I will travel to Shirdi to spend some time at the Sai Baba Mandir, and during my stay, I would like to go and visit the famous Ajanta Ellora Caves. I have only heard about the caves and seen some pictures. I have no idea how far the caves are from Shirdi. - I would like to know how far Ajanta Ellora Caves are from Shirdi? - How do go to Ajanta Ellora Caves from Shirdi? - Is a day trip possible or will I have to stay overnight at some place? - Are there any charges to see the caves?
Hello and welcome to the forum! The Ajanta Caves are about 201.5 kms away from Shirdi. You can reach it in about 4 hours via the Aurangabad Highway. On the other hand, the Ellora Caves are about 97.6 kms away from Shirdi. You can reach it in about 2 hours via the Aurangabad Highway as well. You have several options for public transportation to reach the Ajanta and Ellora Caves from Shirdi. Here they are: 1. MSRTC Buses. The MSRTC operates buses from Shirdi to Aurangabad. Fare varies but it's between Rs. 60 to Rs. 70. You'd have to ride a bus from the Shirdi Bus Station and you will be dropped off at the Aurangabad Central Bus Station. Here's some timings for the buses: MSRTC Bus to Aurangabad via Vaijapur: 7:00, 8:00, 08:30, 9:15, 10:00, 12:30, 15:45 and 17:45. MSRTC Bus to Aurangabad via Srirampur: 6:45, 9:45, 11:15, 13:15, 14:45, 15:30, 16:45 and 19:00. Then, from the Aurangabad Central Bus Station, you can ride buses going to Ellora or Ajanta Caves. Red Buses are your best option as the frequency of these buses are regular. There are also Asiad Buses but they don't have frequent buses running from ACBS to Ellora or Ajanta Caves. MSRTC also operates Conducted Bus Tours. These tours can be booked at the Aurangabad Central Bus Station as well. But only do this if you're crunched for time and doesn't mind not exploring the entire caves for a long time. Here they are: Tour 1: Aurangabad CBS to Ajanta Caves, Bibi-Ka-Muqbara, Pan-Chakki and back to Aurangabad CBS Tour 2: Aurangabad CBS to Ellora Caves, Daulatabad Fort, Bibi-Ka-Muqbara, Pan-Chakki and back to Aurangabad CBS 2. Private Buses. Several private bus operators travel to and from Shirdi to Aurangabad. Some I was able to find are: Shree Khurana Travels (AC Sleeper 2+1) at Rs. 800. Departs at 8:00 pm and arrives at 11:00 pm. Rajilaxmi Travels (Non-AC Sleeper 2+1) at Rs. 600. Departs at 5:30 pm and arrives at 8:45 pm. Once you reach the ACBS, you have the same options as above. 3. Train. You can ride a train from Shirdi to Aurangabad Railway Station or Jalgaon Railway Station. Some trains and their timings are: Sainagar Shirdi Kakinada Express Train No. 17205. Trains run during Sundays, Tuesdays and Thursdays. Departure time is 17:10 and arrival time is 20:45. Sainagar Shirdi Secunderabad Express Train No. 17001. Trains run during Mondays and Saturdays. Departure time is 17:10 and arrival time is 20:45. From the Aurangabad Railway Station, you can just ride a cab to the caves. Otherwise, proceed to the Aurangabad Central Bus Station for public buses. 4. Hired Cab. Your last and probably most expensive option. Taxi fare ranges from Rs. 1,550 to Rs. 2,000. A day trip is possible but you won't explore both caves fully. It's better to just visit the Ellora Caves for the first day and then explore the Ajanta Caves the next day. These caves are quite magnificent and beautiful and it can take some time to complete them. I'd say a minimum of four hours for each caves. Especially if you're going to be taking pictures or going through all the carvings and murals. From what I know, there are some accommodations nearby both caves. But if you'd like, you can also travel back to Aurangabad and stay in the hotels there. The hotels in Ellora and Ajanta aren't as posh or as luxurious like in the hotels in other cities. But they will do for the night and most of them have AC accommodations as well. Let me know if you'd like a list of hotels near the caves. Yes, it's at Rs. 250 for foreigners for both caves. Then, it's at Rs. 10 for Indians. Children younger than 15 years old are free to enter the caves. I hope this helps!
