Central India Grand TourMadhya Pradesh in 7 nights

The long way across central India: Sanchi, Bhimbetka, three nights in Pachmarhi, Jabalpur and Bhedaghat, and two nights in Kanha.

Day 1

Arrive Bhopal – Sanchi – Bhopal

About 2 hrs each way

Welcome to Madhya Pradesh. Your driver meets you at Bhopal airport or railway station in the morning and takes you to your hotel. Then 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. Back to Bhopal for the night.

• 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.

No meals included today Overnight: Bhopal

Day 2

Bhopal – Bhojpur – Bhimbetka – Pachmarhi

About 1 to 2 hrs, then 4 to 5 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 3

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 4

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 5

Pachmarhi – Jabalpur

About 5 to 6 hrs

After breakfast, check out and drive to Jabalpur and check in. Later, Madan Mahal, an 11th-century hill fort of the Gond rulers linked with Rani Durgavati; the Balancing Rock, a boulder resting on another at a single point; and the 76-ft Shiva statue at Kachnar City, built over a cave with replicas of the twelve jyotirlingas. In the evening, the Narmada aarti at Gwarighat.

Breakfast Overnight: Jabalpur

Day 6

Jabalpur – Bhedaghat – Kanha National Park

About 4 to 5 hrs

After breakfast, check out and drive to Bhedaghat, where the Narmada flows between white marble cliffs. Take a boat through the gorge (paid directly) and see Dhuandhar Falls, where the river drops about 30 m in a cloud of spray; the ropeway over the falls is optional. Then on to Kanha National Park and check in at your jungle lodge.

Breakfast and dinner Overnight: Kanha

Day 7

Kanha Safari

A morning or afternoon jeep safari in Kanha National Park, the largest national park in Madhya Pradesh, a country of sal forest and open meadows known for its tigers and its hard-ground barasingha, along with gaur, sambar, chital and leopard, in a private Gypsy (at extra cost, booked in advance). The rest of the day is at your lodge.

• Note: Afternoon safaris do not run on Wednesdays.

Breakfast, lunch and dinner Overnight: Kanha

Day 8

Kanha – Jabalpur, Departure

About 4 to 5 hrs

After breakfast, check out and drive to Jabalpur 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 and Jabalpur; breakfast and dinner in Pachmarhi; all meals at the jungle lodge in Kanha.

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.
• National parks are open from 1 October to 30 June, and afternoon safaris do not run on Wednesdays. Safaris are booked with full payment and the name, age, gender and photo ID of each guest (max 6 per Gypsy). Once booked they cannot be changed or refunded, and we cannot promise a particular gate.
• Jungle lodges have little or no Wi-Fi, TV or mobile signal. Wear muted colours, carry warm layers for winter mornings, and keep noise down in the park.
• 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