Ajanta and Ellora, with the days planned around the caves.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar — Aurangabad, as most still call it — is about 335 kilometres from Mumbai, some five hours by the Samruddhi Mahamarg. Ellora is half an hour beyond it; Ajanta about two and a half hours the other way. The caves deserve two or three days, and the house plans them so you never arrive at a closed gate.
I
The days
Down on the first day; Ellora and the Kailasa temple on the second; Ajanta on the third, and home. Ellora is closed on Tuesdays and Ajanta on Mondays — the house writes the plan around both.
II
On the way
The Daulatabad fort, the Grishneshwar temple beside Ellora, the Bibi ka Maqbara in the city. Ask for any of them and they are written into the plan.
III
The road
The Samruddhi Mahamarg from Thane — a fast, quiet road with few towns. The car and your sarathi stay through the days, his stay arranged by the house.
Which car
For two, the Camry Hybrid or the Hycross; for a family, the Innova Crysta or the Carnival — the caves ask for a lot of walking, and a cabin that is easy to step into at the end of it.
How the house drives a long road
Ten hours, then restA sarathi's day at the wheel ends after about ten hours of driving. A longer road is two days, with a night on the way that the house arranges — or a second driver, written into the figure.
Not between midnight and fiveThe open highway is not driven in the small hours. The house plans the day so the miles fall in daylight and the evening.
Every state, licensedThe car carries a tourist permit for every state it enters, with its papers in the glovebox. Any state's charge at the border is inside the written figure.
One figure, written firstThe car, your sarathi, fuel, every toll, parking, the sarathi's stay and GST — written before you travel. Nothing is added on the road.
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar is about 335 km, roughly five hours by the Samruddhi Mahamarg. Ellora is about 30 km beyond it, and Ajanta about 100 km in the other direction.
On which days are the caves closed?
Ellora is closed on Tuesdays and Ajanta on Mondays. The house plans your days around both.
How many days do we need?
Two at the least; three is unhurried — a day for each site and a day for the road.