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Lucknow to Ayodhya is about 135 km on NH27, a 2.5–3 hour drive, so most Yatris take two days rather than a rushed day return. Day one covers Hanuman Garhi, Kanak Bhawan and the Saryu aarti; day two is Ram Mandir darshan in the morning window. Below: verified timings, the free pass system, locker rules, and 2026 costs.
The direct road is NH27 through Barabanki, about 135 km and four-lane the whole way, which takes 2.5–3 hours outside the morning rush. The Purvanchal Expressway alternative is longer at roughly 190 km and saves no time on a normal day. Leave Lucknow by 7 AM and you are in Ayodhya for a late breakfast.
Expect two toll plazas, Barabanki and the one before Faizabad, costing around ₹150 for a car and about ₹245 for an SUV, both on FASTag. From Lucknow airport the run is slightly shorter at about 120 km, 2–2.5 hours, and airport pickups cost more than city pickups.
| Mode | Time | Fare in 2026 | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Private taxi, sedan | 2.5–3 hrs | about ₹1,800–2,200 one way | waits for you both days |
| UPSRTC bus from Kaiserbagh | 3–3.5 hrs | from about ₹197 | frequent, ends at Ayodhya bus stand |
| Vande Bharat 22426 | about 1 hr 50 min | chair car | departs Lucknow 12:40, reaches 14:30 |
The train is fast but lands you at midday, after the morning darshan window has closed. A car leaving at dawn gets you to Hanuman Garhi before the heat and the crowd.
Custom in Ayodhya is to greet Hanuman ji first. Hanuman Garhi is open 5:00–11:30 AM and 4:00–10:00 PM, and the only effort is the climb of 76 steps. It sits about 700 metres from the Ram Mandir gate on Ram Path, so leave the car at the parking and walk.
Kanak Bhawan, the palace temple of Sita and Ram, is another 600 metres on and opens 8:00–11:30 AM and 4:30–9:00 PM. Between them the lanes have good lunch thalis. Use the long afternoon closure to check in and rest.
Evening belongs to the Saryu. The aarti at Ram ki Paidi starts around 7 PM from March to October and around 6 PM in winter, so reach the ghats 45 minutes early for a step to sit on. Guptar Ghat, where Ram is believed to have left the earth, is open all hours and quieter.
Ram Lalla darshan is free and the published windows are roughly 7:00–11:30 AM and 2:00–7:00 PM. Join the line by 6:30 AM for the opening; from gate to exit, including security, the corridor walk and the Ram Darbar on the first floor, takes 45–90 minutes on a weekday.
Park at the designated lot and walk Ram Path to the entry barriers, about 1.2–1.5 km from Ayodhya Dham Junction.
Deposit phones and bags at the free trust lockers (the PFC facility centre) before the queue.
Carry the original ID used for any pass; photocopies are often refused.
Wheelchairs are free at the entry gates on showing an Aadhaar card, with a separate route for the elderly.
If you are extending the trip east, our Ayodhya, Varanasi and Prayagraj route from Lucknow picks up exactly where this day ends.
Five aartis happen daily: Mangala around 4:30 AM, Shringar around 6:30 AM, Bhog at noon, Sandhya around 7:30 PM and Shayan around 9:30 PM. Mangala, Shringar and Shayan need a pass; Bhog and Sandhya are open to everyone in the hall at the time.
Sugam darshan gives a fixed two-hour slot, such as 7–9 AM or 3–5 PM, and a shorter line. Arrive 30–45 minutes before the slot for QR checks. Aarti passes are far scarcer, with only a few dozen seats per aarti, so treat them as a bonus rather than the plan.
Nothing electronic goes inside the Ram Janmabhoomi complex. Phones, smartwatches, earphones, cameras and power banks are stopped at security, and on busy days leather belts, large purses and even pens have been turned back. What passes is a wallet with cash, your ID and regular medicines.
Free lockers at the trust's PFC facility centre take everything else, but the deposit and collection queues run 30–45 minutes each, and on weekends the lockers near the gate fill by about 8 AM. The simplest answer is to leave the lot in a locked car with your driver and walk in with pockets nearly empty.
Wear slip-on footwear; shoes come off at Hanuman Garhi, Kanak Bhawan and the Mandir.
Dress modestly, shoulders and knees covered, for every temple on the route.
Screenshot or print the pass before you leave the hotel, since the phone stays outside.
For two adults, a sedan taxi for two days, a mid-range room and meals comes to roughly ₹7,000–10,000 in the October to March season. Darshan and every pass are free, so the only temple spend is prasad and donations.
| Item | 2026 range |
|---|---|
| Sedan taxi, Lucknow–Ayodhya–Lucknow with overnight wait | about ₹4,500–6,500 including tolls |
| Hotel near Ram Path, per night | ₹1,200–2,000 mid-range; lodges from about ₹800 |
| Dharamshala bed, per night | about ₹200–600 |
| Ram Mandir darshan, Sugam pass, aarti pass | free |
| Shared e-rickshaw, station to Mandir | ₹10–20 per person |
Festival weeks are the exception. Rooms double or vanish around Deepotsav, 6–8 November 2026, and the main diya night on 7 November brings five-hour darshan queues; if that week is your only option, read our Ayodhya Deepotsav guide first.
With elderly parents: book a Sugam slot for 9–11 AM, use the free wheelchair at the gate, keep the car at the nearest parking, and skip Hanuman Garhi's steps if knees are a problem.
On a budget: take the Kaiserbagh UPSRTC bus up, sleep in a dharamshala near Ram ki Paidi, and return by the afternoon Vande Bharat.
On a tight schedule: leave Lucknow at 5 AM, do Ram Mandir in the 7–9 AM slot, Hanuman Garhi before 11:30, and drive back after lunch; one long day, no night.
With children: keep day one light, do the Saryu aarti from a boat, and take the earliest darshan slot before the sun.
Mistakes that cost people a day: arriving at noon and finding every temple shut until 2 PM, carrying phones to the gate and losing an hour at lockers, and planning a weekend without a pass. The season matters too; our month-by-month guide to the best time for this trip covers the summer heat, monsoon roads and festival weeks.
Stay within walking distance of Ram Path or Ram ki Paidi so that the 6:30 AM queue and the evening aarti are both on foot. Hotels there run ₹1,200–2,000 for a clean mid-range room, with lodges from about ₹800 and dharamshalas at ₹200–600.
Faizabad, 7–10 km away, has more rooms and is the fallback when the old town is full.
Book the pass, leave the phone in the car, and let the morning queue carry you to Ram Lalla. Jai Shri Ram.
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YATRA GUIDES
Walking distances, darshan timings, where to stay, and how to reach — every yatra question, answered.