Buddhist Circuit: Bodhgaya → Sarnath → Lumbini → Kushinagar

Kathmandu → Bodhgaya → Sarnath → Lumbini → Kushinagar

Highlights

• Walk the sacred Buddhist circuit across India and Nepal, from Buddha's enlightenment to his final liberation.
• Buddhist Heritage · 10 days / 9 nights
• Small group, guide-led

Day-by-day itinerary

1. D1

   Bodhgaya — The Seat of Enlightenment

   Arrive in Bodhgaya, Bihar, home to the UNESCO-listed Mahabodhi Temple. Meditate beneath the descendant of the original Bodhi Tree where Prince Siddhartha became the Buddha. Visit the Great Buddha Statue, monasteries of Thailand, Japan, and Tibet, and offer butter lamps at the temple. Evening: attend chanting ceremonies with monks from across the Buddhist world. Best visited October–March. Carry modest clothing covering shoulders and knees.

   Bodhgaya / Lumbini / Kushinagar / Sarnath As per plan

2. D2

   Sarnath — The First Turning of the Wheel

   Travel 250 km to Sarnath, Uttar Pradesh, where Buddha delivered his first sermon to five companions. Walk around the Dhamekh Stupa, visit the Mulagandhakuti Vihara with its exquisite frescoes, and see the Lion Capital of Ashoka at the Sarnath Museum — India's national emblem. Witness evening chanting at the Mahabodhi Society. This is where Buddhism began as a lived tradition.

   Bodhgaya / Lumbini / Kushinagar / Sarnath As per plan

3. D3

   Cross into Nepal — Lumbini, The Birthplace

   Drive to Sunauli border (India-Nepal), complete immigration formalities — foreign tourists need valid visas for both countries; Indian nationals may cross with voter ID or passport. Continue to Lumbini, Nepal's sacred garden. Visit the Maya Devi Temple marking the exact birthplace, the Ashoka Pillar erected in 249 BCE, the Puskarini Pond, and monasteries from 25+ nations. Evening meditation at the World Peace Pagoda. Border crossing time: 1–2 hours.

   Bodhgaya / Lumbini / Kushinagar / Sarnath As per plan

4. D4

   Kushinagar — Mahaparinirvana

   Return to India via the same Sunauli border crossing (keep all receipts for re-entry). Travel to Kushinagar, where Buddha attained Mahaparinirvana at age 80. Stand before the 6-meter reclining Buddha statue carved from a single sandstone block at the Parinirvana Temple. Visit the Ramabhar Stupa, the cremation site, and reflect on impermanence. The Mahaparinirvana Temple's evening aarti is deeply moving — a cross-tradition ritual honouring liberation itself.

   Bodhgaya / Lumbini / Kushinagar / Sarnath As per plan

Price includes

• Local storyteller guide
• Stays as per itinerary
• Daily breakfast
• All ground transfers

Make it yours (upsells)

Everything apart from the trip itself is an upsell — tick what you want.