Aurangabad Weekend Tour | Short Trip To Aurangabad

OVERVIEW- Named after Aurangzeb, the Mughal Emperor, the Aurangabad city is known for its rich heritage. A well-known tourist destination in the state of Maharashtra, it is dotted with a number of tourist attractions and so is a perfect weekend getaway from Mumbai and Pune too. Located on the banks of the River Kham, Aurangabad is known as the gateway to the World Heritage Sites of Ajanta and Ellora Caves. A visit to this city is truly a cultural as well as an architectural delight for the tourists.

MUMBAI- Mumbai is the capital city of Maharashtra and is the financial powerhouse of the country. Also well known commercial capital of India, fast paced cosmopolitan city. This historic city, extends along the sea, has grand buildings and is the center of India's Hindi film industry. The city is famous as the center of glamour and glitz due to the presence of Indian film industry. Mumbai is also a historical city having many attractions to offer to a visitor.

PUNE- Pune is an important town of Maharashtra and is also known as Oxford of the East due to the presence of a large number of prestigious education institutes. Its ancient forts, caves, temples and bewitching natural beauty are some of the irresistible temptations for the travelers. The second largest city of Maharashtra, Pune, is the place which was home to the Maratha leader, Shivaji for a long time. This calm city was also resided by the self-proclaimed guru, Bhagwan Rajneesh, also known as Osho.

AURANGABAD- Aurangabad Known for its medieval monuments and cultural heritage, the city of Aurangabad was the seat of the Mughal Empire for a short span. The town has derived its name from Aurangzeb, the Mughal emperor, and it served as the headquarters during his governorship over Deccan. It is a world famous city due to the presence of the Ajanta and Ellora caves regarded as the world heritage sites. These sites have Buddhist, Jain and Hindu temples.

Tour Destination: Mumbai/Pune - Aurangabad - Mumbai/Pune

Travel Duration: 02 Nights/03 Days

DAY 1: MUMBAI/PUNE - AURANGABAD

Drive to the heritage city of Aurangabad. Transfer to hotel. Evening free for leisure activities.

Overnight at Hotel.

DAY 2: AURANGABAD

After breakfast, full day city tour of Aurangabad

DAULATABAD FORT- The Fort is a 14th century fort situated about 16 kms from Aurangabad, in a town called Daulatabad or Devagiri. Considered to be one of the seven wonders of Maharashtra today, Devagiri was famous in historical times as the capital of the Tughlaq dynasty. Located on the top of a conical hill, this triangular fort also carries the distinction of having remained undefeated in battle.

AURANGABAD CAVES- Excavated from the soft rock during the 6th and 7th century, the caves are divided into two separate locations - Western Group Caves having caves 1-5 and Eastern Group Caves having caves 6-10, located 1 km from apart. The image and designing is molded by Tantric Hinduism.

GRIHNESHWAR JYOTIRLINGA TEMPLE- Being one of the 12 Jyotirlinga's, the Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga Temple is a popular attraction in the religious tourism circuit of Maharashtra. Located about 30kms from Aurangabad, built of red rocks, the temple was built pre-historic architectural style complete with 5 tiered shikhara. It is said, holy water springs from inside the temple.

ELLORA CAVES- It showcases the experiments that had carried out by Hindu, Buddhist and Jain monks some 600 to 300 years back. It is believed that the structures were carved between 350 AD to 700 AD. It is an archaeological site, around 29 km from Aurangabad. Ellora caves are a UNESCO world heritage site.

AJANTA CAVES- One of the oldest caves in the country, the Ajanta Caves are 30 odd rock-cut caves that date back to the second century BC. These Buddhist monuments are known for their murals, paintings and sculptures that have defined Indian art over time. Today, they are a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a protected monument under the Archaeological Survey of India.

BIBI KA MAQBARA- A replica of the Taj Mahal, the Bibi-ka-Maqbara is the only example of Mughul architecture of its kind in the Deccan plateau. It was built in 1679 by Aurangzeb's son, in tribute to his mother, Begum Rabia Durani. Due to its resemblance to the Taj Mahal, it is also called the Dakkhani Taj (Taj of the Deccan).

Overnight at Hotel.

DAY 3: AURANGABAD - MUMBAI/PUNE

Day free for leisure and later, drive back to Mumbai/Pune to catch your flights/train towards onward destination.

Distance & Time (Approx)