2-Day Ajanta and Ellora Caves Tour from Aurangabad: Skip-the-Line

Two UNESCO cave complexes 30 caves total, explored with a guide who speaks your language.

A 2-day private tour from Aurangabad covering the Ajanta Caves (30 rock-cut Buddhist monuments from the second century BC) and the Ellora Caves (temples and monasteries representing Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism), plus Bibi Ka Maqbara. Skip-the-line entry, professional guide in English or one of five other languages, private air-conditioned transport, meals at local restaurants, and all entry fees are included. You can catch a flight after 2 p.m. on day two if needed.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1: Exploring the Mystical Ajanta Caves

• Depart Aurangabad early morning
• Travel to Ajanta Caves
• Tour Ajanta Caves
• Lunch at local restaurant
• Return to Aurangabad

Day 2: Discovering Ellora Caves and Bibi Ka Maqbara

• Breakfast at hotel
• Drive to Ellora Caves
• Explore Ellora Caves
• Lunch at local restaurant
• Visit Bibi Ka Maqbara
• Return to Aurangabad
• Return to hotel or depart

The experience

Day one starts with a 7 or 8 a.m. pickup from your Aurangabad hotel. The drive to Ajanta takes 2 hours covering 100 km. The caves sit in the Waghora River valley and hold 30 rock-cut Buddhist monuments carved into the hillside. Your guide walks you through the intricate sculptures and frescoes that depict the Buddha's life and Buddhist legends. Lunch comes at a local restaurant around 1 or 2 p.m., then you return to Aurangabad and check into your hotel.

Day two begins with breakfast at the hotel at 7 a.m. At 8 a.m. you depart for Ellora Caves, a 1-hour drive about 30 km away. Ellora holds rock-cut temples and monasteries from three religions: the Kailash Temple (Cave 16), a monolithic structure carved from a single rock face and dedicated to Lord Shiva, sits alongside Buddhist caves, Hindu caves with stories from mythology, and Jain caves with detailed carvings. After lunch at 1 p.m., you visit Bibi Ka Maqbara, built by Azam Shah in memory of his mother. It stands 7 km from Aurangabad city. Return to your hotel or head to the airport between 2 and 6 p.m.

The tour runs private: you travel in an air-conditioned sedan or SUV with your own driver and guide. Skip-the-line access means you walk past the queue at both cave sites. Your guide speaks English, or you can book multilingual service in French, German, Japanese, Spanish or Italian. Shuttle bus tickets and a torch for cave exploration are provided. Note that shoes come off inside some Ajanta caves. Polythene socks help if you prefer to keep them on. Ajanta closes Mondays and Ellora closes Tuesdays.

What’s included

• Skip-the-line entry to Ajanta Caves, Ellora Caves and Bibi Ka Maqbara.
• private air-conditioned transport (sedan or SUV).
• professional guide in English or your choice of French, German, Japanese, Spanish or Italian.
• shuttle bus tickets and torch for cave exploration.
• lunch on both days at local restaurants.
• all tolls, parking, fuel and handling charges.
• water bottle.

Options for this experience

4 options

SUV, English guide and ticketUp to 4 per booking · 06:30 and 08:30Private SUV with English guide: a private air-conditioned SUV (Innova Crysta), monument entry tickets and a professional English-speaking guide. Hotel and meals are not included. Pickup is included.

Language guide, tickets and SUVUp to 4 per booking · Guide in 6 languages · 08:30Private SUV with language guide: an air-conditioned SUV, entry tickets and a professional multilingual guide who speaks French, German, Japanese, Spanish and Italian fluently. Pickup is included.

Sedan, English guide and ticketUp to 2 per booking · 06:30 and 08:30Private sedan with English guide: a private air-conditioned sedan (Toyota Etios), monument entry tickets and a professional English-speaking guide. Hotel and meals are not included. Pickup is included.

Sedan, language guide and ticketUp to 2 per booking · Guide in 6 languages · 08:30Private sedan with language guide: an air-conditioned sedan, entry tickets and a professional multilingual guide who speaks French, German, Japanese, Spanish and Italian fluently. Pickup is included.

You pick the guide language when booking.

You see the exact price of each option when you check availability.See dates & prices

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 06:30 and 08:30

Book up toStart time

AgesAdult (15 and older) · Under 15: can't be included in the booking

GroupPrivate

Live guideEnglish, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Japanese

Meeting point and pickupHotel pickup included.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.

Prices and times updated 3 days ago

Good to know

Easy physical level

Operated by Tour My Choice

Is this one for you?Pick the sedan for two or the SUV for larger groups. Choose your guide's language based on what your group speaks, and book the 2-day itinerary if you need to fit both cave sites plus an evening departure on day two.

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Top questions

What languages is the guide in?

Live guide in English, Spanish, French, German, Italian and Japanese.

How far are Ajanta Caves from Aurangabad, and how long does the drive take?

Ajanta Caves sit 100 km from Aurangabad and take 2 hours to reach by car on day one of the tour.

Can I catch a flight the afternoon of day two?

Yes. The itinerary ends by 4 p.m., and the driver can drop you at the airport anytime between 2 and 6 p.m., so a flight after noon is feasible.

What is Kailash Temple at Ellora Caves?

Kailash Temple (Cave 16) is a monolithic marvel carved from a single rock face and dedicated to Lord Shiva. It stands as one of the most spectacular structures at Ellora.

Are there days when the caves are closed?

Ajanta Caves close every Monday and Ellora Caves close every Tuesday, so plan your dates around these closures.

What happens if I want to remove my shoes inside the caves?

Shoes must be removed in some caves at Ajanta. You can carry polythene socks to avoid walking barefoot if you prefer.