In the Footsteps of Buddha: Nepal to India

Bite-sized trip

Itinerary:
Chitwan National Park (Nepal) - Lumbini (Nepal) - Varanasi (India)
Duration:
2 days / 1 night (flexible)
Price:
from £ 415.- per person (excluding flights)

Take a spiritual overland trip to the birthplace of Buddha in Nepal. Pass small villages and stupas before crossing into frenetic India. Drive across remote countryside, watch daily life unfold from your window and wave to goodbye to your stint in beautiful Nepal. During this trip, you’ll journey from Chitwan National Park to the ghats of the Ganges by private car. Along the way, you’ll see the landscape change. Before crossing the border you’ll spend a night in Lumbini before continuing into India.

Day 1 – Chitwan to Lumbini

You’ll depart the subtropical lowlands of Chitwan, stopping for lunch at a restaurant with gorgeous views of the green valleys. By the end of the afternoon you’ll arrive in the historic holy centre of Lumbini, scattered with ancient ruins. Since the late 1970s, Buddhist countries across the world have built their own temples here, each one more colourful than the last. It’s incredibly interesting to see how each nation interprets the Buddhist teachings.

Day 2 – Lumbini, Nepal – Varanasi, India

After breakfast you’ll visit the temples by rickshaw. The Buddhist temples built by Myanmar, Sri Lanka and China are particularly impressive. You’ll then leave Lumbini; there’s a long drive ahead, but by evening you’ll be in India! You’ll arrive at the border just after lunch and after the necessary paperwork step into India. Along the way you’ll pass small villages and see local people working on the land. You’ll drive by Sarnath, where Buddha first taught his doctrine and stop to visit the stupa.