnight stay.
After breakfast, depart for Kushinagar, 220 km by road. Or else, you can take the
train to Gorakhpur and drive 55 km from there to this historic town. Arrive in
Gorakhpur and check into hotel.Buddha breathed his last here, leaving
a message for all mankind to find their salvation. Several monuments built by
devotees from across the world have built monuments on this holy site along the
Buddha Marg. These include: Vietnam's Linh Son Buddhists temple, meditation centre
and gardens, the Burmese Mahasukhamdadacham Thargyi Pagoda, the Mahaparinirvan
Temple with a tranquil and reclining Buddha and the Matahkuar temple, the Japanese -
Sri Lanka temple and the Wat Thai temple. The Ramabhar Stupa, or the Mukutbandhan
Stupa is the site of the cremation of Buddha.
Return to Gorakhpur for overnight stay.
Depart in time for train to Varanasi which is 5 ½ hrs from Gorakhpur. Arrive in
Varanasi and check into hotel.Take a
short break before heading to Sarnath, 10 km.At Sarnath, Buddha gave his first
sermon to a small band of followers after attaining nirvana. Emperor Ashoka had
monastaries and stupas built here which were destroyed by Muslim invaders in later
years. Some remains were discovered by British archaeologists in 1835. Sarnath is
one of the four main sites of the Budddhist religion, the others being
Bodhgaya, Kushinagar and Lumbini in Nepal.
Return to Varanasi for night stay.
After breakfast, take a tour of this holiest of cities for the Hindus. The River
Ganga is the lifeline of the city, and all spiritual and religious activities are
performed along its banks.Take a cruise along the river between the Dasaswamedh Ghat
and Harishchandra Ghat and visit the temples. Participate in or observe the "Ganga
aarti" in the evening, a spiritually uplifting experience in which the holy river is
paid homage.
Take the evening flight out to Delhi or your preferred destination.
Morning drive to Lucknow enroute visiting Saravasti. On arrival at Lucknow board
train for Delhi. On arrival at the railway station you would be met by the Indian
Horizons representative and transfer to the hotel.
Overnight at Delhi.
Indian Horizons representative would be there in the lobby to update you with the
full day sightseeing of Delhi. The sightseeing is a mixture of historical monuments
along with some architectural grandeur like Lotus Temple.
Overnight at Delhi.
Optional activities Indian Horizons would organizefor you in Delhi a') Light and
Sound Show b) Traditional Indian Dinner
Morning in time transfer to the International Airport to connect flight for your onward destination.
Accommodation
Airport Transfers
Daily Breakfast
Surface transportation by an exclusive chauffeur driven air-conditioned car
Services of english speaking local guides
Entrance fees to the monuments
All Taxes