The oldest stone structure in India, the great Stupa No. 1, is almost 16 m high, with a huge hemispherical dome, still retaining its old grandeur. The toranas, or gateways that surround this Stupa are the earliest and finest known specimens of Buddhist art. Here, the Buddha is portrayed in symbols: the lotus representing his birth, the tree his enlightenment, the wheel derived from the title of his first sermon, the footmarks and throne representing his presence. These are considered the greatest of all Buddhist toranas and counter - balance the sheer bulk of the stupa they surround. The Eastern Gateway depicts the dream, that Buddha's mother had before his birth and also the young prince, Siddhartha, leaving his father's palace and the lifestyle that it represents, on his journey towards enlightenment. The Western Gateway portrays the 7 incarnations of the Buddha. The Northern Gateway, crowned by a wheel of law, depicts the miracles associated with Buddha, as told in the jatakas. The Southern Gateway portrays the birth of Gautama in a series of elaborate carvings.

Stupa No.2 lies at the edge of the hill, and its most notable aspect is the stone balustrade that encircles it. Stupa No.3 is placed near the Great Stupa No.1. The hemispherical dome is crowned with an umbrella of polished stone, which is religiously symbolic. The relics of Sariputta and Mahamogallena, two of Buddha's earliest disciples, were discovered in its inner chamber.

The great Ashoka pillar, as mentioned earlier, lies close to the Southern Gateway, and is renown for its incredible structural balance, and artistic design apart from the vital message that it carries. The Buddhist Vihara, a modern day monastery, enshrines the sacred relics of the Satdhara Stupa, in a glass casket on a platform, in its inner sanctum. The Great Bowl is a huge bowl carved out of one block of stone, which contained the food that was distributed amongst the monks of Sanchi. The Gupta Temple, built in 5th century A.D. is one of the earliest known specimens of Indian temple architecture. 

Below the Sanchi Hill, the Archaeological Survey of India Museum houses invaluable antiquities, like the lion capital of the Ashoka pillar, and metal objects used by the monks, and other ancient stone sculptures dating back to 3rd century B.C.