Walk in the footsteps of the Buddha through the lands where he was born, attained enlightenment, taught and passed away. The 9 Days Buddhist Pilgrimage Tour India and Nepal (8 nights / 9 days) visits the great holy places of Buddhism in one journey – Sarnath, Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Nalanda, Vaishali, Kushinagar and Lumbini in Nepal – together with holy Varanasi on the Ganges and the Taj Mahal. Hotels, full board (8 breakfasts, 7 lunches, 7 dinners), air-conditioned transport, local English-speaking guides, a boat ride on the Ganges and first-class AC sleeper trains Delhi–Varanasi and Gorakhpur–Agra are included.
After a day in Delhi you take the overnight train to Varanasi, one of the oldest living cities on earth, for its temples and the fire-lit Ganga Aarti, and a sunrise boat ride along the ghats. At nearby Sarnath the Buddha preached his first sermon in the Deer Park. In Bodh Gaya you meditate at dawn beneath the Bodhi tree at the Mahabodhi Temple, where he attained enlightenment. The road continues to the ruins of Nalanda, the greatest Buddhist university of the ancient world, and to Rajgir, where you climb Vulture Peak at sunset, then via Vaishali and its Ashokan lion pillar to Kushinagar, where the Buddha entered Mahaparinirvana.
Crossing into Nepal at Sunauli, you reach Lumbini, his birthplace, to see the Maya Devi Temple and the Ashoka Pillar. An overnight train from Gorakhpur brings you to Agra for the Taj Mahal, Agra Fort and Itmad-ud-Daulah before the drive back to Delhi.
Why choose this pilgrimage?
- The main sites of the Buddha’s life across India and Nepal in nine days.
- Full board, guides, first-class AC trains and a Ganges boat ride included.
- Ends with the Taj Mahal in Agra.
Who is it for?
Buddhist pilgrims, monastic groups, meditation practitioners and history lovers. The grade is easy, but the itinerary includes long road days and two overnight trains. Best from October to March.
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