Ajanta is a little more remote than Ellora, which shapes how most visitors plan their trip — it's usually treated as a separate day's excursion rather than combined with Ellora in a single day.
Nearest Transport Hubs
Aurangabad, roughly 100 km away, is the most common base with the nearest airport and major railway station. Jalgaon, around 60 km away, is actually the closer railway option if you're approaching from the north or east.
Getting from Aurangabad
Taxis and MSRTC buses run from Aurangabad to the Ajanta base area — a taxi gives more flexibility for the return trip, while buses are the budget option but run on a fixed schedule.
A Typical Day Trip Structure
Most visitors leave Aurangabad early morning, spend 3-4 hours at the caves and viewpoint, have lunch at the base area's facilities, and return by mid-to-late afternoon — the round trip plus visit typically fills most of a day.
Combining with Ellora
Because Ajanta and Ellora are roughly 100 km apart from each other (not close together despite both being near Aurangabad), most travellers visit them on two separate days rather than trying to combine both into one exhausting trip.
