Upon arrival at the Indira Gandhi International Airport, we are transferred to the hotel for check-in.

After breakfast at the hotel, we go for a morning sight-seeing of Delhi including; India Gate, Parliament House, Qutab Minar, Lotus Temple, and the Humayun Tomb.

After breakfast, today we drive to Bodhgaya, once Uruvela village. In the 6th century BC, a young Siddhartha Gautam attained enlightenment to become Buddha, the founder of Buddhism. We visit the Mahabodhi Temple Complex which houses the Mahabodhi temple at its center. The temple has gone through various restorations over the centuries. The complex is home to all the major pilgrimage sites. Later, we visit the Bodhgaya museum which houses antiquities excavated in and around Bodhgaya along with numerous collections of Buddhist and Hindu relics (terra cotta) seals, scriptures and pillars from the Shunga period.

After breakfast, we visit the Sujata Kuti Stupa. Located approximately 8 km from Bodhgaya, it was built in honor of a tribal woman named Sujata who saved Gautam Buddha‘s life by offering him rice pudding after years of starvation in the process of attaining Nirvana all the while renouncing every luxury, including food. The Mahakala Caves, also known as the Dungeswari cave temple which lies about 12 km northeast of Bodhgaya is our next stop. We hike uphill about 20 – 30 minutes to visit the caves from our vehicle parking. The three caves contain Buddhist shrines, where Lord Buddha is believed to have meditated. Finally, we visit the Daibutsu (Great Buddha) Statue which is 80 feet tall. Made from a mix of sandstone blocks and red granite, it took seven years to complete with the help of 12,000 masons. The foundation stone was laid in 1982 and was blessed by the Dalai Lama on 18th Nov 1989. The Lord is seated on a lotus in the open air in meditation pose or ‘dhyana mudra.’ In the evening, we are free to circumambulate the Mahabodhi Stupa.

After early breakfast, today we have a day excursion of Rajgir which is approximately 80 km from Bodhgaya. It has been described in the Mahabharata during 6th century BC. During Lord Buddha's time on Earth, Rajgir or Rajgriha was the capital of the powerful Magadha Kingdom, ruled by the virtuous King Bimbisara. It is also known for the Saptdhara Kund, seven hot sulfur springs situated at the foot of Vaibhava Hill. We visit the sanctimonious Gridhkuta Hill where Lord Buddha's teachings were recorded in writing for the first time. He delivered many of the sermons from the Gridhakuta Hill which acted as his seat. A ropeway takes us up the hill wherein lies a beautiful stupa constructed by the Japanese. Later, we visit the Vishwa Shanti Stupa which is one of the numerous peace pagodas built around the world by the Neo-Buddhist organization namely, ‘Nipponzan Myohoji’. The original pagoda reached completion in 1969. The present form is results of the new initiatives in 1993.

After our breakfast, we drive to Varanasi, a city established around twelve hundred years ago before the Christian era. Regarded as one of the oldest and holiest cities in India and visited by over one million people. Lord Buddha visited the city in 500 BC. It is also called the city of light; Kashi or Benaras.

In the early morning after breakfast, we take a boat ride on the holy River Ganges enjoying the sunrise. The city is visited by thousands of devotees and pilgrims for prayers and meditation each year. A bath in the holy river Ganges is believed to purify oneself. Later, we head to Sarnath which lies about 10 kilometers from Varanasi. The Lord after attaining enlightenment had visited Sarnath, looking for his five companions who abandoned him in Rajgir while they deviated from his viewpoint on self- mortification. Between the 3rd century BC and the 11th century AD, several Buddhist structures were raised at Sarnath which in present is the most extensive of ruins from the epoch. The museum, ruins and the temple are all within walking distance. We visit the Dhamek Stupa which was erected in by Emperor Ashoka in 249 BCE by Emperor Ashoka. Ashoka was a follower of Buddha and helps spread Buddha’s message throughout his expansive empire. We also visit the Sarnath Temple and the Sarnath Museum before finally returning to Varanasi for the night.

After breakfast, we head for the city tour of Varanasi covering the Shri Kashi Vishwanath Temple. Legend has it that the gods Bramha and Vishnu got into a fight about their supremacy. As a moderator, Lord Shiva's light pierced through all three worlds and demanded both of them to locate the tip of the light which would define their supremacy. The Kashi Vishvnath temple is one of the 12 spots or ‘jyotirlingas,’ where Lord Shiva’s light pierced through the Earth.

We continue to visit the Bharat Mata temple. It was constructed by Shiv Prasad Gupta and inaugurated by Mahatma Gandhi in 1936. It has a real map of India instead of the traditional statues of Gods or Goddess. The statue made up of marble symbolizes entire India, representing mountains, plains, and oceans in the country.

We are free in the afternoon. In the evening, we attend Aarti Puja at the River Ganges.

After breakfast, we drive to Kushinagar which was chosen by Lord Buddha for his Mahaparinirvana; final exit from Earth. Kushinara, as it was known back during the 5th and 6th centuries BC, was the capital of one of the Republican states of northern India, the Malla Republic. On arrival, we check into the hotel.

We visit the Rambhar stupa that marks Lord Buddha's cremation ground. Maha Kasyapa lit the funeral prayer at Mukut-Bandhan Vihar (Ramabhar stupa). Today, the only remaining structure of the stupa is a large brick mound rising to almost 15 meters in height, set within a well-kept park. We also visit the Mahaparinirvana Temple. Located in ruins amongst the various ancient 5th-century monasteries, the temple is famous for its statue of Lord Buddha. According to the inscriptions in ruins, the remains of Lord Buddha have been deposited here.

After breakfast, we drive to Lumbini. We go for sightseeing of Lumbini where Gautam Buddha was born. We visit the Ashoka pillar raised by Emperor Ashoka at Buddha’s birthplace, in the twenty-first year after his coronation.

After breakfast, we leave for Shravasti by road. On arrival, we check in at the hotel where we spend our night. In the evening, we visit the Sahet Mahet village which was the capital of the ancient kingdom of Kosala. We also visit the Jetavana Gardens where the Lord delivered the majority of his sermons.

After breakfast, we drive to Lucknow airport (approx. 195 km / 5 hrs) to catch a morning flight for Delhi. Upon arrival, we are transferred to the hotel for the night. The afternoon we are free at leisure.