Varanasi: Sarnath Temple Guided Tour with Tuk Tuk Ride｜India

Explore the holy Buddhist site of Sarnath on a guided tour from Varanasi. Visit the ruins, the stupa, the Buddhist temple, and the museum. Admire the Ashok Pillar with its four guardian lions, used as independent India’s national emblem.

Start your tour with pickup from your hotel in Varanasi. Travel to Sarnath by tuk-tuk and meet your guide at the Mulagandhakuti Temple. Head inside to see the beautiful frescoes depicting the life of Lord Buddha.

Next, visit the holy Bodhi Tree, which is considered the most sacred tree in Buddhism. Walk 300 meters towards the excavation site of Buddhist monasteries and two famous stupas.

Visit the Sarnath Museum, which houses various ancient objects from the Buddhist arts, images of Hindu gods, and more. Continue to the Mulagandhakuti Vihara Buddhist temple, one of the temples built by the Sri Lankan Mahabodhi Society in 1931.

See the Dhamekh Stupa, the place where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon. It is a solid, cylindrical brick structure measuring 43.6 meters high and 28 meters in diameter.

Next, visit the Thai Buddha Vihara to see the tallest standing Buddha statue in Sarnath, which was built originally of stone over 14 years during the Indo-Thai joint effort. Finally, return to your hotel in Varanasi.