Multi-day circuit
Deccan Trail — Shirdi & Ellora
10 days · 9 nights · 2600 km · departs Bangalore
Bangalore → Deccan Trail — Shirdi & Ellora · indicative rates
Fares shown are indicative starting rates. The final charge is based on real-time usage — distance, hours or days, tolls, parking and permits. Outstation trips are charged on a minimum of 300 km per day. Driver batta is ₹1,000 per day; late-night batta of ₹1,000 applies between 22:00–05:59. GST at 5% applies to the total.
Rock cut directly from a basalt cliff at Ellora. The Kailasa temple there was excavated downward from the hillside rather than built up from the ground — a single piece of rock, and the reason this circuit is worth two thousand six hundred kilometres.
At a glance
| Duration | 10 days, 9 nights |
|---|---|
| Total distance | Approximately 2600 km |
| Departs from | Bangalore |
| Recommended seater | 13 Seater (12+D) |
| Passengers | Up to 12 in the recommended vehicle |
| States covered | Karnataka, Maharashtra |
| Permits | Maharashtra interstate commercial permit, obtained before dispatch and charged at actuals with the receipt, along with state entry tax. |
| Driver batta | ₹1,000 per day × 10 days |
| Best season | November to February. The Deccan is punishing from March to June, and Ajanta and Ellora involve long walks on open rock. |
Distances and timings are indicative planning figures, not the basis of a quote. Itineraries are indicative — actual routing, timings and stops are subject to road, weather, traffic and permit conditions, and to the chauffeur's judgement.
Why this circuit
This is the longest and hardest circuit we run, and it exists because Ajanta and Ellora are worth it. Ten days, 2,600 km and a state crossing, ending with a 670 km day that has no shorter version. We would rather set that out in the first paragraph than let a group discover it somewhere north of Solapur on day ten.
What justifies it is a sequence of things that genuinely have no equivalent further south. Hampi's ruins, Gol Gumbaz at Bijapur, Shirdi, and then thirty-four rock-cut caves at Ellora including a temple excavated downward out of a single hillside. Ajanta's paintings are the oldest surviving of their kind in India. Groups who make this trip talk about it for years; groups who compress it into a week see the inside of a vehicle.
The pace is deliberately uneven and that is not sloppy planning. Days four, nine and ten are long transfers across country with little worth stopping for, and they exist to buy the short days at Hampi, Ellora and Ajanta. A circuit that spread the driving evenly would give you eight mediocre days instead of five long ones and five very good ones.
Which Urbania
The 13 seater, and on a ten-day circuit at this distance the reasoning is comfort rather than access. Twenty-six hundred kilometres is a great deal of time seated, and ten people in a 13 seater have room the same ten do not have in a fuller vehicle. Over ten days that compounds in a way it does not on a weekend.
Access matters too at the far end. Aurangabad and the approach roads to Ajanta are manageable for any of the three, but Bijapur's older streets and the Hampi-side lanes are narrow. Above twelve passengers we will send the 17 and will say honestly that the long days are harder in it.
Day by day
- Day 1 Bangalore to Hospet 350 km
North to the Hampi side. A long first day with Chitradurga's hill fort as the natural break.
- Day 2 Hampi 40 km
A full day among the ruins before continuing north. The vehicle moves between monument clusters through the day.
- Day 3 Hospet to Bijapur 200 km
Into the Deccan proper. Gol Gumbaz in the afternoon — its whispering gallery is the thing everyone remembers.
- Day 4 Bijapur to Pandharpur to Pune 420 km
A long transfer with a pilgrimage stop at Pandharpur if the timing suits. Crossing into Maharashtra on this leg.
- Day 5 Pune to Shirdi 190 km
North to Shirdi. Darshan queues here are unpredictable and can run several hours, so the day is left deliberately open.
- Day 6 Shirdi to Aurangabad 130 km
A short transfer, arriving with the afternoon free. Daulatabad fort or Bibi Ka Maqbara if there is appetite.
- Day 7 Ellora 60 km
Thirty-four caves cut from a basalt escarpment, and the Kailasa temple among them. A full day and not a long one only because the walking is hard.
- Day 8 Ajanta 210 km
Two hours each way to the caves and most of a day there. Ajanta closes on Mondays, which catches groups out more than anything else on this circuit.
- Day 9 Aurangabad to Solapur 330 km
The long turn south. Little to stop for, so an early start and a straightforward day.
- Day 10 Solapur to Bangalore 670 km
The longest day of any circuit we run. There is no way to shorten it and an early start is not optional.
Included
- Vehicle and chauffeur for the full circuit
- Fuel
- Driver batta for each of the ten days
- Maharashtra interstate permit and state entry tax at actuals
- All tolls and parking at actuals against receipts
Not included
- Accommodation and meals
- Monument entry at Ajanta, Ellora and Bijapur
- Darshan arrangements at Shirdi or Pandharpur
- Guide fees, which are worth paying at Ajanta and Ellora
- Anything of a personal nature
Ajanta closes on Mondays and Ellora on Tuesdays. This catches out more groups on this circuit than anything else, and it cannot be worked around on the day — it simply removes the reason you came. Check your dates against both before booking anything, and tell us, because it changes the order of days seven and eight.
Shirdi is the one day we leave deliberately open. Darshan queues there are genuinely unpredictable and can run several hours with no way to know in advance. A circuit that schedules Shirdi tightly will break somewhere. If you hold a booked darshan, tell us and we will plan around it.
Ten consecutive days including three legs over 400 km is more than one chauffeur should drive without proper rest built in, and we plan it accordingly — days two, six and seven are deliberately short. Where a group wants to compress the circuit below ten days, we will propose a second chauffeur or decline the itinerary rather than run someone tired on a 670 km day.
Rates
| Seater | Configuration | From, per km | Driver batta / day | Minimum / day |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 10 Seater | 9+D — up to 9 passengers | ₹38 | ₹1,000 | 300 km |
| 13 Seater | 12+D — up to 12 passengers | ₹42 | ₹1,000 | 300 km |
| 17 Seater | 16+D — up to 16 passengers | ₹45 | ₹1,000 | 300 km |
Fares shown are indicative starting rates. The final charge is based on real-time usage — distance, hours or days, tolls, parking and permits. Outstation trips are charged on a minimum of 300 km per day. Driver batta is ₹1,000 per day; late-night batta of ₹1,000 applies between 22:00–05:59. GST at 5% applies to the total.
Questions about this circuit
How long is the last day really?
Six hundred and seventy kilometres from Solapur to Bengaluru, and it is the longest day of any circuit we run. There is no shorter version and no scenic alternative. An early start is not optional, and we would rather you knew that before booking than on the morning.
Can we do this circuit in seven days?
Not well. You would keep the transfers and lose Hampi, or lose Ajanta, which are the two reasons to come. If seven days is your limit we would rather propose the Karnataka Heritage Trail, which does the southern half properly, than sell you a compressed version of this.
When are Ajanta and Ellora closed?
Ajanta closes on Mondays and Ellora on Tuesdays. This catches out more groups on this circuit than anything else and it cannot be fixed on the day. Check your dates before booking and tell us, because it changes the order of days seven and eight.
Do we need a permit?
Yes — a Maharashtra interstate commercial permit, obtained before dispatch and charged at actuals with the receipt, along with the state entry tax. Both appear as separate lines rather than folded into the rate.
How long is the Shirdi darshan?
Genuinely unpredictable, and it can run several hours. That is why day five is left deliberately open rather than scheduled tightly. If you hold a booked darshan, tell us and we will plan around it. We cannot arrange one.
Why are some days so short and others so long?
Because the sights are unevenly spread. The long transfers on days four, nine and ten buy the short days at Hampi, Ellora and Ajanta. Spreading the driving evenly would give you eight mediocre days rather than five hard ones and five very good ones.
Is one chauffeur enough for ten days?
With the rest built in, yes — days two, six and seven are deliberately short for that reason. If a group wants the circuit compressed, we will propose a second chauffeur or decline rather than run someone tired on a 670 km day.
Is a guide worth it?
At Ajanta and Ellora, very much so, and we say that as the transport rather than as anyone with an interest. The caves are dense with detail that is invisible without one. We do not arrange guides or take a cut — engage one at the site.
How much walking is involved?
A great deal, and much of it on open rock and steps at Ajanta and Ellora. This is not a suitable circuit for anyone with limited mobility. Hampi adds more of the same. Tell us at booking if it is a concern.
What is the best time of year?
November to February. The Deccan is punishing from March to June, and the cave sites involve long walks with little shade. This is a winter circuit and we would suggest a different one for summer dates.
Can we start from Mysore?
You can, and it adds roughly 150 km to both the first and last legs, which are already the longest. Bengaluru is the better start for this particular circuit. If Mysuru is where your group is, we would suggest positioning to Bengaluru the evening before.
What does it cost?
It is quoted as an outstation trip for ten days: the per-kilometre rate for your seater, driver batta for each day, the Maharashtra permit and entry tax at actuals, and tolls and parking against receipts. Accommodation, meals, entry and guide fees are yours.
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Circuit information last verified 2026-09-02.