Most Popular 2-Day Guided Tour of Ajanta & Ellora Caves with Car

Two days of caves, and your ride is handled. This private Ajanta and Ellora tour pairs door-to-door comfort from Aurangabad with optional expert guidance, so you can go at the right pace. I like the flexibility too, with choices for booking transfers only or adding a professional local guide.

One thing to plan for is cost stacking. Entrance tickets, the Ajanta and Ellora shuttle bus, and Bibi Ka Maqbara entry are not included, and monument entry requires INR cash since cards are not accepted.

Key things I’d watch for

• Private A/C car, door-to-door from your Aurangabad hotel, for up to five people per vehicle
• One cave complex per day so you are not trying to cram everything into a blur
• Guide option if you want explanations (names like Deepak, Siraj, and Ram show up often in the tour team lineup)
• Bibi Ka Maqbara is built into Day 2, so you get more than just the cave sites
• Tickets and shuttle bus are extra, plus Ajanta closes Mondays and Ellora closes Tuesdays

A comfortable way to see two UNESCO cave worlds

Ajanta and Ellora are the kind of places that make you stop talking and just stare. The art, the rock-cut architecture, and the scale are huge. The best part here is that you do not have to turn your trip into a transportation puzzle.

You book a private vehicle with a professional driver. Pickup and drop-off are included from your chosen spot in Aurangabad, and you spend your time looking at the caves instead of hunting for buses and schedules. Even better, you can add a private professional guide if you want help connecting what you see to the stories behind it.

This is also a tour built around realistic pacing. Ajanta gets its own day, and Ellora plus Bibi Ka Maqbara sits on the next day. That separation matters because these sites are big, and you will want time to actually look, not just snap photos and rush out.

Price and value: why it can be a bargain for small groups

The listed price shows up as per person, but it is really priced around the vehicle and group setup. A vehicle can cover up to five people, so the cost often makes more sense when you travel with family or friends and split the car.

What you get for the money is practical: round-trip transfers, private A/C car, tolls and parking, fuel, taxes and service charges, plus bottled mineral water and a torch for exploring inside caves. If you choose the option that includes a guide, you also get a private professional guide.

Your main extra spending is site entry. For non-SAARC visitors, the ticket numbers are listed as:

• Ajanta Caves: INR 600
• Ellora Caves: INR 600
• Bibi Ka Maqbara: INR 300

Plus the Ajanta and Ellora shuttle bus: INR 100 per person

So the value question is simple: do you prefer paying a bit more for entry and shuttle access, or do you want a “car plus tickets on top” day that stays stress-free? If you want low friction, this format usually works.

Day 1: Ajanta Caves, from Aurangabad with a full-day plan

Your day starts with pickup in Aurangabad and then a long drive to Ajanta Caves, one of India’s big UNESCO hitters. Plan on a full day, about 8 hours on Day 1. The driving time can vary with traffic and road conditions, so you should be ready for a bumpy stretch.

Once you arrive, you will get oriented at the pickup point and meet your driver or guide before you start. That matters, because the first moment at a cave site sets the tone. Having someone who can help you manage the flow, timings, and on-the-ground logistics keeps you from burning energy on confusion.

Ajanta is a cave complex you will want to see slowly. One helpful tip from the cave-going crowd is to wear sandals. That way, you can remove and put on footwear with fewer struggles, which helps when you are moving between areas.

If you book with a guide, you can also spend more time looking at details. Guides in this program, including names like Deepak and Gani from the team history, are commonly credited with explaining the significance of caves and the sculptures in a way that makes the carvings feel less random. Without a guide, you can still enjoy Ajanta. But if you want the “what am I looking at” part answered, the guide option is where you get that extra value.

Day 2: Ellora Caves, plus Bibi Ka Maqbara in the afternoon

Day 2 kicks off with a hotel meeting time noted as 8:30 a.m. in your Aurangabad lobby. After breakfast, you head to Ellora, which is about 35 km away. The drive is listed as roughly 1 hour, and then you spend several hours exploring.

Ellora is another UNESCO site, but it feels different from Ajanta. At Ellora, one of the standout moments people often mention is the Kailasa temple within the complex. Even if you do not know anything going in, you’ll feel the difference when you see how ambitious the rock-cut work is.

After Ellora, the tour adds a cultural stop that many cave-only trips skip: Bibi Ka Maqbara. The route is about 30 km, and you get about 1 hour there. This stop helps break up the cave intensity, and it gives you something to experience outside the rock-cut interiors.

If you choose the guide option for Day 2, names like Siraj and Kadir appear in the program’s guide lineup. A guide can help you connect the carvings to what you are seeing in front of you. If you go without a guide, you can still enjoy Ellora, but you may want to download a simple reference guide on your phone beforehand so you have context while you walk.

Private car logistics that actually make a difference

The most underrated feature here is the private A/C vehicle with a professional driver. It is not just comfort. It is control over your day.

Because this is private, you are not tied to a fixed group schedule of pick up and drop offs for strangers. Your driver and guide can also help you adjust within the day if you need a practical pause. In the field, that can mean quick tea stops, time to regroup, or getting you back to the hotel without stress when you are tired.

It also matters that pickup and drop-off are included from your Aurangabad hotel. If you are staying in the city, this format is an easy win. The road trip is long enough that doing it DIY is not the fun part.

One more practical note: the caves have set closure days. Ajanta is closed every Monday, and Ellora is closed every Tuesday. So if your dates land on those days, your itinerary needs to shift.

Do you really need the guide?

You can book this tour with or without a guide, and either choice can work. The real decision is what kind of experience you want.

Go without a guide if:

• You are happy to read a little on your phone and just absorb the visuals
• You like a slower, self-paced wander
• You want to save money and keep things simple

Go with a guide if:

• You want to understand what you are seeing as you walk
• You care about the meaning of sculptures, architecture, and the overall layout
• You would rather have someone point out the best art than play guess-and-check

From the names that show up in this tour team, people often get strong results with guides like Deepak on Ajanta and Siraj on Ellora. Drivers such as Tausif Sheikh, Madhav, Ram, Naser, Suleman, Anis Khan, and Asad also show up in the operational side, often praised for safe, careful driving and punctual pickup.

If you do choose a guide, you might still want to set expectations on pace early. One common cave pacing issue at large sites is that guides sometimes juggle multiple clients. You can prevent that by asking for a more unhurried route right away.

What to bring: small items that prevent big annoyances

This tour includes bottled mineral water and a torch. That covers two common cave-day needs.

Still, I would pack:

• Sunglasses
• Comfortable shoes (and plan for footwear removal rules inside caves)
• A hat or cap, especially for the walkways and waiting areas
• Sunscreen
• A water bottle, even though water is provided

Also bring Indian Rupees (INR). Monument entry tickets are listed as cash-only because cards are not accepted. Your guide can help you buy entrance fees so you are not waiting in a queue, but you still need the right currency ready.

Lastly, wear layers. Cave interiors can feel cooler, and the drive plus waiting areas can swing temperatures.

How the tour compares to doing caves on your own

If you are traveling independently, you can absolutely reach Ajanta and Ellora. But the hassle is real: you deal with timing, transport switches, parking, and ticket buying while you are tired.

This private format solves that. You are picked up and dropped off. You have a driver focused on getting you there, not on negotiating schedules. If you add a guide, you also get help with interpretation, which is where many DIY cave trips lose their magic.

The main tradeoff is that it is still a road trip. You are going to drive out and back, and the Ajanta leg can feel long. But that is the cost of seeing the sites. At least here, you are not spending your energy on logistics.

Who should book this Ajanta and Ellora car tour

This tour fits best if you:

• Want two days instead of trying to cram both cave complexes into one
• Prefer a private A/C vehicle with pickup and drop-off
• Are traveling in a small group, up to five people, and want a good split on the vehicle cost
• Like the idea of adding a guide on one or both days for context and pacing

It might be less ideal if you:

• Hate long drives and want a shorter day plan overall
• Are extremely price-sensitive and plan to visit on very tight budgets
• Are flexible about self-navigation and ticket logistics

Should you book it? My take

If you want Ajanta and Ellora without the stress tax, I think this is a strong pick. You get private transfers, a driver who handles the day, and you can choose whether to add a guide for explanations that make the carvings click.

My main advice is simple: budget for entrance tickets in advance and bring INR cash, then wear footwear you can manage easily. If you do those two things, the day feels smooth, and you spend your time where it counts, inside the caves.

FAQ

What’s included in the tour price?

You get round-trip transfers by a private A/C car with a professional driver, toll and parking costs, fuel, taxes and service charges, bottled mineral water, and a torch for exploring. If you choose the option that includes a guide, you also get a private professional guide.

Are the monument entrance tickets included?

No. Ajanta and Ellora entrance tickets and Bibi Ka Maqbara entry are listed as not included, with separate prices provided.

How much are the cave and monument tickets?

The tour data lists monument ticket prices in INR. For non-SAARC countries: Ajanta Caves INR 600, Ellora Caves INR 600, and Bibi Ka Maqbara INR 300. (SAARC prices are lower, with INR 40 and INR 30 listed.)

Is the tour private?

Yes. It is described as a private tour/activity, and only your group participates.

How many people can fit in the vehicle?

Vehicles are available for up to five people.

Do I need cash for tickets?

Yes. The tour data says cards are not accepted for monument entry tickets, so you should carry Indian Rupees (INR).

What about shuttle buses to the cave areas?

The Ajanta and Ellora shuttle bus is listed as not included, with a price of INR 100 per person.

What time does the tour start?

The start time is listed as 8:00 a.m. Day 2 also notes meeting the driver or guide at 8:30 a.m. in your hotel lobby.

Are there days when the caves are closed?

Yes. Ajanta Caves are closed every Monday, and Ellora Caves are closed every Tuesday.

Can I book this tour with or without a guide?

Yes. You can book with guide services or book just the transfers without a guide.

Is cancellation free?

The policy states free cancellation. You can cancel up to 24 hours in advance for a full refund, and within 24 hours there is no refund.