Two towns, two very different kinds of stay
For years we told guests the same thing: come to Orchha and Khajuraho for the stones, not the beds. Orchha has not changed, and we love it for that. Khajuraho has, and for the first time we can offer a palace stay in the Bundela country that stands beside the great hotels of Rajasthan.
Orchha: a village living inside a royal capital. Its hotels are warm and modest, with one historic wing inside the fort.
- Orchha
- Bundela capital from 1531 to 1783
- Khajuraho
- Chandela temples, UNESCO since 1986
- Orchha hotels
- Comfortable, not grand
- Khajuraho hotels
- Palace, modern hotels and forest lodges
- Khajuraho: a temple town with a small airport, large modern hotels, and since November 2025 a true palace hotel in the hills.
- Panna: under an hour from the temples, a tiger reserve on the Ken river with two of central India's finest lodges.
- Gwalior: about three hours from Orchha, with the palace comfort of the Taj Usha Kiran Palace.
- Our usual plan: two nights in Orchha, then two at Khajuraho or by the forest, with a palace at one end.
The Oberoi Rajgarh Palace
Because it is new, we are still learning its rooms and rhythms, and we will tell you honestly what our planners have seen when you book. What we can say already is that it gives Khajuraho the sense of arrival it always lacked, at the end of a long journey through central India.
The palace: a restored Bundela monument that Oberoi attributes to Maharaja Hindupat of the Bundela dynasty, rising from the Maniyagarh hills.
- Opened
- November 2025
- Built by
- Maharaja Hindupat of the Bundela dynasty, says Oberoi
- Setting
- Slopes of the Maniyagarh hills
- Estate
- About 76 acres with a natural lake
- Close to
- Panna National Park and the Khajuraho temples
- The view: sal and palash forest all around, and the Vindhya ranges on the horizon.
- The estate: about 76 acres of forest, courtyards and terraces, with a natural lake.
- The spa: Oberoi's Asmi spa, reached by boat across the lake, with tented treatment rooms by the water.
- The pools: two heated pools, one an infinity pool by the lake and one within the palace.
- History on site: walks with the palace historian through old chambers and shrines, and the remains of a building linked with Mastani, the Bundela princess.
Dining and days at Rajgarh
Maanya: the dinner restaurant, devoted to royal recipes, with indoor and outdoor tables facing the hills.
Neerangan: the lakeside restaurant, serving through the day.
- Maanya
- Royal recipes, dinner only
- Neerangan
- Lakeside, Indian and international, all day
- Amrava
- Courtyard bar with small plates
- Alcohol
- Available, Madhya Pradesh is not a dry state
- Amrava: cocktails and small plates overlooking the palace courtyard and its fountains.
- Safaris: the hotel arranges drives in Panna with naturalists, and trips to Raneh Falls and the Ken gorge.
- Evenings: music, dance and storytelling in the courtyards.
- For children: the hotel runs its own activities for younger guests.
The hotels in Orchha
Amar Mahal
What it is: a heritage-style hotel built in the Bundela manner, with domes, arches, courtyards and gardens, a short walk from the town.
- Why we choose it: the most polished stay in Orchha, with a pool and a kitchen that cooks Indian and continental food well.
- Honest view: not a historic building, but it feels at home in Orchha.
- Ask for: an upper floor with a view towards the cenotaphs or the temple spires.
Sheesh Mahal, inside the fort
What it is: a royal wing between the Raja Mahal and the Jahangir Mahal, run as a small hotel by the Madhya Pradesh state tourism corporation.
- Why stay: you sleep inside the palace complex on the island, and have the fort almost to yourself after the monument closes.
- Honest view: simple rooms and friendly, unhurried government service.
- Our advice: one night here, one at Amar Mahal, for both the magic and the comfort.
Bundelkhand Riverside
What it is: a hotel in large grounds on the rocky banks of the Betwa outside the village.
- Why stay: the river. Ask for a river-facing room.
- Honest view: old-fashioned in style, with upkeep that varies, and busy when it hosts weddings.
Orchha Resort and Betwa Retreat
Orchha Resort: a modern resort near the river with a pool, practical for families and groups.
- Betwa Retreat: a state tourism property of cottages and tents in a garden, simple and sometimes inconsistent.
- When we use them: when Amar Mahal is full, or a group needs many rooms together.
Hotels close to the Khajuraho temples
The Lalit Temple View
What it is: the most polished hotel in town, a short drive from the Western Group and the airport.
- Why stay: a spa, pools and the comfort of a well-run Indian luxury chain. Some rooms look towards the temple spires.
- Ask for: an upper-floor room on the temple side.
The Radisson
What it is: a large hotel about a mile from the Western Group, long known locally as the Radisson Jass, with a pool in its gardens.
- Who it suits: families who want space and a big pool.
- Ask for: a garden room away from the event lawns.
Other hotels in town
- Honest view: several large modern hotels, some tired and some excellent. We use only those inspected recently.
Lodges by Panna and the Ken
Pashan Garh, Panna
What it is: Taj's wildlife lodge on the edge of Panna Tiger Reserve, part of its Taj Safaris collection.
- The cottages: built of local dry-stone without mortar, scattered on a rocky hillside above the forest.
- Why stay: naturalists who know Panna, and the temples and tigers with the polish of a fine lodge.
- More: our page on wildlife lodges explains what we look for.
Sarai at Toria, on the Ken
What it is: a small eco-lodge near the Madla entrance to Panna, founded by conservationists.
- The cottages: mud-walled and thatched, with verandas facing the river and fields, and food from local farms.
- Honest view: no air conditioning, lovely in winter, warm in April. Calm and conversation rather than a spa.
When the forest is closed
- Monsoon: Panna's core zone closes through the rains, and the lodges are quieter or shut from about July to September. We check before booking.
A palace base in Gwalior
Taj Usha Kiran Palace: the former royal guest house beside Jai Vilas Palace, in about nine acres of gardens, now run by Taj.
What it adds: grand public rooms, a pool, a spa and polished service that Orchha cannot offer.
- The drive: about three hours to Orchha, past the seven-storey palace of Datia.
- Gwalior itself: a great hill fort and the Jai Vilas Palace museum deserve a day of their own. See Gwalior.
- Why not a day trip to Orchha: six hours on the road and the flat midday light. We would rather you sleep at least one night in Orchha.
Historic, heritage-style or modern
Truly historic: the Sheesh Mahal in Orchha's fort and the Oberoi Rajgarh Palace near Khajuraho. Real Bundela buildings, one simple, one polished.
Heritage-style: Amar Mahal and some of the riverside hotels, built recently in the Bundela manner with domes, arches and courtyards, but modern plumbing and comfort.
- Frankly modern: Orchha Resort and the big hotels in Khajuraho town. Comfortable, with pools, and without much character.
- Of the forest: Pashan Garh's dry-stone cottages and Sarai at Toria's mud walls belong to the landscape rather than to any palace.
- For most guests: heritage-style in Orchha, the palace or a lodge at Khajuraho.
Eating well in Bundelkhand
Ask for a Bundeli meal: the farm cooking of the region, with gram-flour dumplings, flatbreads baked in embers and seasonal greens rich with ghee.
In Orchha: Amar Mahal cooks both Indian and continental food well, and we ask the kitchen ahead for local dishes.
- At the lodges: simpler, fresher food, often from local farms, adjusted for vegetarian, Jain or children's tastes with notice.
- A drink: Madhya Pradesh is not a dry state, so wine and beer are usually available at the larger hotels.
- Temple towns: near the Ram Raja temple in Orchha, keep to vegetarian food and leave alcohol in the hotel.
How to split your nights
The classic, four nights
- Orchha: two nights at Amar Mahal, or one at Amar Mahal and one in the Sheesh Mahal.
- Khajuraho: two nights at the Oberoi Rajgarh Palace, with the temples at dawn and Panna for a morning drive.
Temples and tigers, six nights
Gwalior: one or two nights at Usha Kiran, with Datia on the road.
- Orchha: two nights.
- Khajuraho and Panna: one night in the palace or town, two at a forest lodge.
Short on time, three nights
- Orchha: one night, for the sunset at the chhatris and the palaces at opening time.
- Khajuraho: two nights, staying in town or at the palace.
A day from each kind of stay
From Orchha
Dawn: at the Jahangir Mahal as it opens, climbing to the top terraces.
- Midday: rest in the garden at Amar Mahal.
- Dusk: across the bridge to watch the sun set behind the chhatris on the Betwa.
From the palace at Rajgarh
Dawn: mist over the lake, then down to the temples for opening time, or out to Panna.
- Midday: breakfast on a terrace, the pool and the spa across the water.
- Evening: Raneh Falls or the Southern Group, then dinner in a palace courtyard.
From a hotel in town
- Dawn: walk to the Western Group as the gates open, with Lakshmana and Kandariya in the best light.
- Afternoon: the museum and the Eastern Group, then sunset at Chaturbhuj.
From a forest lodge
Dawn: tea in the dark, then the jeep to the park gate as the forest wakes.
- Afternoon: a boat on the Ken, or the temples on a separate day.
- Night: the stars and the sounds of the jungle.
Who should stay where
Couples and honeymooners: the Oberoi Rajgarh Palace, with one night in Orchha's Sheesh Mahal for the romance of a palace after dark.
Families: Amar Mahal or Orchha Resort for pools, and a big hotel in Khajuraho town. Older children love a forest lodge.
- Older travellers: level hotels with car access, ground-floor rooms and short drives. See accessible travel.
- Wildlife lovers: two nights at Pashan Garh or Sarai at Toria, with the temples at the edges of the day.
- Temple lovers on a short trip: a hotel in Khajuraho town, and the money spent on a superb guide instead.
- Not for: anyone expecting Rajasthan-style palace hotels in Orchha itself. For that, base in Gwalior.
How these stays fit our journeys
Our signature route: the Rajasthan, Orchha and Khajuraho journey links them with Jaipur and Agra.
- From Agra: a night at The Oberoi Amarvilas, then the fast train to Gwalior or Jhansi.
- On to Varanasi: fly when flights run, to BrijRama Palace on the ghats or Taj Nadesar Palace in its gardens.
- More detail: compare luxury hotels in Orchha and luxury hotels in Khajuraho.
When to stay
October to March: warm days and cool nights. December and January are cold at dawn in open jeeps.
The Khajuraho Dance Festival: about a week in the second half of February. Book four or five months ahead. We confirm the dates each year.
- Best months
- October to March
- Dance festival
- Khajuraho, second half of February
- Hottest
- April to June
- Panna core zone
- Closed through the monsoon
- Orchha festivals
- Ram Navami and Vivah Panchami
- Orchha's festivals: Ram Navami in March or April, and Vivah Panchami, Rama and Sita's wedding, in November or December.
- April to June: very hot. Choose a hotel with a good pool and keep sights for dawn and dusk.
- Monsoon: green and quiet, but the forest lodges close or slow down.
- More: see the best time to visit Khajuraho and the best time to visit Orchha.
Getting there and between them
By train: the Gatimaan Express from Delhi stops at Agra and Gwalior before Jhansi. Our trains guide explains how we book.
- To Orchha
- Gatimaan Express to Jhansi, then under half an hour
- Orchha to Khajuraho
- Four to five hours by road
- Khajuraho Airport
- About 3 km from town
- Orchha to Gwalior
- About three hours via Datia
- By road: we time the Orchha to Khajuraho drive to arrive at the palace or a lodge in the afternoon.
- By air: Khajuraho Airport is close to town, so a hotel near the temples suits a late arrival.
- Winter fog: allow a buffer night before onward flights in December and January.
What we tell our own cousins
Sleep in Orchha: a day trip arrives in flat midday light and leaves before the chhatris turn gold.
Spend on guides: at Khajuraho, a guide who can read a temple wall matters more than the room.
- Book the palace early: the Oberoi Rajgarh Palace is new and in demand in the winter season.
- Give the forest two mornings: tigers keep their own timetable.
- Pack layers: dawn jeeps in December and January are cold, even when afternoons feel like summer.
- Check the heat: in summer, confirm the air conditioning works. In winter, ask for a heater.