The Complete Circuit
All twelve Jyotirlingas in one continuous yatra, built as a loop out from Ahmedabad and back via the south. Long, and only for a group with 19 days to give — but genuinely completes the circuit in one go, which most families find they cannot repeat.
Day by day
The first Jyotirlinga
Leave Ahmedabad by 6 am for Somnath (400 km, about 7 hours) with a breakfast stop near Rajkot. Check in and rest through the afternoon heat. Evening darshan at Somnath Temple followed by the 45-minute Sound and Light Show on the temple grounds (7:45 pm, ticketed).
Second Jyotirlinga: Nageshwar
Early darshan at Somnath (queues build after 8 am), then a short stop at Triveni Sangam and Bhalka Tirth before the drive to Dwarka via Porbandar (240 km, about 5 hours). Nageshwar Temple, 17 km before Dwarka town, is a quick, uncrowded darshan — visit this on arrival. Evening aarti at Dwarkadhish Temple.
Crossing to Maharashtra
Morning darshan at Dwarkadhish and Rukmini Devi Temple, then drive to Rajkot (230 km, 4 hours) to fly Rajkot–Mumbai (about 1 hour) — the road distance to Nashik is over 900 km and not sensible to drive. From Mumbai airport it is a further 4-hour drive to Nashik; you arrive late evening, so this is a travel day with no sightseeing.
Third Jyotirlinga: Trimbakeshwar
Trimbakeshwar Temple is 28 km from Nashik; go early, before 8 am, as darshan queues on weekends can run 2–3 hours. The temple sits at the source of the Godavari and men are required to enter bare-chested with a dhoti (available for hire outside). Afternoon at Panchavati and Kalaram Temple in Nashik town; rest for tomorrow's drive.
Fourth Jyotirlinga
Drive to Bhimashankar (about 210 km via Ghoti and Manchar, 5 hours) through the Sahyadri ghats — the last stretch is a steep, winding climb, so keep motion-sickness tablets handy. Bhimashankar Temple sits inside a wildlife sanctuary at 1,230 m; darshan involves a walk down several hundred steps to the sanctum, which is the hardest physical stretch of the whole yatra for elderly members. Overnight near Bhimashankar or continue to Pune if the group prefers a proper hotel.
Towards Ellora
Drive to Shirdi (about 220 km via Ahmednagar, 5 hours). This is not one of the twelve but sits directly on the route to Ellora and almost every family wants to stop. Evening darshan queue at Sai Baba Temple; the temple runs a separate faster line for senior citizens and the differently-abled.
Fifth Jyotirlinga: Grishneshwar
Morning darshan at Shirdi, then drive to Ellora (about 130 km, 3 hours). Grishneshwar Temple, the smallest of the twelve, sits right at the entrance to the Ellora Caves complex — a simple, quick darshan compared to the others. Spend the afternoon at the Ellora Caves (UNESCO World Heritage, 34 rock-cut caves; allow 3 hours, closed Tuesdays).
Into Madhya Pradesh: sixth Jyotirlinga
Fly Aurangabad–Indore (via Mumbai, about 3 hours total with the connection) then drive to Omkareshwar (140 km, 3 hours). Omkareshwar Temple sits on Mandhata Island in the Narmada, shaped like the Om symbol; cross by the footbridge for evening darshan and, if time permits, a short Narmada boat ride.
Seventh Jyotirlinga: Mahakaleshwar
Morning Narmada parikrama walk and a second darshan before the crowds build, then drive to Ujjain (140 km, 3 hours). Mahakaleshwar is the only south-facing Jyotirlinga and the only one with a daily Bhasma Aarti — book the online slot at least a month ahead (mahakaleshwar.nic.in), reach the temple by 3 am, and note the aarti itself has a modified dress code (no leather, men often asked to wear dhoti). Sleep is short tonight.
Eighth Jyotirlinga: Kashi Vishwanath
After the pre-dawn Bhasma Aarti, rest through the morning, then visit Kal Bhairav Temple and the Mahakal Lok corridor before an afternoon flight Indore–Varanasi (via Delhi or Mumbai, 3–4 hours total). Evening Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat — arrive by 5:30 pm for a good spot or book a boat.
Kashi Vishwanath and Sarnath
Sunrise boat ride on the Ganga, then Sugam Darshan (paid, faster-queue ticket) at Kashi Vishwanath Corridor — carry no bags, phones or leather items past the security check, everything is deposited outside. Afternoon half-day trip to Sarnath (13 km, where the Buddha gave his first sermon). Kaal Bhairav and Annapurna temples nearby if energy allows.
Ninth Jyotirlinga: Baidyanath
Fly Varanasi–Kolkata–Deoghar, or Varanasi–Patna with a 4-hour road transfer — Deoghar has no direct flight from Varanasi, so check current connections when booking. Evening arrival; walk through the Kanwar bazaar around the temple. Baidyanath is one of the busier temples on the circuit, particularly during Shravan month.
Baidyanath darshan, then north
Early darshan at Baba Baidyanath (queue lines open around 4 am; a separate paid Shighra Darshan counter cuts the wait to under an hour). Fly Deoghar or Patna to Delhi, then road or train to Haridwar (about 5–6 hours from Delhi). Register online for the Kedarnath yatra tonight if not already done — it is mandatory and checked at Sonprayag.
Towards Kedarnath
Drive via Rudraprayag to Guptkashi or Sersi (about 210 km, 8–9 hours on hill roads with landslide-prone stretches, so start by 6 am). This is also your acclimatisation stop before Kedarnath's altitude; a short evening walk is enough, no exertion. Confirm your helicopter slot (Phata, Guptkashi or Sersi heliports) or trekking/pony arrangements for tomorrow.
Tenth Jyotirlinga: Kedarnath
Either the helicopter (about 8 minutes each way from Phata/Guptkashi/Sersi, booked online via IRCTC well in advance, weather-dependent and often rescheduled) or the 16 km trek from Gaurikund/Sonprayag (a full day on foot, or by pony/palki for those who cannot walk it). Darshan at Kedarnath Temple, elevation 3,583 m; the air is thin and cold even in season, so seniors should not rush the last stretch.
Descent and buffer day
This day is built in deliberately as a buffer — Kedarnath helicopters are cancelled for weather more often than people expect, and this slot absorbs a delay without wrecking the rest of the trip. If day 15 went to plan, use today to descend fully to Haridwar or Dehradun and rest.
Flying south
Fly Dehradun–Hyderabad (via Delhi or Mumbai, about 4–5 hours total). This is purely a travel day — land in the evening and rest before tomorrow's ghat-road drive.
Eleventh Jyotirlinga: Mallikarjuna
Drive to Srisailam (about 210 km via the Nagarjunasagar or Kollapur route, 5 hours on a winding ghat road through the Nallamala forest). Mallikarjuna and Bhramaramba darshan (temple timings roughly 4:30 am–10 pm with a midday closure 1–2 pm); Sarva Darshan queues move steadily, Special Entry darshan is available for a fee. Short visit to Patala Ganga on the Krishna river.
Twelfth Jyotirlinga: Rameshwaram, and home
Early drive back to Hyderabad (5 hours) to fly to Madurai (about 1.5 hours), then road to Rameshwaram (170 km, 3.5 hours) — arriving late evening. This effectively closes the loop but the Rameshwaram darshan itself needs its own day; groups on a tight schedule fly home from Madurai the next morning after an early-morning Ramanathaswamy visit, or add a 20th day to do it properly. We build this as day 1 of your onward flight home, timed around the Rameshwaram temple's 5 am opening.
What's included
- Private AC vehicle for all road sectors
- All internal flights as listed (Rajkot–Mumbai, Aurangabad–Indore, Indore–Varanasi, Varanasi–Deoghar/Patna, Deoghar/Patna–Delhi, Dehradun–Hyderabad, Hyderabad–Madurai)
- 18 nights in inspected hotels, pure-veg or Jain breakfast and dinner daily
- Kedarnath helicopter booking assistance and yatra registration
- Mahakaleshwar Bhasma Aarti and Kashi Vishwanath Sugam Darshan booking
- Dedicated tour manager for the full circuit
Not included
- Airfare Ahmedabad–Somnath sector and return Rameshwaram/Madurai–Ahmedabad flight
- Lunches
- Helicopter fare to Kedarnath (₹7,800–8,600 per person round trip, subject to change)
- Temple donation counters, VIP/Shighra darshan tickets beyond the ones listed
- Travel insurance and GST 5%
Indicative cost
Per person, twin sharing
Per person, twin sharing
Per person on twin sharing, indicative for 2026, including internal flights and hotels but excluding the Ahmedabad–Somnath and Rameshwaram–Ahmedabad legs. The single largest variable is the Kedarnath helicopter, which can double or halve this cost depending on availability and season.