Footprint of Buddha Tours

Breakfast. Visiting Old Delhi, starting with the great Jama Masjid, Continuation in rickshaw ride (bicycle cart) to visit Chandni Chowk and Spice Market in Old Delhi, later visit Raj Ghat, which is the memorial of Mahatma Gandhi. Also visit Agrasen ki baoli (step well), Bangla Sahib Gurudwara (Sikh Temple), India Gate, Parliament Building, President House, Ministries. Continue to visit Humayun Tomb, Lotus Temple (Bahai House) and Qutub Minar. Overnight at hotel.

Breakfast. Assistance on departure to the airport to board the flight for Varanasi. Assistance on arrival in Varanasi and transfer to hotel. In evening, you will attend from a boat on the river and attend AARTI ceremony that takes place in the "Ghats". Overnight at hotel.

Early morning boat ride on Ganges River where we can admire some of the temples located on the banks of the river Ganges. Later visit Golden Temple (Kashi Vishwanath Temple) and later panoramic tour of the Banaras Hindu University, Durga Temple (Durga Kund Mandir), Sankat Mochan Temple (Hanuman Mandir), Bharat Mata Temple and Golden Temple.

Breakfast. Drive to visit Sarnath, It is believed that after attaining the Enlightenment at Bodh Gaya. Gautama Buddha preached his first sermon and Buddhist came into existence through the enlightenment. Overnight at hotel.

Breakfast and drive from Varanasi to Bodhgaya, Bodhgaya is one of the sacred places for the Buddhists as well as for the Hindus. Here under the Bodhi Tree, Gautama attained supreme knowledge to become Budhha, the `Enlighted One'.

On arrival check at hotel. After visit the magnificent Mahabodhi temple in Bodhgaya is an architectural amalgamation of many centuries’ cultures and many heritages that came to pay their homage here. Overnight at hotel in Bodhgaya.

Breakfast and visit the Chinese Temple and Niranjana Temple. Later drive to historical towns Rajgir. The Buddha lived in the sixth century BC. Rajgir is 10km south of Nalanda and sacred to the memory of the founder of both Buddhism and Jainism. Lord Buddha spent many months of retreat during the rainy season here, and used to meditate and preach on Griddhkuta, the 'Hill of the Vultures'. Lord Mahavir spent fourteen years of his life at Rajgir and Nalanda. On arrival check in at hotel. Overnight at hotel in Rajgi.

Breakfast and visit the city of Rajgir, An aerial ropeway provides the link with a hill-top stupa "Peace Pagoda" built by the Japanese. On one of the hills in the cave of Saptparni, was held the first Buddhist Council. The Saptparni cave is also the source of the Rajgir Hot Water Springs that have curative properties and are sacred to the Hindus. Continue drive to visit Nalanda and Visit ruins of the great ancient Nalanda University have been excavated.

Later drive to Patna. On arrival check in and Overnight at hotel in Patna.

Breakfast and drive to Kushinagar, En route visita Vaishali. The Lord Buddha visited Vaishali more than once during his lifetime and announced his approaching Mahaparinirvana to the great followers he had here. Hundred years after he attained Mahaparinirvana, it was the venue of the second Buddhist Council. According to one belief, the Jain Tirthankar, Lord Mahavir was born at Vaishali. The Chinese travellers Fa-Hien and Hieun Tsang also visited this place in early 5th and 7th centuries respectively and wrote about Vaishali.
Later drive to Kushinagar. The land is venerated as the site of the Buddha's Mahaparinirvana, his death and cremation that marked his final liberation from the cycles of death and rebirth. On arrival check in and overnight at hotel in Kushinagar.

Breakfast and drive to visit Kushinagar, The modern Indo-Japan-Sri lanka Buddhist centre, Kushinagar is rediscovering its roots, and is home to many viharas, including a Tibetan gompa devoted to Sakyamuni, a Burmese vihara, and temples from China and Japan.

Later drive to Lumbini, the birthplace of the Gautama Buddha. It is the Mecca of every Buddhist, being one of the four holy places of Buddhism. Buddha himself identified four places of future pilgrimage: the sites of his birth, enlightenment, first discourse, and death. Hence the birth of Gautam Buddha makes it one of the most sacred places in the world.

Afternoon visit The Mayadevi Temple, This Mayadevi temple dedicated to the mother of the Buddha. Overnight at hotel in Lumbini.

Breakfast at hotel and drive to Lucknow. On arrival check in at hotel.

Afternoon explore this royal city of Nawabs. Lucknow is caught in a time warp. It exists in an in-between land of the past and the present looking back constantly to the memories of a colonial-Nawabi past. There is at the same time a sense of pride at the thought of being after Delhi, the most important center of power in free India. Politics has indeed been Lucknow's forte but culture has been its historical identification.
Despite the Indo-Persian legacy, Lucknow has a composite Indian culture. The welding of various cultural strains nurtured by centuries of Mughal and later Delhi Sultanate rule, to the folk traditions of the Indo-Gangetic plains has produced a complex, yet rich synthesis. The Urdu language acquired its baffling phonetic nuances and suave perfection here. It was in Nawab Wajed Ali Shah's court that the most advanced of all classical Indian dance forms, the Kathak, took shape. The popular Parsi theatre originated from the Urdu theatre of this city. The tabla and the sitar were first heard on the streets of Lucknow. Overnight at hotel in Lucknow.

Breakfast. In time, assistance on departure Lucknow railway station to board the train for delhi. In Delhi, Assistance on arrival and check in at hotel. Overnight at hotel.

Breakfast at hotel. In time assistance on departure at Delhi airport to board the flight for next destination. End the tour.