Assemble at Cochin International Airport. Meet your Tour manager and co-travelers. Later, aboard the flight to Aurangabad. Arrive at Chikkalthana Airport. Welcome to Aurangabad! Upon arrival, upon your arrival, you will be greeted by our representative and you will be escorted to the hotel. As you arrive, check-in to the hotel and take some rest. Dinner and overnight stay at the hotel.
Meal plan: Dinner
Day 2
Ajanta Cave
After having a delicious breakfast, head out for a full-day excursion to Ajanta Caves. You will be visiting the beautiful caves of Ajanta, Nestling in an inner fold of the Sahyadri hills, 100 kms from the city of Aurangabad in the shape of a mammoth horseshoe are the 30 rock-hewn caves of Ajanta, dating from 2nd century B.C. and discovered in 1819, by a group of British Officers, these startling achievements took around 600 years to create. Carved with little more than a hammer and chisel, Ajanta, once the retreat of the Buddhist monastic orders, features several ‘Chaityas and Viharas’. The exquisite paintings and sculptures of Buddha’s life belong to the Mahayana period. Later, return back to the hotel for an overnight stay.
Meal plan: Breakfast -Lunch - Dinner
Day 3
Ellora Cave - Daulatabad Fort
Today, we head out to Ellora Caves. Impressive in their own right, are the rock-hewn temples and monasteries of Ellora that lie just 30 km away from Aurangabad city and are the meeting point for Buddhists, Jains, and Hindus. In all, there are 34 cave temples - 12 Mahayana Buddhist caves (550-750 A.D.), 17 Hindu caves (600-875 A.D.), five caves of the Jain faith (800-1000 A.D.), and 22 more caves, dedicated to Shiva, which have been recently discovered. Cave 16, the renowned Kailasa Temple dedicated to Lord Shiva, is probably the largest monolith in the world and is said to have taken 150 years to be built by 7000 laborers, working in continuous shifts. Lavishly carved and sculptured from a single rock, it bears testimony to the excellence of Dravidian art. It includes a gateway, pavilion, courtyard, vestibule, sanctum, sanctorum, and tower. The lotus design details on the columns are the finest examples of craftsmanship in the Ellora complex. After lunch, we enjoy an excursion to Daulatabad Fort, which is an ancient fortification that rises formidably from the midst of verdant greenery. Often hailed as one of the ‘seven wonders of Maharashtra’, this architectural marvel is believed to have been built in the 12th century. Also known as Devgiri Fort. Later, return back to the hotel for an overnight stay.
Meal Plan : Breakfast- Lunch- Dinner
Day 4
Pani Chakki - Bibi-ka-Maqbara
Wake up with a delicious breakfast, check-out from the hotel, and get ready to explore Aurangabad. Head towards the Pani Chakki is a late 17th-century water mill that displays the engineering skills of Malik Ambar, the architect of Aurangabad City. It is surrounded by a picturesque garden landscape dotted with fish tanks. Aurangzeb’s son built the Bibi ka-Maqbara as a tribute to his mother, Begum Rabia-ud-Durani. It is a replica of the Taj Mahal and stands out as the only example of Mughal architecture on the Deccan Plateau. Lastly, today we visit the Aurangabad Caves No 7 and 8, caves from the Mahayana school of Buddhism. Later, we will transfer to the airport on your way back home, carrying with you the memories of a truly remarkable holiday. Arrive at Cochin International Airport with the sweet memories of Benny’s Royal Tours’ Ajanta Ellora Tour.
