Icon · Half a day; a full day with Rajgir
Nalanda
The first great university
Inside: Temple 3 — Sariputra's stupa · Monastery 1 & the student cells · Nalanda Archaeological Museum · Xuanzang Memorial Hall · Nalanda Multimedia Museum · +4 more
Nalanda
District headquarters Bihar Sharif · Magadh
The ruined university, Rajgir's hills, hot springs and glass bridge, Pawapuri's Jal Mandir.
How far is Nalanda
| Patna → Bihar Sharif | 78 km | 1½ h |
| Gaya → Bihar Sharif | 90 km | 2 h |
| Muzaffarpur → Bihar Sharif | 135 km | 3 h |
| Darbhanga → Bihar Sharif | 146 km | 3½ h |
| Bhagalpur → Bihar Sharif | 191 km | 4½ h |
Road ≈ 1.3 × straight-line, ~40 km/h. Measured to the district HQ.
Neighbouring districtsPlaces in Nalanda we have written up
4 guides
Icon · 1–2 days
Rajgir
Hot springs and five hills
Inside: Vishwa Shanti Stupa · Gridhakuta — Vulture Peak · Son Bhandar caves · Brahmakund & the hot springs · Venuvana · +10 more
Hidden gem · 2–3 hours from Rajgir
Pawapuri
A white marble temple in a lake of lotus
Hidden gem · 1 day, or 2 with a night in the park
Rajgir Nature Safari & Ghora Katora
Glass bridge, zipline and a lake you can only reach on foot
Also in the district
Smaller stops — the kind the state tourism board lists and nobody writes about. Worth it if you are passing, rarely worth a dedicated trip.
Bari Dargah & Chhoti Dargah, Bihar Sharif
Sufi shrine of Makhdoom Sharfuddin Yahya Maneri, 14th c.
Telhara ruins
Excavated Buddhist monastery older than Nalanda, 35 km west.
Kundalpur Jain temple
Birthplace of Mahavira by Digambar tradition.
Nalanda Museum
Bronzes and terracotta from the ruins; closed Fridays.
Entry fees & timings in Nalanda
All Bihar ticketsNalanda Mahavihara ruins (ASI, UNESCO) & Nalanda Museum
Hours Ruins: sunrise – sunset (approx. 9:00 – 17:00 ticketing). Museum: 10:00 – 17:00 · closed Ruins open daily; Museum closed Fridays
Fee Ruins: ₹40 Indian / SAARC (₹35 online), ₹600 foreign (₹550 online); under-15s free. Museum: ₹5–20. Xuanzang Memorial Hall free.
Rajgir Ropeway (Vishwa Shanti Stupa)
Hours 8:00 – 17:00 (lunch break ~13:00–14:00 on some days)
Fee Ropeway return ~₹100–120 per person (new 8-seater cabin); old chairlift ~₹80. Hot springs (Brahmakund) free. Son Bhandar, Venuvana free.
Rajgir Nature Safari & Ghora Katora
Rajgir Glass Bridge & Nature Safari
Hours 9:00 – 17:00 (last entry ~16:00) · closed Mondays
Fee Nature Safari entry ~₹100; glass skywalk ~₹125 per person; zipline, suspension bridge, archery and cycling priced separately (₹50–150 each). Zoo Safari is a separate ticket: ~₹250 adult / ₹125 child (Indian), ~₹1,000 foreign nationals.
Approximate; fees change without notice.
Read before you go
Field note · 4 min
Fourteen minutes above Rajgir
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