Road trip to Gwalior- Jhansi-Orchha-Khajuraho

It was monsoon time and I was craving for a long road trip. We had covered almost all of the Rajasthan so I decided to plan a family trip to Madhya Pradesh. Though roads in MP are not great and three of us knew driving, I alone drove 1500 km over these 6 days.

Days required – 6-7 days

Nearby places to go – Panna National Park (closed in monsoon)

Best time to visit – after the monsoon or during winter (October to February)

How to reach

Make Gwalior entry and exit point for your trip as it is the major city with maximum connectivity.

By air – Gwalior and Khajuraho have airports but Khajuraho airport has very limited connectivity. Gwalior has direct flights from Delhi, Hyderabad, and Kolkata.

By train – Gwalior is well connected to all major cities.

By road – Gwalior is well connected by road. Roads are not as good as in other states. There are frequent bus services (govt. as well as private) to all nearby cities.

How we traveled – we did a road trip to Gwalior from Jaipur. It was 350 km journey.

If you don’t want to drive then you can always hire a cab. Reach Gwalior by flight or train then go further by cab or taxi.

Cheaper options will be using state transport to reach Jhansi and Khajuraho which will not be so comfortable but a budget option.

Where to stay

Gwalior – you have two options to stay there – one is the railway station area and the other is Lashkar area. If you don’t have a car, stay in Lashkar area. It is a little congested but near to everything.

If you have a car, stay away from the market area to avoid parking issues. You can cover distances easily with a car. No need to stay at the congested place. First, confirm with the hotel reception about parking before booking the hotel.

Jhansi – limited options for accommodation here. Book your stay near Civil lines. You can opt to stay in Orchha which is 30 minutes away from Jhansi and have many resorts.

Khajuraho – Surprisingly, this last stop of the journey had the numerous type of accommodations varying from backpackers’ hostels(Zostel) to luxurious stays like Clarks, Ramada, Radisson and The Lalit.

How to go around – If you have your vehicle then there is no worry else it is very easy to roam around Gwalior, Jhansi, and Khajuraho. You can easily find rickshaw, taxi, and cabs everywhere.

Places to visit

Gwalior

1. Gwalior fort- Just like Chittorgarh fort, it is a very large fort located on a hill and it is advisable if you have a vehicle (own or hired) to explore it.

   

2. Gujari Mahal Museum- This museum is near Qila gate. It can be avoided if you are exhausted by Fort tour.
3. Tansen and Mohammad Ghaus Tomb- they are near Qila gate/Gujari mahal- better to take auto-rickshaw there or you will be stuck in the traffic(old city area)- a must-visit place for photographers otherwise can be missed if there is a shortage of time.
4. Sun temple- Dedicated to the Sun God as the name suggests, the Sun Temple in Gwalior has close similarities to the legendary Sun Temple at Konark in Odisha. The temple adorns a breathtaking architecture and thus attracts tourists and devotees from all over the country in large numbers.
5. Jai Vilas Palace-must visit place in Gwalior- this is the residence of the descendants of the royal Maratha Scindia family. The palace also serves as a museum stretched over 35 rooms, houses the Chitrangada Raje Art Gallery and a library. However, it is most popular for its enormous Darbar Hall that is beautified with gilded carvings. It is closed on Wednesday. Ask locals for directions for entry gate.

   

Jhansi

1. Jhansi fort – situated in the heart of the city, this fort is the witness of the 1857 mutiny. Fort is not well maintained and there is renovation going on.

   

2. Rani mahal – very near to the fort, it was the residence of Queen Laxmibai and was heavily damaged during the mutiny. This place is very poorly maintained by the government and can be missed.

   

Orchha

1. Orchha fort complex has three palaces – most magnificent is the Jahangir Mahal. This three-storeyed structure even today, retains its original grandeur. Raja Mahal is another flawless piece of art. Rai Parveen Mahal now ruins, once was a beautiful palace with the lush green garden surrounding it.
2. Ram Raja Mandir – It is the only temple in India where Lord Rama is worshipped as a king, hence so named.
3. Cenotaphs – these beautiful structures are built on Betwa riverside.
4. Chaturbhuj Temple – this architectural marvel is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is walking distance away from the Ram Raja Temple.

   

Khajuraho

1. Here are three groups of temples –

Most famous and nearest one are Western groups of the temples which are Hindu temples and they are most talked and most well-preserved temples of the region. You will need 2-3 hours here. No person is allowed to do puja here.

Then comes the eastern group which are the Jain temples. They appear the same as the western group of temples but are worship place for Jain people. Some of them are preserved but many are damaged and some are being renovated.

Last is the southern group of temples- Duladeo and Charbhuja (only temple without erotic sculpture) temple which are Shiv and Vishnu temples. The 3rd one is still under excavation (maybe we get to visit more temples in the future after excavation work is completed).

Temple complex opens at sunrise and closes at sunset. Ask for timings. It is at 7 pm in the summers.

There is a sound and light show at Western group of temple premises after 7 pm. Ticket charges are Rs.250 per person but the show is not worthy of it and can be missed.

You will need a vehicle to cover all these places as they are far from other (few km only but not a walkable distance). Bargain well from local taxi/auto drivers.

2. Raneh and Pandav waterfalls

Raneh, a must-visit place is 30 min drive from Khajuraho. On entrance, they charge you according to vehicle type(Rs.600 for a car) and there is guide fee-Rs.75. A guide will take you to falls, tell you the history and geography of the place. Raneh falls are natural. They are canyon formation which you will not find anywhere else in India. It is said that these canyons would have formed because of volcanic eruptions thousands and thousands of years ago.

Pandav fall is located in Panna National Park. If you have one more day then you should visit Panna National Park. It is closed in monsoon.

Where to eat

Gwalior – Try kachori at SS Kachoriwala and Bahadura’s Ladoo for breakfast and Lunch at Kwality Restaurant.

Jhansi – Dine at Navbharat or Haveli restaurant. Try snacks at Hot bites/ Narayan chaat bhandar

Khajuraho – Pizza at Raja cafe and Bella Italia.

Itinerary

Day 1 –

Reach Gwalior and check-in your hotel. Visit Jai Vilas Palace. In the evening, take a stroll around Sarafa Bazaar.

Day 2 –start your day early to reach Gwalior fort via Urvai Gate. It will take whole of your morning to explore the fort complex. On the way to the fort, you will find large Jain statues carved out of rocks(some are well preserved but most of them are ruined). After reaching the fort(uphill), a path to the right side lead to Scindia school(where entry is not allowed), Teli Mandir(oldest temple there but not well maintained( very beautiful from outside but reeks from inside) and Gurudwara. All these places have no entry fee. After strolling around these places, park your vehicle near Man Mandir Palace and main fort area. You have to pay for parking and entry here. On entry, you can take a guide here if you are interested in knowing the history of Gwalior and the royal family. Man Mandir Palace is the most beautiful and well-maintained palace here. Next, to it, there is Vikram Palace, Jahangir Palace, and Johar Kund, Chhatriyaas(cenotaphs) which are almost ruins. There is a different fee counter to enter this area. Pay the nominal fee to get a panoramic view of the city. After exploring the Palace area, visit Shahstrabhuja Temple better known as Saas Bahu temple (same entry ticket to be shown here for entry).

Have your lunch at Kwality Restaurant. Visit Tansen and Mohammad Ghaus Tomb and Sun temple. Head for Jhansi in the evening. Jhansi is a 4-hour drive from Gwalior. Check-in your Jhansi stay and get rest.

Day 3

Reach Orchha early in the morning. It is 30min away from Jhansi. Park your vehicle and start your trip by paying a visit to Ram Raja Temple. Near to it, is magnificent Chaturbhuj temple. Orchha is photographers delight as it has many ruins and buildings. Most of them are not well preserved. Explore the fort complex. It takes 1-2 hours here. Have lunch and head back to Jhansi. Take rest if you have time or go to Jhansi fort as it closes at 5 pm. There is no need for a guide here.

Day 4 – Khajuraho is 4-hour drive from Jhansi. This small town has an airport, bus stand, and railway station but all are located far away from the main tourist attractions. You should start your tour with the western group of temples and end it with the southern group of temples. Skip the light and sound show.

Day 5 – visit Raneh waterfall in the morning and head back to Gwalior by noon. Rest for the day.

Day 6 – take flight/train or drive back to your city.

Few tips for fellow travelers –

1. Don’t trust Google to reach a tourist spot. It will fail you again and again. Almost every place has two routes and Google will always tell you the short but wrong one. Ask locals for directions.
2. There are two entry gates for Gwalior fort- one is Quila gate in the old city which is very congested. Go there if you don’t have your vehicle but you have to walk uphill to reach the ticket counter. Other is Urvai gate from where vehicles are allowed and is preferred by most of the tourists. Ask locals for directions as Google may not be helpful here.
3. Go sightseeing in the early morning to avoid crowd and afternoon heat.
4. It is better to first cover Orchha in the morning and after having lunch, go for Jhansi tour as there is not much to see other than fort which can be covered in evening.
5. Take a water bottle with you. You will be exhausted exploring these large forts and temple complexes.

Ratings (it is subjective and my personal opinion)

Destination overall rating 7/10 – Orchha fort complex and Khajuraho temples are the star of the trip other than that most of the historic monuments were not properly maintained.

Travel Expense 2/10 – neither accommodation nor transportation is costly. You can easily manage this trip in your limited budget.

Travel ease 6/10 – Other than Gwalior, connectivity is an issue so you have to make Gwalior as an entry and exit point.

Food 7/10 – other than some lip-smacking street food in Gwalior, there was nothing special worth mentioning about food on this trip.