AJANTA - ELLORA CAVES TOUR

3 Nights / 4 Days

Explore the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of the historic Ajanta and Ellora monumental ancient cave carvings

Route:  Aurangabad - Ellora - Ajanta - Aurangabad

Day 1 : Arrive Aurangabad

Upon arrival transfer to the hotel. Later, take a sightseeing tour of the city. Aurangabad has the most elaborate vase temples of India. Although Buddhist monks began excavating in the 7th century, the site grew to include Hindu and Jain temples as the Buddhist faith waned in popularity towards the end of the 7th century. There are 34 caves, including 12 Buddhist (600-800 AD) and 17 Hindu (around 900 AD) and they are numbered in that order as you progress from south to north.

Later, visit the Daulatabad Fort. Originally the mountainous Deogiri fortress, it was an old Hindu stronghold, finally captured and plundered in the 13th century. After touring the Fort make a stop at Panchakki, an engineering feat of the time built by Malik Ambar in 1695. The water channelled from a spring on a distant hill was used to power the flourmills for the pilgrims.

Dinner and overnight at Aurangabad.

Day 2 : Aurangabad - Ellora

The Ellora Caves are a cultural mix of religious arts of Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism. The caves consist of 34 monasteries and temples sculpted contiguously into rock walls of a high basalt cliff, whose length stretches 2 km/1.2 mi. Dated from 600 to 1000 AD, they are a reflection of both religious tolerance and artistic creation of the ancient civilizations of India. Like the Ajanta Caves, this cultural property has been inscribed under the UNESCO World Heritage List and is one of the most frequently visited World Heritage sites of India.

After touring the caves, return to Aurangabad for lunch. Later, visit Bibi ka Maqbara. Built by Azam Shah in 1678, the Bibi ka Maqbara is a son's loving tribute to his mother, Begum Rabia Durrani, the Queen of Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. Standing spectacularly on the lawns of the landscaped garden with ponds, fountains and water channels, the white marbled monument rises majestically in an intentional bid to copy and rival the world famous Taj Mahal.

Dinner and overnight at Aurangabad.

Day 3 :  Aurangabad - Ajanta - Aurangabad

Ajanta Caves, listed under UNESCO World Heritage as a cultural heritage site, are Buddhist caves built between the 2nd and 6th centuries. The caves were discovered during the 19th century by a group of British officers who were on a tiger hunt. The caves depict richly decorated paintings and frescoes reminiscent of the Sri Lanka Sigiriya paintings and sculptures. There are a total of 31 rock-cut cave monuments which are unique representations of the religious art of Buddhism, one of the few historical and architectural marvels of India. The Ajanta group of caves, located deep within the Sahyadri hills above the Waghora, depicts the story of Buddhism that prevailed here during 200 BC to 650 AD. Ajanta's wondrous cave temples are cut into the rocky sides of a dramatic crescent-shaped gorge. At the head of the gorge is a waterfall which drops over the mountain rim in a series of seven steps to a pool far below. Deep inside the mountain are the Buddhist chaitya vihara prayer and monastery caves. They cover a span of 800 years where, under the royal patronage of ruling dynasties, professional artists helped Buddhist monks to create magnificent murals narrating the story of Buddha in his cycle of incarnations, while simultaneously creating a painted record of the panorama of life in ancient India. Etched and painted in mineral dyes, the paintings have a languorous stylized beauty and magical eloquence.

After your tour of the Ajanta Caves spend the night at Aurangabad.

Day 4 : Departure

After breakfast, checkout and transfer to the airport for your onward journey.

Extend or Customize Your Tour: We would be happy to assist with additional travel and hotel arrangements. Changes to this tour can be added as an inclusive part of the package.

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