If you have a spare day in Udaipur and a soft spot for history, Chittorgarh is the trip to make. It is close enough to leave after breakfast and be back for dinner, and the fort at the end of it is one of the most significant in the country. This is where the stories of Mewar were written, and standing on those ramparts you feel the weight of them.
Here is everything you need to plan the day well.
Chittorgarh sits about 115 kilometres east of Udaipur. The drive takes roughly 2 to 2.5 hours each way, depending on traffic and how many times you stop. The route runs mostly along the national highway, which is wide, well maintained and easy going for almost the entire stretch. There are no punishing hill climbs on this one, which makes it one of the more relaxed day trips you can do from the city.
Because the road is straightforward, most people leave Udaipur in the morning, spend a full afternoon at the fort and return the same evening. You do not need an overnight stay to see Chittorgarh properly, though the light on the ramparts in the late afternoon is worth timing your visit around.
The highway from Udaipur to Chittorgarh is one of the smoother drives in this part of Rajasthan. You leave the lakes behind and move through open country, small towns and long stretches of farmland. There are fuel stations and places to stop for tea and a snack along the way, so you are never far from a break if you want one.
The one thing worth planning is your start time. Leaving early, around eight in the morning, means you reach the fort before the midday heat and have the whole afternoon to explore at an unhurried pace. It also means the roads are quieter on the way out.
Chittorgarh Fort is enormous and much of it is explored on foot in the open. Carry water, wear comfortable shoes and a hat, and plan the bulk of your walking for the cooler parts of the day. In summer, early afternoon on the ramparts can be genuinely draining.
Chittorgarh is one of the largest forts in India and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It sprawls across a hilltop over an area so large that you drive up into it rather than walk, and once inside there is a small living town alongside the monuments. This was the capital of Mewar for centuries before the court moved to Udaipur, and it carries the memory of some of the most dramatic episodes in Rajput history, including the sieges and the acts of jauhar that are still spoken about today.
What sets Chittorgarh apart from a typical fort visit is the sheer scale and the sense of a place that was once a complete world of its own. You are not looking at a single building. You are walking through the remains of an entire fortified city.
This is the monument most people come for. The Vijay Stambha is a nine storey tower built in the fifteenth century by Rana Kumbha to mark a military victory. It is covered in carvings and you can climb the narrow internal stairs to the upper levels for a view across the whole fort and the plains beyond. It is the defining image of Chittorgarh for good reason.
Older and slimmer than the Vijay Stambha, the Kirti Stambha is a twelfth century tower dedicated to Jain tradition. It is quieter, less crowded and beautifully detailed, and it is worth the short walk to see it.
The palace ruins give you a sense of how the court once lived. Padmini's Palace, set beside a water pavilion, is tied to the legend of Rani Padmini and is one of the more atmospheric corners of the fort. Rana Kumbha Palace is the oldest structure of note and rewards a slow wander.
The Gaumukh Reservoir is a spring fed tank within the fort where water flows from a carved stone cow's mouth. Nearby, the Meera Temple is associated with the poet saint Meerabai and remains an active place of devotion. Between the towers, palaces and temples, there is enough here to fill a full and satisfying afternoon.
Give yourself at least three to four hours at the fort to see the main monuments without rushing. If you enjoy history and want to take your time with the towers and palaces, you could happily spend longer. Factor in the two hour drive at each end and it makes for a full but comfortable day out from Udaipur.
For a trip like this, a pre booked cab with a driver who knows the route is the sensible choice. You want a car that is comfortable for a two hour drive each way, air conditioning that works in the Rajasthan sun, and a fare agreed before you set off so there is no negotiating at either end of the day.
Aavre runs the Udaipur to Chittorgarh route at a fixed, all inclusive fare with tolls covered. There is no surge, no seasonal markup and no haggling. You book on WhatsApp, your driver arrives on time, waits while you explore the fort and brings you home. The price you are quoted before you set off is the price you pay. You can see the current fare on our services page.
Book the cab the evening before your trip and confirm the pickup time with your driver in the morning. For a day trip like Chittorgarh, an early start makes a real difference to how much of the fort you get to enjoy in comfortable weather.
October through March is the ideal window, when the weather is dry and cool and the fort is at its most pleasant to walk. The evening light and sound show at the fort, which tells the story of Chittorgarh's history, is worth staying for if your schedule allows. During the monsoon the surroundings turn green and the drive is lovely, though you will want to plan your walking around the rain.
Aavre offers pre confirmed cab bookings from Udaipur to Chittorgarh and other outstation routes including Kumbhalgarh, Nathdwara and Ranakpur. Fixed prices, professional drivers and zero negotiation. Book directly on WhatsApp in under a minute.
Book on WhatsAppAbout 115 kilometres east of Udaipur, roughly 2 to 2.5 hours each way on a wide, well maintained national highway, which makes it one of the easier day trips from the city.
It is one of the largest forts in India, spread across a vast hilltop, best known for the Vijay Stambh, the Tower of Victory, and its long and dramatic history.
Plan for two to three hours to see the main sights across the fort without rushing, then add the drive at each end for a comfortable day trip.
No. The route runs mostly along the national highway, wide and easy going with no hill climbs, so it is one of the more relaxed day trips from Udaipur.
Book directly with Aavre on WhatsApp. The fare is fixed and agreed before you travel, with tolls covered and no negotiation.
Read more from Aavre: The best day trips from Udaipur you should not miss and Udaipur to Kumbhalgarh by cab, the Great Wall of India in a day.