The Buddhist Circuit traces the major sites of Gautam Buddha's life across northern India — from his enlightenment to his final teachings — and remains one of the world's most significant living pilgrimage routes, drawing Buddhist travelers from every continent.
The Core Sites, In Brief
- Bodh Gaya (Bihar): where Buddha attained enlightenment beneath the Bodhi Tree — the most sacred site in Buddhism.
- Sarnath (Uttar Pradesh): where Buddha delivered his first sermon, founding the Sangha.
- Rajgir (Bihar): where Buddha taught for years from Vulture's Peak, and where the First Buddhist Council was later held.
- Nalanda (Bihar): the ancient Buddhist university that carried his teachings forward for over 700 years.
- Vaishali (Bihar): where Buddha gave his last sermon before travelling on to Kushinagar.
- Sravasti (Uttar Pradesh): where Buddha spent more time than anywhere else, based at the Jetavana Monastery.
- Kushinagar (Uttar Pradesh): where Buddha passed into Mahaparinirvana at around 80 years of age.
- Sanchi (Madhya Pradesh): home to the Great Stupa Emperor Ashoka built to house Buddha's relics.
(Lumbini, Buddha's birthplace, lies just across the border in Nepal and is often combined with this circuit by pilgrims travelling through Kushinagar.)
Planning a Trip Across the Circuit
Most travelers base themselves in Bihar (Patna, Gaya, or Bodh Gaya) and Uttar Pradesh (Varanasi, Gorakhpur, or Kushinagar), since Rajgir, Nalanda, and Vaishali sit close together in Bihar, while Sarnath, Sravasti, and Kushinagar are grouped across eastern Uttar Pradesh. Sanchi, in Madhya Pradesh, is more easily combined with a separate trip through central India.
Best Time to Visit
October to March offers the most comfortable travel weather across the entire circuit. Buddha Purnima, Buddha's birth anniversary (usually in May), is the most spiritually significant time to visit but also the busiest.
Getting Around
Distances between circuit sites within Bihar and Uttar Pradesh are manageable by road, and a local car or tempo traveler is often the most practical way to cover several sites in a single trip without relying on train schedules between smaller towns.
Read our detailed guides for each site linked above for history, entry fees, exact directions, and more.
