A Buddhist pilgrimage on a budget: 12 tips

Monastery guesthouses, trains, picking the right season and grouping nearby sites — practical ways to spend less.

1. Travel at the edges of the season. Skip Bodh Gaya's December–January crowds; rooms cost far less in October–November or February–March.
2. Stay in monastery guesthouses. In Bodh Gaya, Lumbini and Kushinagar, national monasteries offer pilgrims affordable rooms. Contact them first and follow their rules.
3. Take trains in India. An overnight train saves a night's hotel. Book early.
4. Group nearby sites. Rajgir and Nalanda in one day, Mahasthangarh and Bhasu Vihara in half a day, Paharpur and Jagaddala in one day.
5. Travel as a group. Four or five people sharing a car cuts the cost per person sharply. Change the number of travellers in the planner's budget to see the difference.
6. Eat simple local vegetarian food. Eateries around pilgrimage sites are cheap and good.
7. Nepal and Bhutan cost very differently. Nepal is affordable; Bhutan's fixed nightly fee makes it expensive, so keep those days few.
8. Carry clean, new dollar notes. Torn or old notes are often refused.
9. Buy tickets only from official sources. At Angkor or Borobudur, use the official counter or website.
10. Take travel insurance. Medical bills abroad can wipe out a budget.
11. SIM and data. On long trips a local SIM or eSIM is usually far cheaper than roaming.
12. Start at home. Bangladesh's Buddhist heritage needs no passport or visa, and costs little.

Work out your own budget in the planner

Last updated: 2026-10-17