Mahabodhi, Sujata Garh and the Dungeshwari caves
Bodh Gaya · 7 hrs · Cab included · Pickup from your stay
From ₹2990 for the whole vehicle, up to 8 people. The price is per car, not per person.
Vehicles
- Swift Dzire: Sedan. Best for a couple or a small family. ₹2990 for the vehicle.
- Tata Sumo: Rugged 8-seater. The most room for the money. ₹3490 for the vehicle.
- Innova or Ertiga: The comfortable one on a long hill day. ₹4990 for the vehicle.
Bodh Gaya, and the story in the right order
Most visitors see the Mahabodhi Temple and leave. But the story of the enlightenment has three places in it: the caves on the Dungeshwari hills where the Buddha fasted for years, the village across the river where Sujata fed him, and the tree where he sat. This day takes in all three, with the monasteries and the Great Buddha in between.
It starts at six because the temple is at its best then, with the chanting and the light, and before the day's pilgrim groups arrive. Phones are not allowed inside and are left at the gate. The monasteries and the statue follow in the late morning, then the car crosses the river to Sujata Garh and goes out to the caves, about half an hour away on the hills towards Gaya.
The car is booked for the day at one flat price, for two of you or eight. Bodh Gaya's centre is walkable but the caves and the stupa are not, and the autos that go out there do not wait. Your driver does.
Your day, stop by stop
1. Mahabodhi Temple
The temple beside the Bodhi tree, on the place where the Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Open to people of every faith. At dawn the monks are chanting and the paths are quiet.
A camera ticket if you carry a camera; phones are deposited at the gate
2. The monasteries
Within a short drive of the temple, monasteries built by Buddhist countries in their own styles: Thai, Bhutanese, Tibetan, Japanese and more. Most are open in the morning and close for a while around midday.
3. Great Buddha Statue
An 80-foot seated Buddha built of sandstone and red granite blocks, unveiled in 1989, at the end of a garden lined with smaller figures of the Buddha's disciples. It is new rather than ancient, and very impressive all the same.
4. Sujata Garh
A large brick stupa across the river in Bakraur, on the spot where the young woman Sujata is said to have offered the fasting Buddha a bowl of rice and milk. Excavated and restored, and almost always quiet.
5. Dungeshwari cave temples
The hillside caves where the Buddha is believed to have practised severe austerities before coming down to Bodh Gaya. A Buddhist shrine with the emaciated Buddha sits beside a Hindu one. A steep stepped climb from the car park.
In your price
- Private vehicle with driver for the day
- Pickup and drop at your stay in Bodh Gaya
- Fuel, driver allowance and parking
- Waiting time at every stop, including the climb at Dungeshwari
- GoExplorer support number for the day
Not included
- Camera tickets
- Offerings and donations
- Meals
- Anything personal
What you pay on the day
- A camera ticket at the Mahabodhi Temple, if you carry a camera
- Offerings and donations, entirely your choice
- Lunch and anything personal
Who this suits
Pilgrims of any tradition and anyone curious about the Buddha's life. Everything except Dungeshwari is easy walking; the cave climb is steep and best skipped by anyone with bad knees, who can wait at the car while the rest go up. The sedan seats four, the Sumo eight and the Innova six, each at one flat price for the car.
What to bring
Modest clothes that cover shoulders and knees, and shoes you can slip off, as you go barefoot inside the temple compound. A warm layer for winter dawns, water and a hat for the climb, and small notes for donations if you want to give.
Heat and fog
Winter mornings can be foggy and summer middays are very hot; neither is a cancellation, and the order of the day is set around them. If the temple or the roads are closed by an official order on your date, you get a full refund or a free reschedule.
Cancellation
- More than 24 hrs before: Full refund
- Within 24 hrs: 50% refund, or reschedule free once
- No show: No refund
Safety and the operator
Run by a licensed local ground operator, one driver per vehicle, commercially registered and insured. The steps at Dungeshwari are steep and uneven; go slowly and carry water. Security checks at the Mahabodhi gate are thorough, so leave bags and phones in the car or at the cloakroom.
Questions
Is the price per person?
No. It is one price for the whole vehicle for the day. Eight of you in the Tata Sumo pay ₹3,490 between you, not each.
Can non-Buddhists enter the Mahabodhi Temple?
Yes. The temple is open to visitors of every faith. Dress modestly, take your shoes off where asked and keep your voice down near those meditating.
Can we take photos inside?
Phones are not allowed inside the temple compound and are left at the gate. Cameras are allowed on a camera ticket bought at the entrance.
Can we do this in the afternoon instead?
Ask when you book. The temple is open into the evening, but many monasteries close around midday and the Dungeshwari climb is hard in the afternoon heat, which is why the day runs in the morning.