North & East
Following Buddha: Enlightenment, Learning & Legacy
“Bodh Gaya, Rajgir, Nalanda & Sarnath”
Trace the places where an Indian prince became the Buddha, where his teachings took root, and where the ideas that travelled across Asia were debated, preserved and carried forward. This is not a conventional pilgrimage: it is a journey through the geography of Buddha’s life, ideas and intellectual legacy in India, open to anyone regardless of religious identity. Pricing is provisional and confirmed before any advance payment is taken.
Trip trajectory & transit passages
Delhi
This is not a conventional pilgrimage circuit and is deliberately paced with breathing room between sites rather than stacked sightseeing. Bodh Gaya can become intensely crowded around Buddha Purnima in May and during the Dalai Lama’s periodic winter teachings, both of which are worth checking against travel dates. Ground distances between Rajgir, Nalanda and Bodh Gaya are short; the longer transfers are into and out of the Gangetic plain towns. Pricing is provisional until our ground partner confirms it.
Applies to both tiers unless an entry says otherwise. Choose a tier under “Modular swaps & pricing” to see just yours.
- All ground transport between cities
- Accommodation per selected tier
- Daily breakfast
- Guided cultural and monastic-site experiences as listed in the itinerary
- Entry fees for all listed sites
- A dedicated English speaking guide
- Permits for the Nalanda excavation site
- International flights to and from India (you book these yourself)
- Travel insurance
- Alcohol
- Personal expenses and tips
- The optional Vaishali extension
- Delhi to Gaya: whether it’s included is confirmed in your quotation
- Gorakhpur to Delhi, for your onward departure: whether it’s included is confirmed in your quotation
Both tiers follow the same itinerary. Questions are always welcome: a real person will explain exactly what's included at your tier, and help you work through any changes.
Paid in the UK, in pounds
We’re a small UK-based team. When you book, you pay us directly in pounds, so there’s no overseas transfer to arrange and no separate agent to chase.
Shape it with us, before and after you book
Swap a city, shift your dates or change the service tier while we plan it together: nothing is fixed until you choose to book. After that, we’ll still help with changes, and tell you what’s possible and any cost before you agree.
A person replies, within one to two days
Every enquiry reaches a member of the team directly, with a personal reply within one to two days, by whichever contact method you prefer. Questions are always welcome.
Every enquiry becomes a dossier
We don’t just email back a price. Within one to two days, we send a first proposal: suggested dates, your chosen module swaps and an indicative land price. Hotels, dates and the final price are confirmed with our ground partner before you book.
Ready to make this yours?
Tell us when, how many of you, and any swaps you have in mind. A real person replies within one to two days. Nothing is fixed until you choose to book, and questions are always welcome.
Not sure this is the one?
Five questions, no typing required. We'll match you to one of the eight routes: this one, or another.
Getting there
Join, leave, and everything in between.
Join
Delhi (DEL)
Indira Gandhi International Airport
Private transfer from central Delhi, typically 45 minutes to an hour, followed by a short flight to Gaya to begin the route.
Leave
Gorakhpur (GOP)
Gorakhpur Airport
Around 56km from Kushinagar, roughly an hour’s drive: a short, practical transfer at the end of the itinerary.
Alternative gateway
Varanasi (VNS) : Lal Bahadur Shastri International Airport
Varanasi is already a stop on the route before Kushinagar; using it as the exit point instead of Gorakhpur means backtracking, roughly 4.5 hours by road from Kushinagar.
Primary hub: Delhi (DEL)
Fly into Delhi to join the journey. Kushinagar has its own airport, opened in 2021, but it has had no scheduled commercial service since November 2023, so the practical return connection is a short transfer to Gorakhpur, well connected to Delhi by frequent domestic flights. Travellers who would rather exit with limited direct international options, or extend their stay in Varanasi, can use that instead, at the cost of backtracking partway along the route.
You can arrive in Delhi early or stay on in India afterwards. Rooetd does not require your international flight to match our itinerary exactly: we reconfirm the Gorakhpur/Varanasi return routing with you before booking, since Kushinagar’s own airport status could change.
4 real trips through Following Buddha: Enlightenment, Learning & Legacy, not stock footage
Not staged for us. Real people's real trips, on camera: food, heritage sites, and the everyday texture of the route.
The Bodhi tree & Mahabodhi Temple Complex, Bodh Gaya | India Video
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Varanasi Assi Ghat Ganga Aarti Food Tour | Veggie Paaji Banaras EP 3
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2 Days in Banaras | Stay, Food, Travel, Best Ghats & Ganga Aarti
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