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Dhamek Stupa Sarnath

Buddhist Footsteps: Sarnath, Kushinagar & Sravasti

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Varanasi

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Evynx Curated

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Buddhist Footsteps: Sarnath, Kushinagar & Sravasti

Varanasi · Kushinagar · Sravasti · Varanasi·
TOUR RATING
New on Evynx

A private UP Buddhist circuit through Sarnath, Kushinagar and Sravasti, guides throughout.

About this tour

The four most sacred sites of Theravada Buddhism lie along a single corridor of eastern Uttar Pradesh, and this six-day private circuit connects them without detours or dead time - Varanasi as the gateway, and Sarnath, Kushinagar, and Sravasti as the three pillars pilgrims from Japan, Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, and Korea have walked for over a thousand years. It opens on the Ganga with the Dashashwamedh Aarti from a private wooden boat, then Sarnath, where Siddhartha gave his first sermon in 528 BCE in the deer park beneath the Dhamekh Stupa, its museum holding the Lion Capital of Ashoka. Kushinagar follows with the fifth-century reclining Buddha of the Parinirvana Stupa and the brick cremation stupa of Ramabhar, and Sravasti with the Jetavana monastery, where the Buddha kept twenty-four rainy-season retreats beneath the Anandabodhi tree. A private, flexible-date pilgrimage with guides throughout, for travellers tracing the Buddha's own ground.

Highlights

  • Dhamekh Stupa Sarnath - 34-metre cylindrical stupa at Buddha's first sermon deer park, 528 BCE
  • Parinirvana Stupa Kushinagar - 5th-century reclining Buddha monolith, site of final nirvana
  • Ramabhar Stupa Kushinagar - ancient brick cremation stupa of Lord Buddha, surrounded by forest
  • Jetavana Monastery Sravasti - where Buddha spent 24 rainy-season retreats, Anandabodhi Tree
  • Sarnath Archaeological Museum - Lion Capital of Ashoka, original 5th-century Seated Buddha sculpture

Inclusions & Exclusions

IncludedExcluded
  • Varanasi 1N + Kushinagar 2N + Sravasti 1N + Varanasi 1N - 5 nights at pilgrimage resorts
  • Private vehicle for all transfers across 6 days: Varanasi, Sarnath, Kushinagar, Sravasti, return
  • Specialist licensed guide for Sarnath, Kushinagar and Sravasti archaeological sites
  • Private wooden boat for Ganga Aarti cruise (D1 evening), Varanasi
  • Meals as listed - daily hotel breakfast included throughout
  • Flights or trains to Varanasi (VNS / Varanasi Junction) - book independently
  • Sarnath Museum entry (closed Fridays); Kushinagar Parinirvana Temple entry - paid on site
  • Camera fees at Jetavana and international monastery photography - charged on site
  • Travel insurance
Curated by
Evynx Travel & Experience
Operated byVerified
Evynx Curated
Based in: India
Operator Rating
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Itinerary at a Glance

Varanasi (2D) · Kushinagar (2D) · Sravasti (2D) · Varanasi (1D)
1

Varanasi Arrival, Ganga Aarti Boat Cruise and Buddhist Circuit Briefing

Varanasi Airport · Dashashwamedh Ghat · Ganga Aarti · private wooden boat
Night: Varanasi · Drive: 0-2 hrs · Pace: Relaxed
2

Sarnath First Sermon Site and Long Transit to Kushinagar

Sarnath · Dhamekh Stupa · Ashoka Pillar · Sarnath Museum · Kushinagar
Night: Kushinagar · Drive: 4-6 hrs · Pace: Fast
3

Kushinagar Mahaparinirvana Shrines and Ramabhar Stupa

Parinirvana Stupa · Reclining Buddha · Ramabhar Stupa · international monasteries · meditation
Night: Kushinagar · Drive: 0-2 hrs · Pace: Relaxed
4

Cross-Country Transit to Sravasti and Jetavana Monastery Groves

Sravasti · Jetavana Monastery · Anandabodhi Tree · Gandhakuti · Angulimala Stupa
Night: Shravasti · Drive: 4-6 hrs · Pace: Fast
5

Sravasti to Varanasi Return Transit and Farewell Evening

Varanasi · Banarasi silk · farewell dinner
Night: Varanasi · Drive: 4-6 hrs · Pace: Fast
6

Final Varanasi Departure

Varanasi Airport · Varanasi Junction
Drive: 0-2 hrs · Pace: Relaxed

Itinerary

DAY 1

Varanasi Arrival, Ganga Aarti Boat Cruise and Buddhist Circuit Briefing

Meeting Time: Shared after booking
Night: Varanasi · Drive: 0-2 hrs · Pace: Relaxed

Arrive at Varanasi Airport, transfer to your hotel, and spend the evening on a private wooden boat cruise at Dashashwamedh Ghat for the Ganga Aarti. Your guide briefs you on the six-day Buddhist circuit ahead.

DAY 2

Sarnath First Sermon Site and Long Transit to Kushinagar

Meeting Time: 8:30 AM
Night: Kushinagar · Drive: 4-6 hrs · Pace: Fast

Begin at Sarnath - the deer park where Buddha delivered his first sermon - exploring the Dhamekh Stupa, Ashoka Pillar, and the Archaeological Museum. Then drive 5.5 hours to Kushinagar for an early check-in.

DAY 3

Kushinagar Mahaparinirvana Shrines and Ramabhar Stupa

Meeting Time: 8:30 AM
Night: Kushinagar · Drive: 0-2 hrs · Pace: Relaxed

Spend a full day at Kushinagar - the site of Buddha's final nirvana - visiting the Parinirvana Stupa, the 5th-century Reclining Buddha, the Ramabhar Stupa cremation ground, and the international monastery quarter.

DAY 4

Cross-Country Transit to Sravasti and Jetavana Monastery Groves

Meeting Time: 8:00 AM
Night: Shravasti · Drive: 4-6 hrs · Pace: Fast

Drive 5 hours west from Kushinagar to Sravasti. Spend the afternoon at the Jetavana Monastery, the Anandabodhi Tree, the Gandhakuti meditation hut, and the Angulimala Stupa. Night in Sravasti.

DAY 5

Sravasti to Varanasi Return Transit and Farewell Evening

Meeting Time: 8:30 AM
Night: Varanasi · Drive: 4-6 hrs · Pace: Fast

Start early for the long 6.5-hour return drive from Sravasti to Varanasi. Arrive mid-afternoon for a relaxed evening - Banarasi silk shopping and a farewell dinner on the ghats.

DAY 6

Final Varanasi Departure

Meeting Time: 10:00 AM
Drive: 0-2 hrs · Pace: Relaxed

Checkout from your Varanasi hotel. Transfer to Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport (VNS) or Varanasi Junction Railway Station. Tour concludes in Varanasi.

Requirements

What you’ll need and key rules before you go.

What you’ll need
Essentials
  • Government photo ID (Aadhaar, passport or voter ID) - mandatory for all site entries
  • Comfortable walking shoes - Sarnath, Kushinagar and Sravasti involve significant open-site walking
  • Light cotton clothing for temple courtyards; socks required at Parinirvana Temple sanctum
  • Small daypack with water, sunscreen and hat for open archaeological site visits
Optional
  • Noise-cancelling earphones if visiting crowded monastery corridors during peak season
  • Binoculars for architectural detail on the Dhamekh Stupa upper frieze at Sarnath
  • Personal meditation mat for Jetavana Monastery seated meditation sessions
  • Light fleece for early-morning Ramabhar Stupa forest walks (October to February)
Rules & entry
  • Remove footwear before entering Parinirvana Temple sanctum and Mahaparinirvana stupa floor
  • Photography inside Parinirvana Temple and some monastery prayer halls is prohibited
  • Sarnath Archaeological Museum is closed every Friday - avoid scheduling Museum on Fridays
  • Maintain silence and decorum at Ramabhar Stupa - active Buddhist cremation memorial site

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Cancellation & Refunds Policy

Effective date: 15 Oct 2026

This policy applies to all Tours booked on Evynx, unless a specific tour page clearly states a different policy ("Special Policy"). By booking a Tour, you agree to the terms below. Full policy (V1): evynx.com/cancellation-refund.

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Part Payment balance due 21 days before travel.

  • Within eligible 24-hour window: platform fee only
  • After 24 hours up to 21 days before travel: 10% of package price
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  • Under 7 days, at least 48 hours before: no cash; 10% of the package price, up to Rs. 10,000.
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Part Payment balance due 14 days before travel.

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A quick example

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Use on any eligible Evynx booking. Book within 3 months; travel within 12 months after that. One conversion per cancelled booking. Late-cancellation credit bands on evynx.com/cancellation-refund.

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If your operator cancels

Full refund including platform fee, or reschedule at no additional cost.

If the trip cannot go ahead

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Changing a traveller's name

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How to cancel and when your refund arrives

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