Buddhist Circuit
— Journey Through the Life of the Buddha
Embark on a spiritual journey across India and Nepal aboard the Buddhist Circuit Special Train. Follow the footsteps of Lord Buddha through sacred sites where he was born, attained enlightenment, preached, and achieved Nirvana — all while enjoying a serene and comfortable rail experience.
The Buddhist Circuit Special Train was launched in 2007 by the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) to promote Buddhist tourism and spiritual travel. It connects all major pilgrimage destinations associated with the life of Gautama Buddha across India and Nepal, offering a unique blend of faith, heritage, and comfort. The train serves both domestic and international Buddhist travelers with customized services and immersive cultural experiences.


Buddhist Circuit Tour Packages
Buddhist Circuit offers Peaceful pilgrimage, sacred sites, spiritual reflection, Buddhist wisdom
Route: Delhi – Gaya – Bodhgaya – Rajgir – Nalanda – Varanasi – Sarnath – Lumbini (Nepal) – Kushinagar – Shravasti – Agra – Delhi
Duration: 8 Days / 7 Nights
Highlights:
Mahabodhi Temple in Bodhgaya
Sarnath: Buddha’s first sermon
Lumbini: Birthplace of Buddha
Kushinagar: Parinirvana site
Spiritual rituals, meditation & heritage walks
Itinerary
Day 1) Delhi – Gaya
13:00 hrs.– Assemble at the Delhi Safdarjung Railway Station. Board the Buddhist Circuit Tourist Train
14:30 hrs.– Departure of the train for Gaya.
20:00 hrs.– Dinner on board & proceed to Gaya.
Day 2) Gaya – Bodhgaya
Early morning tea, Wash & Change & breakfast On-Board.
Arrive at Gaya. Depart to Bodhgaya by coach.
Check-in at the hotel. Lunch and relax.
Sightseeing of Bodhgaya including Mahabodhi Temple & Niranjana River. Continue sightseeing of Thai Temple, Japanese Temple, Buddha Statue.
Dinner & overnight stay at the hotel
Day 3) Bodhgaya – Nalanda – Rajgir – Gaya – Varanasi
Breakfast at the hotel.
Check Out and proceed to Rajgir by coach.
Arrival at Rajgir. Sightseeing of Rajgir including Bimbimsara Jail, Gridhakut hill &Venuvan.
Lunch at the hotel.
Proceed to Nalanda for sightseeing covering ruins of world famous Nalanda University & Nalanda Museum.
Proceed to Gaya Railway Station.
Arrival at Gaya Railway Station and board the train.
Dinner on board & proceed to Varanasi.
Day 4) Varanasi – Sarnath – Nautanwa
Early morning tea on-board and arrival at Varanasi. Breakfast onboard.
Disembark the train and proceed to visit Sarnath (10 kms) for sightseeing of Dhamekh Stupa, Sarnath Museum, Ashokan Pillar and Mulgandha Kuti Vihar.
Check in at Hotel for Lunch, wash and change.
Visit River Ganges Ghat for evening Aarti. Return to the Railway Station.
Dinner on board & proceed to Nautanwa for visit to Lumbini, Nepal.
Day 5) Nautanwa – Lumbini
Early morning tea followed by Breakfast onboard.
Arrival at Nautanwa Railway station. Proceed by coach to Lumbini, Nepal. (Tourists to keep their passport and Visa ready. In case Nepal visa not issued visa fees to be kept ready also along with passport size photographs).
Check-in at hotel. Lunch at hotel.
Sight-seeing of Lumbini including Maya Devi Temple and Ashokan Pillar.
Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
Day 6) Lumbini – Kushinagar – Gorakhpur
Breakfast at the hotel.
Check-out of the hotel and proceed to Kushinagar by coach.
Arrive Kushinagar. Proceed for lunch at the hotel.
After lunch visit Mahaparinirvan Temple, Rambhar Stupa, Mata Kutir Temple and other sites.
Depart to Gorakhpur by coaches.
Arrival at Gorakhpur Railway Station. Depart to Balrampur by Buddhist Train.
Dinner on board & proceed to Balrampur for visit to Sravasti.
Day 7) Balrampur – Sravasti – Balrampur – Agra
Arrival at Balrampur Railway station.
Early morning tea On-Board.
Departure by coach to Sravasti (15kms).
Arrival at the Hotel. Wash & change and breakfast.
Sight-seeing of Jetvana Vihara, Pakki Kuti & Sehat Mahet.
Lunch at the hotel. Free time.
Proceed to Balrampur Railway station.
Arrival at Balrampur Railway Station.
Proceed to Agra (450 kms). Dinner on board.
Day 8) Agra – Delhi
Early morning tea and arrival at Agra City railway station.
Wash & change and breakfast On-Board.
Proceed for sight-seeing of the World famous Taj Mahal.
Proceed to the Agra Cantt. Railway Station.
Depart by train to New Delhi (220 kms). Lunch on board.
Evening Tea.
Arrival at Delhi Safdarjung Railway Station.
Note: All timings & details shown are for your guidance only. Actual journey time depends on the road conditions, operational factors etc.
***Departure Dates for 2025-26-27***
Month/Year | 2025 | 2026 | 2027 |
January | – | 3 | 2 |
February | – | 21 | 20 |
March | – | 21 | 20 |
October | – | 24 | – |
November | – | 21 | – |
December | 20 | 19 | – |