Central India

The "heart" of India, with the Khajuraho temples, the Great Stupa at Sanchi and the old town of Orchha, plus tiger reserves such as Kanha and Bandhavgarh.

This region follows the concept of Central India commonly used by travelers, assigned by whole state: Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh, in the northern Deccan Plateau and the Vindhya hills at the geographic center of India.

Highlights: the World Heritage–listed Khajuraho temples, famous for their exquisite carvings; the Great Stupa at Sanchi, one of the oldest surviving Buddhist structures; the Bhimbetka rock shelters with prehistoric rock paintings; the Bundela palaces and temples of Orchha by the river; and the Gwalior fort, the ruins of Mandu, and the Shiva pilgrimage sites of Ujjain and Omkareshwar are also well worth a visit. Tiger reserves such as Kanha, Bandhavgarh and Pench are the best places in India to see wild tigers, and the jungle around Kanha is often said to have inspired The Jungle Book. Chhattisgarh has the magnificent Chitrakote Falls and tribal cultures.

Classic itineraries: often combined with the Golden Triangle of North India, taking the train from Agra to Gwalior and Orchha, then Khajuraho, for 3–4 days; add 2–3 days of jungle jeep safaris at Kanha or Bandhavgarh, about a week in total.

Getting there: Bhopal, Indore, Jabalpur and Khajuraho have airports. A fast train runs from Delhi to Bhopal, and between the reserves you mostly need a chartered car.

Good to know: reserve jeep safari seats on the official website in advance. Summer temperatures often exceed 40°C, so take care to avoid heat illness on tiger-viewing trips.

Destinations

Itineraries