Route library · Outstation · Desert & forts
Delhi to Chittorgarh via Bijolia & Menal
Chittorgarh is the largest fort in India by area — a whole hilltop town of palaces, temples, tanks and the two towers, the Vijay Stambh and the Kirti Stambh, wrapped in the stories of Rani Padmini and the three jauhars. This route reaches it the slow way, across the Hadoti plateau through the ancient Bijolia temple group and the Menal gorge and waterfall.
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At a glance
- Round trip
- About 1,100–1,200 km
- Riding time
- 9–10 hours each way — best split at Jaipur or Bundi
- Nights
- Three nights
- Start point
- Delhi (via Jaipur, Tonk and Bundi)
- Highest point
- Hadoti plateau — around 400 m; the fort hill rises ~180 m above the town
- Difficulty
- Moderate. All sealed roads; the length and the city traffic are the only real demands.
- Surface
- Good four-lane to Bundi via Jaipur and Tonk, then sound state and district roads via Bijolia and Menal to Chittorgarh
- Best season
- October to March for the open fort and the plateau; the Menal waterfall only runs in and just after the monsoon (Jul–Sep). April–June is very hot.
The ride
Delhi → Jaipur → Tonk → Bundi (a good first-day target with its step-wells and palace), then across the plateau via Bijolia and Menal to Chittorgarh.
At Bijolia: the Undeshwar and Mahakaleshwar temples around the Mandakini tank. At Menal: the 11th–12th-century Shiva complex and, in season, the gorge waterfall. At Chittorgarh: give the fort a full day — the Vijay Stambh, the Kirti Stambh, the Rana Kumbha and Padmini palaces, the Kalika Mata and Meera temples, the Gaumukh tank. Menal and Bijolia are shared with the Bhainsrorgarh route.
Day by day
Delhi to Bundi
Delhi → Jaipur → Tonk → Bundi (7–8 hours). Overnight Bundi; the step-wells and palace if there's light.
Bundi to Chittorgarh via Bijolia and Menal
Ride via Bijolia's temple group and the Menal complex (and waterfall in season) to Chittorgarh (3–4 hours with stops). Settle near the fort.
Chittorgarh fort
A full day inside the fort — the towers, the palaces, the temples and the tanks. Evening light on the Vijay Stambh.
Chittorgarh to Delhi
Retrace via Bundi (overnight if needed) and the highway through Tonk and Jaipur. First light for the Jaipur crossing.
Fuel & services
- Fuel is easy the whole way — the Jaipur road, Tonk, Bundi, Bijolia and Chittorgarh are all well served.
- There is a pump at Bijolia and on the Menal road; no real gap.
- Chittorgarh has hotels below the fort and a couple of heritage options; Bundi has haveli guesthouses. Carry cash for site entries and the smaller places.
Road & conditions
Good four-lane from Delhi to Bundi via Jaipur and Tonk, then sound state and district roads through Bijolia and Menal to Chittorgarh. The link roads are quiet two-lane with a few rough patches. Inside the fort the road is a steep, narrow one-way loop with tour traffic. Watch for Jaipur and Chittorgarh city traffic, highway trucks and livestock on the plateau. Nothing technical.
Bike, fuel & getting help
- Suggested bike
- Fine on a well-maintained 150–200cc commuter.
- Fuel gap
- One long stretch without a pump — fill up before it and top off where you can.
- 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 the open fort and the plateau — cool and clear. A ride in mid-to-late September can catch the Menal waterfall in flow alongside rideable weather, at the cost of some humidity. April to June is very hot on the plateau and hard work on foot in the fort.
What to add to your kit
Beyond the standard ride kit: sun cover and water for the open fort, comfortable shoes for a full day of walking the ramparts, a rain shell if you ride the September waterfall window, basic tools, and cash. Nothing technical.
Ride this with a group
We run Chittorgarh via Bijolia and Menal as a three-night ride to India's largest fort, the slow way — the approach split at Bundi, a day inside the fort, and a tank-and-temple clean-up at Chittorgarh, Bijolia and Menal as the service action.