Gaya is 100 kilometers south of Patna, the capital city of Bihar. Situated on the banks of the Phalgu, it is a place sanctified by the Hindu, the Buddhist and the Jain religions. It is surrounded by small rocky hills (Mangla-Gauri, Shringa-Sthan, Ram-Shila and Brahmayoni) by three sides and the river flowing on the fourth (eastern) side. The city has a mix of natural surroundings, age old buildings and narrow bylanes.

Several temples are situated in Gaya, prominent among them being Vishnupad temple, Surya Kund, Mahabodhi temple and Akshayabat. Brahmayoni temple, Bodhi Tree and Muchalinda Lake are also other places worth visiting. Gaya and the surrounding areas are also dotted with many monasteries like Royal Bhutan Monastery, Thai Monastery and Tibetan Monastery. Gaya being a prominent tourist centre has both an airport and a railway station and so is easily accessible from all corners of the country with the best time to visit being in the months of October to April. Gaya is well connected to the rest of India by roadways, railways. It also has an airport which has seasonal services for some South-Asian destinations.