Kashi, Bodhgaya and AyodhyaUttar Pradesh in 5 nights

Varanasi and Sarnath, then across into Bihar for Bodhgaya, where the Buddha found enlightenment, and Gaya, where Hindus offer pind daan to their ancestors, before Prayagraj and Ayodhya.

Day 1

Arrive in Varanasi; Sarnath and the Ganga Aarti

About 100 km today

Your driver meets you at Varanasi airport or railway station with a Rudraksha mala and takes you to your hotel. After some rest, drive out to Sarnath, where the Buddha gave his first sermon after his enlightenment: the great brick Dhamek Stupa that marks the spot, the Chaukhandi Stupa where he met his first five disciples, the archaeological museum and its Buddhist sculptures, the murals of the Mulagandhakuti Vihara, and the Swarved Mahamandir, one of the largest meditation halls in the world. In the evening, go down to the ghats for the Ganga Aarti, when priests with brass lamps, bells and conch shells offer worship to the river as darkness falls.

Dinner Overnight: Varanasi

Day 2

Kashi darshan

Start early at the Kashi Vishwanath temple, Shiva's jyotirlinga in the heart of the old city, to see the morning rituals, then the Annapurna temple beside it and the Kal Bhairav temple, home of Kashi's fierce guardian. Back to the hotel for breakfast and a rest. Later, a temple tour: the Birla temple on the Banaras Hindu University campus, Sankat Mochan, the city's beloved Hanuman temple, the red Durga temple, the Tulsi Manas temple, whose walls carry the verses of the Ramcharitmanas, and the Mani Mandir, with more than 150 Shivlings in its courtyards.

Breakfast and dinner Overnight: Varanasi

Day 3

Varanasi to Bodhgaya

About 280 km

Drive east into Bihar. At Bodhgaya, where the Buddha found enlightenment, visit the Sujata temple and the spot where Sujata offered him a bowl of rice pudding before his long meditation, the Mahabodhi temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and the Bodhi tree beside it, and the 80-foot Great Buddha Statue. Last, the Royal Bhutan Monastery, built by the King of Bhutan as a tribute to the Buddha. The night is in Bodhgaya.

Breakfast and dinner Overnight: Bodhgaya

Day 4

Gaya, then back to Varanasi

About 280 km

In Gaya, visit the Vishnupad temple on the banks of the Phalgu, built around a footprint of Lord Vishnu in the rock, and the Mangla Gauri temple. The Phalgu is where Hindus come to perform pind daan for their ancestors. Then the drive back to Varanasi for the night.

Breakfast and dinner Overnight: Varanasi

Day 5

Varanasi to Ayodhya, via Prayagraj

About 310 km · a long day on the road

After breakfast, drive west to Prayagraj, the city of the confluence. At the Triveni Sangam, the Ganga meets the Yamuna and, in belief, the hidden Saraswati; boats take pilgrims out to the meeting point. Visit Anand Bhawan, the Nehru family home and now a museum of the freedom movement, the Alopi Devi temple, the walls of Akbar's Allahabad Fort above the Sangam, and the Bade Hanuman temple, where Hanuman lies reclining. Then on to Ayodhya for the night.

Breakfast and dinner Overnight: Ayodhya

Day 6

Ayodhya, then home

A morning in Ayodhya, the city of Lord Rama. Darshan at the Ram Janmabhoomi temple, Lord Rama's birthplace, then climb the steps to Hanuman Garhi. Walk by the Saryu at Ram ki Paidi and visit the Nageshwarnath temple, said to have been founded by Rama's son Kush, and Kanak Bhawan, the palace believed to have been Kaikeyi's wedding gift to Sita. Inside Ayodhya, local rules mean you get around by e-rickshaw, paid directly. Then a transfer to Ayodhya airport or railway station for your journey home.

Breakfast

Tour details

Accommodation

Choose the hotel category. The same route and sightseeing in every category.

Hotels are from the list shown or similar, subject to availability, in the base room category, with breakfast and dinner.

Package cost

Price per adult on twin sharing, by the number of adults travelling together and the vehicle. Land only; GST 5% extra.

A private air-conditioned vehicle with driver, by group size: a sedan for 2, an Ertiga for 4, an Innova Crysta for 6, a 17-seat Tempo Traveller for 10 to 14 and a 20-seat Tempo Traveller for 16 or 18.

Rates in INR per adult on twin sharing, for travel from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027, except festival dates. GST 5% extra.

Optional add-ons

Not in the package price. Add them when you book.

Tour information

Read this to prepare for your holiday.

Good to know

• Prices are per adult on twin sharing, by the number of adults travelling together, valid for travel from 1 October 2026 to 31 March 2027. They do not apply over Diwali, Dev Deepavali, Saavan or other festival dates; ask us for those.
• Your vehicle: a sedan for 2, an Ertiga for 4, an Innova Crysta for 6, a 17-seat Tempo Traveller for 10 to 14 and a 20-seat Tempo Traveller for 16 or 18. Ask us for other group sizes.
• Rates for a child, an extra bed or a single traveller are on request. Hotels are not held until you book, and are confirmed subject to availability.
• In Varanasi, vehicles stop at the parking areas near the ghats and temples: coaches are not allowed into the old city and Tempo Travellers only until 8 am, so expect some walking.
• In Ayodhya and Bodhgaya, local sightseeing is by e-rickshaw under government rules, paid directly.
• Mobile phones, bags and cameras are not allowed inside the Kashi Vishwanath or Ram Janmabhoomi temples; there are lockers outside. Dress modestly at all temples.

When to go

October to March. Cool, dry days for temple visits and long drives. December and January bring fog on the plains, which can slow the roads and delay flights; April to June is very hot.

Our favourite months

Cancellation policy & payment terms

• Flights, trains and houseboats are paid in full at the time of ticketing or confirmation.
• Payments by bank transfer (NEFT / RTGS / IMPS), UPI or cheque in favour of TripRoutes. Card payments may carry a convenience fee.
• GST 5% is charged on the package cost as per government rules. On international holidays, TCS also applies as per government rules.
• Cancellation charges are per person, counted from the date of departure.
• Cancellations must be sent in writing by email or WhatsApp; the date we receive it is the cancellation date.
• Air and train tickets are refunded as per the airline / railway rules, plus our service charge.
• Visa fees, insurance premiums and non-refundable hotel or houseboat bookings (peak dates, special events) are not refundable.
• Refunds are processed within 15 working days of receiving supplier refunds.
• There is no refund for services not used during the holiday.
• Hotels may ask for a refundable security deposit at check-in, paid directly to the hotel.
• Prices are subject to availability at the time of booking.
• TripRoutes is not liable for changes caused by weather, strikes, roadblocks, flight delays or government orders; extra costs arising are payable by the guest.

Questions about this holiday