Chitrakote Falls (Bastar)
India's widest waterfall in the heart of tribal Bastar
Best time to visit Chitrakote Falls (Bastar)
- Jan, shoulder season
- Feb, shoulder season
- Mar, best avoided
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, peak season
- Aug, peak season
- Sep, peak season
- Oct, peak season
- Nov, shoulder season
- Dec, shoulder season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: July to October
- Shoulder: November to February, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: March to June
Chitrakote Falls (Bastar) season by season
Winter December to February Shoulder
Falls thin to a scenic curtain, but easiest season for Kanger Valley caves and tribal haats.
Summer March to May Do not go
Indravati runs low, falls reduce to a trickle over bare rock. Hot, dusty, skip unless for markets.
Monsoon June to September Prime time
Chitrakote's real fame: Indravati floods the 300m ledge into a genuine roar; roads turn muddy though.
Autumn October to November Prime time
Falls still strong from the monsoon, Bastar's weeks-long Dussehra usually falls now. Best time to come.
What Chitrakote Falls (Bastar) is actually like
Remote tribal heartland: expect local guides and market-goers, barely any tourists.
Getting to Chitrakote Falls (Bastar)
Fly/train to Jagdalpur via Raipur (7-8h), then local taxi.
Practical ways in: flighttrainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 4 days
- Budget
- Mid-range
- How busy
- Steady at its peak
- Solo travel
- Doable solo with some planning
- Altitude
- 495 m
- State
- Chhattisgarh
- Coordinates
- 19.2065, 81.6999
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Chitrakote Falls (Bastar)?
July to October is peak season in Chitrakote Falls (Bastar). November to February is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid March to June. Chitrakote's real fame: Indravati floods the 300m ledge into a genuine roar; roads turn muddy though.
How many days do you need in Chitrakote Falls (Bastar)?
4 days is the usual stay. Remote tribal heartland: expect local guides and market-goers, barely any tourists.
How do you get to Chitrakote Falls (Bastar)?
Fly/train to Jagdalpur via Raipur (7-8h), then local taxi. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.
Is Chitrakote Falls (Bastar) expensive, and does it get crowded?
Mid-range by Indian travel standards, and it runs steady at the busiest time of year. Doable solo with some planning.
Is there a festival in Chitrakote Falls (Bastar)?
Aug-Oct: Bastar Dussehra, a 75-day tribal festival. Time a trip around it and you see the place at its loudest, but book beds early.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Jagdalpur (Bastar)
Chhattisgarh
Bastar's tribal capital, weekly haats and bell-metal workshops
50 km from Chitrakote Falls (Bastar), roughly under an hour by road
-
Gupteswar Caves (Koraput)
Odisha
Limestone cave shrine above the Sabari river in old sal forest
90 km from Chitrakote Falls (Bastar), roughly about 2 h by road
-
Duduma Falls (Machkund)
Odisha
Machkund river hurls itself 175 m off the Eastern Ghats plateau
150 km from Chitrakote Falls (Bastar), roughly about 3 h by road
-
Koraput
Odisha
Eastern Ghats coffee town of tribal markets and mist
150 km from Chitrakote Falls (Bastar), roughly about 3 h by road
-
Deomali
Odisha
Odisha's highest peak at 1672 m above a sea of cloud
220 km from Chitrakote Falls (Bastar), roughly about 6 h by road
-
Bogatha Falls
Telangana
Broad tiered curtain falls deep in Godavari tribal country
200 km from Chitrakote Falls (Bastar), roughly about 4 h by road
-
Araku Valley
Andhra Pradesh
Eastern Ghats coffee valley on a tunnel-laced toy train
230 km from Chitrakote Falls (Bastar), roughly about 6 h by road
-
Gangrel Dam (Ravishankar Sagar)
Chhattisgarh
Mahanadi mega-reservoir with a beach strip and water sports
210 km from Chitrakote Falls (Bastar), roughly about 4 h by road
More places to visit in Chhattisgarh
- Barnawapara Sanctuary Chhattisgarh
- Bhoramdeo (Kawardha) Chhattisgarh
- Gangrel Dam (Ravishankar Sagar) Chhattisgarh
- Jagdalpur (Bastar) Chhattisgarh
- Mainpat Chhattisgarh
- Rajim Chhattisgarh
- Sirpur Chhattisgarh