Patna
Patna, historically known as Pāṭaliputra, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Bihar.
Patna, historically known as Pāṭaliputra, is the capital and largest city of the Indian state of Bihar. According to the United Nations, as of 2026, Patna had a population of 3.33 million, making it the 19th largest city in India. Covering 250 square kilometres (97 sq mi) and over 2.5 million people, its urban agglomeration is the 18th largest in India. Patna also serves as the seat of Patna High Court. The Buddhist, Hindu and Jain pilgrimage centres of Vaishali, Rajgir, Nalanda, Bodh Gaya and Pawapuri are nearby and Patna City is a sacred city for Sikhs as the tenth Sikh Guru, Guru Gobind Singh was born here. The modern city of Patna is mainly on the southern bank of the river Ganges. The city also straddles the rivers Son, Gandak and Punpun. The city is approximately 35 kilometres (22 mi) in length and 16 to 18 kilometres wide.
Adapted from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Worth seeing in and around Patna
10 places within 25 km that the world writes about, in the order of how widely: the ones a visitor has heard of first, then the ones only a local would name.
- 01Mahatma Gandhi Setu
Mahatma Gandhi Setu is a bridge over the river Ganga in Bihar, India, connecting Patna in the south to Hajipur in the north. Its length of 5,750 metres makes it the fourth-longest river bridge in India.
7.6 km · bridge in India Mahatma Gandhi setu patna · Wikipedia - 02Patna Museum
Patna Museum is the state museum of the Indian state of Bihar. Founded on 3 April 1917 during the British Raj to house the historical artefacts found in the vicinity of Patna, it is constructed in the style of Mughal and Rajput architecture, and is known locally as the Jadu Ghar.
2 km · museum · Wikipedia - 03Patna University
Patna University is a Public State University located in Patna, Bihar, India. It was established on 1 October 1917 during the British Raj.
4 km · state public university in Patna, Bihar, India · Wikipedia - 04Bihar Museum
Bihar Museum is a state museum located in Patna. It was partially opened in August 2015.
2.3 km · art museum in Bihar, India · Wikipedia - 05Sher Shah Suri Masjid
Sher Shah Suri Mosque, also known as Shershahi Mosque, is a mosque in Patna, the capital city of the state of Bihar in India. It serves as an example of the Afghan style of architecture.
2 km · mosque in India · Wikipedia - 06Pathar ki Masjid
The Pathar Ki Masjid stands on the bank of river Ganges near the Takht Shri Harmandir Saheb in the city of Patna. Parviz Mirza, son of Jahangir, established Pathar Ki Masjid in 1621.
2 km · mosque in India · Wikipedia - 07Statue of Mahatma Gandhi
The statue of Mahatma Gandhi in Gandhi Maidan, Patna, is a public monument of India's father of Nation Mahatma Gandhi. The statue is the world's tallest bronze statue of Mahatma Gandhi.
2.8 km · statue in Gandhi Maidan, Patna · Wikipedia - 08Jalan Museum
The Jalan Museum, Quila house, is a private museum located in Patna, Bihar, India. It is one of the only two private museums in Bihar state.
9.2 km · art & Heritage Museum in Bihar, India · Wikipedia - 09Indira Gandhi Planetarium
The Indira Gandhi Planetarium, also known as the Patna Planetarium, is located in Patna's Indira Gandhi Science Complex. The planetarium was constructed through Bihar Council on Science & Technology at a total cost of about ₹110 million.
2 km · Planetarium in Patna, India · Wikipedia - 10Agam Kuan
Agam Kuan is an ancient well and archaeological site in Patna, Bihar, India. It is said to date back to the period of Mauryan emperor, Ashoka.
6.1 km · archaeological site in Bihar, India · Wikipedia
Ranked by the number of language editions of Wikipedia with an article on each, from Wikidata; the sentences are the openings of those articles, CC BY-SA 4.0.
What Wikivoyage says to see
- 01Golghar
Captain John Garstin built a Golghar for the storage of food for the British army with storing capacity of 140,000 tons in 1786.
- 02Mahatma Gandhi Setu
The bridge over the river Ganges connecting Patna and Hajipur.
- 03Agam Kuan
- 04Kumhrar
Explore the ancient ruins of Pataliputra.
- 05Bihar Museum
Opened in 2015, the museum shows you the history of Bihar.
- 06Gandhi Sangrahalaya
A public museum showcasing the life and principles of Mahatma Gandhi.
From Wikivoyage: Patna, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Things to do
You can go on excursions to the various religious and historical places in and around Patna. Do not miss a boat ride on the mighty Ganges River. Maner-Sufi Saint Shrine (30km west of Patna). You can buy famous Maner Ka Ladoo(Sweets). Maner Sweets is one of the popular shops that specializes in these. However, avoid going there in the late evening or night. Take a boat-ride in the Ganges., near Gandhi ghat
- 01Sonepur Cattle Fair
It is held in November in Sonepur which across the Ganges from Patna.
- 02Buddha Smriti Park
- 03Eco Park
Contains attractions like waterslides, wave pool, swimming pools, multi-cuisine restaurant, coffee shops, souvenir shops and a banquet hall.
- 04Gandhi Maidan
Gandhi Maidan is the heart of this city today.
- 05Sanjay Gandhi Jaivik Udyan
- 06Shaheed Veer Kunwar Singh Azadi Park
From Wikivoyage: Patna, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Where to eat
When in Patna, try food typical to the region such as pua-pittha, tilkut, chiwra, makhana, the famed sattu or the farmer's staple, litti chokha, and the famous paan. Anarsa is one of the finest sweet delicacies of Bihar. It has rice flour shell with khoya filling, with white til in the upper shell.
From Wikivoyage: Patna, CC BY-SA 4.0. Not yet checked by us.
Getting to Patna
- Airports
- Lal Bahadur Shastri (VNS), 229 km · Tribhuvan (KTM), 235 km · Gautam Buddha (BWA), 273 km
- Stations
- Jayprakash Narayan Airport, 4.6 km · Patliputra Junction railway station, 7.6 km · Danapur railway station, 9.4 km · Rajendra Nagar Terminal railway station, 2.7 km · Patna Sahib railway station, 9.4 km
- Varanasi → Patna216 km · quickest by road, 3h 44m · ₹1,570–1,960
- Siliguri → Patna351 km · quickest by road, 6h 31m · ₹2,800–3,500
- Lucknow → Patna442 km · quickest by road, 7h 22m · ₹3,280–4,100
- Plan a tripFrom anywhereThe planner compares every way there from wherever you are.
Road and air are today’s quick answer; timetabled trains, buses and ferries load on the results page from the operators’ feeds.
No local-transport research exists yet for Patna
Our researched notes are written from a sourced entry: every shared taxi, boat and village bus with its operator, its rule, its fare and the year we saw it, and what could not be confirmed. Nobody has done that work for Patna. What is above is what we hold from open sources; nothing here pretends to be more.
- Get inThere are prepaid and shared taxis/rickshaws available throughout the day between two stations.
- Get inShared rickshaws (₹30) leave from south side of Patna Junction.
From Wikivoyage: Patna, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us; that article was last edited 2026-09.
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If you know how people move in Patna – the stand, the rule, the fare – tell us, and the note gets an entry.
Next door to Patna
- Pataliputraancient Indian city, Emperor Asoka’s classic capital city; present day Patna, the capital city of state of Bihar in India2 km
- Danapurhuman settlement9.8 km
- Phulwari SharifHuman settlement in Patna district, Patna division, Bihar, India6.1 km
- Khagaulhuman settlement in Patna district, Patna division, Bihar, India8.9 km
- Kumhrarremains of an ancient city in Patna District in Bihar4.8 km
- Patna Cityneighborhood in Patna, Bihar, India4.8 km