Best places to visit in Madhya Pradesh
28 curated destinations in Madhya Pradesh, each with its honest season window: when to go, when it is merely fine, and when to stay away.
When to visit Madhya Pradesh
Curated places in Madhya Pradesh that are in peak season, by month. Tap a month for the whole country.
January, February, November and December put the most of Madhya Pradesh in peak season. April the fewest, with 0.
All 28 destinations in Madhya Pradesh
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Amarkantak
Madhya Pradesh
Source of the Narmada on a 1,000 m Maikal plateau
Peak: Oct to Mar
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Bandhavgarh National Park
Madhya Pradesh
MP's highest tiger-density reserve, best big-cat odds
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Bhimbetka (with Bhojpur)
Madhya Pradesh
Prehistoric painted rock shelters above the Bhopal plains
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Bhopal & Sanchi
Madhya Pradesh
Lake city gateway to the UNESCO Sanchi Buddhist stupas
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Burhanpur
Madhya Pradesh
Mughal river city with a 400-year-old underground waterworks
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Chanderi
Madhya Pradesh
Weavers' town under a Malwa fort, with Jain rock colossi
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Gandhi Sagar (Chambal)
Madhya Pradesh
Cheetah scrubland and fort country around a Chambal mega-lake
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Ghughua Fossil Park
Madhya Pradesh
Petrified 65-million-year-old trees on the Dindori plateau
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Gwalior
Madhya Pradesh
Hilltop fort, Jain rock colossi and Tansen's dhrupad town
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Hanuwantiya Tapu
Madhya Pradesh
Tent city and island cruises on India's biggest reservoir
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Jabalpur & Bhedaghat (Marble Rocks)
Madhya Pradesh
White marble gorge on the Narmada and the Dhuandhar falls
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Kanha National Park
Madhya Pradesh
Sal-forest tiger reserve that inspired The Jungle Book
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Khajuraho
Madhya Pradesh
UNESCO temple town famous for its erotic sculpture friezes
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Kukru (Khamla Plateau)
Madhya Pradesh
Century-old coffee estates on Betul's highest Satpura plateau
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Kuno National Park (Sesaipura)
Madhya Pradesh
India's cheetah comeback country on the wild Kuno river
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Maheshwar
Madhya Pradesh
Narmada ghat town of forts, handloom sarees and calm
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Mandla
Madhya Pradesh
Gond fort town inside a Narmada loop below Kanha
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Mandu
Madhya Pradesh
Ruined Malwa plateau city famous for its monsoon mist
Peak: Jul to Sep
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Mitaoli, Padavali & Bateshwar
Madhya Pradesh
A hilltop ring of 64 yoginis and Bateshwar's 200 sandstone shrines
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Omkareshwar
Madhya Pradesh
Om-shaped Narmada island with a Jyotirlinga and hostel vibe
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Orchha
Madhya Pradesh
Riverside Bundela heritage town on the backpacker trail
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Pachmarhi
Madhya Pradesh
MP's only hill station, waterfalls in the Satpura range
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Panna National Park
Madhya Pradesh
Ken river gorge, gharials and a tiger population rebuilt from zero
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Pench National Park (Turia)
Madhya Pradesh
Kipling's teak country on the Pench river, tigers and gaur
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Satpura National Park (Madhai)
Madhya Pradesh
Walking safaris and canoes on the Denwa, no jeep convoys
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Shivpuri (Madhav National Park)
Madhya Pradesh
Scindia marble chhatris beside a crocodile lake and dry forest
Peak: Nov to Feb
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Tamia & Patalkot Valley
Madhya Pradesh
Horseshoe gorge of Bharia tribal hamlets below Tamia ridge
Peak: Oct to Feb
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Ujjain
Madhya Pradesh
Ancient temple city, home of the Mahakaleshwar Jyotirlinga
Peak: Oct to Feb
By theme in Madhya Pradesh
Offbeat (16)Heritage (15)Wildlife (8)Culture (8)Spiritual (6)
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Madhya Pradesh?
Across the 28 curated destinations in Madhya Pradesh, January, February, November and December are the months with the most places in peak season. April has the fewest, at 0.
How many places are worth visiting in Madhya Pradesh?
This catalogue lists 28 in Madhya Pradesh, chosen for the landscape or the heritage rather than for size. Plain cities are deliberately left out unless the trip is the heritage itself. The strongest themes here are offbeat (16), heritage (15), wildlife (8), culture (8) and spiritual (6).
What kind of places are in Madhya Pradesh?
16 offbeat, 15 heritage, 8 wildlife, 8 culture and 6 spiritual. Every entry carries its own peak, shoulder and avoid months, so nothing is recommended in a month it should not be.
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