Aurangabad‘s proximity to the World Heritage listed cave complexes at
Ellora and
Ajanta make it the most widely visited city in Maharashtra after Mumbai. The
Ellora Caves are just 26km away, and easily visited in a day trip along with the atmospheric ruined fortress at
Daulatabad, which dominates a hilltop at the halfway point of the journey. Further afield,
Ajanta can also be visited in a single day if you haven’t already had your fill of caves.
While there’s nothing in Aurangabad itself to compare with Ellora or Ajanta, there’s enough to keep most travellers occupied for a day or so. The main attraction is the Bibi-ka-Maqbara, a mini Taj Mahal built as a mausoleum for the wife or the Mughul emperor Aurangzeb. If you get there before sunset you can spend a couple of hours lazing on the clipped lawns before seeing the building floodlit after dark. The nearby Aurangabad Caves are overpriced and not worth visiting unless you don’t have the time to see Ellora or Ajanta. If you have an afternoon to spare, Siddarth Gardens (3 rupees entrance), on the main street just south of the bus station, are a nice enough place to while away a couple of hours. You can also kill an afternoon wandering around the streets of the Old Town or shopping for silk saris at one of the workshops near the city centre.
Quick Tips:
The
Hotel Shree Maya is the best place to stay if you want to meet up with other travellers. It's a 5-minute walk from the train station, and the restaurants on Station Road East or a 20 rupee auto-rickshaw ride from the bus station and city centre.
You can book excursions and onward travel tickets at the tourist information office inside the MTDC Tourist Resort, which is located near the train station on Station Road East. On the opposite side of the street is the Goldie Cinema and the Prasanth and Food Lovers restaurants, both of which have outdoor seating. Prasanth has slightly better food and service but Food Lovers has a nicer ambience and is far more popular with travellers. Nearby, the Tandoor Bar and Restaurant is a more expensive lunchtime option.
Unless you're really pushed for time, don't bother with the full day excursions to Ajanta or Ellora offered by travel agencies. You'll spend more time on the bus than you will in the caves, and you'll be dragged around every sight in town as well.
Best Way To Get Around:
Auto-rickshaws are everywhere in Aurangabad, though prices vary widely. A ride between the bus and train stations should set you back 25 rupees at most. From the bus station to the Bibi-Ka-Maqbara or Aurangabad Caves costs about 20 rupees with a bit of bargaining. The same destinations from the train station will be about 35 rupees.
You could walk between the stations or around the Muslim Quarter but Aurangabad isn't the nicest city to explore on foot due to the dust and traffic volume.
Buses run between Aurangabad and Ellora every half hour during the day, stopping at Daulatabad on the way. If you miss the bus, there are frequent share jeeps plying the same route for around 11 rupees each way if you can put up with the crush. Auto-rickshaw drivers fall over themselves to get you on one of their full day trips out to Ellora. A reasonable price is around 350 rupees to the caves and back, waiting time included. For Ajanta, you'd be better off hiring a share taxi or stopping off on the way north to Jalgaon, where you can pick up regular mainline train services.
Unless you have a reservation on one of the few direct trains for Mumbai, you'd be better off booking a deluxe overnight bus, many which drop off in Colaba. There are also regular bus services to Pune—which has more transport options if you're heading south—and Nasik, a temple town halfway to Mumbai.