Buddhist Tour
Duration: 07 Nights / 08 Days
Places to Visit: Delhi - Patna - Nalanda - Rajgir - Boudhgaya - Varanasi
- Kushinagar - Lumbini - Srawasti - Lucknow - New Delhi
Day
01 - Arrive Delhi
Meet and assist by our representative upon your arrival at the airport. Then
drive to your hotel with your driver and car.
Day 02 - Delhi
Morning after breakfast a full day city tour of this imperial British capital
of the 20th century awaits you. Visit the Qutub Minar – the tallest free
standing minaret in stone in the world; then onto Humayun’s tomb –
the first Mughal construction in India from 1565 AD. Also see the Rashtrapati
Bhawan, the India gate built in the earlier half of the 20th century. Drive
through the old city past the Red Fort and visit the Jama Masjid – the
biggest of its kind in India. Here take a rickshaw through the winding streets
of the old city to see the life of the people in this part of the world. A perfect
introduction of your tour. The rickshaw puller pulls you through, the imperial
avenue of the yesteryears, the Chandni Chowk. Finally, reach Rajghat, the memorial
of Mahatma Gandhi, where your car and chauffeur is waiting for you to take you
to your next stop the Birla Mandir, a Hindu temple in activity.
Day 03 - Delhi – Patna – Nalanda – Rajgir - Boudhgaya
Upon arrival in Patna continue drive to Boudhgaya. Visit Nalanda and Rajgir
enroute.
The ruins of the world’s earliest known university can be seen in Nalanda.
Today the university is in complete ruins as in the 12th century the muslim
invader had plunderedthe rich library and burnt down the texts and this served
as a death knell to Buddhism in India.
Continue towards Rajgir a short distance away (15km). Rajgir was once the ancient
capital of the powerful kingdom of Maghada. From the out skirts of Rajgir, a
historic road leads to Gridhakuta or vultures peak where the Buddha preached,
here the first Buddhist Council was held after the Lord's Mahaparinirvana.
Overnight hotel in Boudhgaya.
Day
04 - Boudhgaya - Varanasi
After breakfast in your hotel proceed for a city tour of Boudhgaya where the
Buddha attained enlightenment and which is one of the most sacred pilgrimage
places for the Buddhist. The city tour introduces us to the Tibetan monastery
with the Wheel of Law instated by Lord Buddha and the Bodhi tree under which
the prince of Kapilavastu became Buddha. Also see the Mahabodhi temple at Boudhgaya.
Later proceed to Varanasi enroute visiting Sarnath where Buddha preached his
first sermon to his first disciples. Also visit the nearby ruins of the erstwhile
university of the Buddhist era.
Day 05 - Varanasi – Kushinagar
Early in the morning (0500hrs) we take you to banks of the river Ganges where
we board a boat to see the morning ablutions of the Hindus from the security
of our boat. The boat ride starts from Dasashwamedh Ghat and ends at Manikarnika
Ghat along the sacred Ganges. Varanasi is the world’s most ancient city
and the home of Hinduism. The sunrise on the riverfront is spiritually uplifting
as seen from the boat, crowded eith temples and people and its labirynth of
streets. It was earlier called Kashi. The present name is derived from the fact
that it is at the confluence of the two rivers Varuna and Asi that flows across
the city.
See the Kashi Vishwanath temple and the Gyanvyapi kund and the mosque attached
to it. Also visit the Benares Hindu University the largest residential university
in India with more than 3000 residential students
Return to your hotel for breakfast.
After breakfast drive to Kushinagar and upon arrival visit the temple where
Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana.
Day
06 - Kushinagar – Lumbini
Drive to Lumbini in the morning and offer prayers at the site where Buddha was
born.
Day 07 - Lumbini - Srawasti
In the morning drive to Srawasti where Buddha spent 24 rainy days. Reach by
early afternoon and visit the temple built in remembrance of Lord Buddha
Day 08 - Srawasti – Lucknow – New Delhi
Drive to Lucknow and catch your Shatabdi train to New Delhi. Arrive New Delhi
and then off to the international terminal for your onward journey.
Tour ends
This tour includes:
1. Daily breakfasts
2. All sight seeing and tours mentioned in the itinerary
3. Rickshaw ride in the old city of Delhi
4. Overnight stay in the hotels mentioned
5. Air conditioned car with chauffeur
6. All arrival / departure transfers by air-conditioned car
7. All applicable taxes
8. Early morning boat rides on river Ganges in Varanasi
9. Airfare for the sectors: Delhi / Patna
10. Train fare from Lucknow to Delhi.
