Transport Services in Nalanda

Being home to many amazing historical structures, religious spots and the ruins of the world’s most ancient university, Nalanda is considered to be a heaven for tourists. This place is flocked by tourists and pilgrims from all over the world. In fact, tourism is one of the principal contributors to Nalanda’s economy.Thus, in order to be easily accessible to the visitors, Nalanda has a well-organised transport network. It is connected to other major destinations by air, rail and road.

Air Connectivity to Nalanda

Nalanda, presently does not have its own airport. However, there are talks about constructing Nalanda International Airport to facilitate the foreign visitors to the upcoming Nalanda International University.
Patna is an important transit point of Bihar for the tourists dropping in from the other states of India.


At present, the airport nearest to Nalanda is the Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport at Patna, about 90 kms from Nalanda, roughly a two hour drive from the main city. This airport is well connected to major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Chennai, Hyderabad, Goa, Lucknow etc via AirIndia, GoAir, IndiGo, Jet Airways and Jet Konnect. Prepaid taxis and private car services are available from Patna airport to Nalanda.

Lok Nayak Jayaprakash Airport
Address: Khajpura, Shaheed Pir Ali Khan Marg, Patna, Bihar 800014
Code: PAT
Elevation: 52 m
Phone: 0612 222 0683

Road Network in Nalanda

Nalanda is located in NH-82, an Indian National highway within the Bihar state. It links Gaya to Mokamah, with one of its primary destination being Bihar Sharif, the headquarters of Nalanda. Nalanda is approximately at distance of 12 km from Rajgir, 110 km from Bodh Gaya, 95 km from Gaya, 90 km from Patna, 26 km from Pawapuri, 13 kms from Bihar Sharif etc. Bihar State Road Transport Corporation (BSRTC) operates buses at regular intervals to all parts of Nalanda. Private bus services and taxis are also available, connecting Nalanda to major destinations. State owned public bus services connect Nalanda to Bodh Gaya, Patna, Rajgir etc. Direct buses are available from Nalanda to Bodh Gaya during the peak season, from October to March. Otherwise, one can take a bus from Nalanda to Gaya, and then bus or rickshaw, at about Rs. 200 down to Bodh Gaya.


Buses are available every half an hour from Rajgir to Nalanda, cost per ticket being about Rs.8. One can take a bus from Patna to Bihar Sharif. The estimated travel time is about eight hours, each ticket costing around Rs.70. Buses are available every half an hour from Bihar Sharif to Nalanda main road, cost being Rs.8 per ticket. However, the time of journey may vary, depending upon the traffic conditions in Patna.In addition, there are a number of private buses plying throughout Nalanda operated by individual operators.

Railway Connectivity in Nalanda

Nalanda has its own railway station- the Nalanda Railway Station (NLD) in the east central zone. Next nearest railway station is the Rajgir railway station, about 12 kms away. Gaya, 65 km away is the major railway point, connecting major eastern centers of India.The Mahaparinirvan Express is a special tourist train that takes passengers on a spiritual tour through Buddhist places in North India. This fully air-conditioned train is operated by Indian Railways using carriages from a Rajdhani Express train and offers different levels of travel. Nalanda is one of the important places covered by this train.

Modes of Local Transport in Nalanda

Shared jeeps, tongas, cycle-rickshaws and hand-pulled rickshaws are popular modes of local transport. One can hire a private tonga for about three to four hours at a nominal rate of about Rs.150 and can visit the key destinations within Nalanda. In addition to the above mentioned transport, there are a number of tour packages with travel agencies providing cars, luxury coaches and other personalized services that can be availed by the tourists to have a pleasant and comfortable stay in Nalanda.