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A rock-cut temple carved out of the cliff at the Ellora Caves, Maharashtra
Signature Journey · India

Ajanta and Ellora — 3 Nights from Aurangabad

Three nights in one hotel in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the city formerly called Aurangabad, with a private car throughout. One full day goes to the painted Buddhist caves of Ajanta, another to Daulatabad fort and the rock-cut temples of Ellora, and the arrival afternoon to Bibi Ka Maqbara. The two cave days are placed around the sites’ weekly closed days.

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Duration
3 Nights / 4 Days
Destinations
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
Travel style
Cultural
Stays
Comfort standard
Meals
Breakfast each day at your hotel
The journey

Journey overview

Three nights in one hotel in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, the city formerly called Aurangabad, with a private car throughout. One full day goes to the painted Buddhist caves of Ajanta, another to Daulatabad fort and the rock-cut temples of Ellora, and the arrival afternoon to Bibi Ka Maqbara. The two cave days are placed around the sites’ weekly closed days.

Route

  1. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar1 night
  2. Ajanta
  3. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar1 night
  4. Daulatabad
  5. Ellora
  6. Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar1 night
A pillared rock-cut prayer hall with its stupa at the Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra
Journey highlights

Why you'll love this journey

  1. A whole day at Ajanta, thirty Buddhist caves cut into a horseshoe cliff above the Waghora stream
  2. The painted caves at Ajanta — 1, 2, 16 and 17 — where murals of the fifth and sixth centuries survive best
  3. The Kailasa at Ellora (Cave 16), a complete temple carved downwards out of the rock
  4. Buddhist, Hindu and Jain caves side by side at Ellora, 34 in all
  5. Daulatabad (Devagiri) Fort on the way to Ellora, with the climb to the top left to you
  6. Bibi Ka Maqbara, the seventeenth-century tomb known as the Taj of the Deccan
  7. One hotel for all three nights, so nothing is packed or unpacked between the cave days
  8. The order of the Ajanta and Ellora days fixed around their Monday and Tuesday closures
Day by day

Day-by-day itinerary

Day 1

Chhatrapati SambhajinagarPrivate vehicle

Your driver meets you at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar airport or railway station and takes you to the hotel. The afternoon is deliberately light. The one stop we plan is Bibi Ka Maqbara, the mausoleum of Aurangzeb’s wife, about 3 km from the centre and at its best later in the day. If you arrive early and want more, the car can add Panchakki, an old water mill in a shrine garden, or the Aurangabad Caves, a small Buddhist group in the hills nearby. Both are optional. If your flight or train gets in late, the Maqbara moves to the last morning.

Day 2

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar – Ajanta – Chhatrapati SambhajinagarOvernight Chhatrapati SambhajinagarPrivate vehicle

An early start for the longest day. Ajanta is roughly 100 km from the city, and we allow about two and a half to three hours each way. The car stops at the parking area and a shuttle bus takes you on to the caves. From there you are on foot, on a path along the cliff with steps up to the caves. Spend your time in Caves 1, 2, 16 and 17, where the paintings survive best, then walk on as far as you like. Ajanta is closed on Mondays, so if this day falls on a Monday it changes places with the Ellora day.

Day 3

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar – Daulatabad – Ellora – Chhatrapati SambhajinagarOvernight Chhatrapati SambhajinagarPrivate vehicle

A shorter drive today. Daulatabad Fort is 16 km from the city on the way to Ellora, so we stop there first, while it is cool. The lower fort is manageable for most people; the climb to the summit is strenuous and entirely optional. Ellora is about 30 km from the city. Begin with the Kailasa, Cave 16, then take in the Buddhist caves to one side and the Jain group at the far end as time and energy allow. Grishneshwar temple and Aurangzeb’s grave at Khuldabad are optional extras nearby. Ellora’s weekly holiday is Tuesday; if this day falls on one, it swaps with Ajanta.

Day 4

Chhatrapati SambhajinagarPrivate vehicle

Breakfast at the hotel, then the transfer to the airport or railway station. If your departure is in the afternoon and you would like one more stop, the car can take in Bibi Ka Maqbara, should you have missed it on the first day, or Panchakki; either fits into an hour or so. Otherwise we go straight to the terminal, with time in hand. The airport is around 10 km from the town and the station is in the city itself. The trip ends at the drop.

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What's covered

Inclusions & exclusions

Included

  • 3 nights' accommodation in selected hotels, at the comfort level agreed in your quote
  • Breakfast each day at your hotel
  • Pickup on arrival and drop on departure at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar airport or railway station
  • A private vehicle with driver for every transfer, road journey and the sightseeing listed in the itinerary
  • The driver's allowance, fuel, tolls and parking
  • Taxes on the accommodation and the vehicle
  • 24/7 on-trip support from Live Traveller

Not included

  • Flights or trains to and from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
  • Entry tickets, monument fees and camera charges at every stop, including Ajanta, Ellora, Bibi Ka Maqbara and Daulatabad Fort
  • The shuttle bus between the parking area and the caves at Ajanta, and guides at any site
  • Lunches, dinners, snacks and drinks
  • Any sightseeing or service that is not written into the itinerary
  • Room upgrades, and access to your room before or after the standard hotel timings
  • Travel insurance, tips and personal expenses
  • Anything not listed under inclusions
Stays & travel

Accommodation, meals & transport

What the journey covers day to day, taken from this package's own inclusions.

🏨 Accommodation

  • Comfort standard
  • 3 nights' accommodation in selected hotels, at the comfort level agreed in your quote

🍽 Meals

  • Breakfast each day at your hotel

🚆 Transport

  • A private vehicle with driver for every transfer, road journey and the sightseeing listed in the itinerary
  • The driver's allowance, fuel, tolls and parking
  • Taxes on the accommodation and the vehicle
  • Private vehicle
Before you go

Flights, visa & practical

Arranged separately from the journey itself — listed here so there are no surprises.

✈ Flights

  • Flights or trains to and from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

🛡 Insurance

  • Travel insurance, tips and personal expenses

Every journey is quoted individually for your travel dates and party. Read our pricing terms for how a quotation is prepared. Cancellations and amendments follow our Refund & Cancellation Policy and Terms & Conditions.

Good to know

Frequently asked

Ajanta is closed on Mondays and Ellora’s weekly holiday is Tuesday. The trip has no fixed weekdays, so once you choose your dates we place Ajanta and Ellora on days when each is open, swapping days 2 and 3 if necessary. An arrival on a Sunday, for example, means Ellora first and Ajanta second. We reconfirm both closures before you travel.
Ajanta is roughly 100 km from the city; the district administration gives 103 km. We allow two and a half to three hours each way, which makes it a full day. Ellora is about 30 km away and we allow under an hour, with Daulatabad Fort on the same road. These timings are planning figures, not guarantees.
The state tourism department says the city’s airport has direct flights from Mumbai and Delhi, and the district administration lists trains from Mumbai, Delhi and Pune. From Pune most travellers come by road or rail. Schedules change, and booking sites may still show the city as Aurangabad, so tell us your plan and we will match the pickup to it.
A fair amount. At Ajanta the caves are strung along a cliff path with steps, and Ellora’s 34 caves are spread over more than a kilometre, though the car can move you between groups. Daulatabad’s summit is put at about 750 steps and is optional. The Archaeological Survey lists ramps and wheelchairs at both cave sites; tell us if anyone needs them.
Because two nights only work if you land early and leave late. With three, each cave site has its own full day, the arrival afternoon covers Bibi Ka Maqbara, and there is room to swap days around a closure. If you are short of time, ask us about a two-night version that depends on your arrival and departure hours.
A pillared rock-cut prayer hall with its stupa at the Ajanta Caves, Maharashtra
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Photo credits · Timothy A. Gonsalves · Fields Hazy Mountains Marlimund Ooty Nilgiris Aug25 A7CR 07258.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence, source) · Ingo Mehling · Mysuru Palace - North Gates - 2.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 (licence, source)