Archaeology &
Ancient Civilisations

Curated Experience Add-On

5,000 Years of India
Brought to Life

This curated add-on immerses travellers in India's 5,000-year-old archaeological heritage showcasing ancient universities, rock-cut temples, imperial capitals, and sacred art. Ideal for history lovers and culturally curious guests, it highlights five iconic sites across India.

Ajanta & Ellora Caves

Maharashtra · UNESCO World Heritage

Nalanda

Bihar · Ancient International University

Hampi

Karnataka · Vijayanagara Empire

Mahabalipuram

Tamil Nadu · Pallava Rock-Cut Temples

Udaipur

Rajasthan · City of Lakes & Ahar Cenotaphs

Add This to Your Journey

This experience is a flexible add-on combine any of these sites with your existing itinerary or build a dedicated archaeology tour.

Personalised route planning
Expert archaeologist guides
Handpicked heritage stays
Private AC transport
24/7 on-trip support
No-obligation consultation

Request Free Itinerary

Site 01 · Maharashtra

Ajanta &
Ellora Caves

Two UNESCO-listed masterpieces of rock-cut architecture

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Two of the world's greatest rock-cut architectural achievements, carved into sheer cliff faces over a thousand years of devotion and artistry.

Ajanta: Dating from the 2nd century BCE, these Buddhist caves house some of the finest ancient murals ever discovered vivid depictions of the Jataka tales painted with breathtaking delicacy across ceilings and walls.

Ellora: A 6th-10th century complex of 34 Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain caves carved side by side a testament to India's pluralistic traditions. The centrepiece is the awe-inspiring monolithic Kailasa Temple, the world's largest rock-cut structure, carved top-down from a single basalt cliff.

Site 02 · Bihar

Nalanda

The great ancient international university (5th-12th century)

UNESCO World Heritage Site

Once the greatest centre of learning in the ancient world, Nalanda University attracted scholars from across Asia between the 5th and 12th centuries CE covering theology, philosophy, grammar, logic, astronomy, and medicine.

The extensive ruins reveal monasteries, lecture halls, temples, and stupas spread across a vast campus. The excellent Nalanda Archaeological Museum houses a remarkable collection of Buddhist bronzes, terracotta figurines, and artefacts that bring this ancient intellectual world back to life.

Nalanda University Ruins

Monasteries & Stupas

Nalanda Archaeological Museum

Ancient international university attracting scholars from across Asia

Ruins of monasteries, lecture halls, temples, and stupas

Excellent Nalanda Archaeological Museum on site

Active from the 5th to 12th century CE over 700 years

Site 03 · Karnataka

Hampi

Vijayanagara Empire · 14th-16th century

UNESCO World Heritage Site

A spectacular open-air museum set amidst one of India's most dramatic landscapes colossal granite boulders rising above ruined temples, royal pavilions, and ancient bazaars that once formed the heart of the Vijayanagara Empire, the last great Hindu kingdom of South India.

At its peak in the 15th and 16th centuries, Vijayanagara was one of the richest and most powerful cities in the world. Today its ruins, spread over 26 square kilometres, remain one of India's most awe-inspiring archaeological experiences.

Virupaksha Temple

Stone Chariot · Vitthala

Royal Enclosures

Indo-Islamic Structures

The magnificent Virupaksha Temple still an active place of worship

Vitthala Temple with its iconic musical pillars and Stone Chariot

Palaces, pavilions, royal enclosures, and Indo-Islamic structures

Dramatic landscape of colossal granite boulders and the Tungabhadra River

Site 04 · Tamil Nadu

Mahabalipuram

7th-8th century Pallava rock-cut temples & sculptures

UNESCO World Heritage Site

A coastal treasure where the Bay of Bengal meets some of India's most exquisite ancient sculpture. Carved by the Pallava dynasty in the 7th and 8th centuries, Mahabalipuram is an open-air gallery of rock-cut shrines, monolithic temples, and relief panels that rank among the finest examples of Dravidian art ever created.

The combination of heritage and seaside atmosphere makes it unlike any other archaeological site in India ancient stone temples rising directly from the beach.

Site 05 · Rajasthan

Udaipur

City of Lakes · Founded 1553 · 4,000 years of archaeology

The romantic "City of Lakes," founded by Maharana Udai Singh II in 1553, is far more than its celebrated palaces and shimmering lakes. Beneath its Rajput grandeur lie archaeological layers reaching back 4,000 years one of the most ancient continuously inhabited regions of Rajasthan.

The Ahar Cenotaphs and Museum reveal the extraordinary depth of this history royal cremation memorials spanning centuries, and a museum housing artefacts from the Ahar Civilisation (2000 BCE), a Chalcolithic culture that flourished along the Banas River long before Rajasthan's great kingdoms rose.