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Sydney to Maharashtra: Aurangabad, Ellora and Ajanta

Sydney → Aurangabad → Ellora → Ajanta

Bibi Ka Maqbara
"The_Tomb_of_Dilras_Banu_Begum.jpg" by Ameya Kulkarni, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence
Bibi Ka Maqbara - The Taj Of Deccan (Aurangabad)
Photo: Pranaysahu26, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Rock-cut cave temples Best season (general guide): Oct–Mar

The Deccan plateau in Maharashtra holds two of India's greatest monuments, the cave temples of Ellora and Ajanta. This route spends five nights around Aurangabad. From Sydney you'll connect through Mumbai or Delhi.

How to pace it: Spend days one and two in Aurangabad: day one, Bibi Ka Maqbara; day two, Daulatabad Fort. Then spend days three and four in Ellora: day three, travel to Ellora, then the Kailasa temple; day four, Buddhist and Jain caves. Then spend day five in Ajanta: Ajanta caves and murals.

Aurangabad is the base for both sites. Bibi Ka Maqbara, a mausoleum built in the seventeenth century, recalls the Taj Mahal on a smaller scale. Daulatabad Fort, on a rocky hill, has walls, moats and tunnels.

Ellora, listed by UNESCO, has more than thirty caves cut into a cliff over several centuries, by Buddhist, Hindu and Jain communities. The Kailasa temple is the highlight, a full temple carved from a single rock, from the top down.

Ajanta, further away, lies in a horseshoe-shaped gorge. Its Buddhist caves, also listed by UNESCO, contain murals and sculptures, some among the finest surviving examples of ancient Indian painting.

Inside the caves, lighting is low to protect the paintings, so allow your eyes time to adjust.

October to March is the best time. The monsoon brings heavy rain from June to September.

Ellora is large, so allow a full day and start with the Kailasa temple before groups arrive. Ajanta needs another day, as the caves are some distance from town. Take your time in the caves with paintings; a guide or audio guide helps explain the stories they show.

Good to know: Hire a car and driver, as the sites are some distance from town. Check the weekly closing days for Ellora and Ajanta before you plan. Bring water and sun protection, and wear shoes that are easy to remove.

A torch helps in darker caves.

Suggested outline

  1. Sydney

    Start

  2. Aurangabad

    By air · 2 nights suggested

    Bibi Ka Maqbara and Daulatabad Fort.

  3. Ellora

    Overland · 2 nights suggested

    Hindu, Buddhist and Jain caves, including the Kailasa temple carved from one rock.

    Kailasa temple, Ellora
    "Courtyard and Mahabharata Reliefs at the Kailasa Temple, Ellora 01.jpg" by Rohit Sharma, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

  4. Ajanta

    Overland · 1 night suggested

    Buddhist caves with ancient painted murals in a horseshoe gorge.

    Ajanta Caves
    "Cave 26, Ajanta.jpg" by Dey.sandip, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons· licence

Day by day

  1. Day 1 · Aurangabad — Arrive; Bibi Ka Maqbara· Sydney → Aurangabad (by air) — long-haul; may arrive the next calendar day
  2. Day 2 · Aurangabad — Daulatabad Fort
  3. Day 3 · Ellora — To Ellora; the Kailasa temple· Aurangabad → Ellora (overland)
  4. Day 4 · Ellora — Buddhist and Jain caves
  5. Day 5 · Ajanta — Ajanta caves and murals· Ellora → Ajanta (overland)
  6. Day 6 · Ajanta — Travel home from Ajanta· Ajanta → Aurangabad (overland), then Aurangabad → Sydney (by air)

A suggested pace only; expedition days are set by the operator.

Flights, leg by leg

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Aurangabad

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Ellora

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