Now Varanasi mornings are not limited to Boat Rides only. Walks of Varanasi`s Bi-Cycle Tour is a new and fresh approach of excursion in the holy city. This tour takes you to almost every corner of the city within a time, thus ensuring an experience which is ecstatic and memorable one. This tour is all about seeing the city in its raw form early morning, watching local people and priests offering prayer to their deities and gods on the ghats, insight of temples, breakfast culture, sumptuous delicacies and of course riding your way on the Bi-Cycle to kick start a fresh day in the city. It`s also a great way to have a fun filled ride in the serpentine yet colourful lanes of Benares. This tour is spearheaded by our escorts who are students of Banaras Hindu University and they let you experience the city local way.
We offer fascinating routes, covering the most interesting, intense, historical and old areas of Varanasi. Each of the tours is beautiful and interesting in its own way, with a unique focus, taking you to the hidden wonders of the city from temples to Ghat (River Front).
This tour is all about seeing the city in it`s raw form early morning, watching local people and priests offering prayer to their deities and gods on the ghats, insight of temples, breakfast culture, sumptuous delicacies and of course riding your way on Cycle.
Day 01 Home – Delhi – Patna (By Flight)
Arrive Delhi and transfer to domestic airport for flight to Patna.
Bike fitting. Briefing.
Lunch and Dinner at the hotel in Patna.
Half-day city tour of Patna.
Overnight in Patna.
Patna is renowned as one of the oldest cities in the world. Graciously situated on the southern banks of the holy River Ganges, this beautiful city is spread over an area of 3202 square kilometers and is surrounded by three other rivers Punpun, Sone and Gandak. The city believed to be the fifth fastest growing city in India. Blessed with such great cultural and historical heritage, the city is rapidly developing as major tourist destination in Bihar.
Takht Sri Harmandir Sahib or Patna Sahib: Takht Sri Harmandir sahib is situated in the heart of Patna city. It is one of the most sacred pilgrimage centres for Sikh devotees. The Gurudwara was built in the honor of the birthplace of the tenth Guru of Sikhism, Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji. It is believed to be one of the five major Takhts of Sikhism and was built by the first king of Singh emperor, Maharaja Ranjit Singh. It has many Sikh scriptures, relics and artifacts with things related to the sacred Guru housed in it. Being situated in Patna, it is popularly known as Takht Sri Patna Sahib.
Hanuman Mandir: Hanuman Mandir located in Patna is believed to be one of the holiest temples of Hindu God, Hanuman. Being a famous Hindu shrine, it is visited by thousand of devotee’s every day. However, the footfall of devotees is the most on Tuesdays and Saturdays, the days dedicated to Lord Hanuman.
Kumhrar: Kumhrar is a very prominent archeological site located in Patna, which provides the clear evidence of Patna being the seat of Mauryan Empire. In it, lie the remains of ancient city of Pataliputra, evidencing its worth by many Mauryan artifacts and pillars. It marks the ancient capital of Ajatshatru, Chandragupta and Ashoka. The relics discovered range from four continuous periods from 600 BC to 600 AD. Kumhrar is an interesting place to dwell upon the history of India.
Padri Ki Haveli: Padri ki Haveli is prestigiously known as St. Mary’s Church. Built in the year 1713 by Roman Catholics, it is proud to be the oldest church in Bihar. A Venetian architect renovated it from a small church to an established church in 1773. The main attraction of this magnificent church is the large cathedral bell. It is believed that Mother Teresa got her training here.
Patna Museum: Patna Museum is located centrally in the city and is popularly known as the State Museum of Bihar. British people built this magnificent museum in the year 1917 during the time of the British Raj. It has a fusion of Mughal and Rajput architecture and is home to various historical and archeological artifacts found in and nearby the city. The famous terracotta figurine, Didarganj Yakshi and many other prestigious objects are placed here on display.
Day 02 Patna – Gaya (Bike Ride) (130 Kms / 8H appx.)
Cycling day 1: Patna to Gaya
up to 130km, but we would suggest a transfer and start outside the city off the main road
In the morning after breakfast, transfer by coach to the outskirts of Patna from where we will start the Bike Ride.
The priest will be waiting there to do the small ceremony before we start the BIKE RIDE.
Start the BIKE Ride.
Lunch at the Midway. Arrive Gaya and transfer to the hotel.
Later, visit Gaya. Overnight in Gaya.
Gaya is one of the important holy places for Hindus and thousands of devotees throng this small town every year for pilgrimage. The main pilgrim center in Gaya is the Vishnu temple. Legend has it that this temple was built on Lord Vishnu’s footsteps and is thus considered very sacred by the devotees. It is also believed by Hindus that if the final rights are performed in Gaya, the departed soul goes to heaven. Gaya is located in the central part of the state of Bihar, in the northeastern part of India. It is a part of the great Gangetic plains. It is located to the west of the Falgu River, which is a tributary of river Ganga.
Gaya is a religious center and it is believed that the principal Hindu God, Vishnu has bestowed upon Gaya the power to absolve the sin of the sinners, who come here for pilgrimage. Pilgrims also come to offer funerary offerings or pinds at the ghats along the river and pray for the souls of their ancestors.
The main tourist attraction of Gaya is the Vishnupad temple. This temple was built in the Hindu Shikhar style of architecture and is located on the west bank of Falgu River at the southeastern edge of the town. There is a small archeological museum in Gaya.
The Brahmajuni hill 1 km southwest of the Vishnupad temple is an important spot. One thousand stone steps lead the travelers to the top of this hill, from where one can have a full view of Gaya.
Day 03 Bodhgaya – Aurangabad (Bike Ride) (106 Kms / 5H appx.)
Cycling day 2: Gaya to Aurangabad start later on and ride about 106 km
Bodh Gaya is a religious site and place of pilgrimage associated with the Mahabodhi Temple Complex in Gaya district in the Indian state of Bihar. It is famous as it is the place where Gautama Buddha is said to have obtained Enlightenment.
Bodhi Tree: The present Bodhi tree is probably the fifth descendant of the original tree to be planted at this site where the Prince Siddhartha had finally attained enlightenment. This sacred tree plays a very important role in rites and rituals of Buddhists, as it is an inspiration of Buddha’s enlightenment.
Mahabodhi Temple: The Mahabodhi temple is located in the east adjacent to the original Bodhi tree. It actually stands on the temple erected by Emperor Ashoka and rises in the form of pyramidal spire till it reaches its neck, which is cylindrical in shape. People looking for peace and serenity can spend hours in this temple.
After, continue BIKE RIDE to Aurangabad.
Lunch on the way.
On arrival, transfer to the hotel.
Day 04 Aurangabad–Bhabua (By Road)/Bhabua–Robertsganj (Bike Ride)
Cycling day 3: Transfer to Bhabua about 100 km and ride to Robertsganj (100 Kms. / 5 hrs. appx.)
In the morning, transfer to Bhabua where Bikes will be waiting for us to start our BIKE RIDE.
Lunch on the way.
Overnight in Robertsganj.
Robertsganj is a city and a municipal board in Sonbhadra district in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. Located in the southeastern corner of the state. Robertsganj is the administrative headquarters of Sonbhadra District.
Day 05 Robertsganj–Chandraprabh–Chunar (Bike Ride) / Chunar–Mirzapur
– Robertsganj – Chandraprabha Wildlife (Bike Ride 110 Kms/6H appx)
– Chandraprabha Wildlife – Chunar (Bike Ride. 35 Kms. / 45 mins. Appx)
– Chunar – Mirzapur (By Road)
Cycling day 4: Roberstganj to Chunar via the Chandraprabha Wildlife Sanctuary 110km
Chandra Prabha Wild Life Sanctuary, once a habitat of Asiatic Lions, has all the natural ingredients to become a beautiful tourist/picnic spot. It has been endowed with beautiful picnic spots, dense forest, and scenic waterfalls like Raj Dari & Dev Dari & a dam nearby called Chandra Prabha Dam. The Sanctuary was established in 1957 and sprawls over an area of 9,600 hect. The core area of the Sanctuary covers over 2,686 hect., while the buffer area covers 66000 hect., which also includes Kashi Wildlife Division. It was the habitat of Asiatic Lion from 1957-1970 but after that lions disappeared from here. In the past when naxal problem was not there people used to flock around here & enjoy the wildlife, forest & natural beauty in winter season, and also during rainy season when waterfalls add greater attraction to the lush green environment of the sanctuary.
It serves as a natural & ideal habitat with its grasslands, many caves in Vindhyan area & waterfalls for a host of animals & plants medicinal also and has a great potential to develop Jungle Tourism in the sanctuary where people can enjoy natural beauty & bio-diversity. Animals like Leopard, Black Buck, Chital, Sambhar, Nilgai blue bull, Wild Boar, Porcupine, Indian Gazelle, Rabbit, Monkey, Chinkara, Chausingha, Hyena, Wild Cat, Jackal, Wild Fox & others.
We will stop cycling at Chunar and from there we will be transferred to Mirzapur for overnight stay.
Day 06 Chunar – Sarnath – Varanasi (Bike Ride 70 Kms / 3H 30M appx)
Cycling day 5: Chunar – Sarnath – Varanasi and a finish on a boat into Varanasi.
Last day of our BIKE RIDE. We will ride to Varanasi via Sarnath and finish up a ride on a boat in Varanasi.
Lunch at the hotel in Sarnath / Varanasi.
Chunar Fort: Chunar is the place where religion, history and nature intermingle. Situated in the Vindhya ranges on the bank of holy river Ganga, its scenic and calm atmosphere enchants visitors. Chunar is also an important health resort due to its ideal climate. The massive Chunar fort, standing at a height of 80′ to 175′ from the ground level and spread over a massive area of 34,000-sq.ft., is the prime attraction of the place. Inside the fort is an interesting Sun dial, a deep & wide well and an open pavilion called the Sonwa Mandap. Chunar is accessible by road from Varanasi and an overnight stay is possible at the PWD rest house within the fort premises.
Evening visit Bharat Mata Temple and enjoy AARTi Ceremony at the Holy River Ganges in Varanasi.
Sarnath: Buddhists worldwide look upon India as the land of the Buddha and a visit to this country means a pilgrimage to those places sacred to the memory of the Enlightened One. After the Bouddha attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya he came to Sarnath. Here in the Deer Park, he delivered his first sermon, or in religious language, set in motions the wheel of Law maha- Dharmachakra Pravartan. On the day before his death Buddha included Sarnath along with Lumbini, Bodh Gaya and Kushinagar as the four places he thought to be sacred to his followers. The Emperor Ashoka, who spread the Buddha’s message of love and compassion throughout his vast empire, visited Sarnath around 234BC,and erected a stupa here. Several Buddhist structures were raised at Sarnath between the 3rd century BC and the 11th century AD, and today it presents the most expansive ruins amongst places on the Buddhist trail. Sarnath is 10 km from the holy city of Varanasi, and is an exceedingly tranqiuil place. The ruins, the museum and temple are all within walking distance.
CHAUKHANDI STUPA: Chaukhandi is the first monument one encounters as one enters Sanath. It is a lofty mound of brick –work whose square endifice is surrounded by a octagonal tower. Originally said to built by Emperor Ashoka. DHAMEK STUPA The most remarkable structure at Sarnath, is the cylindrical Dhamek Stupa, 28 mts in diameter at the base and 43.6 mts in height, built partly of stone and partly of brick. The stone facing the lower part is adorned with delicate floral carvings of Gupta origin.
MULAGANDHA KUTI VIHAR: the Mahabodhi Society has erected this modern temple. It has excellent frescoes by Kosetsu Nosu japan’s foremost painter and is a rich repository of Buddhist literature. The ancient Mulagandha Kuti temple is among the brick ruins of Sarnath.
SARNATH MUSEUM: Sarnath yielded a rich collection of sculptures comprising numerous Buddha and Bodhisattva images. Considerde amongst the finest specimens of Buddhist art, these have been housed at the museum, adjiacent to the site. The museum is open from 10 am to 5 pm, and closed on Fridays. Apart from the above the other objects of interest at Sarnath are the Dharmrajika Stup, magnificent Lion capital, India’s National Emblem at Sarnath museum, the Saddharmachakra Vihar’s at excavated ruins.
Bharat Mata Temple: The Bharat Mata Temple is located at the Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth campus, Varanasi and dedicated to the Bharat Mata Mother India. It was constructed by the Babu Shiv Prasad Gupt and inaugurated by the Mahatma Gandhi in the year 1936. The statue of the Mother India is made up of the marble and looks like a model that symbolizes the entire India, represents mountain, plains and oceans of the India. The Bharat Mata temple does not have a traditional statue of Gods or Goddess but it has a real map of the Mother India.
Evening AARTI on Ganges: Spiritually enlightening and fantastically photogenic, Varanasi is at its brilliant best by the ghats, the long stretch of steps leading down to the water on the western bank of the Ganges. Most are used for bathing but there are also several ‘burning ghats’ where bodies are cremated in public. The main one is Manikarnika: you’ll often see funeral processions threading their way through the backstreets to this ghat. The best time to visit the ghats is at dawn when the river is bathed in a mellow light as pilgrims come to perform puja to the rising sun, and at sunset when the main ganga aarti river worship ceremony takes place at Dashashwamedh Ghat.
Day 07 Varanasi–Allahabad (By Road) (3H appx)/Allahabad–Agra (By Train)
Early Morning Boat ride at river Ganges and visit Varanasi.
Departure from Varanasi at 08:00am and transfer to the railway station in Allahabad for train to Agra. Overnight in Agra.
Early Morning Boat Ride: Early morning sunrise boat ride is a must do activity at Varanasi. This Varanasi tour enables you to witness the life of people that has been carried on for thousands of years. Watch the Hindus from all over India come and take this holy dip in the Ganges, offer prayers to the Gods. All this is from the boat that moves slowly from one Ghat to the other.
Allahabad: is one of the prominent and sacred cities of India. Described with reverence in ancient scriptures as Prayag or Teerthraj i.e. ‘The holiest pilgrimage’, Allahabad is situated at the confluence of India’s holiest rivers Ganga, Yamuna and mythical Saraswati. The Sangam, as the confluence of the three rivers , is the venue of many sacred fairs and rituals and attracts thousands of pilgrims throughout the year. With the irresistible attraction of Kumbh Mela, hailed as the world’s largest congregation of devotees, the glory of the city has certainly doubled.
Day 08 Agra – Delhi (By Road) (205 Kms / 4H appx)
In the morning Visit Taj Mahal, SIkandra, Baby Taj, Agra Fort.
Later, transfer to Delhi.
Lunch on the way to Delhi.
On arrival, visit Lotus Temple, Birla Temple, India Gate, Chandni Chowk and Parliament.
Dinner and overnight in the hotel.
Taj Mahal: Described as the most extravagant monument ever built for love, it was constructed by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a memorial to his queen Mumtaz Mahal, made out of white marble took 22 years to complete 1630-1652 AD. Ustad Ahamad Lahori, a Persian Architect, is said to be the main designer and planner for this magnificent memorial. On full moon nights, the glory of the Taj is at its best. Over the centuries, the Taj has attracted more visitors than perhaps any other Monuments in the country, and it is all too easy resort to conventional superlatives when describing it.
Agra fort: Emperor Akbar began Construction of the massive red sandstone Agra Fort on the bank of the Yamuna River in 1565, though additions were made up until the rule of his grandson, Shah Jahan. In Akbar’s time the fort was principally a military structure, but during Shah Jaha regin it had partially become Palace. It is an imposing strcture with walls of red sandstone almost three kilometers long. Entered through the Amar Singh Gate, the eastern part of the fort contains palace, audience hall and mosques built by three emperors.
Delhi Sightseeing:
Bahai Temple: Monday Closed Situated atop the Kalkaji Hill. Its is also known as “The Lotus Temple” due to its distinctive lotus shaped design in Marble. It was built in 1987 by the followers of Bahai faith. The temple signifies the purity and equality of all religions.
Laxmi Narayan Temple: Popularly Known as Birla Mandir, it’s a large Hindu Temple built in Orissa style in 1938, by the renowned Birla family. People of all faiths can worship at this temple.
DRIVE PAST: India Gate, Parliament House, Red Fort and Chandni Chowk and Jama Masjid.
Day 09 Delhi – Home (By Flight)
In time departure to Delhi airport for flight back home.
| City | Night (s) | Hotels / Lodges / Camp |
| Patna | 01 | Patliputra Continental |
| Gaya | 01 | Bodhgaya Regency |
| Aurangabad | 01 | Hotel Saraswati Inn |
| Robertsganj | 01 | Hotel Savera |
| Mirzapur | 01 | Hotel The Galaxy |
| Varanasi | 01 | Amaya Hotel |
| Agra | 01 | Radisson Blu |
| Delhi | 01 | Radisson Blu |
– Meeting and assistance by our representative.
– Welcome with fresh flower garlands.
– 07 Nights hotel accommodation.
– 01 Overnight train from Allahabad toAgra in 3Rd AC Sleeper class.
– Daily Breakfast, Lunch and Dinners.
– Supply of refreshments Water, Juice, Cold Drinks, Sweets, Candies, Fresh Fruits, Muffins during the bike ride.
– All other services required during the BIKE RIDE.
– Farewell Gala Dinner.
– Accompanying English-speaking guide, assistant staff, marking staff.
– All transfers, sightseeing, excursions as per the program by private vehicle.
– Entrance fees to monuments.
– Transport, Parking, Gasoline & Toll ways.
– All present government taxes.
– International Airfare.
– Tips, gratuities, Portage, laundry, telephone calls, table drinks, camera/ video camera charges, or any other expenses of a personal nature.
– Visa fees, personal insurance.
– Any item not specified under cost includes.
– Accommodation in good hotels.
– Check-in / out time is 12 noon at most of the hotels.
– Extension to other places is also possible with a minimal extra cost.
– Additional nights are available at each place with minimal supplement.
– A visa is required and must be obtained prior to your departure from your Country.
– If quoted hotel is not available, we will provide one of a similar category and standard.
– Small deviations in the tour program are sometimes necessary, depending on weather, road conditions, flight schedules and room availability.
– In case the government changes presently applicable taxes, increase in airlines prices, fuel surcharge our rates will need to be adjusted accordingly.
– Sometimes, there is no relevance between the distance and time of travelling, as it depends upon the condition of the roads and congestion of the traffic.
– While every effort will be made to maintain the itinerary, in view of local strikes etc that are beyond our control all schedule and itineraries are subject to last moment changes.
– Clients must be fully insured, as the company cannot accept liability for loss or damage to client’s property, medical emergencies or any other loss suffered by them whilst on tour.
– In Case of issuing Domestic or International air tickets, SGV is not responsible for any refund if the flight is delayed or cancelled, as it is the responsibility of airline.
