Aurangabad travel guide

Aurangabad is one of Maharashtra's highlights. This guide keeps every fact sourced. It covers sights, food and day trips.

Come in the cooler months if you can. Give it a few unhurried days. The sections below help you plan.

Every place name links to a source. The figures come from trusted sites. Plan your trip with confidence.

Use this guide as a starting point. Mix the big sights with slow time. The best trips leave room to wander.

Each headline sight has its own detailed guide.

Aurangabad is best in the cool, dry months. Summers can be hot and busy. The monsoon brings rain and lush green. Shoulder months bring fewer crowds. Check local festival dates as well.

Reference: Climate of India.

Time your trip for extra colour.

Aurangabad is well linked by road and rail. The nearest airport and station serve it. Autos and app cabs cover the area.

Within the city, app cabs and autos are easiest. Old quarters reward exploring on foot. Day trips are best by hired car. Buses and trains link the wider region cheaply.

🚕 Getting around locally

• 1Ride-hailing appsUber and Ola are cheap and reliable.
• 2Auto-rickshawsAgree a fare, or insist on the meter.
• 3Metro or local trainsFast where the network reaches.
• 4On footOld quarters are best explored walking.
• 5Cycle & e-rickshawsHandy for short old-city hops.
• 6Day-hire taxiBest value for day trips and far sights.

More in our India transport guide.

Rough per-person daily ranges, in rupees.

Guide: Incredible India. Prices vary by season.

Beyond the big sights, here is how to feel the city.

• 1Ajanta CavesBuddhist rock-cut paintings.
• 2Ellora CavesThe Kailasa monolithic temple.
• 3Bibi Ka MaqbaraA Mughal mausoleum like the Taj.
• 4Daulatabad FortA mighty hilltop fortress.
• 5PanchakkiA 17th-century water mill.
• 6Grishneshwar TempleA Jyotirlinga near Ellora.
• 7Aurangabad CavesSixth-century Buddhist shrines.
• 8Soneri MahalA 17th-century mansion.
• 9Bhadkal GateA surviving Mughal gateway.
• 10Paithani weavingWatch silk saris being made.
• 11Himayat BaghA Mughal-era garden and nursery.
• 12Jama MasjidA 17th-century congregational mosque.
• 13Salim Ali LakeA birdwatching spot.
• 14Siddharth Garden & ZooA family green space.
• 15Ellora Kailasa TempleA monolithic rock-cut wonder.
• 16Aurangabad CavesHilltop Buddhist shrines.
• 17Daulatabad FortA hilltop medieval citadel.
• 18PanchakkiA 17th-century water mill.

Short on time? Prioritise your days like this.

With more time, slow down and wander. Mix the big sights with cafes and lanes. The best of Aurangabad rewards a gentle pace.

A little history and culture, in brief.

Malik Ambar founded the city as Khadki in 1610.

Aurangzeb renamed it. Made it his Deccan capital in 1653.

The city once had 52 historic gates; a few survive.

It was officially renamed Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in 2023.

Aurangabad guards the Deccan's north-western routes.

It is the base for two UNESCO cave sites.

Mughal, Nizam and Maratha history layer the city.

Silk weaving remains a living craft here.

Aurangabad is western Maharashtra's heritage hub.

It anchors the Ajanta-Ellora circuit.

Aurangzeb made it his Deccan capital.

Bibi Ka Maqbara mirrors the Taj Mahal.

Paithani silk saris are woven here.

It was renamed Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar.

Aurangabad has an airport and rail links.

Buses run to Ellora and Ajanta.

November to February is the best time.

Summers grow hot in the Deccan.

Guides are available at the cave sites.

Sources: Aurangabad — Wikipedia · UNESCO — Ajanta Caves · Ajanta Caves · Ellora Caves · Bibi Ka Maqbara · Daulatabad Fort.

English is widely understood, but a few words help.

Regional languages also apply; see the India guide.