Route library · Weekend · Desert & forts
Delhi to Abhaneri, Bhangarh & Kesroli
This is an easy weekend loop through Alwar district that packs in three offbeat stops: Chand Baori at Abhaneri, a 13-storey stepwell of about 3,500 steps and one of the deepest in India; Bhangarh, a whole ruined 17th-century town below a fort, famous as India's ‘most haunted’ site and closed between sunset and sunrise by the ASI; and Kesroli, a 14th-century hill fort you can actually sleep in.
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At a glance
- Round trip
- About 420–480 km on the loop
- Riding time
- 3–4 hours to Alwar, then short hops between the three stops
- Nights
- One night (at Kesroli or Alwar)
- Start point
- Delhi (via Sohna, Nuh and Alwar)
- Highest point
- Low Aravalli country — around 300 m
- Difficulty
- Easy. Sealed roads throughout, short distances, no rough sections. A relaxed loop.
- Surface
- Sohna–Nuh–Alwar is a good state highway; the link roads to Kesroli, Bhangarh and Abhaneri are quiet sealed two-lane
- Best season
- October to March for comfortable weather. April to June is hot with no shade at the stepwell or the ruins; the monsoon is humid but the country is green.
The ride
Delhi → Sohna → Nuh → Alwar, then out to Kesroli (the hill fort, now a Neemrana heritage hotel) to drop bags. From there it is short hops to Bhangarh and Abhaneri.
Do Bhangarh in daylight — the whole town site, the temples and the fort behind, with the ASI board and the sunset curfew — and Abhaneri for the Chand Baori stepwell and the Harshat Mata temple opposite. If you have the time, add the Neelkanth Mahadev temples on the Sariska edge or the Siliserh lake palace near Alwar.
The loop
- Ride Delhi → Sohna → Nuh → Alwar → Kesroli (3–4 hours) and check in at the hill fort or a hotel in Alwar.
- Ride to Bhangarh and walk the whole ruined town and fort in daylight — it is legally closed between sunset and sunrise, and the rule is enforced.
- Ride to Abhaneri for the Chand Baori stepwell and the Harshat Mata temple across the courtyard.
- Add Neelkanth Mahadev on the Sariska boundary or Siliserh lake if you have the afternoon, then loop back to Kesroli or start home.
- Ride back to Delhi via Alwar and Sohna the next morning; leave early to beat the Sohna-road traffic.
Fuel & services
- Fuel is easy the whole loop — the Sohna road, Alwar and the larger link-road villages all have pumps.
- No real gap; a normal tank covers the loop. Top up at Alwar before the Bhangarh and Abhaneri hops.
- Stay at the Kesroli hill fort (Neemrana — book ahead) or a range of hotels in Alwar. Carry some cash for site entries and village food.
Road & conditions
Easy sealed roads throughout. The Sohna–Nuh–Alwar state highway is decent two-lane with the usual plains traffic, unmarked breakers and slow village stretches. The link roads to Kesroli, Bhangarh and Abhaneri are quiet and sound. Watch for the Sohna-road congestion and gravel on the field edges near the ruins. Nothing technical.
Bike, fuel & getting help
- Suggested bike
- Fine on a well-maintained 150–200cc commuter.
- Fuel gap
- Longest dry stretch is short — a normal tank covers it with margin.
- Spare fuel
- None needed for this route.
- Emergency & logistics
- District hospitals in the route towns; generally good signal; long gaps between towns on the rural link roads — carry a puncture kit and water.
Best time to ride
October to March for comfortable riding and walking — the stepwell and the Bhangarh ruins have no shade. April to June is hot and hard work on foot. The monsoon is humid but greens the Aravalli country and fills Chand Baori's tank. Winter mornings can be foggy on the Sohna road.
What to add to your kit
Beyond the standard ride kit: sun cover and water for the open sites, comfortable shoes for the stepwell steps and the Bhangarh walk, and cash for entries. Nothing technical.
Ride this with a group
We run Abhaneri, Bhangarh and Kesroli as an easy overnight Alwar loop — Bhangarh done in daylight by its rules, a night in a real hill fort, and a clean-up of the stepwell and the ruins as the service action.