Ajanta, Ellora & Amaravathi Cultural Buddhist Tour: 8 Days

Depart Colombo and arrive in Hyderabad, the historic city of the Deccan. Transfer to the hotel, with an evening at leisure.

Travel through the Krishna River valley to Amaravathi, one of the most important centres of early Buddhism in southern India and the ancient capital of the Satavahana kingdom.

Worship at the Amaravathi Mahachaitya, the great stupa whose carved marble railings are among the finest works of Buddhist art, then visit the Archaeological Museum, and see the 125-foot Dhyana Buddha statue overlooking the Krishna River.

Return to Hyderabad and fly to Aurangabad, the gateway city to the cave temples of Maharashtra. Evening at leisure.

A full day at the Ajanta caves, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of about 30 Buddhist cave monasteries and prayer halls cut into a horseshoe-shaped gorge, famous for murals depicting the Jataka stories, among the oldest surviving Buddhist paintings in the world.

Explore the Ellora caves, where Buddhist, Hindu and Jain shrines were carved side by side over five centuries. Highlights include the multi-storey Buddhist viharas and the Kailasa temple, the largest single monolithic rock excavation in the world.

Travel to Mumbai for an afternoon city drive: the Gateway of India, Marine Drive and time for shopping before the final night of the tour.

Transfer to the airport for the return flight to Colombo.