Buddhist Circuit

Buddhist circuit is a route that follows the footsteps of Gautama Buddha starting from his place of birth to his place of death. The international circuit spanning over India and Nepal included Lumbini (place of birth), Bodh Gaya (place of enlightenment), Sarnath (place of first preaching) and Kushinagar (place of death).

Understand
The four pilgrim sites are directly related to the life of Buddha and attract a lot of pilgrims from South Asia and South East Asia. The sites are of great importance to Buddhism and houses several temples, guest houses and archeological sites related directly to the life of Buddha. Because of the presence of magnificent temples and archaeological sites, the Buddhist Circuit also attracts non-pilgrims.

Preparation
Apart from the four major sites there are several Buddhist pilgrimage sites like Rajgir, Nalanda and Sarnath nearby that can conveniently be visited along with the Buddhist circuit. The famous Hindu pilgrimage destination of Varanasi can also be included.

Get in
Among the four Buddhist sites only Bodh Gaya has an international airport 10 km away in

The other important entry points for international visitors are:

Get around
The circuit involves international land travel and the public transport is not widely available on the route, thus doing the circuit independently is difficult. Various travel agents offer tours and Indian Railways also has a luxury train covering the circuit.

Luxury train
The Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) runs an all-inclusive tour of the Buddhist circuit on a luxury train. The luxury train is equipped with air conditioned first class and air conditioned 2nd class coaches. It also comes in with two dining cars providing fine dining experience. The tour also includes stay and fooding in various 5-star properties. The 8-day package starts and ends at Delhi and follows the following itinerary: Cost: Apart from the 8-day package, guests can opt for a shorter version of the circuit by paying per night. (Prices as of 2024.) Contact: Phone: +91 8287930157, Email: buddhisttrain@irctc.com, Website: |IRCTC Buddhist Train
 * Day 1: Proceed from[Delhi, Safdarjung station to Gaya, dinner on board
 * Day 2: Breakfast on board. Arrive at Gaya in the morning. Proceed to Bodh Gaya by car check in hotel and have lunch. Post lunch sightseeing tour of Bodh Gaya. Night stay at Bodh Gaya
 * Day 3: Breakfast at hotel in Bodh Gaya. Head for Rajgir, local sightseeing. Lunch at Rajgir. Post lunch sightseeing tour of Nalanda. Proceed to Gaya station and head to Varanasi. Dinner and night stay on the train
 * Day 4: Breakfast on board. Reach Varanasi in the morning. Car to Sarnath local sightseeing and lunch at hotel. Post lunch sightseeing tour of Varanasi, including boat ride and ganga aarti. Dinner at a hotel in Varanasi. Head back to the train and proceed to Nautanwa, nearest railhead to Lumbani
 * Day 5: Breakfast on board reach Lumbini in morning. Proceed to Lumbini, check-in at a hotel for lunch. After lunch, sightseeing tour of Lumbani. Dinner and night stay in hotel in Lumbani.
 * Day 6: Breakfast at hotel and head to Kushinagar. Lunch at Kushinagar followed by sightseeing. Return to train. Dinner at train. Proceed to Balarampur, nearest railhead to Sravasti
 * Day 7: Reach Balarampur in the morning. Head to Sravasti for breakfast followed by lunch. Post lunch sightseeing tour of Sravasti. Back to the train in the evening. Dinner and night stay on the train. Head for Agra.
 * Day 8: Breakfast on board. Arrive at Agra in the morning. Tour of Taj Mahal. Back to the train for lunch and proceed to Delhi. Reach Safdarjung Station, Delhi in the evening.
 * Air conditioned 1st class: US$1400 whole tour, $175 per night
 * Air conditioned 2nd class: $1160 whole tour, $145 per night