Route library · Weekend · Desert & forts
Delhi to Alwar & Kesroli
Alwar is the closest of the Rajputana princely towns to Delhi and one of the least visited — the long hilltop Bala Qila, the lake-facing City Palace with its cenotaph and museum, Moti Dungri, and the elegant Fateh Jang tomb. Just outside town, Siliserh lake sits below a small hunting palace, and the 14th-century Kesroli hill fort — now a heritage hotel — lets you actually sleep inside the battlements. It is an easy Aravalli weekend of forts, a lake and quiet roads.
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At a glance
- Round trip
- About 350–410 km
- Riding time
- 3.5–4.5 hours each way
- Nights
- One night
- Start point
- Delhi (via Sohna, or the KMP Expressway and NH-48 via Shahpura)
- Highest point
- About 600 m at the Bala Qila; the town sits around 270 m
- Difficulty
- Easy. State highways through the Aravallis with rough patches; a steep sealed road up to the Bala Qila.
- Surface
- Mostly sealed two-lane; the Sohna–Alwar road is patchy and the Bala Qila road is steep with broken sections.
- Best season
- October to March. Winter is cool and clear and comfortable for climbing the fort; April to June is hot and the hilltop is exposed; the monsoon greens the Aravallis but slicks the fort road.
- Permits
- The Bala Qila sits partly within a reserve forest — entry is sometimes gated and may need a quick permission from the forest / police post at the base; ask locally. Siliserh and the town monuments are freely visited.
The ride
Delhi → Sohna → Alwar, an Aravalli route, or the faster KMP Expressway and NH-48 via Shahpura. Base at Kesroli (12 km before Alwar) or by Siliserh lake.
Ride up to the Bala Qila for the town and plains view, then the City Palace complex, the Fateh Jang Gumbad, Moti Dungri, and the Siliserh lake loop. The 6th–10th-century Neelkanth temples and the fringe of Sariska are an easy add if you want a second focus.
Day by day
Delhi to Alwar / Kesroli
Aravalli roads or the expressway to the Kesroli / Siliserh area (3.5–4.5 hours). Afternoon at the Bala Qila and the City Palace; night in the Kesroli fort or by the lake.
Alwar loop and back
The Fateh Jang tomb, Moti Dungri and the Siliserh loop in the morning, then home via Alwar and Sohna — an easy day.
Fuel & services
- Fuel is easy the whole way — Sohna, Shahpura, Kesroli, Alwar all have pumps. No gap; a normal tank covers each leg.
- Stay at the Kesroli hill fort (heritage hotel), a Siliserh lakeside property, or an Alwar hotel. Food is simple in town and better at the hotels. Cards work in Alwar; carry a little cash for the fort and monument tickets.
Road & conditions
The Sohna–Alwar road is busy and patchy with slow farm traffic; the KMP/NH-48 alternative is faster four-lane with high-speed trucks. The Bala Qila road is steep and broken in sections — ride it in a low gear and watch for langurs and stray cattle on the climb. Alwar's town lanes are congested; wander the monuments on foot rather than riding into the tight streets.
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, with December to February the best — cool, clear, comfortable for the fort climb and the lakeside. March hazes over and warms up. April to June is hot with a fully exposed hilltop. The monsoon greens the Aravallis but slicks the Bala Qila road and can gate the reserve section.
What to add to your kit
Beyond the standard ride kit: layers for a cold Aravalli morning, sun cover for the exposed fort, walking shoes, cash for the tickets, and patience for Alwar's traffic. Nothing technical.
Ride this with a group
We run Alwar and Kesroli as an easy one-night ride — Aravalli roads to a hilltop fort, a lake palace, and a night inside a 600-year-old fort at Kesroli, with a fort-and-lakeshore clean-up as the service action. The nearest princely town, and the quietest.