Fifty-one kilometers off Kushinagar is Gorakhpur , an important city of eastern Uttar Pradesh. At Gorakhpur is the Rahul Sanskrityayan Museum , which has an excellent collection of Thanka paintings and relics of the Buddha. The water sports complex at Ramgarh Tal Planetarium and the Gorakhnath Temple in the city are also worth a visit.

Situated in Nepal at a distance of 122 km from Gorakhpur , Lumbini is the birthplace of Lord Buddha. There are regular buses to the Nepalese border, from where the remaining 26 km has to be covered by private vehicles.

Kapilavastu (Piprahwa) is situated 148 km from Kushinagar and is an important Buddhist pilgrimage. Kapilavastu was the ancient capital of the Sakya clan ruled by Gautama Buddha's father.