From Aurangabad: 1-Day Taxi Trip to Ajanta and Ellora Caves

Caves worth the road time. This Aurangabad day trip makes Ajanta and Ellora much easier to reach, with a private air-conditioned car and a driver who handles the roads, tolls, parking, and fuel. I especially like the choice of three routes and the freedom to explore the monuments at your own pace. The main catch is that the advertised price covers transport, while monument tickets and optional guides cost extra.

I also like the small practical touches: bottled water, a torch for darker cave interiors, and drop-off at your hotel, railway station, or airport. Drivers such as Habib and Suleman have been praised for careful driving and friendly help with local sights. Still, the Ajanta and Ellora route is a very long day, and seeing both sites means accepting several hours in the car.

Key points to know before booking

• Three routes suit three different days: Choose Ellora with Daulatabad Fort and Bibi Ka Maqbara, Ajanta with Bibi Ka Maqbara, or both cave complexes in one demanding day.
• Private transport keeps the schedule flexible: The car is reserved for your group, with sedans for one or two people and Innova Crysta SUVs for three or four.
• Ajanta and Ellora are very different: Ajanta focuses on Buddhist cave art, while Ellora brings Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain monuments together.
• Entry fees are not included: Non-SAARC visitors are listed at ₹600 for Ajanta and ₹600 for Ellora, while SAARC rates are listed at ₹40.
• Closing days matter: Ajanta is closed on Monday, and Ellora is closed on Tuesday.
• The price is mainly for transport: At about $20.11 per person, it is strong value for a private car, but you should budget separately for tickets, lunch, and any guide.

Why a private car helps in Aurangabad

Ajanta and Ellora sit in different directions from Aurangabad, so transport is the first real issue. Ellora is about 30 kilometers away, with a stated drive of roughly one hour. Ajanta is about 100 kilometers away and takes around two hours each way. Public transport can cost less, but it also means fixed departures, more waiting, and less control over your return.

Here, you get a car reserved for your group. That simple point matters after several hours of walking around stone-cut caves. You can leave your luggage in the vehicle, return to the car when you need a break, and ask for a hotel, station, or airport drop-off at the end.

The package includes an air-conditioned car, fuel, tolls, parking, taxes, and service charges. One or two people travel in a Toyota Etios sedan, while three or four are assigned an Innova Crysta SUV. That makes the per-person price more attractive for a small group, especially if you value comfort and direct transport.

The driver speaks good Hindi and English. Past service has included drivers named Habib and Suleman. Habib was praised for careful driving and pleasant conversation, while Suleman helped point out local sights along the road. You should think of the driver primarily as your transport host, not automatically as your monument guide.

Choosing the Ellora, Daulatabad, and Bibi Ka Maqbara route

The first route begins at either 8:00 AM or 10:00 AM and heads to Ellora. The drive is listed at about one hour, giving you a relatively easy start compared with the Ajanta routes.

Ellora contains 34 caves and works well as the main focus of a half-day visit. You are given three to four hours there, which is enough time to see the major spaces without racing through the site. The complex includes Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain caves, so the visit has more variety than a single-faith monument area.

The best-known attraction here is the great rock-cut temple, but the wider complex rewards a slower look. You will be dealing with carved stone, broad courtyards, pillars, and dark interiors. The provided torch is useful in places where details are hard to see. Comfortable shoes are essential because the visit involves walking and standing on uneven surfaces.

After Ellora, you can stop for lunch before visiting Daulatabad Fort. Lunch is optional, so you should ask the driver about timing rather than assume it is part of the package. Daulatabad adds a different kind of stop, with fort architecture replacing the enclosed cave spaces.

Bibi Ka Maqbara comes later on the return to Aurangabad. Often compared with the Taj Mahal because of its form, it gives the day a final architectural change of pace. The listed route includes all three major stops, but the amount of time at each depends on your start time, lunch, walking speed, and traffic.

The 10:00 AM departure can work if you want a later morning, but it leaves less room for lingering. I would favor 8:00 AM if you want to give Ellora, Daulatabad, and Bibi Ka Maqbara proper attention.

Taking the longer Ajanta route

The Ajanta-only plan begins at 8:30 AM and uses the two-hour drive to reach the caves. At 100 kilometers from Aurangabad, Ajanta demands more road time than Ellora, but its character is very different.

Ajanta has 29 Buddhist caves, with three to four hours set aside for exploration. The site is especially important for its painted and sculpted Buddhist art. You will want time to pause in the cave interiors rather than treat the complex as a quick photo stop.

The route allows an optional lunch afterward. If time permits on the return, the car visits Bibi Ka Maqbara before returning to Aurangabad. The wording matters here: Bibi Ka Maqbara is an extra return stop when there is enough time, not a guarantee that you will receive a long visit there.

I like this option for anyone who has already seen Ellora or wants to focus on Ajanta without attempting both cave sites in one day. It is still a full day, but the schedule is less crowded than the combined Ajanta and Ellora plan.

Ajanta is closed every Monday. If Monday is your only available day, this route is not offered, and the alternate plan visits Ellora, Daulatabad Fort, and Bibi Ka Maqbara instead.

Seeing Ajanta and Ellora in one day

The third route begins at 7:00 AM, an early start that makes sense. You first drive about two hours to Ajanta, spend three to four hours there, eat lunch if you wish, and then drive about 1.5 hours to Ellora. The route lists the distance between the two cave complexes as 95 kilometers.

After reaching Ellora, you have time to explore the rock-cut complex before returning to Aurangabad. This is the most ambitious option, and it can fit both major sites into a single day. It is also the route most likely to feel tiring.

I would choose it only if your schedule is tight or both cave complexes are essential. You will spend several hours in the car and may have less time to linger at individual caves. The benefit is clear: you avoid arranging two separate day trips and see two of India’s most important cave sites in one outing.

The order also helps. Ajanta comes first, when you are fresh, and Ellora follows after lunch. Since both sites require walking, stairs, and attention to carved details, your energy level will shape the experience. Bring water, wear practical shoes, and avoid treating the day as a relaxed sightseeing loop.

Ellora is closed every Tuesday. On Tuesday, the available cave plan is Ajanta with Bibi Ka Maqbara. Check the closing days before you set your date, because the alternate itinerary changes the entire feel of the day.

What the $20.11 price really covers

At about $20.11 per person, the price is attractive for private transport, especially for a group of two to four people. You are paying for the car and driver rather than an all-inclusive guided tour.

Included costs cover:

• Air-conditioned private transportation
• Fuel, tolls, parking, taxes, and service charges
• Bottled mineral water
• A torch for cave visits
• An English and Hindi-speaking driver
• Pickup and drop-off within the planned Aurangabad service

The main extra cost is admission. The provided information lists Ajanta at ₹600 per person and Ellora at ₹600 for non-SAARC visitors. SAARC visitors are listed at ₹40 per site. Bibi Ka Maqbara is listed at ₹300 for non-SAARC visitors and ₹30 for SAARC visitors.

Carry Indian rupees because cards are not accepted for monument entry. Also note the separate cave shuttle bus charge of ₹100 per person, listed for Ajanta and Ellora. Since ticket rules and prices can change, it is sensible to confirm the current amount at booking, but the stated figures give you a useful budget.

A guide is not automatically included. You can hire local guides at many historic sites, or use the driver for practical help and explore independently. That arrangement suits people who like flexibility, but it will not satisfy you if you want one historian to explain every cave throughout the day.

Comfort, pacing, and what to pack

The private car is the strongest comfort feature. You are not sharing the vehicle with strangers, and the small capacity keeps the ride personal. A sedan suits one or two people, while the Innova Crysta gives three or four people more room.

Air conditioning matters during a long day in Maharashtra, but you should still prepare for heat and walking. Bring sunglasses, a hat or cap, sunscreen, and a refillable or additional water bottle. Bottled water is provided, but the tour itself recommends bringing extra water.

Wear comfortable shoes. The sites involve walking between caves and spending time on hard surfaces. A small torch is supplied, which is useful when cave interiors are dim and carved details are easy to miss.

The tour is described as suitable for most people, but the schedule is not light. Ajanta and Ellora both require several hours of exploring, and the combined itinerary adds long drives between them. If you dislike early starts or extended car journeys, choose the Ellora route instead of forcing both sites into one day.

The self-guided setup can be a benefit. You can spend longer where you are interested and move on when you have had enough. It also means you need to take responsibility for your own pace and interpretation. At Ellora, the supplied torch and an optional local guide can make the visit more rewarding than simply walking from cave to cave.

The extra stops change the character of the day

Bibi Ka Maqbara is more than a filler stop. It gives you a chance to see Mughal-style architecture after the enclosed cave spaces. If you select an Ajanta route, it may appear on the return if time permits. On the Ellora route, it is part of the planned return journey.

Daulatabad Fort adds another layer to the Ellora day. Its inclusion makes the route useful for someone who wants more than caves, but it also creates a tighter schedule. You should decide what matters most before departure. If Ellora is your priority, give it the time it deserves and treat the fort as a bonus. If you want a broad Aurangabad sightseeing day, the three-stop route is the better match.

Lunch is optional on all listed routes. That keeps the schedule flexible, but it means you should not expect a fixed meal or restaurant experience to be included. Ask about the lunch stop early in the day so you know how much time remains for the monuments.

Who should book this Aurangabad day trip

I would recommend this experience to couples, families, and small groups who want private transport without paying for a large luxury tour. It is also a good fit if you are arriving or departing by train or plane, since the final drop-off can be arranged at a railway station or airport.

The tour suits independent sightseers who want a driver, not constant commentary. The strongest praise centers on careful driving, friendly help, easy communication, and the freedom to explore. The ability to hire local guides at the monuments gives you a middle option between a fully guided tour and going completely alone.

I would be more cautious if you want a slow, detailed study of every cave. The one-day combined route is efficient, but efficiency comes with long drives and a firm timetable. For a calmer visit, choose Ajanta alone or Ellora with Daulatabad and Bibi Ka Maqbara.

The experience currently carries a 5 out of 5 rating from 18 reviews, with 100 percent recommendation shown in the supplied information. That is a strong record, and the praise focuses on value, safety, driver service, and the chance to explore without being rushed. Still, the low headline price should not be mistaken for a full admission-and-guide package.

Free cancellation is available up to 24 hours before the start time for a full refund. Changes or cancellations inside that 24-hour window are not accepted for a refund.

Should you book it?

Book this trip if you want the simplest way to reach Ajanta and Ellora from Aurangabad, especially with two to four people sharing a car. The price is good for private transport, and the route choices let you match the day to your energy and interests.

Choose the Ellora route for an easier day with Daulatabad Fort and Bibi Ka Maqbara. Choose Ajanta alone for a more focused Buddhist cave visit. Choose the combined route only when your schedule demands both, and start at 7:00 AM with realistic expectations.

FAQ

How long does the tour take?

The tour lasts approximately eight to ten hours, depending on the selected route, stops, traffic, and time spent at each monument.

Can I visit both Ajanta and Ellora in one day?

Yes. The combined itinerary starts at 7:00 AM, visits Ajanta first, then Ellora, and returns to Aurangabad.

What is included in the tour price?

The price includes private air-conditioned transport, fuel, tolls, parking, taxes, service charges, bottled water, a torch, and an English and Hindi-speaking driver.

Are monument entry tickets included?

No. Entry tickets are paid separately. The listed non-SAARC prices are ₹600 for Ajanta, ₹600 for Ellora, and ₹300 for Bibi Ka Maqbara.

What are the SAARC monument ticket prices?

The listed SAARC prices are ₹40 for Ajanta, ₹40 for Ellora, and ₹30 for Bibi Ka Maqbara.

Which days are Ajanta and Ellora closed?

Ajanta Caves are closed on Mondays. Ellora Caves are closed on Tuesdays.

What kind of vehicle is provided?

One or two people travel in a Toyota Etios sedan. Three or four people travel in an Innova Crysta SUV.

Can I be dropped at the airport or railway station?

Yes. You can request drop-off at your hotel, railway station, or airport in Aurangabad.

Can I cancel for a full refund?

Yes, if you cancel at least 24 hours before the experience start time. Cancellations or changes made less than 24 hours before the start time are not refunded.