On arrival in Kolkata, meet our representative, who will further transfer you to a pre-booked hotel. The evening will be free for leisure. Dinner and overnight stay at the Kolkata hotel.
Post breakfast, go for a city sightseeing tour, which includes a visit to the Victoria Memorial, St. Paul's Cathedral, Ramakrishna Math, Kalighat and Mother Teresa Hospice. In the evening, you will be transferred to the railway station to board a flight for Bodh Gaya. Overnight journey.
Upon arrival at Bodh Gaya, meet your guide, who will further transfer you to a hotel. After some time at the hotel, visit Mahabodhi Temple, a Buddhist temple where the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment. Within the temple complex, you can see a tall stone lotuses, figures of Buddha sitting in different postures on the walls, footprints on the stones and a colossal golden that has a statue of Buddha in the sanctum sanctorum. Also, you will see the Bodhi tree, a 'peepal tree' under which Buddha meditated to attained enlightenment. After a sightseeing tour, go back to the hotel for overnight stay and dinner.
Post breakfast at the hotel, proceed for a full day excursion to Rajgir & Nalanda. First, you will visit Nalanda, one of the ancient world’s great universities and a major Buddhist centre of academic excellence. Later, you will embark on a 20 km ride to Rajgir to see Griddhkuta "Hill of Vultures", a heritage site where Lord Buddha spent several months meditating and teaching Dharma. After that, visit Saptparni caves where Buddha's first council was organized and is also a source of Rajgir's hot springs. In the evening, return to Bodh Gaya hotel for overnight stay and dinner.
After breakfast at the Bodh Gaya hotel, drive to Varanasi. On arrival at Varanasi check-in at the hotel. Later proceed to visit Sarnath, the first place where Buddha came to gave his famous first sermon. It is about 10 km from Varanasi and holds some Buddhist sites that include the famous Dhamekh Stupa, the seat of the holy 'Buddha'. Also, you will visit the ruins of Dharmarajika Stupa and Mulagandha Kuti Temple, where Lord Buddha is said to have rested and meditated while in Sarnath. On a trip to Sarnath, make a point to visit the Ashoka Pillar. Overnight stay at the Varanasi hotel.
In the morning, go for a boat ride on the river Ganges. Breakfast at the hotel and drive to Kushinagar. On arrival at Kushinagar check-in at the hotel. Later continue for sight-seeing of Kushinagar, one of the major Buddhist pilgrimage destinations where Lord Buddha attained Parinirvana or final Nirvana. When in Kushinagar, visit ancient stupas and modern temples, commemorating the Buddha's death and cremation. Also, you will visit the Ashokan Pillar. Dinner and overnight stay at Kushinagar.
Post breakfast at the hotel drive to Sravasti, a city where Buddha stayed for the longest period of time, en-route visit birth place of Lord Buddha - Lumbini. When in Lumbini, visit Lumbini Park where the Ashok Pillar carries the inscription - where the Buddha was born. Then, visit Mayadevi temple sacred to the mother of Lord Buddha, which houses a stone picture of his mother giving birth to Lord Buddha. Later visit the China Temple, a pagoda-style temple with many prayers and meditation cells. On arrival at Sravasti, check to the hotel for overnight stay and dinner.
Post breakfast at the hotel, go for a city sightseeing tour. When in Sravasti, visit Ananda Bodhi tree where Lord Buddha meditated for a night and then visit Jetavan where Lord Buddha performed some miracle. In the afternoon, drive to Lucknow to board a train for journey onwards.
Bodh Gaya is a village in the northeast Indian state of Bihar. Considered one of the most important Buddhist pilgrimage sites, it's dominated by the ancient brick Mahabodhi Temple Complex, built to mark the site where the Buddha attained enlightenment beneath a sacred Bodhi Tree. A direct descendant of the tree sits within the complex today, along with six other sacred sites, including a lotus pond.