Ajanta, India Transportation – Taxi, Train, Bus, and Airport Tips

Ajanta Transportation

Transport to and from, and within Ajanta, is not difficult and pretty well served by rail and bus. The area is quite popular with tourists, and as such, is well taken care of.

Getting To / From Ajanta

There are two gateways to Ajanta, the nearby town of Jalgaon located 60 kms north and the city of Aurangabad located 105 kms southeast. Many visitors choose the latter because it was also convenient for the Ellora Caves. Aurangabad is a provincial town with an airport, rail link to Bombay and a number of modern hotels.

Bus / Taxi (Private Driver)

The ride from Aurangabad takes about 1hr 45m and is easily made by bus, tour groups or private car. If you are a group of 2 to 4 traveling, the best way is to hire a car and a private driver, which is relatively inexpensive. If cost is an issue, then bus is the way to go.

Once you arrive at the Ajanta site, then you must take one of the regular shuttle buses from the outer entry point to the actual site, as cars and outside buses are not allowed near the site. This short 4 km bus ride makes for an interesting experience mixing with the locals as these shuttles get really crowded. Make sure to hop on the bus before it gets too crowded, as they depart every half an hour or so. These buses are run by Maharashtra Government specially for the Ghats, and especially for tourists who want to see the Ajanta Caves where 900 year old paintings exist, and several Buddha and other stone carvings are awaiting to be seen.

It often makes sense to take car tours over two days in order to visit the caves at Ellora and Ajanta. The shared cost with other travelers is quite reasonable and can be a nice experience sharing stories with a fellow traveler.

It is possible to visit the Ellora Caves, Grishneshvara Temple (near to the caves), Khuldabad (a small town located about 3km south of the Ellora Caves, which is famous for the tomb of Mughal emperor Aurangzeb) and Daulatabad, a fortified city located 16km (10 miles) northwest of Aurangabad all in one day.

Editor’s Note: The information contained on this page was compiled using real traveler reviews about transportation in Anjanta, India.