Detailed Guide To 14-Day Road Trip Across Madhya Pradesh!
Ever since I came back from my crazy Madhya Pradesh tribal trail, I have been writing about all of the places I visited there. But this post is going to stitch it all together with some other options which you cannot skip in order to experience an adventurous road trip.
Here’s a detailed guide to 14 days road trip across Madhya Pradesh covering the best of Madhya Pradesh, which blends adventure and life-changing experiences. During this road trip, you will get to see gorgeous temples, historical monuments, tribal villages, some offbeat areas, and numerous breathtaking waterfalls.
Are you ready?
Madhya Pradesh: The Heart of India
Madhya Pradesh has been on my bucket list for quite some time. So, when I got the opportunity to cover the tribal trails, I did not think twice. Madhya Pradesh hasn’t yet become as popular as Rajasthan or Himachal when it comes to road trips. However, it is home to some of the most unusual and, I must say, enticing places in India. It really helps to have a car to explore the area, so we would suggest renting one if you want to cover these places easily.
Trip Itinerary
Day 1 – Reach the capital city of MP – Bhopal, by flight, train, or bus. Bhopal is well connected to all major cities. If you have time, spend the night in Bhopal and explore this gorgeous lake city.
Day 2 – The next day, leave early in the morning for two major attractions, Bhimbetka & Halali Dam. Stay overnight in Bhopal.
Day 3 – Check out of Bhopal and drive to Panchmarhi. Overnight stay at Panchmarhi.
Day 4 & Day 5 – Explore Satpura National Park and Panchmarhi local sightseeing.
Day 6 – The next day, leave early in the morning for Patalkot. Take a break in the big town of Tamia before entering the hidden gem of MP called Patalkot. Visit Karyam village of the Baharia Tribe and explore their houses and interact with the locals. Stay overnight at Tamia or Patalkot.
Day 7 – Travel to Mandla and visit Gond markets and Rajeswari Temple. Stay overnight.
Day 8 – The next day, wake up early to visit Moti Mahal, a palace and fort established by a Gond King. If you’re feeling brave, stop by Chogaan, the exorcism gateway village, on your way to Amarkantak.
Day 9 and Day 10 –Reach Amarkantak and stay overnight for the next day’s early expedition. The next day, start your day a little early to visit the famous Baiga tribe and explore their village, Silpidi. Visit Patangarh for your souvenir shopping as you will see amazing Gond art there. The rest of the day is for you to explore the temples of Amarkantak and relax for the day.
Day 11 – Leave early morning to travel to Jabalpur and either stay there for the night or relax.
Day 12 – Explore Jabalpur city, hopping around the famous spots.
Day 13 – Leave early in the morning for Bandhavgarh to enjoy a wildlife safari. Spend a night amidst the wilderness.
Day 14 – Go for an early morning safari and come back to Jabalpur by evening. Stay overnight or catch your flight or train to your destination.
Best time to visit
The best time to visit is from September to March. If you want to witness the beauty of the mighty waterfalls, then the monsoon would be a great time too.
Detailed day-wise itinerary with Pro Tips
Day 1 –
Try to reach Bhopal a little early so that you can check into the hotel and take a power nap before you’re ready for the day. Bhopal is a beautiful, clean city surrounded by lakes. Check out the tribal museum in the evening – it’s surely one of the best examples of art and craft, and encapsulates and typifies the antiquated culture of the area. It imparts a strong flavour of what you are going to see via this post. Have a look!
If in Bhopal, do not forget to try the muffins and coffee from Indian Coffee House.
Day 2 –
The next day, leave early morning to reach Bhimbetka cave, in order to avoid crowds and heat. Amidst the prolific green forests and waterfalls, there are around 500 prehistoric rock caves in Bhimbetka. This is the perfect place for you if you are a nature lover or an adventure enthusiast. Needless to say, the place has been named after the legendary Pandava warrior Bhim.
– Attractions along the route: Dahod Reservoir
– Distance from Bhopal: 45 KM
Post lunch, you can start your journey towards Halali Dam, as the sunset from here will be really astonishing. The route to Halali Dam from Bhimbetka is very interesting. On the way, you will find a couple of waterfalls and lush greenery. Cherish the sunset by the dam, and you can also go boating.
– Distance from Bhimbetka to Halali Dam is 100 KM
– Distance from Halali Dam to Bhopal is 40 KM
Day 3 –
One of the better routes for a road trip through Madhya Pradesh is from Bhopal to Panchmarhi. You’ll definitely fall in love with the scenic views on the way. On your trip to Panchmarhi from Bhopal, you can stop at multiple waterfalls, which are a visual feast for the eyes.
– Attractions along the route include Silver Falls, Bee Falls, Angel Falls, Bison Lodge, etc
– Distance – 200 KM
Day 4 & Day 5 –
It isn’t humanely possible to tick off everything around Panchmarhi in a day! But I would suggest you take a day trip to the Satpura National Park from Panchmarhi and experience a thrilling safari.
The next day, you can explore Panchmarhi and nearby places like the Panch Pandava Caves and the Apsara Vihar, Bee Falls, Jata Shankar Caves, Mahadev Hill, and Duchess Falls.
Day 6-
The next day, start your journey early in the morning and head off to Patalkot. Take a break in the big town of Tamia before entering the hidden gem of MP called Patalkot. This valley is a natural miracle. The Doodhi River flows through this valley. Around 12 villages are situated in this valley and are considered one of the best-kept secrets in the state.
Over the years, the tribal communities living in these villages have kept up with their originality without adapting to the traditions of the modern world. For years, they have lived and fostered a close connection with nature.
Visit Karyam village of the Bhariya Tribe and explore their houses and interact with the locals. I was amazed to see that the village was so clean, plastic-free, without any modern amenities and the people were so friendly and welcoming. Stay overnight at Tamia or Patalkot.
– Attractions along the route: Raw nature, the Bhariya Tribe and their villages
– Distance covered: 107 KM
Day 7 –
The next day, travel to Mandla – yet another offbeat, unexplored place. While travelling to Mandla, I got to know that the Gonds are one of the largest tribal groups in the world, living here. Not only in Madhya Pradesh, Gonds are also spread in Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, Jharkhand, Karnataka, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Odisha. In Mandla, we witnessed one of the prominent tribal temples established by the Gond King called the Raj Rajeshwari Temple.
Stay overnight at Mandla.
– Attractions along the route: Local Market, Raj Rajeshwari Temple, Mandla Fort
– Distance covered: 337 KM
Day 8-
The next day, you can wake up early to visit Moti Mahal – a fort palace established by a Gond King.
You can spend the day exploring the Gond lifestyle and indulge in knowing more about their culture, history, etc.
Have you ever heard of any village where exorcism is practised? Chogaan Temple of Chogaan village in Narshinghapur, Madhya Pradesh, is an exotic religious place in India where followers come to get rid of ghosts and evil spirits, especially on the full moon every month.
If you’re feeling brave, stop by Chogaan, the exorcism gateway village, on your way to Amarkantak.
Day 9-
Travel to Amarkantak and stay overnight for the next day’s early expedition.
Day 10 –
Start your day early, as you set out to explore the famous Baiga tribe and their village, Silpidi. The Baiga tribe is well known for body tattoos. They, especially Baiga women, believe that tattoos are conveyed into eternity because the ink coordinates with the actual body itself.
I have done my first tattoo in Patangarh. The rest of the day is for you to explore the temples of Amarkantak and relax a bit.
Day 11-
Leave early morning from Amarkantak to travel to Jabalpur.
Day 12 –
Jabalpur will astonish you with its vast array of attractions. It has something for everyone, from ancient landmarks to the city’s imperial past and some of nature’s most beautiful sights. So, whether you’re a history buff, a nature lover, or a vacationer, you’ll surely be in love with this postcard-perfect town.
– Places to explore in Jabalpur:
Dhuandhar Falls, Marble Rocks, Dumna Nature Reserve Park, Balancing Rock, Fort Madan Mahal, Rani Durgavati Museum, Chausath Yogini Temple, Bargi Dam, Tilwara Ghat, Madiya ki Pisanhari.
Day 13 –
Leave early morning for Bandhavgarh to enjoy a safari. Stay overnight amidst the wilderness.
On the 13th day of your Madhya Pradesh road trip itinerary, you can drive from Jabalpur to Bandhavgarh National Park via Pench National Park and Umaria. And I must say, it was one of the most scenic road trips in Madhya Pradesh. Enjoy the evening safari there and relax at the jungle camp for the night.
Day 14 –
Go for an early morning safari and come back to Jabalpur by evening. Stay overnight or catch your flight or train for your destination.
A Few Things to be Noted Before You Set Out for This Epic Roadtrip
* Carry your water bottle to travel sustainably and, of course, to keep yourself hydrated.
* As few areas are extremely hot during the day, use sunscreen lotion and carry a hat.
* Respect the values and beliefs of the locals, as this way you will get familiar with them.
* A few areas are extremely raw, so do not expect any luxury. Try to enjoy the moments of your travel trail.
* Do not litter on the way, and keep the environment clean.
* Google Maps will work in almost all places. However, it is best to call ahead and ask which route to take.
Madhya Pradesh has typically been one of the most underrated places when it comes to domestic Indian tourism. Hope you find the details of our Madhya Pradesh Road trip itinerary helpful.
Refer to My Article on MP published on Tripoto
Think we missed out on something? Tell us about it in the comments below.
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This blog post is part of the blog challenge ‘Blogaberry Dazzle’ hosted by Cindy D’Silva and Noor Anand Chawla.
What a fascinating tour and visiting that rural tribe with all those idigenous tattoos they have used into patterns into their bodies, wow. Gorgeous landscape and lush greenery along with vivid colors, clothing and of course the people and place that you have visited here.
I haven’t heard of this part of India before, but it looks like a great place to travel to and there is so much to see and do. I love temples and nature so would love to visit the temples, the waterfalls, the caves and the national parks. I think I would need more than 14 days though, you certainly packed a lot into 2 weeks!! Can’t wait to get to India and see everything.
This is an awesome itinerary for a 2 week trip through Madhya Pradesh. I would love to spend some time to explore the colorful tribal culture there. I live in Europe and most information about India you see here is about Rajastan and maybe the south. So thanks again for introducing me to this part of India.
What an incredible road trip! I loved that you went off the beaten path and explored the local tribes and their culture of Madhya Pradesh. It’s so hard to imagine how these people live, without adapting to the modern world and keeping their traditions alive. I find the Baiga tribe especially interesting because of the eternal tattoos. What a beautiful belief!
This looks like a great trip and a long one too. I never been to India and would like to visit this region. The views are so pretty and I like the architecture in Amarkantak too. A great guide for anyone visiting this area of India.
How great to see your whole 14 day Madhya Pradesh road trip put together. I can see why you suggest that having a rental car is the best way to see it all. I would love to see the waterfalls full but I am not sure I would want to do this trip in monsoon season. So many great stops on your day trips. Good tip to check on directions in advance and not totally rely on Google maps.
It is an exciting and detailed itinerary in India’s less famous tourist region. I’ve already been to India 3 times but didn’t get to Madhya Pradesh. I was, among others, in the Rajasthan and Himachal you mentioned. I would definitely like to see Madhya for the sake of the village where exorcism is practiced. I would love to visit the Chogaan Temple of Chogaan village in Narshinghapur. Also, I would like to see the famous Baiga tribe and their village, Silpidi. Their tattoos are unique. It’s such an inspirational post!
Your 14 day Madhya Pradesh itinerary is truly an inspiring one with a detailed description of all the spots you visited. I feel very nostalgic as I come from Bhopal and have visited most of the places like Bhimbetka, Halali dam and Panchmarhi. Bhimbetka is truly magical with it’s collection of prehistoric caves and Panchmarhi is a cool hillstation with it’s scenic views. I haven’t visited Jabalpur, Amarkantak and Patangarh. But the Madhya Pradesh tribal museum is amazing with it’s unique display of tribal artefacts.I visited it earlier but would love to visit it again.
I do not know if I would spend a whole 14 days visiting Madhya Pradesh. it seems exciting, but worth it, and you make it a lot easier to explore. Everything is planned by the day. which makes it possible. My favorite part is visiting Satpura National Park to experience Safari. I have never been to such places. I have been to many national park, but never had a safari exprience.
Patalkot looks sounds lovely and great that there is modern amenities. Jabalpur would be top of my list here.
You are an authority on Madhya Pradesh 👏👏👏 . The photos are absolutely Goosebumps! Saving this post for my future trips!
I feel Madhya Pradesh is one such place which is not much explored. Your travel experience will help many of us to plan our travels and explore the hidden gems.
When it comes to Madhya Pradesh I visited Gwallior and Khajuraho and that was a memorable road trip for us. There was some terrific roads which are prone to accidents and we crossed that safely in our car. But what we got to enjoy was something beyond my imagination. Madhya Pradesh is a state worth exploring.
I enjoyed reading your post and watch the video. Good to know about Times Passion Tribal Trail. Thanks for sharing the details.
Our MP trip is long overdue and these are some interesting additions to it now. Indore, Ujjain and Sanchi are first on my list followed by Bhimbetka and other places.
We were posted in Jabalpur in the 70s and my daughter was born there. We explored a lot of areas around Jabalpur. Madhya Pradesh is a beautiful place. Thanks for the memories.
MP- I don’t know it is so beautiful . Happy to know the detailed tour of Madhya Pradesh. Would love to visit over there. MP is never on my list but after reading your review and having virtual tour would definitely going to plan my trip.
My my Pamela! What a detailed blog and an equally detailed itinerary… and u r asking if u missed anything? 😊 I’m sure you had a great time in the heart of India, visiting the lesser known places and meeting the tribals. The tattoos on the woman are so extensive. Loved your pics, I watched a couple of videos but will watch all when I am free.
So good to be back reading your in-depth travelogues. I was born in Jabalpur and spent the first few years there. Unfortunately, I don’t really remember it and haven’t had a chance to revisit it. I am bookmarking your post for when I do.
I always wondered how MP would look like and ur detailed itinerary was just apt for me to know about the place, liked the way u presented the itinerary.
Though I have been to Madhya Pradesh, but In my opinion, this is the best 2-week itinerary possible for exploring Madhya Pradesh. I’d like to take some time to learn about the vibrant tribal culture there. Loved all your pics.
I must say….lucky you!!!! Not everyone could have the privilege to travel to places like this let alone this long. Love how you shared your trip in a very detailed and personal way. This would surely help other travellers as they embark on their journey as well. As for me, I’ll enjoy your photos of the majestic place you’ve been.
Highly informative post about the places of interest in Madhya Pradesh. The itinerary is finely crafted one.
Wow what a detailed guide Pamela! MP is far unexplored for me as well as many Indians. Inspite being a neighbour to UP. I am bookmarking this road trip guide.
This is such a detailed description of your trip. It is also very informative and easy to follow road trip. For anyone traveling to MP this is the perfect guide. Thanks a lot for putting in so much of effort. I am following your itinerary for travelling to MP.
I actually like MP, because of this place Bhopal. And I loved your write-up on it as for me it was a virtual tour. I must say you truly had fun though.
I have just been to Jabalpur for a relative’s wedding. Managed to catch Beda Ghat on the trip. Whenever i do plan another trip, this post will surely come in handy as it is very detailed.
I’ve visited Madhya Pradesh many times when I was younger. I think it’s time to revisit now. Thanks for sharing this detailed itinerary.