Ajanta and Ellora Caves: How to Plan Your Visit
Contents
Ajanta and Ellora are two distinct heritage sites in Maharashtra, each with its own UNESCO World Heritage listing. Ajanta is known for Buddhist monasteries, prayer halls, paintings and sculpture in a horseshoe-shaped gorge.[1][2] Ellora brings Buddhist, Hindu and Jain monuments together along a basalt escarpment.[3][4] The two sites have different layouts and visitor schedules, so plan them as separate outings.
The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) places Ajanta about 107 km north of Aurangabad and Ellora about 30 km northwest of the city.[2][4] Give Ajanta its own day, because it is the longer journey.
Ajanta Caves
Ajanta has 30 rock excavations, including one unfinished cave.[2] The first Buddhist cave monuments date from the second and first centuries BCE, and more richly decorated caves were added in the fifth and sixth centuries CE.[1] The rooms include monasteries and prayer halls, with paintings and sculpture connected to Buddhist traditions and stories.[2]
Vakataka-period paintings survive in caves 1, 2, 16 and 17, with scenes from the Jataka stories, the life of the Buddha and contemporary society. The painters worked on prepared ground layers and a lime wash, with pigments held by a binding material, so the paintings are not frescoes.[2] Follow any on-site guidance in the fragile painted caves.
Ajanta visitor information
| Planning detail | ASI listing, October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Opening hours | 09:00 to 17:00[2] |
| Weekly closure | Monday[2] |
| Other foreign visitors | INR 600 cash or INR 550 online, per person[2] |
| Indian, SAARC and BIMSTEC categories | INR 40 cash or INR 35 online, per person[2] |
| Children | Free entry below 15 years[2] |
Audio guides are offered in several languages; ask near the ticket counter.[2]
Things to Do
Offers are only loaded from GetYourGuide after you click. GetYourGuide can then process your IP address and set cookies. Privacy Policy
GetYourGuide partner offers. GoAsia may earn a commission if you book through these offers. Check whether tickets or transfers are included, and follow the attraction's official booking and admission rules.
Ellora Caves
Ellora has 34 well-known caves that visitors tour: caves 1 to 12 are Buddhist, 13 to 29 are Brahmanical and 30 to 34 are Jain.[4] UNESCO describes the broader complex as 34 monasteries and temples spanning more than two kilometres, with Buddhist, Hindu and Jain sanctuaries.[3] The groups show different religious and architectural traditions in one setting.
The Kailasa Temple is cave 16, a large monolithic temple carved from the basalt cliff. Choose caves by the time you have: for three to four hours, ASI highlights caves 10, 16, 21, 32 and 34, and its full-day suggestions cover more.[4]
Ellora visitor information
| Planning detail | ASI listing, October 2026 |
|---|---|
| Opening hours | Sunrise to sunset[4] |
| Weekly closure | Tuesday[4] |
| Other foreign visitors | INR 600 (INR 550 online), per person[4] |
| Indian, SAARC and BIMSTEC categories | INR 40 (INR 35 online), per person[4] |
| Children | Free entry below 15 years[4] |
How to plan both visits
Ajanta is closed on Monday and Ellora on Tuesday.[2][4] One workable plan is to see Ellora on a day it is open, then Ajanta on another open day. Allow for the longer trip to Ajanta, and confirm transport, departure times, fares and any shuttle service with the operator.
Both sites are cut into rock, one in a gorge and one along a long cliffside escarpment, so expect plenty of walking between areas. Ask site staff about any specific access need. For more trip planning, see our India travel guide.
Sources and background
Numbers in the text such as [1] refer to these sources.
- [1] UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Ajanta Caves. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
- [2] Archaeological Survey of India: Ajanta Caves: visitor information. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
- [3] UNESCO World Heritage Centre: Ellora Caves. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
- [4] Archaeological Survey of India: Ellora Caves: visitor information. Retrieved October 16, 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
Ajanta is a Buddhist cave complex known for its paintings, monasteries and prayer halls. Ellora has Buddhist, Hindu and Jain cave groups along one escarpment. UNESCO lists them as separate World Heritage properties, with different layouts, histories and visitor schedules.
Ajanta is open 09:00 to 17:00 and closed on Monday (ASI listing, October 2026).
Ellora is open from sunrise to sunset and closed on Tuesday (ASI listing, October 2026).
Each site has its own ticket. At Ajanta, other foreign visitors pay INR 600 cash or INR 550 online; Indian, SAARC and BIMSTEC categories pay INR 40 cash or INR 35 online. Ellora charges INR 600 (INR 550 online) for other foreign visitors and INR 40 (INR 35 online) for Indian, SAARC and BIMSTEC categories. Children below 15 years enter free at both sites.
Ajanta has 30 excavations, including one unfinished cave, and Ellora has 34 well-known caves that visitors tour. Check the site notices on the day to see which caves and routes are open.
At Ellora, three to four hours covers the selected highlights, and a full day lets you see more. Ajanta also deserves a dedicated day if you want time for its paintings and sculpture. Add travel and walking time.
Ellora lies about 30 km northwest of Aurangabad and Ajanta about 107 km north. Check transport providers for current departures, fares and included services.
Both sites are cut into rock, a gorge at Ajanta and a long cliffside escarpment at Ellora, and visiting involves walking between areas. Contact site staff about a specific access need before you travel.
