Aurangabad is a historic city which is famous for its vast stretch of caves dating back to the time between the 6th and 8th century, the beautiful monument of Bibi Ka Maqbara and its close proximity to the Lonar lake, among other things. If you love history and have an eye for detail, Aurangabad is a must visit for you! We had travelled from Pune and took an overnight bus to reach Aurangabad. There are multiple trains and buses available starting from Mumbai and Pune to Aurangabad. Here is a detailed itinerary for a short three day trip to this city and a list of places to visit in Aurangabad.
Day 1 : Ajanta Caves
Kindly note that Ajanta caves are shut on Mondays, thus plan your trip likewise.
We decided to visit the Ajanta caves on the first day. We booked a local cab in advance for intercity travel. We had booked our stay at the Lotus Resort at Daulatabad which was close to Ajanta and the Daulatabad Fort.
After freshening up we left for Ajanta which took us around a 2 and half hours’ drive to reach from Daulatabad.
There are in all 26 caves to explore and it consumes an entire day to see them all.
In order to truly enjoy the ancient charm of these caves, I would suggest hiring either a local guide or one of the professional guides available at the place. The stories behind every painting and carving will make you feel like you’ve gone back in time! Please carry enough water as they don’t sell bottles of water after the entry gate. The climate is usually quite dry and will keep you thirsty for water.
After exploring the caves, do ask your guide or the locals the path to reach the waterfall. Trust me; you wouldn’t want to miss this beautiful waterfall which is formed by the unison of seven small waterfalls together. Here is a link of what the waterfall looked like in October. Ajanta Waterfall
The MTDC restaurant inside the premises serves good food and I would definitely recommend it for lunch and snacks.
My favorite statue was the 24 feet long statue of the sleeping Buddha in cave 26! Ajanta caves are a must visit place in Aurangabad. An entire day will be passed by the time you cover entire Ajanta!
Day 2 (First half): Daulatabad Fort
Daulatabad fort is another must visit place in Aurangabad. I would suggest starting your day early morning such that you reach Daulatabad fort by 9 am. Start the trek and reach the topmost point for a breathtaking view of the city. Here again, carry lots of water and snacks. I would also suggest taking a guide who will tell you amazing stories of how many armies tried to capture the fort and none ever did! He will also help you navigate through the maze (guffan) which is dark and needs flash light to see even during day light.
Day 2 (Second half): Lonar Lake
After the trek freshen up, have lunch and start your drive for Lonar. I would suggest doing a take away for lunch as it takes minimum 3 hours 15 mins (leave latest by 12:30-1 pm) to reach Lonar before 6 pm because the entry shuts by then. If you leave by 1 pm you should be there by 5 pm, which gives you exactly an hour to enjoy.
Lonar Crater Lake was created millions of years ago when a meteor struck the earth. This lake is beautiful and forms the shape of a crater. Adjoining the lake there is temple that describes the mythical story of how the lake was formed, as narrated by the locals. Explore the temple and the lake area and reach the lake after taking 100 steps downward from the temple.
For sunset view come back on top and go to the watch tower which is 500m from the entrance of the lake garden. You can ask the locals for directions or use Google maps to reach the place. The view from the watch tower is amazing. Call it a day after Lonar and have a safe trip back to city.
The uniqueness of the formation of the lake and how beautiful it looks makes it one of the places to visit in Aurangabad.
Day 3 (First half): Ellora Caves
At one of the Buddhist caves in Ellora
After breakfast leave for Ellora caves. Since you’ve already visited Ajanta, the Buddhist caves in Ellora might not seem that exciting. Many Buddhist caves were not completed and had been left abandoned. However, if you love waterfalls there is a small waterfall near the Buddhist caves that you can visit.
The main attraction of the Ellora caves is the cave 16 also called the Kailasa temple. It’s usually very crowded. There are multiple points there to check within that one cave, especially for photography enthusiasts. This cave will take the longest to explore. It is very astounding how the sculptors carved the entire temple with one monolith rock!
After visiting the Kailasa temple, head straight to the cave number 29. This cave has a lake and a beautiful waterfall. You will have to ask the ST bus to stop there when is takes the route to Jain Mandir.
After the cave 29, go to the Jain Mandir which is the last stop in that route. Unlike Ajanta, Ellora will be quite crowded and time consuming as it has a lot more caves than Ajanta.
Day 3 (Second half): Aurangabad city tour
After lunch make your way to Bibi Ka Maqbara and on the way to it, stop by at Pan Chakki. It was a mill that ran on hydropower. You can even feed the fishes in the water. We didn’t spend a lot of time here and rushed to Bibi Ka Maqbara. The miniature Taj Mahal reference of the monument is amazing. Again, this being a popular tourist spot, it is very crowded. After enjoying the sunset you can have light snacks at the stalls near the monument.
If you like visiting zoos then leave early from Bibi ka Maqbara and go to Sidharth garden. This shuts by 6 pm so manage your time accordingly. (We skipped this place though)
With this comes the end of three busy days in exploring Aurangabad. In case you don’t wish to hire a guide; do buy the tour guide book available at most of the places for minimum bucks. This book gives you all the information you need about most of the places to visit in Aurangabad and even covers few of the historical stories behind them.
I Hope this article helps you plan your trip to Aurangabad. This sums up all the places to visit in Aurangabad if your stay is short. If you plan on staying longer there are some more nearby places that you can visit. Do let me know in comments whether this was helpful and if you have any queries, feel free to ask!
Here are few photos from my trip:
My 13th Opinion 