This is the itinerary we give to guests who have three days and want to do justice to the region without turning it into an exhausting race between sites. Based from Hiranya Resort, approximately 8km from Ellora.
DAY ONE — ARRIVAL AND THE FORT TRAIL
Arrive by early afternoon. Check in, unpack, have a tea on the deck and let the lake and the fort view do their work of decompressing you from the journey.
Late afternoon (4–6pm): Walk or cycle to Daultabad Fort (1km). You don't need to go all the way to the summit on this first visit — explore the outer fortifications and the medieval settlement remains at the base. The late afternoon light on the fort walls is extraordinary.
Evening: Dinner at our waterfall-side restaurant. Bonfire if weather permits. Early night.
DAY TWO — ELLORA CAVES AND KHULDABAD
6am: Join our guided cycle trip to Ellora Caves, arriving as the gates open. Spend the morning (4–5 hours) in the caves, prioritising Cave 16 (Kailasa Temple), Cave 10 (Vishwakarma), and the Jain caves 32–33.
11:30am: Return to resort for lunch and an hour's rest.
1:30pm: Taxi to Grishneshwar Jyotirlinga for afternoon darshan (15 minutes away). Then Khuldabad: Aurangzeb's tomb, the Zainuddin dargah.
Evening: Return to resort. Sunset over the lake. Evening yoga or campfire as preferred.
DAY THREE — AJANTA OR AURANGABAD CITY
Option A (Long option): Pre-dawn start for Ajanta Caves (120km). Arrive by 8:30am, spend the full morning. Return by 4pm.
Option B (Easy option): Late breakfast, explore Aurangabad city — Bibi Ka Maqbara, Panchakki, the old city market. Return to resort for a last evening.
Check out: 11am.
