Region

Magadha

Base yourself in Patna or Bodh Gaya; day-trip the rest. 3–4 nights cover the core sites.

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Key facts · India

Visa: Depends on your passport
Currency: Indian rupee (INR, ₹)
Language: Hindi and English at national level
Plugs: C · D · M · 230 V
Time zone: UTC+5:30 all year

Month by month hereIn detail ↓

Rules in force · 6

South Asia ↗Trekking regions, border districts and several Indian states need separate permits on top of the visa; check the permit before you book transport into them.
South Asia ↗Remove shoes (and in many Jain and Hindu temples, leather) before entering; cover shoulders and legs; ask before photographing people or rituals.
India ↗Apply for the e-visa only on the official government portal (indianvisaonline.gov.in); lookalike sites charge extra. Check the current rules, fees and how far ahead to apply.
India ↗Do not follow anyone who says your hotel is closed, the station ticket office is closed or a road is shut; use the prepaid taxi counter, the metro or an app car.
India ↗Carry Indian rupees in small notes (10, 20, 50, 100); change for 500 is often refused.
India ↗Parts of the Northeast, Sikkim, Ladakh, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and all border belts need a Protected or Restricted Area Permit or an Inner Line Permit for foreigners; check before you book the route.

Magadha is the southern half of Bihar, the cradle of the Maurya and Gupta empires. It holds Bodh Gaya (where the Buddha attained enlightenment), the ruins of Nalanda University, the ancient capital Rajgir, and the rock-cut Barabar Caves. Distances are short (30–90 min by road) but roads are slow; a driver or taxi for the whole stay costs less than hiring per trip.

Where to sleep

2 places in this region

PatnaCity guide
Transport hub, hotels for all budgets, nightlife limited.
Best Oct–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Patna →
Bodh GayaCity guide
Pilgrimage town, quieter, closer to the Mahabodhi Temple.
Best Oct–Mar
JFMAMJJASOND
Open Bodh Gaya →

Plan the nights

How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags

Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags

Night sequences

3 nights: Patna 1 (arrival) + Bodh Gaya 2 (day-trip to Rajgir and Nalanda)
4 nights: Patna 1 + Bodh Gaya 3 (add Barabar Caves and Pawapuri)

Roads are narrow and congested; a 50 km (31 mi) drive can take 1.5 h. Start early.Roads are narrow and congested; a 31 mi (50 km) drive can take 1.5 h. Start early.
Heat from March to June: carry water, a hat and sunscreen.
Monsoon (July–September) can flood low-lying roads; check conditions.

Day-trips door to door

To	From	Door-to-door p50	Last return	Note
Bodh Gaya	Patna	120 min	unknown	Road ~110 km (68 mi); allow 2.5 h each way. Train Patna–Gaya is faster but needs a taxi from Gaya.Road ~68 mi (110 km); allow 2.5 h each way. Train Patna–Gaya is faster but needs a taxi from Gaya.
Rajgir	Bodh Gaya	60 min	unknown	Road ~30 km (19 mi); shared jeeps and taxis available.Road ~19 mi (30 km); shared jeeps and taxis available.
Nalanda	Bodh Gaya	75 min	unknown	Road ~35 km (22 mi); combine with Rajgir.Road ~22 mi (35 km); combine with Rajgir.
Barabar Caves	Bodh Gaya	90 min	unknown	Road ~50 km (31 mi); no public transport, hire a taxi.Road ~31 mi (50 km); no public transport, hire a taxi.

Bags between cities

check

When to go

Months and weather

Open When to goClose When to go2 partsSeasons · Climate

Seasons at a glance

From each city's month table

Pick a month to see where to go.

Only good-now countries

Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table

Country	JJan	FFeb	MMar	AApr	MMay	JJun	JJul	AAug	SSep	OOct	NNov	DDec
Patna	go	go	go	×	×	×	×	×	×	go	go	go
Bodh Gaya	go	go	go	×	×	×	×	×	×	go	go	go
India (country-wide)	go	go	go	ok	×	ok	ok	ok	ok	go	ok	go

Go: the good monthsFair: workable, mixedPoor: heat, rain or hazeAvoid: storms, floods, closuresno data yet

Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.

Climate strip

Month by month

Zone	J	F	M	A	M	J	J	A	S	O	N	D
Magadha plainsPatna, Bodh Gaya, Rajgir	cool	ok	hot	hot	hot	wet	wet	wet	wet	ok	cool	cool

ok: workablecool: jacket, greyhot: short walking windowswet: daily rain

Magadha plains: Summer (Apr–Jun) 40 °C (104 °F)+; monsoon (Jul–Sep) heavy rain; winter (Nov–Feb) 10–25 °C (50–77 °F), the best season.Summer (Apr–Jun) 104 °F (40 °C)+; monsoon (Jul–Sep) heavy rain; winter (Nov–Feb) 50–77 °F (10–25 °C), the best season.

Best months are November to February: clear skies, comfortable temperatures, and the main pilgrimage season for Bodh Gaya.

Getting in and passes

Arrival times and regional passes

Open Getting in and passesClose Getting in and passes2 partsGet in · Passes

Get in

Door-to-door p50, 2026 estimate

From	To	How	p50	Note
PAT (Patna Airport)	Patna city centre	Taxi or prepaid cab	~30 min	Domestic flights from Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Bengaluru.
GAY (Gaya Airport)	Bodh Gaya	Taxi	~30 min	International flights from Bangkok, Colombo, and seasonal charters; closer to Bodh Gaya than Patna.
Delhi	Patna	Flight ~1.5 h; train (Rajdhani) ~10 h	check	Trains from Delhi to Patna are frequent; book weeks ahead.
Kolkata	Patna	Flight ~1 h; train ~6–8 h	check	Trains from Kolkata to Patna run daily.

Regional passes

Verdict first

Indian Railways e-ticket

buy

Book trains online at irctc.co.in; Tatkal quota opens a day before.

Eat and move on

Regional food and where to go next

Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on2 partsFood · Go next

Regional food

Where and when it works

Dish	Where	Timing / trap
Litti chokha	Patna, Gaya, roadside dhabas	Baked wheat balls stuffed with sattu (roasted gram flour), served with mashed eggplant and tomato. ₹30–60.
Sattu paratha	Breakfast stalls	Flatbread stuffed with spiced sattu; eaten with pickle and curd.
Khaja	Patna, Silao	Crisp layered sweet made from flour and sugar; a local specialty.
Bihari kebabs	Patna: Boring Road, Fraser Road	Mutton or chicken kebabs grilled over charcoal; evening stalls.

Go next

Varanasi

Train ~4 h from Patna

Ganges ghats and the evening aarti.

Bihar

planned

Road or train within the state

Explore the rest of Bihar: Vaishali, Bodh Gaya, Rajgir.

Kolkata

Flight ~1 h; train ~6–8 h

Bengali food, colonial architecture, Durga Puja.

Planning aids

Built from this guide's own data

Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids2 partsIn numbers · Going in…

Region in numbers

Where to sleep: 2 bases
Day trips: 4, 1 h to 2 h
Nights suggested: 3–4 nights
Ways in: 4 listed
Best months: No month rated best

Going in…

Pick a month for the weather in each zone of the region, plus the country-wide rating and holidays.

Pick a month.

Open Bihar Up to India

Deep dive

Photos, reading and every source

Open Deep diveClose Deep dive1 partSources

Sources

officialBihar Tourism
officialPatna Airport
officialGaya Airport
officialIndian Railways
secondaryWikivoyage: Magadha, revision 5319574 (CC BY-SA 4.0)

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