Arrive Delhi, meeting assistance on arrival and transfer to hotel.
Morning tour of old / New Delhi - In Old Delhi visit the Raj Ghat - the cremation sites of Mahatma Gandhi , Jama Masjid and drive past Red Fort and Chandni Chowk.
In New Delhi visit the Qutub Minar built by Qutub-ud-Din Aibek in 1199, Humayun's Tomb, India Gate and Lakshminarayan Temple. Also drive past President's House, Parliament House and Government Secretariat Buildings.
Transfer to airport to board flight for Patna. Arrive Patna and drive to Bodhgaya enroute visiting Nalanda and Rajgir - visit the Nalanda University, once a prominent seat of learning; Rajgir, whose hills are known for a large number of Buddhists and Jain monuments; Pawapuri, where Mahavira, the founder of Jainism, attained enlightment.
Morning visit the elaborately carved Mahabodhi Temple, Buddhism's holiest shrine, is the big attraction in Bodhgaya. The temple was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2002. It's open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily, with chanting and meditation held an hour after opening and an hour before closing. The other monasteries, built and maintained by various Buddhist countries, are also fascinating -- particularly the different architecture styles.
The Niranjana River is about 250meter east of Mahabodhi Temple. Prince Siddhartha crossed this river to reach the Bodhi tree. It is said that the Buddha sent his begging bowl upstream in this river. He made a solemn declaration that if he was to become the Buddha, the bowl would float upstream and join those of the previous Buddhas. The bowl floated upstream as he desired. Gaya and Bodh Gaya are the most famous and important locations on the banks of the Niranjana River.
After the tour drive to Varanasi and check in at hotel.
Early morning boat ride on river Ganges- Boat excursion on the river Ganges, a ferry pilgrimage from ghat to ghat. People bathe early in the morning to offer the prayers to the rising sun. The two cremation ghats are Manikarnika & Harishchandra where funeral pyre burns day and night. Every pious Hindu believes that to die in Kashi and to be cremated on banks of the Ganges is to attain release from the cycle of birth and death. Breakfast fast at hotel.
Afternoon visit Sarnath- Visit the buried Buddhist city where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon, Sarnath was a renowned school of learning from 6th century B.C. to 12th century AD. Visit the ruins, the stupa, the Buddhist temple and the Museum (Museum closed on Fridays).
Morning drive to Kushinagar where the Buddha finally attained Mahaparmirvana. Amongst the ruins are the Mukutbandhan Stupa and a beautiful statue of the reclining Buddha and also visit Nirvana Temple , Ramabhar Stupa & Cremation site of Lord Buddha.
After the tour check in at hotel.
Check out from hotel at 12noon. Transfer to station to board train for Varanasi. Overnight on train.
Drive to Lumbini - it is the place where the Buddha, known as the Tathagata was born. It is the place which should be visited and seen by a person of devotion and which should cause awareness and apprehension of the nature of impermanence. Tathagata - One who has found the Truth.
The birthplace of the Gautama Buddha, Lumbini, is the Mecca of every Buddhist, being one of the four holy places of Buddhism. It is said in the Parinibbana Sutta that Buddha himself identified four places of future pilgrimage: the sites of his birth, enlightenment, first discourse, and death. All of these events happened outside in nature under trees. While there is not any particular significance in this, other than it perhaps explains why Buddhists have always respected the environment and natural law.
Morning visit - Ashokan Pillar - an inscribed pillar erected by Emperor Ashoka (249 BC) on the spot of Buddha's birth. The inscription, which is the oldest in Nepal, grants Lumbini a tax-free status in honor of Buddhas birth. Buddhist Temples - there are foundations of temples dating from the 2nd century BC to the 9th century AD, and two modern temples: one in Tibetan style.
After the tour drive to Kathmandu and check in at hotel.
Morning visit city & Swaymbhunath and Afternoon visit Bhaktapur & Pashupatinath
Morning visit the Durbar square, Hanuman Dhoka, the ancient royal residential quarter, Mahadev and Parvati temple, Machhender Bahl-Holy place for the Buddhists and Hindus, temple house of Kumari, the vestal virgin or the living goddess.
Also visit Swaymbhunath stupa, a Buddhisht shrine believed to be more than 2000 yrs old on the hillock of western part of Kathmandu.
Bhaktapur was founded in the 9th century and is shaped like a conch shell. Highlights: Durbar square the palace with 55 windows, Nyatapola temple, pottery square. Bhadgaon is located 14 km east of Kathmandu.
Also visit Pashupatinath, is one of the holiest Hindu temples of Lord Shiva. Located in the bank of Bagmati River, here Hindus cremate their dead bodies. (Entrance for Hindus only inside the temple).
Morning visit Patan / Boudhnath. Patan also known as Lalitpur, is the city of fine arts. The city is enclosed within 4 stupas. These stupas were said to have been built in the 3rd century AD by Emperor Ashoka of India. Highlights: Durbar Square, the Patan Old City palace with a bronze collection, the Krishna Mandir built by King Siddhi Narasingh Malla, and Mahabouddha Temple.
Also visit Boudhanath is one of the largest Buddhist stupas in the world and believed to be built by King Manadeva.
Check out at 12 noon.Later transfer to airport to board flight for onward journey.
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