Aurangabad is a fascinating city of Maharashtra known for its warm hospitality, culture, lifestyle and close proximity to the world famous tourist destinations Ajanta and Ellora Caves. The city got its name from the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb. It is known as the ‘City of gates’ as once it had around 52 gates out of which only four major ones and nine minor ones survived the test of time.
Major attractions of Aurangabad
Ajanta and Ellora Caves
The gem of Maharashtra tourism, Ajanta and Ellora Caves are UNESCO World Heritage Sites. These are rock-cut Buddhist cave monuments dating back to hundreds of years ago. Their art work and craftsmanship deserve special mention. The walls are adorned with arresting paintings of Lord Buddha and Bodhisattavas and incidents from Buddha’s life. Some of the caves consist of monasteries. They are the perfect examples of the beauty of Indian art. Ellora Caves are located around 108 km from the Ajant Caves.
Bibi ka Maqbara
It’s a fantastic example of Mughal architecture built by Aurangzeb’s son in memory of his mother in 1679. It is the replica of the world famous Taj Mahal because of which it is also known as Dakkhani Taj (Taj of the Deccan).
Daulatabad Fort
Located 13 km from Aurangabad, this fort is perched on a hill and dates back to the 12th century. It is one of the best preserved forts of India. It has several structures worth a visit.
Ghrishneshwar Temple
Located just half a km from Ellora Caves, this temple is one of the 12 Jyotirlingas in India where devotees come from far and wide. Its walls are beautifully sculpted.
Panchakki
Literally meaning ‘water mill’, Panchakki is a mill which gets water from an underground channel. There is an artificial waterfall near the Panchakki through which the water is discharged onto the wheel. There is a lovely garden with fountains at the Panchakki.
Jama Masjid
It is a famous mosque in Aurangabad where people come in large numbers. It was built under the guidance of Emperor Aurangzeb.
Museums
The city boasts of several museums such as Sunheri Mahal Museum, Chhatrapati Shivaji Museum and University Museum, each having its own unique collections.
Shopping in Aurangabad
Auragnabad offers amazing shopping items such as Paithani sarees, Himru shawls (a blend of cotton and silk), silver crafts, semi-precious stone jewellery, old coins dating back to the Mughal period.
How to reach
The airport in Aurangabad operates flights to major cities of India like Mumbai and Delhi. It is also well connected by rail and road to the other destinations of Maharashtra.
One of our destination expert will be in touch with you to plan an exceptional holiday for you...
The arrangement of our trip was so perfectly done, that i could not find even a single fault or drawback for which i could provide a suggestion. We are so much impressed and touched by the hospitality and services provided. To be frank, we have already started to plan for our next holiday, may be sometime in the end of the year. We will get back to you soon :-) Thanks again Exceptional Escapes.....you guys are truly EXCEPTIONAL!!!! -
The trip in general has been exceptional
The driver was a sweetheart. Always bringing me something to eat or drink and also always carrying a beautiful smile -
Airport Representative was very Good Tour & Guide Services was very Good Ground Services was excellent Hotel Services was excellent -
Generally all are good except that in shimla. Silverine hotel is not a suitable hotel for elderly people as they need to walk up and downhill to the hotel….though the place is ideal for shoppers -
Thank you so very much for going above and beyond to ensure that we had a wonderful trip. I have been telling everyone about your hospitality. I truly had a great time and I especially am thankful for all your organizing and to take time to show us your family and invite us to your home. You have a beautiful family and I think Choti (your little sister) is so adorable -
Hi Gaurav, thanks for following up and for all your efforts in making all the necessary arrangements for my trip. I thoroughly enjoyed the trip. A few suggestions on how you might improve your services for future bookings -
Many thanks for putting together a wonderful and memorable vacation for us. We thoroughly enjoyed it. We did not find anything lacking from your side. It was our first visit to India and it seems like we are already planning to be back. The pace was hectic so we did not find much time to visit the local markets which we will have to make up next time -
We reached home safely on Sunday morning (USA time) and slept most of the day. I cannot thank you enough for all your help and efforts in making our trip such a wonderful success. I will never forget the experiences we had and fun time we enjoyed all throughout the trip. I will send you pictures soon.....'not to worry!!!' -
We waited almost two years to meet again and it was well worth it. Everybody had a fantastic time and loved every moment of it. Your friend speaks very good English now and we all wish her well in the future. It seems that shopping with your friend was the highlight of the trip, the ladies would not stop talking about it -
