Most of the flights/trains arrive in Varanasi by morning, and it doesn’t seem wise to have long tours on the first day, as people still need rest after travel. After check-in and an hour’s rest, we’ll start our tour by exploring Sarnath, located around 10 km and 30-45 minute’s drive from Varanasi, depending on the traffic from the cantonment road. This is the place where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon, and the most prominent site here is the Dhamek Stupa, which is a huge brick-built tower, nearly 44 meters high, around which one can walk from the ground level. What many of my travelers don’t realize is that the Mulagandha Kuti Vihar, a monastery complex near Sarnath, has wonderful 1930s-era Japanese paintings by Kosetsu Nosu, a celebrated Japanese artist. We’ll finish by around 6 pm when the site closes, and overnight in Varanasi.

This is the day we keep aside for Varanasi itself, as it takes one full day to explore the holy city. Those interested can opt for an early morning boat cruise, which can start by around 5:30 am in the river near the bathing ghats. After that, we’ll visit Kashi Vishwanath Temple, which requires a security check and deposit of phones at the counters near Gate 4, which might surprise several of my guests. In the evening, we’ll have a short walk to Dashashwamedh Ghat, where the Ganga Aarti takes place. One should note that on certain occasions, there may be a crowd, and the steps might be inaccessible to some, and in such cases, a rowing boat view of the ceremony can be arranged for an additional cost. We’ll spend our second night in Varanasi as we leave early the next day.

This day’s tour is the longest one in this Varanasi Bodhgaya Kushinagar Lumbini Tour Package, as I have to admit that the distance between Varanasi and Bodhgaya is 250 km, which takes anywhere between 6 to 7 hours to cover on a good road. We leave by around 7 am, with breakfast in between, and if the road conditions allow, we can explore the peripheral areas surrounding the Mahabodhi Temple complex before dinner on the day of arrival. Night stay in Bodhgaya.

We’ll visit the Mahabodhi Temple first thing in the morning around 7 am before heading to Kushinagar, so that we can save plenty of time on the day of our arrival. The Mahabodhi Temple is one of the most revered Buddhist sites and marks the location of the Bodhi tree, under which Lord Buddha attained enlightenment. Most visitors aren’t aware that the tree inside the temple complex is only a sapling that has been planted later, and the original one has long dried up. By around late morning, we’ll start our journey to Kushinagar, which is another 6-hour drive, so it’s quite a long day covering both the temple visit and the travel time. Night stay in Kushina

We’ll spend the day in Kushinagar, visiting the Mahaparinirvana Temple, a sacred site where Lord Buddha took his last breath. The temple houses a 6.1-meter-long reclining Buddha statue carved out of a single Sandstone and the Ramabhar Stupa, which marks the cremation ground. By the early afternoon, we’ll make our way towards the Nepal border, specifically the Sonauli point, located around 50 km from Kushinagar. We’ll have a long stop here, as it always takes 3-4 hours to complete the formalities on either side, and I never set any false expectations for the immigration process. We’ll reach Lumbini by evening and overnight here.

It’s a relaxed day in Lumbini, which is a perfect end to a long tour. We’ll first visit the Maya Devi Temple, a sacred site marking the birthplace of Lord Buddha, and the Ashoka Pillar, an ancient pillar inscribed by the Mauryan king Ashoka, which also validates the existence of the birthplace. In the morning, we’ll also visit the Sacred Garden and the Puskarini Pond, believed to have been the place where Buddha’s mother took a bath. In the afternoon, we can explore the monastic region, where several nations have built their separate stupas in their respective styles. Overnight in Lumbini.

We will cross back into India from Sonauli and head to Gorakhpur for our onward journey. This day, again, is not for exploring as we need to complete the immigration procedures, which, once again, can take a minimum of 3-4 hours. This tour is highly traveling-intensive, where a guest has to spend more time in transit than exploring any given site, as I’ve mentioned in this Varanasi Bodhgaya Kushinagar Lumbini tour guide itinerary.