How we plan a day at Chittor
Our guides plan every Chittor visit around three things: the sun, the story and the distances on the plateau. Get those right, and the fort opens up.
The sun first: the plateau is open, with little shade.
Outside the cool months: the middle of the day is especially for resting.
Our three rules
- The sun
- First hours after opening, last before sunset
- The story
- Monuments roughly in historical order
- The distances
- A loop by car, walking at each stop
- Midday
- Museum, shaded lunch or a rest
- The story second: the gates, Rana Kumbha's palace and the towers come before the later palaces, so the day builds towards the three sieges and the memory of loss.
- Distance third: the plateau runs for several kilometres, so you need a car or an auto-rickshaw between monuments. We plan a loop that avoids doubling back.
- A good guide is essential: without one, the fort is a series of ruins. With one, it is the most moving historical site in Rajasthan.
- Read more: our Chittorgarh Fort guide walks each monument, and things to do in Chittorgarh covers everything else.
If you only have half a day
Sometimes a journey allows only a few hours, on the road between Udaipur and Bundi or Jaipur. Chittor is still worth the stop, as long as you choose carefully.
The route: up through the gates without stopping at every one, then straight to the palace of Rana Kumbha, the Meera and Kumbha Shyam temples and the Vijay Stambha.
Add if you can: the Kirti Stambha, which most hurried visitors miss, and Padmini's palace on the way back down.
Facts to know
- Time
- Three or four hours
- Core
- Kumbha's palace, Meera temple, Vijay Stambha
- If time allows
- Kirti Stambha, Padmini's palace
- Best hours
- Morning or late afternoon
- The heart of the fort: the royal palace, the saint's temple, the king's tower and the queen's legend.
- Avoid midday: even a short visit is better in the morning or late afternoon.
- Udaipur to Bundi: leave early, see the fort in the morning, lunch in town, and continue in the afternoon via Menal.
- From Jaipur: arrive in the late afternoon for the towers and sunset, stay nearby and continue to Udaipur next morning.
- Either way: you need a guide who can tell the story quickly and well.
One day at Chittorgarh
This is the day most of our guests choose, leaving Udaipur before breakfast and coming back for dinner by the lake. It follows the light and the story in order.
The day at a glance
- Drive
- About two hours from Udaipur
- Morning
- Gates, Kumbha's palace, temples
- Late morning
- The two towers
- Midday
- Lunch and the museum
- Sunset
- Water palaces and western ramparts
Early morning, the drive from Udaipur
Leave early: with a breakfast box in the car.
- The road: about two hours east by the expressway, through low hills that give way to the plains of eastern Mewar.
- In winter: a short stop with binoculars at the bird lakes of Menar is worth the time.
- Arrive: at the foot of the fort as the gates open.
Morning, the gates, the palace and the temples
The gates: drive slowly from Padan Pol to Ram Pol, stopping at the memorials to the defenders of the last siege.
- Rana Kumbha's palace: walk it while the light is soft, and hear the story of Panna Dhai and the infant Udai Singh.
- The temples: the Kumbha Shyam and Meera temples, where devotees may be singing, before the day visitors arrive.
Late morning, the towers
Vijay Stambha: an hour at the tower of victory, with its storeys of carved gods.
- Kirti Stambha: then the quieter, older Jain tower of fame.
- Nearby: the Samadhishvar temple and the jauhar ground, with time for silence.
Midday, lunch and the museum
- Lunch: a picnic we arrange in a shady corner of the fort, or a simple meal in the town below.
- The museum: a cool hour at Fateh Prakash Palace, among sculpture and weapons gathered from across the plateau.
Afternoon and sunset, the water palaces
As the heat eases: Kalika Mata, Gaumukh Kund and Padmini's palace, reflected in its tank.
- Sunset: on the western ramparts, over the plains.
- Then: drive back to Udaipur for a late dinner, or continue to Castle Bijaipur for the night.
- More: our journal piece on Chittorgarh in a day.
Two days, with a night in the countryside
Two days is the plan we recommend most. A night nearby lets you see the fort in both of its best lights, and it gives you the villages around it.
Two days at a glance
- Day one
- Museum, towers, sunset, optional show
- Night
- Castle Bijaipur, about an hour away
- Day two
- Fort at opening, then the kavad makers
- Evening
- Walk back through the fields
Day one, the fort in the evening light
Arrive: leave Udaipur after a relaxed breakfast, reaching Chittorgarh in the early afternoon.
- After lunch: the museum in Fateh Prakash Palace, then the Vijay Stambha and Kirti Stambha as the light turns warm.
- Sunset: Padmini's palace, Gaumukh Kund and the western ramparts.
- Evening: the light and sound show if you wish, then dinner in the courtyard at Castle Bijaipur.
Day two, dawn on the plateau and the kavad makers
Very early: be at the fort as it opens.
- In soft light: the gates, Rana Kumbha's palace and the Meera and Kumbha Shyam temples, with almost no one around.
- Late breakfast: back at Bijaipur, and a rest.
- Afternoon: drive to Bassi to meet the families who make kavad, the painted wooden story-shrines, and walk back through the fields at sunset.
Three days in Chittorgarh and eastern Mewar
With three days, you begin to understand Chittor as the heart of a whole landscape, of farming villages, craft families, ancient towns and temples.
Facts to know
- Nagari
- About 16 km north, on the Berach
- Sanwaliya Seth
- Mandaphiya, about 40 km away
- Dabu printing
- Villages around Akola
- Kavad makers
- Bassi
Day one, the fort from gate to rampart
- Follow the one-day plan: from the seven gates in the morning to the western ramparts at sunset, with a long midday rest.
- Stay: at Castle Bijaipur, or in Chittorgarh town to see the light and sound show.
Day two, the quieter fort and the crafts
Dawn on the plateau: the places most visitors miss, the Suraj Pol on the eastern side, the Jain temples, the tanks and the ruined neighbourhoods.
- Dabu: watch printers in the villages around Akola stamping mud-resist patterns on cloth.
- Afternoon: with the kavad makers of Bassi.
- Evening: walk through the village around your castle as the cattle come home.
Day three, Nagari and Sanwaliya Seth
Morning: Nagari, beside the Berach river, the site of an ancient city historians identify with Madhyamika, with a guide who knows its history.
- Afternoon: the great Krishna temple of Sanwaliya Seth at Mandaphiya, crowded with farmers and traders who come to share their earnings with the god.
- Evening: a last dinner at Bijaipur, or drive on to Udaipur.
Four days, from Chittor to Bundi
The four-day plan turns Chittorgarh into the first chapter of a longer journey east, through temples and gorges to the painted town of Bundi.
Four days at a glance
- Day one
- Udaipur to the fort at sunset
- Day two
- The fort at dawn, then the museum
- Day three
- Bassi, Nagari or Akola
- Day four
- Menal and Bijolia, then Bundi
- Bundi drive
- About three hours
Day one, arrival and the fort at sunset
The drive: from Udaipur, stopping at Menar for the birds in winter.
- Late afternoon: after lunch and a rest, the towers, Padmini's palace and the western ramparts.
- Night: Castle Bijaipur.
Day two, the fort at dawn
Early: the gates, Rana Kumbha's palace and the temples in the morning light, then the museum.
- Afternoon: a long lunch and rest at the castle.
- Evening: walking or riding in the countryside, or simply reading by the pool.
Day three, the villages and Nagari
Early morning: the kavad makers of Bassi and a drive through the small wildlife sanctuary nearby.
- After lunch: the ancient site of Nagari, or dabu printing at Akola.
- Dinner: at the castle, with the family if they are at home.
Day four, Menal, Bijolia and on to Bundi
After breakfast: take the road north-east.
- Menal: medieval Shiva temples beside a gorge whose waterfall runs in the monsoon.
- Bijolia: carved temples nearby.
- Arrive in Bundi: in the late afternoon, in time for a first walk through its blue lanes below the palace. Read about things to do in Bundi.
Following the story as you go
A good day at Chittor is also a good history lesson. The route we take lets the story unfold in order, from legend to loss.
Told this way, the fort makes sense.
The founding legends: an early fort said to have been built by a ruler of the Mori clan, and its capture in the eighth century by Bappa Rawal, ancestor of the rulers of Mewar.
The story in order
- At the gates
- The Mori fort; Bappa Rawal, 8th century
- Kumbha's palace
- Fifteenth-century Mewar
- Meera's temple
- Rana Sanga's time; Meera arrives 1516
- The sieges
- 1303, 1535, winter of 1567 to 1568
- The ramparts
- Looking over the old Mughal camp
- Mewar at its height: Kumbha built towers, temples and the fortress of Kumbhalgarh. The Vijay Stambha, raised for his victory over the Sultan of Malwa, shows that confidence.
- Meera Bai: the princess who came to Chittor as a bride in 1516 and chose devotion to Krishna over the life of a royal widow.
- The first siege, 1303: remembered through the legend of Padmini at her water palace.
- The second, 1535: and then the last, when Akbar took the fort and the court of Mewar moved for good to Udaipur.
- The end of the day: on the western ramparts, where it is easy to imagine the Mughal camp on the plains below.
- Carry it forward: our journal pieces on the story of Padmini, Maharana Pratap and Haldighati and the Mewar royal family.
Chittorgarh with children
Children who like forts usually love Chittor. It has gates, towers, tanks, monkeys and some of the best stories in India. The trick is pacing.
A shorter fort day: for young children, focus on the highlights.
The highlights: the zigzag gates, the tower of victory climb if open, the fish at Gaumukh Kund and the reflections at Padmini's palace.
Facts to know
- Fort day
- Shorter, highlights only
- Best story
- Panna Dhai and the baby prince
- Hottest hours
- At the hotel pool
- Family base
- Castle Bijaipur
- The right guide: one who is good with children brings the stories to life, especially Panna Dhai and the baby prince who grew up to found Udaipur.
- Pacing: stop often for water and snacks, and keep the hottest hours for the hotel pool.
- Castle Bijaipur for families: gardens, a pool, space to run and a family who enjoy telling stories.
- For older children: a village walk, a jeep ride into the countryside, or the kavad makers, where they can watch the painting and hear a story told on the folding doors.
- More ideas: our pages on family journeys and travelling with children.
Variations for couples, history lovers and repeat visitors
No two of our Chittor days look quite the same. These are the changes we make most often.
Planning by traveller
- Couples
- A castle night, lamplit dinner, rampart sunset
- History lovers
- Two full days with a historian-guide
- Meera's devotees
- Around Sharad Purnima
- Repeat visitors
- Add Bhainsrorgarh, Baroli and Hadoti
For couples
- A quiet romance: Chittor is not conventionally romantic, but a castle night, dinner by lamplight and a sunset walk on the ramparts has its own.
- History to softness: many couples combine it with the lakes of Udaipur. Our Rajasthan for two journey shows how.
For history lovers
Go deeper: two full days on the fort with a historian-guide, and some reading before you come.
- Add: Nagari for ancient history, and the temples of Menal and Baroli for the medieval.
- Start here: our guides to the Rajput dynasties and the history of Rajasthan.
For lovers of Meera Bai
Time it: for the festival in her honour around Sharad Purnima in autumn.
- At the temples: spend longer at the Meera and Kumbha Shyam temples, and ask us to find a singer to perform her bhajans.
- Follow her north: to Mathura and Vrindavan, where she is also remembered.
For repeat visitors to Rajasthan
- Quite different: after Amber, Mehrangarh and Jaisalmer, Chittor is an open plateau of ruins rather than a single palace.
- A journey few make: add the gorges of the Chambal at Bhainsrorgarh, the Baroli temples and the small forts of Hadoti. Read about Hadoti.
Where Chittorgarh fits in a longer journey
Chittorgarh sits at a crossroads, between the lakes of Udaipur, the forts of Hadoti and the road north to Jaipur. That makes it easy to weave into a longer route.
Simplest: a long day trip from Udaipur, about two hours away. Our Udaipur itinerary shows how it fits into four days there.
Heading east to Bundi: Chittorgarh is the natural first stop, and a night at Bijaipur breaks the journey beautifully.
- Between Jaipur and Udaipur: a rewarding halt, with a night at Bijaipur or at Deogarh further north.
- Mewar Lakes and Temples: our journey brings together Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur.
- Offbeat Rajasthan: this journey links Chittor with Bundi and Dungarpur.
- The great hill forts: our forts and palaces grand tour sets it beside the others, including Kumbhalgarh, which Rana Kumbha also built.
The drives in and out
In this part of Rajasthan, the road is part of the day. Each approach to Chittor has its own stops, and its own best hour.
Getting there
- From Udaipur
- About two hours by expressway
- From Bundi
- About three hours
- From Jaipur
- Long; we break it
- Rail
- Chittorgarh is a major junction
- Nearest airport
- Udaipur, about two hours away
From Udaipur
The road: east through the last of the Aravalli hills and onto the plains.
- In winter: stop at the village lakes of Menar for the wintering waterbirds.
- Timing: leave early to reach the fort at opening, and leave soon after sunset to return in reasonable light.
From Bundi and Hadoti
The road: across the plateau country of eastern Rajasthan.
- The stops: the carved temples of Bijolia, and Menal beside its gorge, turning a long drive into one of the most rewarding days of the journey.
- Arrive: in the afternoon for the towers and the sunset.
From Jaipur and the north
Break it: with a night at Deogarh Mahal, or arrive at Chittor in the late afternoon and stay at Bijaipur.
- Next day: the fort at dawn, then on to Udaipur in the afternoon.
- The route: our piece on Jaipur to Udaipur by road describes it.
By train
Connections: trains to Udaipur, Jaipur and Delhi.
- A relaxed arrival: a train can work, but you still need a car and driver for the fort and the plateau, so most guests travel by road throughout.
- More: our page on trains in Rajasthan.
Where to stay for each plan
Where you sleep shapes how you see the fort. These are the bases we use for each version of the itinerary.
One day: stay in Udaipur, at a lake palace or resort, and drive out and back with a private car.
Two days: a night at Castle Bijaipur, about an hour from the fort, to see it at dawn and dusk.
Bases by plan
- One day
- Udaipur
- Two days
- One night at Castle Bijaipur
- Three days
- Two nights at Bijaipur
- Four days
- Bijaipur, then a Bundi haveli
- For the show
- A hotel in Chittorgarh town
- Three days: two nights at Bijaipur, as a base for the villages and Nagari.
- Four days: two or three nights at Bijaipur, then on to a heritage haveli in Bundi.
- For the light and sound show: a carefully chosen hotel in Chittorgarh town, which saves the late drive.
- Every option: our guide to luxury hotels near Chittorgarh explains each one honestly.
Meals and breaks along the way
There is very little to eat on the plateau itself, so a good Chittor day plans its meals in advance.
In town: simple restaurants serve vegetarian thalis, kachori and sweet chai.
Near the monuments: small stalls sell water, tea and snacks.
Facts to know
- Breakfast
- A box in the car from Udaipur
- Lunch
- A picnic on the fort, or the town below
- On the plateau
- Stalls with water, tea and snacks
- At Bijaipur
- Mewari home cooking
- At Castle Bijaipur: lunch and dinner are part of the pleasure, often with the family at the table.
- The dishes: our food of Udaipur guide explains what you will meet.
- A proper midday break: in every season, whether an hour at the museum, a long lunch or a rest at your hotel.
- Why: it keeps everyone fresh for the best part of the day, the late afternoon on the towers and ramparts.
Changing the plan with the seasons
The same day at Chittor feels very different in January and in May. We adjust every plan to the weather.
The cool months: comfortable for walking the plateau, with the whole day outdoors. The best season for the full itineraries.
Month by month: our guide to the best time to visit Chittorgarh.
Seasons
- October to March
- Full itineraries, short midday rest
- December and January
- Shawls for dawn and the show
- April to June
- Early morning only; no multi-day plans
- July to September
- Loose plans between showers
- The hot months: fierce heat on the plains. We leave by late morning and spend the afternoon indoors, often back in Udaipur.
- The monsoon: the open parts of the fort between showers, and the museum for wet spells.
- The four-day route in the rains: especially beautiful, with the waterfall at Menal and the green countryside.
Practical notes for your days
These small details make a Chittor day easier and kinder.
Book a good guide in advance: the single most important part of the plan.
Start at opening time: in every season, and keep the middle of the day for rest.
- Carry water, a hat and sun cream: little shade on the plateau, and few places to buy food.
- Dress: shoes that slip off easily for the temples, and shoulders and knees covered.
- Respect: keep your voice low at the memorials and the jauhar ground.
- Back to Udaipur: leave soon after sunset so most of the drive is in good light.
- Read: our pages on getting around Rajasthan and temple etiquette.
Local tip
If you can manage only one night nearby, make it the night between a sunset on the ramparts and the next morning's opening. You see the fort in both of its best lights.
