Why Ayodhya, and who it suits
Since the Ram Mandir's consecration in January 2024, Ayodhya has become the fastest-growing pilgrimage destination in India, and the town has been rebuilt around that fact — a new international airport, a rebuilt Ayodhya Dham station, widened corridors to the temple. For a family in Delhi NCR, it is now a genuine two-day trip rather than the expedition it used to be.
It suits: families taking parents and grandparents for the darshan they have waited decades for — this is the overwhelming majority of our Ayodhya bookings — NRI visitors structuring a trip around the Ram Mandir, and pilgrims combining it with Varanasi and Prayagraj into a longer Purvanchal circuit. It works year-round, though October to March is the comfortable window; Ram Navami (March–April) and Diwali's Deepotsav are the two great peaks, magnificent and intensely crowded in equal measure.
One framing matters: Ayodhya is a temple town in the middle of a building boom. Expect construction, expect crowds, and expect the rules below to keep evolving — which is exactly why we reconfirm every rule in the week of travel.
Ram Mandir darshan — how it actually works
The rules on this page change. Treat this as the shape of the system, and let us confirm the current state for your dates. Everything below is drawn from the official Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra Trust portal (srjbtkshetra.org / online.srjbtkshetra.org) and consistent secondary reporting as of Aug 2026.
General darshan is free and needs no pass. You join the queue and you get darshan. Published windows run through the day with a midday closure around the Bhog aarti — commonly reported as roughly 7:00–11:30 am and 2:00–7:00 pm.
Aarti passes are for the special aartis only. The early and late aartis — Mangala (around 4:00 am) and Shayan (around 10:00 pm), plus Shringar and Bhog — require a named, free pass booked on the official portal against ID, with slots opening roughly 15 days ahead and filling fast. Up to eight devotees can go on one booking.
A free slot-based Sugam Darshan e-pass system has operated for pre-booked entry times, saving queue hours for elderly visitors — availability and rules have varied.
Nobody official sells darshan. Every pass on the official portal is free. Paid "VIP darshan" offers on third-party sites and from touts outside are the single biggest scam in Ayodhya today. If someone quotes you a price for a Ram Mandir pass, walk away — and tell us, because we book only through the official portal.
What you cannot carry: mobile phones, cameras, electronic items and bags are not permitted inside the mandir complex; free locker facilities operate near the entry. Wear clothes with a pocket for cash and ID, carry nothing else, and the security lines move quickly.
The rest of Ayodhya — what to see beyond the Ram Mandir
| Site | What it is | Practical note |
|---|---|---|
| Hanuman Garhi | The 10th-century hilltop Hanuman temple — tradition says darshan here comes before Ram Lalla. | Commonly listed roughly 5:00 am–12:00 pm and 4:00–10:00 pm; about 76 steps up. |
| Kanak Bhawan | The "golden house" gifted, by tradition, to Sita — the most beautiful older temple in town. | Morning and evening sessions with a midday closure. |
| Ram ki Paidi / Saryu ghats | The riverfront steps where the evening Saryu aarti is performed at sunset. | Ghats open through the day; evening aarti commonly around 6:00–7:00 pm by season. Arrive 45 minutes early for a sitting spot. |
| Nageshwarnath temple | The old Shiva temple near the ghats, linked by tradition to Kush. | Quick darshan en route to the ghats. |
| Guptar Ghat | Quieter downstream ghat, by tradition where Ram took jal samadhi. | 15–20 minutes from the main corridor; worth it for calm. |
How many days do you need?
| Duration | Realistic coverage | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| 1N/2D | Ram Mandir + Hanuman Garhi + Kanak Bhawan + Saryu aarti | The standard, if flying |
| 2N/3D | Above at an unhurried pace + a special aarti pass attempt + Guptar Ghat | Families with elderly members. Our default recommendation. |
| 4N/5D | Ayodhya + Varanasi (or Prayagraj) | The Purvanchal pilgrimage circuit |
Two sample itineraries
A. Ayodhya 2N/3D — the unhurried darshan
Day 1 — reach Ayodhya. Morning flight from Delhi (about 1h15m to Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, roughly 10–15 km from the temple corridor) or the Vande Bharat arriving mid-afternoon. Check in, rest, then Saryu aarti at Ram ki Paidi at sunset — reaching the ghats 45 minutes early gets you a seat on the steps rather than a view of backs. Overnight Ayodhya.
Day 2 — the main darshan. Start at Hanuman Garhi at opening — the tradition is Hanuman first, and the steps are easier before the day heats up. Then the Ram Mandir: lockers, security, queue, darshan. With a morning start the whole circuit typically fits before the midday closure. Afternoon rest. Evening: Kanak Bhawan when it reopens, then the temple-corridor bazaar. If we have secured Shayan aarti passes for your group, tonight is the night. Overnight Ayodhya.
Day 3 — the quiet morning, and home. For the committed: Mangala aarti around 4:00 am if passes came through — it is the single most serene way to experience the mandir. Otherwise Guptar Ghat and Nageshwarnath in the morning, then fly or board the train back.
B. Ayodhya + Varanasi 4N/5D — the Purvanchal circuit
Days 1–2: Ayodhya as above. Day 3: drive to Varanasi (roughly 200–220 km, plan 4.5–5.5 hrs). Evening Ganga aarti at Dashashwamedh. Day 4: Kashi Vishwanath corridor at dawn, Sarnath in the afternoon. Day 5: fly home from Varanasi. Prayagraj's Triveni Sangam slots between the two as a half-day if you take a 5N/6D.
What it costs, honestly
₹8,500–₹20,000* per person (indicative · 2N/3D · ex-Delhi · twin sharing · excludes GST & TCS)
*\Indicative market range as of Aug 2026. Contact us on +91 97299 91755 for a current quote.
The bottom of the range assumes the train both ways and a standard hotel; the top assumes flights and one of Ayodhya's newer premium properties. Darshan itself costs nothing — the money is in transport, the hotel, and the vehicle for the ghats and outlying sites.
What moves the price
- Flight versus train. The Delhi–Ayodhya flight saves a full day each way against road; the Vande Bharat splits the difference at around eight hours seated.
- The dates. Ram Navami and Deepotsav weeks are a different market entirely — hotels multiply their rates and sell out weeks ahead.
- Hotel tier. Ayodhya's hotel stock is expanding fast but still thin at the top; premium rooms sell out first every weekend. Book early or accept Faizabad-side properties 20–30 minutes out.
- The Varanasi extension. Adds vehicle days and a second set of hotels, and turns a darshan trip into a full pilgrimage circuit.
Getting there from Delhi NCR
By air — the time-saver. Direct Delhi–Ayodhya flights operate daily (IndiGo and Air India Express have served the route), about 1h15m to Maharishi Valmiki International Airport. For a 2-day trip with elderly parents this is the difference between a comfortable darshan and an exhausting one.
By train. The Vande Bharat Express (22426) has run New Delhi 06:10 → Ayodhya around 14:30 — roughly 8h20m, six days a week — alongside an Anand Vihar–Ayodhya Cantt Vande Bharat and multiple overnight expresses into the rebuilt Ayodhya Dham Junction, which sits closest to the temple corridor. Overnight trains put you in Ayodhya at dawn, which suits the Hanuman Garhi-first plan perfectly.
By road. Roughly 680–700 km via the Lucknow expressway network — a realistic 10–11 hours. Sensible only as part of a longer UP circuit, not an out-and-back.
Darshan practicalities — read before you go
- Phones stay outside the Ram Mandir. Plan the family photos for the corridor and the ghats; inside, it is you and the darshan. Lockers are free — but the queue for them adds time, so leaving everything at the hotel is faster.
- Dress modestly, shoulders and knees covered. You will be barefoot on stone in the complex — in summer go early, in winter carry socks.
- Elderly members: wheelchairs and assistance have operated at the mandir, and the slot-based e-pass system exists precisely to spare them the general queue. Tell us ages at enquiry and we plan around them.
- Aarti passes are named and ID-checked. Carry the same government ID used at booking — for every member, including seniors.
- Weekends, Ram Navami, Deepotsav and amavasya days multiply the crowd. A Tuesday darshan and a Sunday darshan are different experiences. If your dates are flexible, we will tell you which day to pick.
- Trust only the official portal — srjbtkshetra.org — for passes. Free means free.
Food worth naming
Ayodhya eats simple and vegetarian: the khurchan and rabri at the old sweet shops, kachori–sabzi mornings near Hanuman Garhi, and temple prasad — the Ram Mandir's elaichi-dana prasad and the laddoo bhog traditions of Kanak Bhawan. Along the corridor, newer thali restaurants have opened for the pilgrim flow; the older Faizabad-side eateries remain better value. As in all temple towns: no alcohol, no non-veg, and the good sweet shops sell out by evening.
Common mistakes we see
- Paying for a "VIP darshan pass". General darshan is free and official passes are free. Paid passes are a scam, full stop.
- Arriving midday. The mandir closes for the early afternoon around the Bhog aarti. Mornings and late afternoons are the windows.
- Carrying a phone to the mandir gate. It costs you the locker queue both ways. Leave it at the hotel.
- Skipping Hanuman Garhi. Tradition sequences it before Ram Lalla, and most first-timers only learn this on the ground.
- Booking Ram Navami week casually. It is the peak of the Ayodhya year; hotels and darshan queues are at their absolute limit.
- Treating the aarti pass as bookable on arrival. Slots open roughly 15 days ahead and vanish. This is a plan-ahead item — it is the first thing we act on after you confirm dates.
- Missing the Saryu aarti. Families anchor everything on the mandir and forget the river. The sunset aarti at Ram ki Paidi is the emotional close of the day — plan it, don't stumble into it.
- Assuming Ayodhya is walkable end to end. The corridor is, but Guptar Ghat and the airport are not. Keep the vehicle.
Ready to plan it?
Tell us your dates, your group — ages matter here — and whether you want us to attempt aarti passes. We confirm the current darshan rules for your week, book passes on the official portal only, and send a darshan-by-darshan plan with a real number. WhatsApp +91 97299 91755.
Frequently asked questions
Do we need a pass for Ram Mandir darshan?
No — general darshan is free and pass-free; you join the queue and get darshan. Passes exist only for the special aartis (Mangala, Shringar, Bhog, Shayan) and are issued free on the official Shri Ram Janmabhoomi Teerth Kshetra portal against named ID. Anyone selling a darshan pass is running a scam.
What are the Ram Mandir darshan timings?
Windows have commonly run roughly 7:00–11:30 am and 2:00–7:00 pm, with a midday closure around the Bhog aarti — but the Trust has revised schedules repeatedly since 2024, so treat any published timing as provisional. We reconfirm the current windows on the official portal in the week of every departure.
How do we book the Ram Mandir aarti pass?
On the official portal (online.srjbtkshetra.org): register with a mobile number, choose the date and aarti, enter each devotee's name and government ID, and carry that same ID to the temple. Slots open roughly 15 days ahead and fill within hours; up to eight devotees fit on one booking. We handle this as the first action after your dates confirm.
How do we reach Ayodhya from Delhi?
Fastest: a direct flight of about 1h15m to Maharishi Valmiki International Airport, 10–15 km from the temple corridor. By rail, a Vande Bharat has run New Delhi to Ayodhya in roughly 8.5 hours, and overnight expresses reach Ayodhya Dham Junction at dawn — ideal for a Hanuman Garhi-first morning. Driving is 680–700 km and 10–11 hours; take it only within a longer UP circuit.
Can mobile phones be taken inside the Ram Mandir?
No. Phones, cameras, electronics and bags are prohibited inside the complex, with free lockers near the entry. The faster plan is to leave everything at the hotel and walk in with only cash and ID in a pocket — the security lines move quickly for empty-handed visitors.
How many days are enough for Ayodhya?
Two nights is the comfortable answer: it gives you the Saryu aarti on arrival evening, an unhurried Hanuman Garhi–Ram Mandir morning, Kanak Bhawan and the corridor bazaar, and a margin if an aarti pass comes through. A flying one-night visit works but leaves no buffer if queues run long.
Is Ayodhya manageable for elderly parents?
Yes — it is who the trip is for, and the town increasingly reflects that. We use flights over trains, hotels close to the corridor, the slot-based e-pass where operating, and morning darshan slots. Hanuman Garhi's steps are the hardest single element; take them at opening, slowly. Wheelchair assistance has operated at the mandir — we confirm current provision for your dates.
When is the best time to visit Ayodhya?
October to March for weather. Ram Navami (March–April) and the Deepotsav around Diwali — when the ghats hold their record-setting lamp-lighting — are the spectacular peaks, and also the most crowded and expensive weeks of the year. For a calm darshan with parents, pick a midweek date in November, early December or February.
Which comes first, Hanuman Garhi or Ram Mandir?
Tradition holds that Hanuman, as Ayodhya's guardian, receives darshan first — so the sequence is Hanuman Garhi, then Ram Lalla. Practically it works too: the Garhi's roughly 76 steps are easier in the cool of opening hour, and you reach the mandir queue before it builds.
What is the Saryu aarti and when does it happen?
Every evening at sunset at Ram ki Paidi, priests perform aarti to the river with tiered flame lamps, chanting and music — the closing scene of an Ayodhya day. The hour shifts with sunset through the year, commonly in the 6:00–7:00 pm band. Arrive about 45 minutes early for a seat on the steps; we confirm the current time for your dates.
Can we combine Ayodhya with Varanasi?
Yes — it is the natural pairing. Varanasi is roughly 200–220 km away, about a five-hour drive, making a 4N/5D circuit: Ayodhya's darshan and Saryu aarti, then Kashi Vishwanath, the Ganga aarti and Sarnath. Add Prayagraj's Triveni Sangam between them for a 5N/6D. Fly into Ayodhya and out of Varanasi to avoid backtracking.
How much does an Ayodhya trip cost per person?
Indicative range is ₹8,500–₹20,000 per person for 2N/3D ex-Delhi on twin sharing, excluding GST — train and a standard hotel at the bottom, flights and a premium corridor-side hotel at the top. Darshan itself is free. Festival weeks price differently. Call +91 97299 91755 for a dated quote.