I never had that much interest in caves so I always thought of planning for this place but ended up with some other options but finally after six years i made a plan to visit this place(as it is very very famous). I planned for three days. Believe me its very beautiful place. Although paints and designs are faded now , few walls are broken , few caves got closed but if you are still planning for this place then HURRY and plan it soon. Otherwise you won't be able to see the beautiful work after few years.
There are multiple options available over social media and search engine. But we always get confused which one to use and which one not. So i am gonna share only few important things which we required while planning and which i found best useful for me. Hope this little and important (Short and sweet) information will be helpful for you as well. :)
1.) How to reach :- I booked BUS from Pune to Aurangabad , it takes around 5-6 hours. There are lots of bus option available from PUNE and MUMBAI. You can go via train and flight as well. But if you are comfortable with bus then choose bus over other as it is cheaper , convenient then other options.
2.) Place to stay :- ZOSTEL , I found this on HOSTELWORLD app , one of the best and reliable app which i found among all available apps and sites. I really like the concept of Zostel in India. They try to provide you everything with in limited premises and at cheapest price. Here in Aurangabad ,they have many board games , small golf area , books and young friendly staff.
3.) Transportation with in City :- You can rent a bike (or Scooty), car or you can use Public transport. For Public transport you have to wait for long time and it is time consuming but it is the cheapest option. For Hiring a Car , you can share Car with others if you are travelling solo or with small group. only the constraint is you have to find people who have the same plan. Third option is renting a BIKE, I rented bike for two days and for one day i shared cab for Ajanta caves. If you are renting a bike then you can roam around the city and places which you want to explore. You can stay long or cover quick based on your mood. I really like riding a bike. It is very comfortable and convenient option for you.
4.) Places to cover in and around city :- I have listed down all the places which i have covered in three days. Find below details :-
Day 1:-
•Daulatabad fort :- Time - 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM , 25 Rs Entry charges
•Ellora caves and Jain caves Ellora (Kailasa temple ellora) :- Time - 8:00 AM - 6:00 PM , 40 Rs Entry charges
•Grishneshwar jyotirlinga temple :- No fix time as such
•Mhaismal Hill station :- No fix time as such
•Bhadra Maruti temple :- No fix time as such
•Bani begum garden (Government Botanical Garden) :- Time - 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM
Day 2 :-
•Ajanta caves :- Time - 9:00 AM - 5:30 PM , 20 Rs Entry charges + 45 Rs maintenance changes + 40 Rs to and fro for Shuttle.
•Gul mandi (Shopping Market) :-No fix time as such , shops get closed around 9 Pm.
Day 3 :-
•Gautala wildlife sanctuary :- Time - 9:00 AM - 6:00 PM
•Goga baba hill :- No fix time as such
•Aurangabad caves :- No fix time as such
•Bibi ka maqbara :- Time - 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM , 25 Rs Entry charges
•Panchakki :- Time - 6:30 PM - 9:30 PM , 10 Rs Entry charges
•Siddharth Garden :- Time - 9:00 AM - 7:00 PM
•Himayat Bagh :- No fix time as such but they haven't allowed me to go inside in evening as i was travelling alone. Its better to come in morning from 7 AM -9 AM.
Places i missed :-
Lonar Lake
Pitalkhora Buddhist caves
Places for Food:-
You can have Sunday special Dal bati on KAKAJI'S Veg Restaurant in Aurangabad(https://g.page/Kakajisveg?share). You can try famous ice ball at ICY SPICY (https://goo.gl/maps/m3LuV4rRBx9zHEQw6). In Ellora you can try breakfast at Vrindavan restaurant , i had delicious Idli with Sambhar and yumm chutney. For lunch in Ellora you can try at Ellora Restaurant , they have Thali system. It was good.
Imp Links :-
Bike rent :- https://goo.gl/maps/wHQVm4xZHgasRNtz9
ZOSTEL :- https://g.page/zostel-aurangabad?share
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