Before you go
Bihar Tourism's district pages give useful timings and fees, but several cards carry directions copied from other places. This guide flags those and does not use them.
Mobile phones, cameras and electronic gadgets are not allowed inside the Mahabodhi Temple (Bihar Tourism). ASI sites such as Nalanda and Vikramshila need ASI permission for electronic gadgets.
Top places to visit in Bihar
One place from each district that our guide covers in depth.
Araria (district headquarters)
Headquarters of Araria district. District headquarters in Purnia division (Wikipedia list).
Arwal (district headquarters)
Headquarters of Arwal district. Carved out of Jehanabad on 20 August 2001 (Wikipedia; district portal says August 2001).
Deo Sun Temple
Ancient Sun temple with a sacred tank and carved stone, famous for its Chhath Puja crowds; open 6 AM-6 PM, free (Bihar Tourism).
Mandar Hill
Granite hill of about 800 ft linked to the churning of the ocean, with the coil of the serpent Vasuki said to be marked on it; sacred to Hindus and Jains; ropeway to the top. Open 6 AM-6 PM, free (Bihar Tourism).
Kanwar Lake (Kabartal) Ramsar site
Bihar's first Ramsar site (2020), about 2,620 ha: 221 bird species including 58 migratory waterbirds on the Central Asian Flyway, and five critically endangered species (Drishti IAS summary of the Ramsar notice). Open 9 AM-6 PM, free (Bihar Tourism).
Ruins of Vikramshila Mahavihara
Ruins of the Pala-era monastic university founded by King Dharmapala on a rocky hillock where the Ganga flows north: stupas, monastery cells and meditation halls. Electronic gadgets need ASI permission (Bihar Tourism).
Arrah (district headquarters)
Headquarters of Bhojpur district. District headquarters at Arrah (Wikipedia).
Buxar (district headquarters)
Headquarters of Buxar district. District headquarters on the Ganga (Bihar Tourism).
Darbhanga (district headquarters)
Headquarters of Darbhanga district. District headquarters of Darbhanga division (Wikipedia list).
Kesariya Stupa
Huge brick stupa first built under Ashoka and enlarged later; 104 ft high with a 400 ft circumference and six tiers revealed by the ASI excavation of 1998. Bihar Tourism calls it the tallest Buddhist stupa in the world (claim). Open 9 AM-6 PM, free.
Mahabodhi Temple Complex
Temple marking where the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment; UNESCO World Heritage Site (2002). The tower rises about 170 ft beside the Bodhi Tree. Mobile phones, cameras and electronic gadgets are prohibited inside (Bihar Tourism).
Thawe Mandir (Maa Thawewali)
Durga temple of Maa Thawewali (Singhasini Devi), whom legend brings here from Kamakhya at the prayer of the devotee Rahshu Bhagat; big fair in Chaitra (March-April). Open 6 AM-6 PM, free (Bihar Tourism).
Jamui (district headquarters)
Headquarters of Jamui district. District bounded by Munger, Banka and Nawada (Bihar Tourism page metadata).
Barabar Caves
Mauryan-era rock-cut caves that Bihar Tourism calls India's oldest surviving rock-cut structures; chambers where sound echoes. Open 6 AM-6 PM, free (Bihar Tourism).
Mundeshwari Devi Temple
Octagonal hill temple with a four-faced linga and a Durga image; Bihar Tourism calls it the oldest functional temple in the world (claim). The ASI date of 108 AD and the Gupta-period date on the same page conflict. Open 5 AM-9 PM, free.
Katihar (district headquarters)
Headquarters of Katihar district. District headquarters in Purnia division (Wikipedia list).
Khagaria (district headquarters)
Headquarters of Khagaria district. District headquarters on the Ganga plain (Wikipedia list).
Kishanganj (district headquarters)
Headquarters of Kishanganj district. Carved out of Purnia on 14 January 1990 (Wikipedia).
Ashok Dham (Indradamaneshwar)
Shiva temple built where, by legend, a cowherd named Ashok found a huge Shivling; the Shankaracharya of Puri inaugurated the rebuilt complex. Crowds at Shivaratri and in Sawan; popular for mundan. Open 6 AM-6 PM, free (Bihar Tourism).
Madhepura (district headquarters)
Headquarters of Madhepura district. Two subdivisions, Madhepura and Udakishunganj, and 13 blocks (Wikipedia).
Madhubani (district headquarters)
Headquarters of Madhubani district. District headquarters in Darbhanga division (Wikipedia list).
Munger Fort
Riverside fort of about 222 acres with four gates (Lal Darwaza intact), a wide moat, the tombs of Pir Shah Nufa and Mulla Muhammad Said, Shah Suja's palace, Kashtaharini Ghat and Chandisthan temple. Open 9 AM-6 PM, free (Bihar Tourism).
Muzaffarpur (district headquarters)
Headquarters of Muzaffarpur district. District headquarters of Tirhut division (Wikipedia list).
Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara
Ruins of the great monastic university founded in the 5th century CE and active for about 700 years, until its decline and the invasion around 1200 CE. UNESCO World Heritage Site (2016). Lecture halls, dormitories and stupas (Bihar Tourism).
Kakolat Waterfall
Falls of about 150-160 ft into a natural pool on the Bihar-Jharkhand border; three-day mela at Bishua (Chait Sankranti). Open 9 AM-6 PM, Rs 10 entry (Bihar Tourism).
Takht Sri Harmandir Ji, Patna Sahib
Birthplace of Guru Gobind Singh and one of the five Takhts of the Sikhs, described by Bihar Tourism as the second holiest; golden dome. Cover your head and remove footwear; cameras allowed (Bihar Tourism).
Purnia (district headquarters)
Headquarters of Purnia district. District headquarters of Purnia division (Wikipedia).
Rohtasgarh Fort
Hill fort at about 1,500 ft reached by about 2,000 steps from Medha Ghat: gates, palaces, temples and rock inscriptions from the 7th and 12th-13th centuries (Bihar Tourism).
Shri Ugratara Sthan, Mahishi
Shakti peetha temple of Ugratara flanked by Ekjata and Nil Saraswati, with a Tantrik tradition; more than one lakh people come at Dussehra. No photography inside (Bihar Tourism).
Samastipur (district headquarters)
Headquarters of Samastipur district. District headquarters in Darbhanga division (Wikipedia list).
Ami (Amba) Sthan
Old Amba Sthan temple with a garden, a deep well and a yagya kund where devotees offer oblations; busiest in the Navratris of April and October (Bihar Tourism).
Sheikhpura (district headquarters)
Headquarters of Sheikhpura district. Carved from parts of Munger and Nalanda (Bihar Tourism).
Sheohar (district headquarters)
Headquarters of Sheohar district. Small district in Tirhut division (Wikipedia list).
Punaura Dham Janki Mandir
Temple of Sita at Punaura with Sita Kund, said to be her birthplace, and the site of Saint Pundrik's ashram; Sita Rasoi has fed pilgrims since 27 January 2019. Open 6 AM-6 PM, free (Bihar Tourism).
Siwan (district headquarters)
Headquarters of Siwan district. Became an independent district in 1976, separated from Saran (district portal).
Supaul (district headquarters)
Headquarters of Supaul district. District headquarters in Kosi division (Wikipedia list).
Ashokan Pillar and stupa, Kolhua
Polished single-piece sandstone pillar, 18.3 m tall with a life-size lion on a bell capital, beside a brick stupa marking the Buddha's last sermon; the Ramkund tank nearby. Open 9 AM-6 PM, free (Bihar Tourism).
Valmiki Tiger Reserve
Bihar's tiger reserve in the Himalayan foothills at the state's north-west corner: 899.38 sq km (598.45 core, 300.93 buffer) per NTCA, with tigers, leopards and many birds. Stays include a Tharu homestay at Valmiki Nagar (Bihar Tourism).
Districts of Bihar 38
38 (no change since 2001) — No new district since Arwal (2001); government ruled out new districts in 2025.
Araria
A Nepal-border district with Bihar's first biodiversity park and dolphins in its rivers.Arwal
A small district on the Son river south-west of Patna; not yet on the tourist map.Aurangabad
Chhath at the Deo Sun Temple, the hill temple of Umga, the Sufi shrine at Amjhar and Daud Khan's fort.Highlights: Deo Sun Temple, Umga TempleBanka
Mandar Hill of the churning of the ocean, with its ropeway, and Odhni Dam.Highlights: Mandar HillBegusarai
Kanwar Lake, Bihar's first Ramsar wetland, and the Jai Mangla temple.Highlights: Kanwar Lake (Kabartal) Ramsar siteBhagalpur
The silk city: Vikramshila's university ruins, the Ganga dolphin sanctuary and Ajgaibinath at Sultanganj.Highlights: Ruins of Vikramshila Mahavihara, Vikramshila Gangetic Dolphin Sanctuary, Ajgaibinath Mandir, SultanganjBhojpur
Arrah and Jagdishpur: Veer Kunwar Singh's fort, the Aranya Devi temple and Jain shrines.Buxar
Ganga ghats, the Buxar and Navratan Garh forts, and the Chausa battlefield on the Uttar Pradesh border.Darbhanga
Mithila's royal city: the Raj palaces and the Shyama Mai temple.East Champaran
The giant Kesariya stupa and the Someshwar Nath temple.Highlights: Kesariya StupaGaya
Bodh Gaya's Mahabodhi Temple and international monasteries, and the Vishnupad temple and hills of Gaya Ji.Highlights: Mahabodhi Temple Complex, 80 Feet Buddha (Great Buddha Statue), Vishnupad TempleGopalganj
The goddess temple of Thawe and the old Hathwa Raj country on the Uttar Pradesh border.Highlights: Thawe Mandir (Maa Thawewali)Jamui
Hill country on the Jharkhand border; Bihar Tourism lists the Jain temple at Lachhuar.Jehanabad
The Mauryan rock-cut caves of Barabar and Nagarjuni, and a Sufi tomb at Kako.Highlights: Barabar CavesKaimur
The ancient hill temple of Mundeshwari and the forests, falls and plateau of the Kaimur range.Highlights: Mundeshwari Devi TempleKatihar
A railway junction town on the Kari Kosi; the district portal names no specific tourist sites.Khagaria
A river district where the Kosi and Gandak meet the Ganga; the Katyayani temple is its main shrine.Kishanganj
Bihar's only tea-growing district, between Nepal, West Bengal and Bangladesh.Lakhisarai
Ashok Dham and a ring of village shrines and Buddhist remains.Highlights: Ashok Dham (Indradamaneshwar)Madhepura
Kosi plains district with the Singheshwar Shiva temple and an old Mauryan pillar at Udakishunganj.Madhubani
Home of Mithila (Madhubani) painting, with the Kapileswar and Ugranath temples and the Saurath sabha.Highlights: Mithila (Madhubani) paintingMunger
Munger Fort on the Ganga, the Bihar School of Yoga and the Bhimbandh forest.Highlights: Munger Fort, Bihar School of YogaMuzaffarpur
North Bihar's hub city, known for its litchis; the Garibnath temple draws crowds in Sawan.Nalanda
Nalanda's university ruins, Rajgir's hills and hot springs, and the Jain pilgrim towns of Pawapuri and Kundalpur.Highlights: Archaeological Site of Nalanda Mahavihara, Vishwa Shanti Stupa, Ratnagiri hill, Gridhakut (Vulture Peak) hillNawada
Kakolat waterfall on the Jharkhand border and the Jain temple at Gunawa.Highlights: Kakolat WaterfallPatna
The state capital: Patna Sahib's Takht, the Bihar Museum, Golghar, ghats on the Ganga and the Sufi shrine at Maner.Highlights: Takht Sri Harmandir Ji, Patna Sahib, Bihar Museum, GolgharPurnia
Puran Devi's city: old temples, Sufi khanqahs and the ruined Jalalgarh fort.Rohtas
Rohtasgarh on the Kaimur plateau, Sher Shah Suri's tomb at Sasaram, and monsoon waterfalls.Highlights: Rohtasgarh Fort, Sher Shah Suri Tomb, SasaramSaharsa
Kosi-region temples: Ugratara at Mahishi, Mandan Bharti Dham and the Sun temple at Kandaha.Highlights: Shri Ugratara Sthan, MahishiSamastipur
A Mithila district between the Bagmati and the Ganga; Bihar Tourism lists two temples.Saran
Ami Sthan near Dighwara and the Sonepur Mela.Highlights: Ami (Amba) Sthan, Harihar Kshetra Sonepur MelaSheikhpura
A small district between Nalanda and Lakhisarai; Bihar Tourism lists Girihinda hill and a Vishnu temple at Samas.Sheohar
A small Mithila district on the Bagmati; the Shiva temple at Dekuli Dham is its main shrine.Sitamarhi
Punaura Dham, revered as Sita's birthplace, and the Ramayana sites near the Nepal border.Highlights: Punaura Dham Janki MandirSiwan
A Saran-division district on the Uttar Pradesh border; the district portal names a handful of local destinations.Supaul
Kosi country on the Nepal border: the tree-planting village of Dharahara and local temples.Vaishali
Ancient Vaishali: the Ashokan lion pillar at Kolhua, the Buddha relic stupa and the museum.Highlights: Ashokan Pillar and stupa, Kolhua, Buddha Relic StupaWest Champaran
Bihar's tiger reserve at Valmiki Nagar, Gandhi's Bhitiharwa Ashram and the Ashokan pillar at Lauria Nandangarh.Highlights: Valmiki Tiger Reserve, Bhitiharwa Ashram, Lauria Nandangarh
Festivals and dates to plan around
- Harihar Kshetra Sonepur Mela — Sonepur, Saran: Begins 22 Nov 2026; main days 23-24 Nov (Patna Press)
- Chhath Puja (Kartik) — Across Bihar; Deo Sun Temple, Aurangabad: November 2026; exact dates to confirm
- Navratri and Dussehra — Ugratara Sthan, Mahishi; Ami Sthan, Saran: October; more than a lakh at Mahishi on Dussehra (Bihar Tourism)
- Chaitra fair — Thawe, Gopalganj: March-April (Bihar Tourism)
- Bishua / Chait Sankranti mela — Kakolat, Nawada: Mid-April, three days (Bihar Tourism)
- Sawan (Shravan) crowds — Ashok Dham, Lakhisarai; Garibnath, Muzaffarpur; Kapileswarsthan, Madhubani: July-August
- Ramnavami and Shivaratri — Mundeshwari, Kaimur: Dates vary (Bihar Tourism)
- Kartik Purnima bathing — Dekuli Dham, Sheohar: November (Wikipedia)