The Route

The drive runs through Mughalsarai (now Deen Dayal Upadhyaya Nagar) and Gaya district on NH19 and connecting state highways, mostly flat Gangetic plains terrain. Total drive time is around 5–6 hours, making it a comfortable single-day trip from Varanasi.

What to See in Bodhgaya

The Mahabodhi Temple, a UNESCO World Heritage Site marking the spot where the Buddha is believed to have attained enlightenment under a Bodhi tree, is the centrepiece of any Bodhgaya visit — the current descendant of the original tree still stands beside the temple.

Bodhgaya is also home to monasteries built by Buddhist communities from across the world — Thai, Tibetan, Japanese, Bhutanese and more — each with distinct architecture, making a walk through the monastery zone worthwhile beyond the main temple itself.

Planning the Trip

Most travellers do this as a day trip from Varanasi, though an overnight in Bodhgaya lets you also see the Mahabodhi Temple at both dawn and dusk, when it's notably quieter than midday.

Combine it naturally with a Varanasi ghat visit and Sarnath (the Buddha's first-sermon site, just outside Varanasi) for a fuller North India Buddhist-Hindu pilgrimage circuit in a single trip.