Few places in India carry the weight of Chittorgarh. The fort on its long, steep-sided mesa was the capital of Mewar for centuries and the scene of three famous sieges, and its towers, palaces and temples still spread across a plateau so large that you need a vehicle to see it properly. That makes Chittorgarh by road, with a chauffeur who can drive you gate to gate, the most sensible way to visit. This guide covers the Udaipur to Chittorgarh drive, the RutzIndia.com fares for 2026, what to see inside the fort in a logical order, when to go, and how to fold Chittorgarh into a Jaipur-Udaipur journey without backtracking.
How to reach Chittorgarh by road, and the fare from Udaipur
Chittorgarh is about 115 km north-east of Udaipur on the NH-27 four-lane highway, typically a 2-hour drive. A one-way Dzire-class sedan costs Rs 4,140 Pay Now to Reserve and an Innova Crysta Rs 6,930 Pay Now to Reserve, the Innova minimum fare. A same-day round trip is billed on the 250 km daily minimum: Rs 9,000 Pay Now to Reserve in a sedan, Rs 14,250 Pay Now to Reserve in an Innova. Add 5% GST.
Outstation fares are the distance multiplied by the car's per-km rate: Rs 36 for a sedan, Rs 48 for a premium sedan such as a Honda City, Rs 57.6 for an Innova and Rs 78 for a Tempo Traveller. A round trip is charged at the actual kilometres or 250 km per calendar day, whichever is more. Udaipur to Chittorgarh and back is about 230 km, so the 250 km minimum applies and you get the fort-circuit driving included. Tolls and parking go on the bill at actual cost. If you are spending other days sightseeing around the lakes, the Udaipur taxi service page lists local packages from Rs 7,200 Pay Now to Reserve for 8 hours and 80 km.
Inside Chittorgarh Fort: what to see and in what order
The fort covers roughly 700 acres on a hill rising about 180 metres above the plain. It is one of the six Hill Forts of Rajasthan inscribed together by UNESCO, and the Chittor Fort article on Wikipedia gives a clear summary of its sieges and rulers. Cars are allowed up the zigzag approach road and around the internal loop road, which is why a chauffeured car saves hours of walking in the sun.
The seven gates
The approach climbs through seven pols: Padan Pol, Bhairon Pol, Hanuman Pol, Ganesh Pol, Jorla Pol, Laxman Pol and finally Ram Pol, the main gate. Small memorials (chhatris) between the gates mark where warriors fell.
Rana Kumbha Palace and the Meera temple
Just inside Ram Pol lie the ruins of Rana Kumbha's palace, with its underground cellars linked by legend to Rani Padmini's jauhar. Nearby stand the Kumbha Shyam temple and the smaller Meera temple, associated with the poet-saint Meerabai, who lived at Chittor as a princess of Mewar.
Vijay Stambha
The Tower of Victory was built by Rana Kumbha in the fifteenth century to mark his victory over the Sultan of Malwa. It rises nine storeys, is covered inside and out with sculptures of Hindu deities, and is the single most photographed structure in the fort. Its interior stair has at times been closed to visitors, so check at the ticket window.
Gaumukh reservoir and Padmini's Palace
Below the tower, a spring flows from a carved cow's mouth into the Gaumukh kund, a deep tank cut into the cliff. Further south, Padmini's Palace stands beside a lotus pool; the story of Alauddin Khilji glimpsing the queen's reflection is told here, although historians debate how much of the legend is fact.
Kirti Stambha and Kalika Mata
The Tower of Fame, an older Jain tower dedicated to Adinath, stands on the eastern edge. The Kalika Mata temple, originally an eighth-century sun temple, is still active and draws crowds during Navratri.
Fateh Prakash Palace museum
A later palace near the Rana Kumbha ruins now houses a museum of sculptures, arms and paintings. Timings and fees for the monuments are set by the Archaeological Survey of India; buy the composite ticket at the gate.
In the evening a sound-and-light show at the Rana Kumbha Palace narrates the fort's history. If you want to see it, plan an overnight stay; the drive back to Udaipur after the show is not ideal.
The road: Udaipur to Chittorgarh and other approaches
Udaipur to Chittorgarh (about 115 km). Leave Udaipur through Debari and join NH-27 eastbound. This is a well-surfaced four-lane highway with toll plazas and good sightlines, passing marble quarries and farmland. Mangalwar and the turn-off for the Sanwariya Seth temple at Mandaphiya make convenient stops; the temple is hugely popular with Rajasthani and Gujarati devotees, especially on Amavasya. Most drivers reach the city in about two hours.
From Jaipur (about 310 km). NH-48 to Kishangarh, then south via Bhilwara. Five to six hours. Many travellers heading for Udaipur on our Jaipur to Udaipur taxi route detour through Chittorgarh to break the journey; the extra distance is modest.
From Bundi or Kota. Bundi is about 155 km to the north-east via Menal, where a cluster of eleventh-century Shiva temples sits beside a gorge and seasonal waterfall. See our Bundi by road guide for that side of the region.
Weather, festivals and the best time to go
- October to March: the best months. Days are warm and dry, evenings cool. Most of your time at the fort is outdoors with little shade, so winter is much kinder.
- April to June: very hot, often 40-44 C. If you must go, arrive at the fort at opening time and leave by 11 am.
- July to September: the plateau and surrounding fields turn green and the reservoirs fill, which is beautiful, but humidity is high and paths can be slippery.
- Festivals: Navratri draws devotees to Kalika Mata; the Jauhar Mela, held in memory of the women of Chittor, takes place in spring according to the Hindu calendar. Diwali is quieter here than in Udaipur, which some travellers prefer.
Local notices on events and traffic are posted on the Chittorgarh district portal.
Chauffeured services for a Chittorgarh trip
RutzIndia.com runs this trip in several ways:
- Day trip from Udaipur with the car staying with you through the fort circuit and bringing you back by evening.
- One-way drop from Udaipur or Udaipur airport to Chittorgarh, or onward to Bundi, Kota or Bhilwara.
- Transit sightseeing on the Jaipur-Udaipur run, where you stop for three hours at the fort and continue.
- Multi-day Mewar tours covering Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur, part of our Rajasthan tour by car itineraries.
- Airport pickup at Udaipur's Dabok airport with a name board and flight tracking, and free waiting of 60 minutes after international or 30 minutes after domestic arrivals.
- Groups in a Tempo Traveller from Udaipur, ideal for school heritage tours and family reunions.
| Car | Udaipur to Chittorgarh one way (115 km) | Same-day return (250 km billed) | Two-day round trip (500 km billed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dzire-class sedan | Rs 4,140 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 9,000 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 18,000 Pay Now to Reserve |
| Premium sedan | Rs 5,940 Pay Now to Reserve (minimum fare applies) | Rs 12,000 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 24,000 Pay Now to Reserve |
| Innova Crysta | Rs 6,930 Pay Now to Reserve (minimum fare applies) | Rs 14,250 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 28,500 Pay Now to Reserve |
| Tempo Traveller | Rs 10,740 Pay Now to Reserve (minimum fare applies) | Rs 19,500 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 39,000 Pay Now to Reserve |
GST at 5% is added to every fare shown. Toll plazas, fort parking and any state charges are billed at actual cost, and if you stay overnight the chauffeur's night allowance of Rs 1,500 applies. We use cars within four model years. Card and UPI payments go through the booker, and companies receive a GST invoice for team outings.
On cancellations we follow one rule everywhere: cancel more than 72 hours before pickup at no cost; within 72 hours pay 10%; within 48 hours 50%; within 24 hours or for a no-show the full fare. See the cancellation policy for the fine print.
Book a Udaipur to Chittorgarh cab
Itineraries: a day trip and an overnight
Day trip (about 250 km billed). Leave Udaipur at 7:30 am, stop briefly at Sanwariya Seth, and reach the fort by 10 am. Drive through the seven gates, then follow the loop: Rana Kumbha Palace, Meera and Kumbha Shyam temples, Vijay Stambha, Gaumukh, Padmini's Palace, Kirti Stambha and Kalika Mata. Lunch in the city around 2 pm, then head back to Udaipur by 6 pm.
Overnight (about 280 km, billed at the 500 km two-day minimum). Arrive after lunch, tour the fort in the softer afternoon light, stay for the sound-and-light show and sleep in Chittorgarh. The next morning, visit the Fateh Prakash museum, then either return to Udaipur or continue to Bundi via Menal. For the Bundi continuation the trip becomes one way, billed by distance plus the night allowance.
Practical tips
- Sun and water. The fort has limited shade and few shops inside; carry water, hats and sunscreen.
- Footwear. Comfortable shoes for uneven stone paths; temples require removal at the door.
- Guides. Government-approved guides wait near Ram Pol. Agree the fee first; a good guide brings the sieges to life.
- Monkeys. Langurs are common around Vijay Stambha; keep snacks in the car.
- Photography. Early morning or late afternoon light makes the towers glow; midday is flat and hot.
- Timing with Udaipur. For more on the lake city itself, read our Udaipur by road guide.
Staying over, eating well and who should book this drive
Chittorgarh city sits at the foot of the fort, split by the Gambhiri river. Hotels range from simple business lodges near the railway station to a handful of heritage properties and resorts on the Udaipur side of town, several with views of the fort walls lit up at night. If you stay over, pick a hotel with its own parking; lanes in the old market are narrow and your chauffeur will otherwise have to use a public lot.
The food is classic Mewari vegetarian: dal baati churma, gatte ki sabzi, ker sangri and crisp kachori from the market stalls near the fort road. For a longer lunch, the resort restaurants on the highway are cleaner and quieter than the busy city centre.
This drive suits several kinds of traveller. History lovers and school groups come for the sieges and the towers. Families on a Mewar holiday use it as a relaxed day away from Udaipur's lakes. Couples driving between Jaipur and Udaipur use the fort as a scenic halfway point. And foreign visitors on a longer Rajasthan circuit find that a chauffeur who knows the loop road turns a potentially exhausting walk into a comfortable half-day. If you are planning from Delhi, the full Rajasthan tour by car shows how Chittorgarh fits between the Pink City and the City of Lakes.
