Ajanta-Ellora travel guide

2 to 3 daysHow long to stay

Budget to mid-rangeRough cost

Couples, Families, SoloWho it suits

Maharashtrathe West Coast

Is this for you?

These are India's great cave sites: Buddhist wall paintings at Ajanta, and Buddhist, Hindu and Jain temples carved into a hillside at Ellora. They sit away from the usual tourist circuit and take whole days in a car. Come if you're curious and you like history. Monday and Tuesday closures shape your plan. If long drives for old stone don't appeal, skip it.

When to go

Go in the coloured months. The black ones are best avoided.

What to do

Ajanta Caves

Painted Buddhist caves, about 90 to 110 km from Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar (2 to 2.5 hours by road). Open 9 am to 5 pm, closed on Mondays.

Ellora Caves

34 caves, about 30 km from the city (45 minutes): 12 Buddhist, 17 Hindu and 5 Jain. Don't miss the Kailasa temple in Cave 16.

Daulatabad Fort

Pair this fort with Ellora on the same day.

Bibi ka Maqbara

A maqbara is a tomb, and this one makes an easy end to your second day after Ellora and Daulatabad.

Aurangabad Caves

Twelve Buddhist caves behind the Maqbara, if you have an optional third day.

What to eat

You'll eat in the city, Aurangabad, now officially Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, not at the caves. It has one dish worth seeking out: naan qalia, a meal shaped by the city's Muslim courts.

Naan qalia

A slow-cooked soupy mutton curry with turmeric-brushed naan, a flatbread. The city's signature dish, and the one to plan around.

Sheermal

A soft flatbread rich with saffron and ghee (clarified butter), eaten with curries.

Vegetarian

Tahri

A rice dish like pulao, with spices, red meat and boiled potatoes.

Thalipeeth

A Maharashtrian pancake of ground grains and vegetables. A good vegetarian choice.

Vegetarian

Where to go

Bhoj Thali RestaurantCBS Road

Refillable vegetarian Rajasthani and Gujarati thalis, the reliable choice after a long cave day.

Mid-range, vegetarian

New Maratha HotelGulmandi

Spicy mutton curries and biryani.

Cheap eats

Sagar RestaurantBuddi Lane

Naan qalia and biryani. A plain place, and one reviewer found it slow and not very clean.

Cheap eats

Tandoor Restaurant and BarStation Road

Tandoori chicken and butter chicken when you want a drink too.

Mid-range

Cave 26 is a Buddhist chaitya-griha dating to the later phase of Ajanta and is noted for its elaborate rock-cut architecture and sculptural — Rohit Sharma, CC BY-SA 4.0

Ellora is an archeological site 30 km from the city of Aurangabad in the Indian state of Maharashtra. Famous for its monumental caves, Ellor — Vinayaraj, CC BY-SA 4.0

The Kailasa Temple at Ellora (Cave 16) is a remarkable example of rock-cut architecture, commissioned in the 8th century by Rashtrakuta king — Rohit Sharma, CC BY-SA 4.0

Kailasa temple is a megalith carved out of one single basalt rock. Its construction is attributed to king Krishna I (c. 8th century). It is — Vyacheslav Argenberg, CC BY 4.0

Bibi ka Maqbara, located in Aurangabad, Maharashtra, is a beautiful 17th-century tomb built by Prince Azam Shah in memory of his mother, Dil — Rohit Sharma, CC BY-SA 4.0

Naan Qalia, a dish well known in Deccan region of India — Nefirious (talk) 07:52, 26 July 2009 (UTC), CC BY-SA 3.0

Getting there

Base yourself in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar, formerly Aurangabad, which has an airport and a station. From Mumbai CSMT, Vande Bharat 20706 leaves at 13:15 and arrives at 18:43, not Thursdays. Back, 20705 leaves at 08:25 and arrives at 14:15, not Wednesdays. Confirm on IRCTC, the national booking site. Hire a car and driver for day trips.

Where to stay

Chikalthana and Airport Road One guide lists mid-range branded hotels here, close to the airport, which suits you if you're flying.

Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.

CIDCO and Jalna Road One guide lists mid-range to upscale hotels here, your pick if you want a bit more comfort.

Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.

Station area One guide lists low to mid-priced rooms near the railway station and bus stand, which is handy if you're coming by train.

Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.

Worth knowing

Opening

Never plan Ajanta on a Monday or Ellora on a Tuesday, and confirm Ellora's day, as sources conflict. Check the foreigner ticket price at the window, because we couldn't confirm it.

Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.

Rules

In Maharashtra the minimum age is 25 for spirits (a permit rule) and 21 for beer. The excise manual we read is undated, so expect to be asked for ID.

Plan a trip around this