In his last moments, it is said Buddha invited his followers to make pilgrimages to four sacred places; the locations of his birth at Lumbini, his enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, his first sermon at Sarnath and his death at Kushinaga. In this tour, retrace the footsteps of the Buddha in India, and explore many places central to his life and teachings. From these places and regions, the ripples of the teachings of this revolutionary thinker and meditation teacher spread throughout Asia and beyond. Explore the heritage of art, sculpture, architecture and storytelling inspired by his teachings, set in the geography and landscape in which they emerged. 

Highlights

• Benares: the hub of Indian religious life for millennia, a centre for worship, burial and celebration.
• Bodh Gaya: the centre of the Buddhist world, as the scene of the Buddha’s awakening and release from the endless cycle of birth and death
• Kushinagar: the ancient archaeological site of the Buddha’s departure from a human body and entrance into nirvana.
• Delhi: the modern capital of India, home to the museum that contains some of the greatest treasures of Indic and Buddhist civilisation.
• Sanchi: one of the greatest Buddhist monuments in the world, showing the full magnificence of Mauryan and Guptan art