Bhopal and PachmarhiMadhya Pradesh in 5 nights

Two nights in Bhopal for the city, Sanchi and Gyaraspur, then Bhojpur and Bhimbetka on the way to three nights in Pachmarhi.

Day 1

Arrive Bhopal, City Sightseeing

Welcome to Madhya Pradesh. Your driver meets you at Bhopal airport or railway station and takes you to your hotel. After a rest, Bhopal, the city of lakes: Gohar Mahal, built in 1821 by Gohar Begum, one of Bhopal's women rulers, in a mix of Hindu and Mughal styles; Shaukat Mahal, a wedding gift for Sikander Jehan Begum; Bharat Bhavan, Charles Correa's centre for the arts; the Museum of Mankind (Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya), an open-air museum of the homes and cultures of India's peoples; and the Tribal Museum, with galleries on the Gond, Bhil, Baiga and other tribes of the state. In the evening, walk by the Upper Lake (Bhojtal), the great lake said to have been built by Raja Bhoj, where you can take a boat or try the street food on the promenade.

• Note: Bharat Bhavan, the Tribal Museum and the Museum of Mankind are closed on Mondays.

No meals included today Overnight: Bhopal

Day 2

Bhopal – Sanchi – Gyaraspur – Bhopal

About 1.5 hrs, 1 hr, then 2.5 hrs back

After breakfast, drive to the Great Stupa at Sanchi, first raised by the emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BCE over relics of the Buddha and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, with its four carved gateways, and the rock-cut Udayagiri Caves nearby. Then on to Gyaraspur, for three medieval temples: Maladevi, with its tall carved spire; Hindola Torana, a pair of pillars carved with the ten avatars of Vishnu; and Bajramath, a rare temple with three shrines. Back to Bhopal in the evening.

• Note: A guide makes Sanchi far richer; we can book one at extra cost. An early-morning heritage walk in old Bhopal can also be added.

Breakfast Overnight: Bhopal

Day 3

Bhopal – Bhojpur – Bhimbetka – Pachmarhi

About 1 hr, then 3 to 4 hrs

After breakfast, check out and drive south, stopping at the Bhojpur Temple, a giant 11th-century Shiva temple begun by the Paramara king Bhoja and never finished, with its building plans still carved into the rock nearby, and at Bhimbetka, a UNESCO World Heritage Site of more than 750 rock shelters across seven hills, lived in for over 100,000 years, with paintings of animals, hunts and dances, the oldest about 10,000 years old. Then climb to Pachmarhi, the only hill station in Madhya Pradesh, high on a plateau in the Satpura hills and check in.

• Note: A guide is recommended at Bhimbetka (extra cost).

Breakfast and dinner Overnight: Pachmarhi

Day 4

Pachmarhi Sightseeing by Gypsy

After breakfast, a day around Pachmarhi by open Gypsy, as most of the sights are inside the national park: the Bison Museum of the area's wildlife and history; the Pandav Caves, five rock-cut caves on a low hill linked by legend to the Pandava brothers; Bee Falls, named for its humming sound; Reechgarh, a huge natural cave once home to bears; and Dhoopgarh, at 4,429 ft the highest point in the Satpuras, for the sunset.

• Note: Sightseeing inside the park is by local Gypsy only, at extra cost; we book it for you in advance.
• Note: The national park closes on Wednesday afternoons, so we plan Pachmarhi days around it. Every sight involves some walking.

Breakfast and dinner Overnight: Pachmarhi

Day 5

Pachmarhi Sightseeing

After breakfast, more of Pachmarhi: Handi Khoh, a 300-ft ravine with sheer cliffs; Priyadarshini Point, where Captain James Forsyth first saw the Pachmarhi plateau in 1857; Gupt Mahadev, a narrow cave shrine to Shiva that you enter a few at a time; Pachmarhi Lake, for a boat ride; and Rajendragiri, a sunset point with a view of Chauragarh.

• Note: The national park closes on Wednesday afternoons, so we plan Pachmarhi days around it. Every sight involves some walking.

Breakfast and dinner Overnight: Pachmarhi

Day 6

Pachmarhi – Bhopal, Departure

About 4 to 5 hrs

After breakfast, check out and drive back to Bhopal airport or railway station for your journey home.

Breakfast

Tour details

Accommodation

Choose the hotel category. The same route and sightseeing in every category.

Hotels are listed or similar, subject to availability. Breakfast in Bhopal; breakfast and dinner in Pachmarhi.

Package cost

Price per adult on twin sharing, by the number of adults travelling together. Land only.

Private car with driver: sedan for 2, Ertiga or Innova Crysta for 4, Innova Crysta for 6, Tempo Traveller for 8.

Rates in INR per person, GST included. The extra-person rate applies to a third adult or a child above 5 sharing the room.

Tour information

Read this to prepare for your holiday.

Good to know

• Valid until 31 Mar 2027 for bookings confirmed at least 15 days before arrival. Dussehra, Diwali, Christmas–New Year, long weekends and city exhibition dates are priced on request.
• Hotel levels: Standard is roughly a 2-star-plus hotel, Deluxe 3 to 4 stars, Premium 4 to 5 stars. Tell us if you need a lift, a heated pool or special food, and we check before booking.
• Your car: a sedan for 2, an Ertiga or Innova Crysta for 4, an Innova Crysta for 6 and a Tempo Traveller for 8. An Innova Crysta legally seats 6 including children, so please travel light. The A/C runs while the car is moving and is switched off on steep climbs.
• Most forts, palaces and museums in Indore and Bhopal are closed on Mondays; we plan around it.
• Most of Pachmarhi is inside the national park: sightseeing there is by local Gypsy, the park closes on Wednesday afternoons, and every viewpoint involves some walking.
• Guides make the big sites far richer (Sanchi, Bhimbetka, Mandu, Khajuraho, Gwalior, Orchha); we can book them at extra cost.

When to go

October to March. October to March is cool and dry, the best time for forts, temples and the Pachmarhi hills. The national parks open on 1 October and close on 30 June; winter mornings in the parks are cold, and the forest thins out towards spring. April to June is very hot.

Our favourite months

Cancellation policy & payment terms

• Flights, trains and houseboats are paid in full at the time of ticketing or confirmation.
• Payments by bank transfer (NEFT / RTGS / IMPS), UPI or cheque in favour of TripRoutes. Card payments may carry a convenience fee.
• GST 5% is charged on the package cost as per government rules. On international holidays, TCS also applies as per government rules.
• Cancellation charges are per person, counted from the date of departure.
• Cancellations must be sent in writing by email or WhatsApp; the date we receive it is the cancellation date.
• Air and train tickets are refunded as per the airline / railway rules, plus our service charge.
• Visa fees, insurance premiums and non-refundable hotel or houseboat bookings (peak dates, special events) are not refundable.
• Refunds are processed within 15 working days of receiving supplier refunds.
• There is no refund for services not used during the holiday.
• Hotels may ask for a refundable security deposit at check-in, paid directly to the hotel.
• Prices are subject to availability at the time of booking.
• TripRoutes is not liable for changes caused by weather, strikes, roadblocks, flight delays or government orders; extra costs arising are payable by the guest.

Questions about this holiday