Shirdi Sai, Trimbakeshwar & Aurangabad Darshan

Overview

Itinerary

Inclusions & Exclusions

Hotels

Documents & Fitness

Cancellation Policy

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Highlights & Route

Two of the twelve Jyotirlingas lie within a day’s drive of each other in northern Maharashtra: Trimbakeshwar, at the source of the Godavari near Nashik, and Grishneshwar, beside the Ellora caves outside Aurangabad. Between them sits Shirdi, the home of Sai Baba and one of the most visited shrines in India. This 6-day yatra joins the three in a single eastward journey, starting at Nashik and ending at Aurangabad (now officially Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar), so that you arrive in one city and leave from the other.

Nashik gives you Trimbakeshwar and the Rama sites of Panchavati and Ramkund on the Godavari. Shirdi gets a full evening and the following dawn, so you can attend the Kakad aarti and take darshan before the day crowds, with a detour to Shani Shingnapur, the village of doorless houses. Aurangabad is a three-night base: one day for the painted Buddhist caves of Ajanta, one for Grishneshwar and the Kailasa temple at Ellora, and a final morning for Bhadra Maruti and Bibi Ka Maqbara before your departure.

We keep the drives short, the mornings for darshan and the afternoons light, which suits elderly parents and children. A private vehicle and driver stay with you throughout, hotels and pure-vegetarian breakfast and dinner are included, and we help with Shirdi darshan and aarti passes on the Sansthan portal. Our Dehradun team is reachable by phone and WhatsApp before and during the yatra.

Route

Nashik (Trimbakeshwar, Panchavati, Ramkund) → Shirdi (Sai Baba Samadhi Mandir) → Shani Shingnapur → Aurangabad (3 nights: Ajanta, Ellora, Grishneshwar, Bhadra Maruti, Bibi Ka Maqbara) → Aurangabad airport or railway station

Good to know before you book

Ajanta caves are closed on Mondays and Ellora caves on Tuesdays. We arrange the Aurangabad days around your start date so neither clashes; tell us your dates and we will confirm before booking.
Shirdi darshan is free in the general queue. Paid quick-darshan (Rs 200 per person at the time of writing) and aarti passes are booked only on the Sansthan’s own portal, online.sai.org.in, against each person’s photo ID; we help you book them.
At Trimbakeshwar, entry into the sanctum is limited to male devotees in traditional dress at fixed hours for a fee; everyone else takes darshan from the hall. Grishneshwar asks men to remove shirts before entering the sanctum.
Phones and cameras are not allowed inside Shirdi’s Samadhi Mandir, Trimbakeshwar or Grishneshwar; lockers are available.
Nashik to Shirdi is about 90 km (2 hours); Shirdi to Aurangabad about 115 km (2.5 to 3 hours); Aurangabad to Ajanta about 100 km (2.5 hours) and to Ellora 30 km.
October to February is the best season. Shravan (July–August) and Mahashivratri bring heavy crowds at both Jyotirlingas; Guru Purnima, Ram Navami and Vijayadashami are Shirdi’s busiest days.

Yatra Highlights

Darshan at two Jyotirlingas, Trimbakeshwar and Grishneshwar
An evening and dawn at Shirdi with Kakad aarti, plus Shani Shingnapur
Ajanta and Ellora caves, including the Kailasa temple, from a three-night base in Aurangabad

Day 1 :

Arrive Nashik, Trimbakeshwar and Panchavati

Our driver meets you at your arrival point (airport, railway station or hotel) at the agreed time, Nashik Road railway station or Nashik (Ozar) airport. We drive about 30 km to Trimbakeshwar at the foot of Brahmagiri hill, where the Godavari rises. The Jyotirlinga here is three small lingas for Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva set in a hollow, normally covered by a silver mask; darshan is from the hall. Kushavarta kund, the tank where the river first appears, is a short walk away. Lunch on your own.

Back in Nashik, check in at the hotel, then visit Panchavati: Kalaram temple, Sita Gufa, the five banyan trees and Ramkund on the Godavari, where the Kumbh Mela snan takes place. Dinner at the hotel.

Overnight: Nashik

Day 2 :

Nashik to Shirdi, Shani Shingnapur, evening darshan

Breakfast and departure for Shirdi, about 90 km (2 hours). Check in at the hotel. We then drive about 70 km to Shani Shingnapur, the village where houses have no doors because Shani is believed to guard it; the deity is a plain black stone on an open platform. Lunch on your own on the way back.

In the evening we go to the Sai Baba Samadhi Mandir for darshan and, if you have passes, the Dhoop aarti at sunset. The complex also holds Dwarkamai mosque, where Baba lived, Chavadi and the Gurusthan under the neem tree. Dinner at the hotel.

Overnight: Shirdi

Day 3 :

Kakad aarti at Shirdi, drive to Aurangabad

For those with passes, the Kakad aarti at 4:30 am is the quietest and most moving time at the Samadhi Mandir; others can join the general queue soon after for a darshan before the crowds build. Breakfast at the hotel.

We leave by 10 am for Aurangabad, about 115 km (2.5 to 3 hours), with lunch on your own on the way. Check in. In the afternoon we visit Bibi Ka Maqbara, the 17th-century tomb modelled on the Taj Mahal, and Panchakki, the water mill. Dinner at the hotel.

Overnight: Aurangabad

Day 4 :

Ajanta caves excursion

Breakfast and a 7:30 am start for Ajanta, about 100 km (2.5 hours) north. The 30 rock-cut Buddhist caves, carved between the 2nd century BCE and the 6th century CE, hold the oldest surviving paintings in India. From the car park a shuttle bus (ticketed) runs to the caves, and there is a fair amount of walking and steps along the horseshoe cliff; caves 1, 2, 16, 17 and 26 are the ones not to miss. Lunch on your own at the MTDC complex.

Return to Aurangabad by evening. Dinner at the hotel. Ajanta is closed on Mondays; if needed the Aurangabad days are rearranged.

Overnight: Aurangabad

Day 5 :

Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga and Ellora caves

Breakfast, then 30 km to Grishneshwar, the smallest Jyotirlinga temple, rebuilt in red stone by Ahilyabai Holkar in the 18th century. Men remove their shirts before entering the sanctum; on weekdays darshan is quick.

A kilometre away are the 34 Ellora caves: Buddhist, Hindu and Jain excavations spread along a 2 km escarpment, crowned by Cave 16, the Kailasa temple, carved downward out of a single rock. Allow 3 to 4 hours, using the battery vehicle for the Jain group. Lunch on your own near the caves. Evening free in Aurangabad for shopping for Paithani or himroo weaves. Dinner at the hotel. Ellora is closed on Tuesdays.

Overnight: Aurangabad

Day 6 :

Bhadra Maruti, departure from Aurangabad

Breakfast and check-out. We drive to Khuldabad, about 25 km, for Bhadra Maruti, one of the very few temples where Hanuman is shown reclining, and if time allows the Daulatabad fort viewpoint on the way back.

Drop at your departure point (airport, railway station or hotel), Aurangabad airport or Aurangabad railway station. Please book departures after 1 pm. The yatra ends here.

Overnight: not included

Night	Place	Hotel (or similar)	Room type
Night 1	Nashik	Hotel confirmed at booking	Standard room, sharing basis
Night 2	Shirdi	Hotel confirmed at booking	Standard room, sharing basis
Night 3	Aurangabad	Hotel confirmed at booking	Standard room, sharing basis
Night 4	Aurangabad	Hotel confirmed at booking	Standard room, sharing basis
Night 5	Aurangabad	Hotel confirmed at booking	Standard room, sharing basis

Frequently Asked Questions

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What makes Trimbakeshwar different from other Jyotirlingas?

Instead of a single lingam, the sanctum holds three small lingas in a hollow, representing Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, usually covered by a jewelled silver mask. The temple stands at the source of the Godavari on Brahmagiri hill and is also the main centre for Narayan Nagbali and Kalsarpa rituals, which is why many pilgrims come for ancestral ceremonies. Those rituals are not part of this package but can be arranged with local priests if you plan an extra day.

Can women enter the sanctum at Trimbakeshwar?

Entry into the Trimbakeshwar sanctum is limited by tradition to male devotees in traditional dress, at fixed hours and for a fee. Everyone else, including women, takes darshan from the hall, from where the three small lingas in the hollow are visible. The Jyotirlinga is usually covered by a silver mask. Phones and cameras are not allowed inside, and lockers are available.

Do we need to book Shirdi darshan in advance?

Not for the free general queue, which on weekdays usually moves in 1 to 2 hours. For the paid quick darshan or for aarti passes, yes: they are booked on the Sansthan’s portal against each traveller’s photo ID and sell out early for weekends and festivals. We help you book as soon as your dates are fixed.

Is Shani Shingnapur worth the detour?

It adds about 3 hours to Day 2 (70 km each way). Most families find the doorless village and the open-air Shani shrine memorable, and Saturdays are especially busy. If your group would rather rest in Shirdi, we drop it without changing the price.

Can we do Ajanta and Ellora in one day?

We do not advise it. Ajanta is 100 km north and Ellora 30 km west, and both need 3 to 4 hours of walking. With three nights in Aurangabad each gets its own day. Families less interested in the caves can skip Ajanta and spend that day at Daulatabad fort or resting, with Grishneshwar still covered on the Ellora day.

Can the yatra start at Shirdi or Aurangabad instead?

Yes. Shirdi has its own airport (Kakadi) and railway station (Sainagar Shirdi), and Aurangabad has both too. The same five nights can be run from Aurangabad to Nashik, or starting and ending at Shirdi. Tell us which city suits your flights or trains.

What is the best time of year?

October to February has pleasant days and cool nights. March to May is hot in Aurangabad and Shirdi. The monsoon makes the Nashik hills and Trimbakeshwar beautiful but slows travel and can close the Ajanta shuttle on very wet days. Shravan, Mahashivratri, Guru Purnima and Ram Navami bring the largest crowds.

Is the food vegetarian?

Yes. Breakfast and dinner at the hotels are pure vegetarian, and all three towns have plenty of veg eateries for lunch; the Shirdi Sansthan also runs a very large prasadalaya where a meal costs little. Jain and satvik food can be requested in advance.

Yatra	Duration	Starts from	Price
Shirdi Sai, Trimbakeshwar & Aurangabad Darshan (this page)	6 days / 5 nights	Nashik	From ₹32,000
Bhimashankar Darshan: Maharashtra Jyotirlinga Yatra	3 days / 2 nights	Pune	On request
Deoghar Baba Baidyanath Dham Darshan (Jharkhand)	3 days / 2 nights	Deoghar	From ₹14,500
Ellora Grishneshwar Darshan: Maharashtra Jyotirlinga Yatra	3 days / 2 nights	Aurangabad (Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar)	On request
Five Jyotirlinga Darshan Yatra (Panch Jyotirlinga)	11 days / 10 nights	Indore / Ujjain	From ₹60,000
Jyotirlinga Darshan Yatra in Tamil Nadu	7 days / 6 nights	Chennai	From ₹37,000
Kedarnath Yatra 2027 from Dehradun	4 days / 3 nights	Dehradun	From ₹20,000
Mallikarjuna Jyotirlinga Yatra from Hyderabad	4 days / 3 nights	Hyderabad	From ₹25,000

Shirdi Sai, Trimbakeshwar & Aurangabad Darshan

Get the plan and price for your dates

Highlights & Route

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Good to know before you book

Yatra Highlights

Day-by-Day Itinerary

Inclusions & Exclusions

Included

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Hotels

Documents & Fitness

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Fitness and health

Cancellation Policy

Frequently Asked Questions

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