Ayodhya Distance From Major Cities: Route Guide
If you have searched "how far is Ayodhya from me" or "Ayodhya from here" and landed on a page that only tells you a number, this is the rest of the answer: how long it actually takes, and which route makes sense.
The distances
| From | Road distance | Practical options | Realistic travel time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lucknow | ~140 km | Car, train | 2.5–3 hours by car |
| Varanasi | ~200 km | Car, train | 4–5 hours by car |
| Prayagraj | ~160 km | Car, train | 3 hours by car |
| Gorakhpur | ~130 km | Car, train | 3 hours by car |
| Kanpur | ~230 km | Car, train | 4–5 hours by car |
| Delhi | 600–700 km | Train, flight, car | 4–6 hours by train or flight, 9–11 hours by car |
| Jaipur | ~700 km | Train, flight via Delhi | 10–12 hours by car, or fly via Delhi |
| Mumbai | ~1,450 km | Flight, train | 4–7 hours door to door by air |
| Pune | ~1,500 km | Flight, train | 5–8 hours door to door by air |
| Bengaluru | ~1,800 km | Flight | 6–9 hours door to door |
| Hyderabad | ~1,300 km | Flight | 5–7 hours door to door |
| Kolkata | ~900 km | Train, flight | 12–14 hours by train, 5–6 hours by air |
| Chennai | ~1,900 km | Flight | 7–9 hours door to door |
Road distances vary by route, and Indian road conditions change with the season. Treat these as planning figures, not precise numbers.
The thing the numbers do not tell you
The last few kilometres are the slow part. Cars cannot get close to the Ram Mandir — the roads around the temple complex are pedestrianised for a fair distance, and you will walk the final one to two kilometres. Every route into Ayodhya ends the same way: you park or get dropped at the nearest permitted point and go on foot.
That is why a 140 km drive from Lucknow takes three hours rather than two, and why an early train is usually better than a late one.
By air
Maharishi Valmiki International Airport (AYJ) is in Ayodhya itself, about 10 km from the temple, with services to Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad and a growing list of cities. Schedules change with the season, so check the airline rather than a page like this one.
If AYJ does not work for your dates, Lucknow (LKO) has the widest choice of flights and is around 140 km, roughly three hours by car. Varanasi (VNS) is around 200 km and makes sense if you are combining the two cities.
By train
Three stations serve the city: Ayodhya Dham Junction (the main one, closest to the temple area), Ayodhya Cantt, and Darshan Nagar. Direct trains run from Delhi, Lucknow, Varanasi, Prayagraj and Kolkata, and the Vande Bharat from Delhi is the fastest rail option and the one people ask about most.
Book the return leg when you book the outbound one. People arrive, enjoy the trip, and then find nothing available back for two days.
By road
From Lucknow is the easiest drive — about 140 km on a decent road.
From Delhi is 600–700 km depending on route, nine to eleven hours. The Purvanchal Expressway is faster; the older route via Lucknow has more places to stop.
Arriving by road, aim for NH 28. Our office is on NH 28, Deokali Bypass — if you are driving in, that is the stretch to look for, and there is parking.
Which route suits which city
| Coming from | Best option |
|---|---|
| Delhi | Vande Bharat if you can get seats, otherwise fly to AYJ |
| Lucknow | Car or train, and easily done as a long day trip |
| Mumbai / Pune | Fly to AYJ, or to Lucknow and drive |
| Bengaluru / Hyderabad / Chennai | Fly via Lucknow or Delhi, or direct to AYJ where available |
| Varanasi | Car, and pair the two cities |
| Kolkata | Fly rather than train if you are short on time |
A note on the "from here" searches
If you searched for a distance from your own location, the honest answer is that the number changes with where you are and the route — Google Maps will beat any article for that. What a page like this can tell you is how the journey actually works, which is what decides whether you can do it in a day or need to stay the night.
Our view: stay at least one night. A day trip from Lucknow is possible but leaves no margin, and the trip is far better with two days. Our two-day itinerary shows what the extra day buys you.
If you would rather not plan the route, tell us your city and dates on WhatsApp at +91 84008 08200 and we will tell you which option actually has availability.
Where to go next
- How to reach Ayodhya: train, flight and road — the detailed version by mode.
- Ayodhya taxi service — airport and station pickups from AYJ, LKO and VNS.
- Ayodhya in two days — why one night is the right minimum.
Planning a visit and want someone local to handle it? Our office is on NH 28, Deokali Bypass, Ayodhya. Message the desk on WhatsApp at +91 84008 08200.
Darshan timings, entry arrangements and aarti schedules at Ayodhya's temples change with the season and with temple administration. Confirm current details with us before you travel rather than relying on any page, including this one.
Planning this trip?
Talk to our Ayodhya desk before you book anything.
We are a local Ayodhya agency — hotels, darshan passes, AC cabs and guides arranged by the same team that meets you at the airport. Rated 4.9 on Google by pilgrims who travelled with us.
Written by the Go Ayodhya desk
A local team on Deokali Bypass, Ayodhya — we run the ground ourselves, not through sub-contractors. Anything in this guide we can also arrange for your dates: about us or talk to us.