Bodhgaya - Varanasi - Lumbini - Kushinagar - 9 Days 8 Nights Buddhist Tour

Itinerary

Day 1: Bodhgaya

Stop At: Mahabodhi Temple, Bihar 824231, Bodh Gaya 824231 India
Welcome upon arrival at Gaya Airport. Transfer to Hotel in private Car, Lunch in Hotel. After lunch, enjoy a sightseeing tour of Bodhgaya.
Mahabodhi Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site Buddhist temple. It is a place where Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Bodhi Tree, Bodh Gaya India
Bodhi Tree is situated in Mahabodhi Temple. It is a tree under which Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight Stay in Bodhgaya Hotel.

Day 2: Varanasi

Stop At: Sarnath Via-Anlabereni, Varanasi 759026 India
After attaining enlightenment at Bodh Gaya the Buddha went to Sarnath, and it was the place where he preached his first discourse in the deer park to set in motion the 'Wheel of the Dharma".
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Sarnath Museum, Saranth Station Rd, Sarnath, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221007, India
Sarnath Museum is the oldest site museum of Archaeological Survey of India. It houses the findings and excavations at the archaeological site of Sarnath, by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight Stay in Varanasi Hotel.

Day 3: Sravasti

Stop At: Ganga River Bank, Ghats of varanasi, Ghasi Tola, Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh 221001, India
Early morning boat ride on Ganges River. Sunrise on the riverfront, as seen from a boat, can be a spiritually uplifting sight.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Jetavana, Katra, Shravasti, Uttar Pradesh 271805, India
It is a place where Gautam Buddha spent most of his monastic time and delivered a large number of discourses included a major part of Tripitaka at Sravasti.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Angulimala Stupa, Mahet Rd, Shravasti India
It is a part of Jetvana Monastery - Angulimala Stupa represents the immense influence of Gautama Buddha, which was indispensable for the development of civilization. The stupa is one of the major monuments of Shravasti.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight Stay in Sravasti Hotel.

Day 4: Lumbini

Stop At: Maya Devi Temple, Lumbini Nepal
Maya Devi Temple is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, it is known as the birthplace of Gautam Buddha.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Araurakot Asoka Pillar, Kapilvastu 32800, Nepal
The Ashoka Pillar in Lumbini is one of the 3rd Century stone pillars built under the reign of Emperor Ashoka. It was erected as a mark of respect by Ashoka after he visited Lord Buddha's place of birth and decided to accept Buddhism.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight Stay in Lumbini Hotel.

Day 5: Kushinagar

Stop At: Parinirvana Stupa, Kushinagar India
It is a place where Gautam Buddha took his last breath. Also, visit Rambhar Stupa.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Ramabhar Stupa, Kushinagar India
This is where Buddha’s body is said to have been cremated, and monks and pilgrims can often be seen offering lotus flowers and meditating by the palm-tree-lined path that leads around the 34m-diameter structure.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight Stay in Kushinagar Hotel.

Day 6: Bodhgaya

Stop At: Buddhas Relic Stupa, Chak Ramdas, Bihar 844128, India
Kushinagar to Bodhgaya, en-route visit Vaishali.
one-eighth of the ashes of Buddha are preserved over here in a casket.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Ananda Stupa, Shanti Marg Kolhua,Bihar, Vaishali 844128 India
Gautama Buddha preached his last sermon before the departure of Lord Buddha. It was in Vaishali that Lord Buddha announced that he would be approaching the Mahaparinirvana before leaving to Kushinagar. This pillar has Asiatic Lion on the top.
Duration: 30 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight Stay in Bodhgaya Hotel.

Day 7: Rajgir

Stop At: Griddhakuta Peak, Griddhakuta Hill, Rajgir India
The Vulture Peak is also known as the Holy Eagle Peak or Griddhakuta was the Buddha’s favourite retreat in Rajagaha (now Rajgir) and the scene for many of his discourses.
Duration: 3 hours

Stop At: Nalanda University Ruins, Nalanda 803101 India
Visit Nalanda University which was one of the oldest Universities of the world & International Centre for Buddhist Studies.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Bimbisar Jail, Rajgir 803116 India
Bimbisara was imprisoned by his son Ajatashatru to ascend the throne of the kingdom of Magadha. Ajatashatru later ordered his father's release after the birth of his first child, but by then it was too late and Bimbisara had already died. This was reported to have taken place around 491 BC.

King Bimbisara met the Buddha for the first time prior to the Buddha's enlightenment, and later became an important disciple that featured prominently in certain Buddhist suttas. He is recorded to have attained sotapannahood, a degree of enlightenment in Buddhist teachings. Although Bimbisara let the women in his palace visit Buddha in his monastery in the evenings; the women wanted a hair-and-nail stupa they could use to venerate the Buddha any time. Bimbisara spoke with Buddha who complied with their request.
Duration: 30 minutes

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight Stay in Bodhgaya Hotel.

Day 8: Bodhgaya

Stop At: Dungeshwari, Gaya, Bihar 823003, India
It is believed that Lord Buddha meditated in the three caves here before continuing his journey to Bodhgaya. Here buddha spent 7 years and became extremely weak starved himself to death.
Duration: 2 hours

Stop At: Falgu River, Bihar
Before attaining Enlightenment, Gautama Buddha practised asceticism for six years on the banks of the river, residing in a forest near the village of Uruvilvā. After realizing that strict asceticism would not lead to Enlightenment, he recuperated after bathing in the river and receiving a bowl of milk-rice from the milkmaid Sujātā.


Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Sujata Kuti, 8 Km from Bodh Gaya, Bodh Gaya India
The stupa was dedicated to the milkmaid Sujata, from the village of Bakraur, she offered Gautam Buddha milk and rice at this spot, thereby ending his seven years of fasting and asceticism. Later Gautama realised that one cannot attain enlightenment by self-indulgence or self-abasement
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Great Buddha Statue Road Daijokyo Buddhist Temple, Bodh Gaya India
The statue is 19.507 m high in meditation pose or dhyana mudra seated on a lotus in the open air. It took seven years to complete with the help of 12,000 masons.
Duration: 1 hour

Stop At: Mahabodhi Temple, Bihar 824231, Bodh Gaya 824231 India
The place where Gautam Buddha attained enlightenment.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
• Dinner
Accommodation included: Overnight Stay in Bodhgaya Hotel.

Day 9: Bodhgaya - Departure

Stop At: Bodhi Tree, Bodh Gaya India
Visit Mahabodhi Temple and Bodhi tree before departure.

After Lunch, drive to Gaya Airport to board flight for next destinations.
Duration: 1 hour

Meals included:
• Breakfast
• Lunch
No accommodation included on this day.