BUDDHIST PILGRIMAGE 8 Days

LEH | NUBRA | PANGONG

IN THE FOOTSTEPS OF THE BUDDHA
Sacred Circuit 2025 / 2026
Duration

8 Days / 7 Nights

Group Size

10 Pax (Private Pilgrimage)

Departure

Bangkok

Countries

Thailand · India · Nepal

Core Attractions

  • Mahabodhi Temple, Bodhgaya
  • Nalanda Ancient University Ruins
  • Parinirvana Temple, Kushinagar
  • Jetavana Monastery, Sravasti
  • Vulture's Peak, Rajgir
  • Vaishali — First Buddhist Council
  • Maya Devi Temple, Lumbini
  • Sarnath Deer Park — First Sermon
Starting From

USD 365

per person | group of 10 pax

“Walk the same earth the Enlightened One walked.”

Plan your Trip Now

Tour Overview

Embark on the ultimate Buddhist pilgrimage, tracing the most sacred sites of Lord Gautama Buddha’s life across India and Nepal — departing from Bangkok (BKK). This meticulously crafted 8-Day / 7-Night private circuit for 10 pilgrims visits all the major holy sites: the Enlightenment at Bodhgaya, the ancient wisdom of Rajgir, Nalanda and Vaishali, the Parinirvana at Kushinagar, the Birthplace at Lumbini, the miracles of Sravasti, and the First Sermon at Sarnath / Varanasi — before returning full-circle through Bodhgaya to Bangkok.

Duration

8 Days / 7 Nights

Group Size

10 Pax (Private Pilgrimage)

Departure

Bangkok, Thailand (BKK)

Countries

Thailand · India · Nepal

Sacred Sites

8 Major Buddhist Holy Sites

Transport

Private AC Vehicle + Flights

Accommodation

3–5Star Pilgrim-Friendly Hotels

Meals

Daily Breakfast + Selected Dinners

Guide

Buddhist-Specialist Expert Guide

Best Season

October to March

8-DAY DETAILED ITINERARY

All ground transfers by private air-conditioned vehicle. Buddhist-specialist English-speaking guide throughout India & Nepal.

Day 1: Departure — The Sacred Journey Begins
  • Group assembly at Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) — Prime Value Tours coordinator with name boards for all 10 pilgrims
  • Check-in together, baggage drop, pre-departure group briefing on the pilgrimage
  • Flight Bangkok to Gaya International Airport (GAY) via preferred airline (approx. 4–5 hrs with connection)
  • Arrival Gaya — warmly welcomed by local Buddhist-specialist pilgrimage guide
  • Private AC vehicle transfer to Bodhgaya (12 km, approx. 20 mins)
  • Check-in: Bodhgaya Regency / Royal Residency / Sujata Hotel or similar (3–4 Star)
  • Evening: First visit to the Mahabodhi Temple complex at dusk — light offerings, incense and group prayers
  • Circumambulation (pradakshina) of the sacred Bodhi Tree — deeply moving arrival ritual
  • Welcome vegetarian dinner at hotel — guide’s orientation talk on the 8-day journey ahead

Meals: Dinner | Accommodation: Bodhgaya Regency / Royal Residency, Bodhgaya

  • SUNRISE MEDITATION at Mahabodhi Temple — dawn prayer session under the sacred Bodhi Tree (5:00 AM)
  • Full guided tour of Mahabodhi Temple UNESCO WHS — Vajrasana (Enlightenment Throne), Animesh Lochana Stupa, Jewel Walk (Ratnachankama)
  • Ajapala Nigrodha Tree site, Muchalinda Lake, Rajayatana Tree — all seven stations of the first weeks post-Enlightenment
  • Drive to Rajgir (80 km, approx. 2 hrs) — ancient capital of the Magadha kingdom
  • Vulture’s Peak (Griddhakuta Hill) — ropeway ascent to the sacred hilltop where the Buddha delivered the Heart Sutra and Lotus Sutra
  • Vishwa Shanti Stupa (Japanese Peace Pagoda) — panoramic view of the five hills surrounding Rajgir
  • Griddhakuta Hill meditation — sit where the Buddha sat and taught
  • Nalanda (12 km) — UNESCO WHS excavation ruins of the world’s first residential university (5th–12th century CE)
  • Nalanda Archaeological Museum — ancient Buddhist manuscripts, terracotta art and Pala-period sculptures
  • Drive to Patna (95 km, approx. 2 hrs) — capital of Bihar, ancient Pataliputra of Mauryan Empire
  • Check-in: Hotel Patliputra Ashok / Chanakya Hotel or similar; group dinner

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner |  Accommodation: Hotel Patliputra Ashok / Chanakya Hotel, Patna

  • Morning: Patna Museum — the famous Didarganj Yakshi Mauryan sculpture; Buddhist reliquary casket
  • Agam Kuan (Living Well) — ancient well associated with Emperor Ashoka’s era
  • Patna Sahib Gurdwara (optional) and Gandhi Ghat on the Ganges — tranquil morning riverfront
  • Drive to Vaishali (55 km, approx. 1.5 hrs) — ancient city of the Licchavi republic
  • Ashoka Pillar, Vaishali — one of the best-preserved pillars of Emperor Ashoka (249 BCE)
  • Relic Stupa of Vaishali — one of the original 8 stupas built over the Buddha’s bodily relics
  • Abhishek Pushkarini (Coronation Tank) — sacred pond of the Licchavi rulers
  • Archaeological Museum Vaishali — ancient artefacts from the time of the Buddha
  • Drive to Kushinagar (215 km, approx. 4–5 hrs) via NH-28
  • Arrival, check-in: Lotus Nikko Hotel / Hotel Lilavatee or similar
  • Parinirvana Temple — the iconic 6.1-metre gold reclining Buddha (5th century CE original) — deeply moving
  • Ramabhar Stupa (Mukutbandhan Stupa) — the cremation site of the Buddha’s physical remains
  • Evening group meditation and candlelight prayers at Parinirvana grounds

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner |  Accommodation: Lotus Nikko Hotel / Hotel Lilavatee, Kushinagar

  • Early morning circumambulation and prayers at Parinirvana Stupa at sunrise
  • Matha Kuar Shrine — beautiful 10th-century seated Buddha statue in black stone
  • Birla Temple, Kushinagar and the Thai, Japanese & Chinese monasteries in the town
  • Check-out and drive to Sonauli / Nautanwa border crossing (55 km, approx. 1.5 hrs)
  • India–Nepal border crossing at Sonauli — Prime Value Tours staff assist with documentation and customs
  • Nepal immigration clearance — visa-on-arrival assistance for all group members
  • Drive from border to Lumbini (approx. 28 km, 45 mins)
  • Check-in: Hotel Kasara Lumbini / Buddha Maya Garden Hotel or similar (4-Star)
  • Afternoon: Maya Devi Temple — the exact birthplace of Siddhartha Gautama, the Nativity Sculpture, sacred Pushkarini (birth) pond
  • Ashoka Pillar (249 BCE) — Emperor Ashoka’s own pilgrimage inscription confirming the birthplace
  • Eternal Peace Flame — symbolic group flame-lighting ceremony
  • Evening: Walk through the Lumbini Sacred Garden — monastic zone orientation

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner Accommodation: Hotel Kasara Lumbini / Buddha Maya Garden Hotel, Lumbini

  • Dawn meditation at Maya Devi Temple — final sunrise at the birthplace
  • East Monastic Zone: Myanmar Golden Temple, Chinese Zhong Hua Monastery, Korean Temple
  • West Monastic Zone: Thai Theravada Monastery (Wat Thai Lumbini) — moment of Thai-Buddhist connection
  • Royal Thai Pavilion — beautiful Lanna Thai architecture and murals in the sacred garden
  • Tilaurakot (20 km from Lumbini) — ruins of Kapilavastu Palace, where young Prince Siddhartha spent his early life
  • Nigrodharam, Kudan and Gotihawa stupas — ancient sites in the wider Lumbini Development Zone
  • Nepal–India border re-crossing at Sonauli — Prime Value Tours assistance
  • Drive to Sravasti (approx. 3 hrs from border, 170 km total)
  • Check-in: Hotel Lotus Sravasti / Gautam Buddha Hotel or similar
  • Jetavana Monastery (Anathapindika’s Grove) — the serene garden donated to the Buddha, his spiritual home for 25 rainy seasons
  • Ananda Bodhi Tree — the sacred fig tree propagated from the Bodhi Tree sapling during the Buddha’s lifetime
  • Gandha Kuti (Perfumed Chamber) — the Buddha’s own personal dwelling within Jetavana

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner |  Accommodation: Hotel Lotus Sravasti / Gautam Buddha Hotel, Sravasti

  • Early morning: Saheth-Maheth archaeological ruins — the vast excavations of ancient Sravasti city and stupas
  • Site of the Great Twin Miracle (Yamaka-patihariya) — where the Buddha performed his supreme display of supernatural power
  • Sobhanath Temple complex and remaining monastery ruins of Sravasti
  • Check-out and drive to Varanasi (approx. 4.5–5 hrs, 260 km via NH-28)
  • Enroute: Optional stop at Shravasti Museum if time permits
  • Arrival Varanasi — check-in: Hotel Clarks Varanasi / Ramada Plaza or similar (4-Star)
  • Afternoon: Drive to Sarnath (10 km) — Dhamek Stupa marking the exact spot of the First Sermon (Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta) in the Deer Park
  • Mulagandhakuti Vihara — the original monastery site with the famous Koelz frescoes
  • Sarnath Archaeological Museum — the Lion Capital of Ashoka (India’s national emblem) and the sublime Sarnath Buddha
  • Return to Varanasi; freshen up
  • Ganga Aarti ceremony at Dashashwamedh Ghat — the magnificent evening fire ritual with hundreds of oil lamps
  • Boat ride on the sacred Ganges — floating candles offering (deepdan), watching the Aarti from the water

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner |  Accommodation: Hotel Clarks Varanasi / Ramada Plaza, Varanasi

  • Pre-dawn boat ride on the Ganges — witness Varanasi awakening, sunrise ablutions on the ghats (most spiritual experience of the trip)
  • Ghats walk: Manikarnika Ghat (sacred cremation ghat), Assi Ghat, Panchaganga Ghat
  • Vishwanath Lane — the ancient temple street of Varanasi; Annapurna Temple, Kaal Bhairav Temple
  • Banaras Hindu University (BHU) campus and Bharat Kala Bhavan Museum — outstanding Buddhist & Hindu art
  • Check-out and drive to Bodhgaya (approx. 5–6 hrs, 240 km via NH-2)
  • Arrival Bodhgaya — final return to the most sacred site
  • Check-in: Bodhgaya Regency / Royal Residency (same hotel or similar)
  • Evening: Final prayers and offerings at Mahabodhi Temple — full moonlit pradakshina if timing permits
  • Group farewell merit-making ceremony — light and flower offering at the Bodhi Tree
  • Gala farewell dinner — reflection sharing, group blessings, certificate and gift distribution

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner |  Accommodation: Bodhgaya Regency / Royal Residency, Bodhgaya

  • Final dawn prayers at Mahabodhi Temple — sunrise under the Bodhi Tree, the most sacred farewell
  • Breakfast and hotel check-out
  • Group photo at the Bodhi Tree and Mahabodhi Temple facade — treasured pilgrimage memory
  • Private vehicle transfer to Gaya International Airport (GAY) — approx. 12 km
  • Departure flight from Gaya to Bangkok (BKK) via preferred routing
  • Arrival Suvarnabhumi Airport (BKK) — warm farewell by Prime Value Tours team
  • Personalized pilgrimage photo album, sacred Buddhist blessing cord (sai sin) and merit certificate distributed
  • Tour concludes — the sacred memories, merit and peace of the journey travel home with each pilgrim

Meals: Breakfast |  Accommodation: — (Departure Day)

What's Included & Not Included

Included in Your Package Not Included
  • Return airfare Bangkok (BKK) to/from Gaya (GAY) — economy class
  • 7 nights accommodation (3–4 Star, twin/double sharing)
  • Daily breakfast (7 mornings) + dinners as per itinerary (7 evenings)
  • Private AC Tempo Traveller / SUV for all ground transfers
  • Buddhist-specialist English-speaking guide for 8 days
  • All monument & museum entrance fees (Mahabodhi, Nalanda, Vaishali, Parinirvana Temple, Lumbini UNESCO Garden, Sarnath Museum etc.)
  • Ropeway tickets at Rajgir — Vulture's Peak
  • Ganga Aarti evening boat ride on the Ganges, Varanasi
  • Floating candles (deepdan) offering ceremony
  • India–Nepal–India border crossing assistance (Sonauli)
  • Nepal tourist visa-on-arrival facilitation
  • Welcome gift pack, pilgrimage merit certificate & photo album
  • 24/7 Prime Value Tours emergency pilgrimage helpline
  • WhatsApp/LINE group for real-time trip coordination
  • Personal travel insurance (mandatory — recommended)
  • Indian e-Tourist Visa fees (apply online before travel)
  • Nepal visa fees (USD 30 at border for most nationalities)
  • Tips and gratuities (guide, driver, hotel staff)
  • Camera / video permit fees at select sites
  • Personal temple donations and flower/incense offerings
  • Lunches (guide recommends local restaurants daily)
  • Beverages (all pilgrimage sites are dry/sober zones)
  • Personal laundry, minibar & phone charges
  • Expenses due to flight delays or force majeure
  • Medical expenses and travel vaccinations
  • Optional upgrades to 5-Star accommodation
  • Porter charges at hotels

Important Travel Information

Category Details
Dress Code Conservative and modest clothing is advised; loose cotton is ideal. White or saffron attire is welcomed. Shoes must be removed before entering temples, stupas, and monastery halls. A small cloth bag for shoes is recommended.
Visa Indian e-Tourist Visa (e-TV) should be applied for online at indianvisaonline.gov.in at least 4 days before departure. Nepal visa-on-arrival is available at Sonauli border for most nationalities (USD 30 / 15 days). Thai passport holders have visa-free entry to Nepal.
Health & Safety Consult a travel doctor 4–6 weeks before travel. Recommended vaccinations: Hepatitis A & B, Typhoid, Tetanus. Bottled water is advised. Carry personal medications, a basic first-aid kit, and insect repellent.
Climate Ideal travel time: October to March (pleasant temperatures: 18–28°C afternoons, 5–15°C mornings). April–June is very hot (40°C+), and July–September is monsoon season. A light jacket and shawl are recommended for early morning temple visits.
Currency Indian Rupee (INR) in India; Nepalese Rupee (NPR) in Nepal (1 INR ≈ 1.6 NPR). Thai Baht can be exchanged at airports. ATMs are available in major cities; carry sufficient INR cash for Sravasti, Kushinagar, and rural areas with limited ATM access.
Sacred Conduct Respectful silence and mindfulness are required. Clockwise pradakshina (circumambulation) at stupas is customary. No leather items inside some temples. Mobile phones should be on silent. Photography is restricted inside main shrines; consult guides.
Connectivity Indian SIM cards can be purchased at Gaya Airport (Airtel or Jio — 4G data). Nepal SIMs are available at Sonauli border or Lumbini. Most 3–4 star hotels offer Wi-Fi. Prime Value Tours WhatsApp group helps keep pilgrims connected.
Merit-Making Flowers, incense, candles, butter lamps are available at major sites (INR 20–100). Pre-arranged group merit-making ceremonies, puja rituals, and dhamma talks with resident monks can be organized by Prime Value Tours on request.

Booking Process & Terms

Booking Steps Payment & Cancellation
  1. Submit pilgrim group inquiry — names, travel dates, dietary needs
  2. Receive personalised itinerary & quote within 24 hours
  3. Review, customise and confirm program with your group
  4. Pay 30% deposit to secure the booking
  5. Receive pre-departure kit — visa guide, packing list, site briefing
  6. WhatsApp/LINE group created for all 10 pilgrims + guide
  7. Day 1: Meet coordinator at Suvarnabhumi Airport
  8. Post-tour: Photo album & pilgrimage certificate delivered
  • Deposit: 30% on booking confirmation
  • Balance: 60 days before departure date
  • Cancel 60+ days before: 80% refund
  • Cancel 30–59 days before: 50% refund
  • Cancel under 30 days: Non-refundable
  • Force majeure: Full credit note issued
  • Payments: USD / THB / bank transfer
  • Minimum: 10 pax to confirm departure

CONTACT US — BEGIN YOUR SACRED JOURNEY

HEAD OFFICE

Prime Value Tours Pvt Ltd

INDIA OPERATIONS

Bodhgaya & Varanasi Teams

NEPAL OPERATIONS

Lumbini Ground Team