← Back to HomeRead the full guide →Read the full guide →
Uttar Pradesh
Circuits
Lucknow to Khajuraho & Panna: A Temples-and-Tigers Weekend
A self-drive weekend from Lucknow to the temples of Khajuraho and a jungle safari at Panna Tiger Reserve, with a stop at Kutni Dam on the way.
A self-drive weekend from Lucknow to the temples of Khajuraho and a jungle safari at Panna Tiger Reserve, with a stop at Kutni Dam on the way.
- Duration
- A long weekend — 3 days covers the drive, the temple complex, and a safari without rushing.
- Best time
- October to March. September and April are doable but genuinely hot. Panna's jungle safari is closed entirely during monsoon.
- Budget
- Decent stays with breakfast run around ₹3,000/night (roughly $30/€25) for a double room. For food, budget ₹300-500 (roughly $3-5/€3-5) per person per meal. See the ticket pricing tables below for temple entry and safari costs.
- Getting around
- Self-drive car for the whole loop — this route was done entirely that way, with no public transport legs.
- 1Lucknow
- 1Kutni Dam (en route)
- 2Khajuraho
- 3Panna Tiger Reserve
- 4Lucknow (return)
Lucknow to Lumbini & Bardiya: A Buddhist Trail into Nepal's Terai
A self-drive route from Lucknow across the Nepal border to Buddha's birthplace at Lumbini and a jungle safari at Bardiya National Park — best done as one longer trip or two separate weekends, not one rushed loop.
A self-drive route from Lucknow across the Nepal border to Buddha's birthplace at Lumbini and a jungle safari at Bardiya National Park — best done as one longer trip or two separate weekends, not one rushed loop.
- Duration
- 1 night each in Lumbini and Bardiya works if you're short on time, but 2 nights each — 4 nights on the ground total, as we did it ourselves — makes for a much less rushed trip, plus travel days on either side either way. This genuinely doesn't work well as a single rushed long weekend: the driving between stops is long enough that you'd likely arrive at both Lumbini and Bardiya in the evening or late evening, leaving little time to actually settle in. If you can't spare the full 4 nights, split it into two separate weekend trips from Lucknow instead — one covering Shravasti and Lumbini, the other covering Kapilvastu and Bardiya.
- Best time
- October to March. September and April are doable but genuinely hot. Bardiya's jungle safari is closed entirely during monsoon.
- Budget
- Decent double-occupancy stays run ₹2,000-3,000/night (roughly $20-30/€18-25). Lumbini and Kapilvastu, as major Buddhist pilgrimage sites, have a wide range — you can find both cheaper and more expensive options than that. Food runs ₹200-500 (roughly $2-5/€2-5) per person per meal. In Bardiya specifically, options are limited to homestays — there are few to no standalone hotels or restaurants, and meals typically come with the homestay itself.
- Getting around
- Self-drive car for the whole route, crossing the border by land.
- 1Lucknow
- 1Shravasti (en route)
- 2Lumbini
- 2Kapilvastu (en route)
- 3Bardiya National Park
- 4Lucknow (return)