Rahagir
Garh Palace above the old town

Destinations / Rajasthan

Bundi

A blue-washed Rajput town of stepwells and painted palace walls, with none of the crowds of its neighbours.

Lesser-knownHeritageCityLake

Bundi has the fort, the palace and the blue houses that draw people to Jodhpur and Jaipur, and almost none of the traffic. It is known as the city of stepwells, with more than fifty of them, and for the Bundi school of miniature painting, whose best surviving work covers the walls of the Chitrashala inside the palace. Rudyard Kipling stayed here and used Sukh Mahal, the lakeside summer palace, in Kim.

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Garh Palace above the old town
Garh Palace above the old town
The walls of Taragarh Fort
The walls of Taragarh Fort
Courtyards of Garh Palace
Courtyards of Garh Palace

Photos from Wikimedia Commons. Select a photo for its author and licence.

Best time to go

WhenWhat to expect
October to MarchThe season. Warm days, cool nights, and the Bundi Utsav festival in November or December.
July to SeptemberThe monsoon fills Jait Sagar and Nawal Sagar and greens the Aravalli ridge behind the fort. Humid, with some rain.
April to JuneVery hot, often above 40C. Sightseeing is limited to early morning and evening.

Sights and activities

1

Bundi Palace and the Chitrashala

A palace built into the hillside below Taragarh, reached by a steep ramp. The Chitrashala, its picture gallery, holds the finest surviving Bundi miniature murals in blue and green.

Distance
In the old town, above the Nawal Sagar.
Entry
The palace and Chitrashala were charged separately at the time of writing
Timings
Usually about 8 am to 6 pm
Time needed
2 hours

MapWrong fee or timing?

2

Taragarh Fort

The star fort of 1354 on the ridge above the palace, with battlements, three gateways and large rock-cut reservoirs. Overgrown in parts and home to a troop of langurs.

Distance
A steep 20 to 30 minute climb above the palace.
Timings
Daylight hours
Time needed
1.5-2 hours including the climb

MapWrong fee or timing?

3

Raniji ki Baori

The best known of Bundi's stepwells, built in 1699, about 46 m deep, with carved pillars and arches descending to the water.

Distance
In the town, about 1 km from the palace.
Timings
Usually daylight hours
Time needed
30 minutes

MapWrong fee or timing?

4

Nawal Sagar

The square artificial lake in the middle of town, with a half-submerged Varuna temple at its centre. The palace is reflected in it on still mornings.

Distance
In the town centre.
Entry
Free
Timings
Any time
Time needed
20 minutes

MapWrong fee or timing?

5

Sukh Mahal

A small summer palace on the shore of Jait Sagar, with a marble pavilion. Kipling stayed here, and it appears in Kim.

Distance
About 2 km north of the old town.
Timings
Usually about 9 am to 5 pm
Time needed
30 minutes

MapWrong fee or timing?

6

Jait Sagar lake

A long lake below the hills, lined with lotus in late monsoon, with the Sukh Mahal at one end.

Distance
About 2 to 3 km north of the old town.
Entry
Free
Timings
Any time; best at dawn
Time needed
45 minutes

MapWrong fee or timing?

7

Dabhai Kund

The jail stepwell, the largest in Bundi, with wide stepped tiers and carved brackets. Much less visited than Raniji ki Baori.

Distance
About 1.5 km from the palace.
Timings
Daylight hours
Time needed
30 minutes

MapWrong fee or timing?

8

Eighty-four Pillared Cenotaph

A two-storey memorial pavilion on a plinth, built for a royal nurse, with eighty-four carved pillars.

Distance
On the Kota road, about 2 km from the old town.
Timings
Daylight hours
Time needed
20 minutes

MapWrong fee or timing?

Getting there

By bus
State and private buses run between Kota and Bundi through the day, and from Jaipur, Ajmer and Udaipur. The Kota to Bundi road takes about an hour.
By train
Bundi has a small station on the Chittorgarh line with a few services. Kota Junction, 36 km away, is the practical railhead and one of the busiest stations on the Delhi to Mumbai route, with trains from Delhi in about 5 to 6 hours.
By air
Jaipur is the usual airport, about 210 km and 4 hours away. Kota has no scheduled passenger flights.
Where to base yourself
Most visitors stay in the old town below the palace, around the Nawal Sagar lake, where the haveli guesthouses are. Kota, 36 km away, has the business hotels and the main railway station.

Getting around

  • The old town, palace, Nawal Sagar and Raniji ki Baori are all within walking distance of each other.
  • Autorickshaws cover the outlying stepwells and Jait Sagar; agree the fare before starting.
  • The climb to Taragarh is on foot only.
  • Bicycles and scooters can be hired in the old town.

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Where to stay

Budget levelTypePrice per night
BudgetHaveli guesthouses and homestays in the old town₹600 to ₹1,500
Mid-rangeConverted havelis with palace views₹2,000 to ₹4,500
LuxuryHeritage hotels in and around the old town₹6,000 to ₹12,000

Food

Most eating is on guesthouse rooftops looking at the palace, and at simple places in the market. The town is small and kitchens close early.

Try these

  • Dal baati churma, the Rajasthani staple
  • Laal maas, a fiery mutton curry, where non-vegetarian food is served
  • Ker sangri, a dry curry of desert beans and berries
  • Bundi ke laddu and other sweets from the market
  • Pyaaz ki kachori for breakfast

Vegetarian food is the default and widely available. Many guesthouses are vegetarian only.

Daily costs

Budget levelStay per roomFood per personLocal transport
Budget₹800₹400₹100 per person
Mid-range₹2,800₹900₹450 per vehicle
Luxury₹7,000₹1,800₹1,400 per vehicle

Per day. Travel to and from your city is added in the planner above.

Permits and documents

No permits are needed. Carry photo ID for hotel check-in. Tickets for the palace and the Chitrashala are bought at the entrance.

Safety

By day
A small, calm town. The usual care with belongings in the market. Langurs on the Taragarh path can be aggressive about food, so carry nothing visible and do not feed them.
At night
The old town lanes are quiet and poorly lit after about 9 pm. Stick to the main streets.
Solo women
No specific safety information was found. Usual care applies: stay in well-reviewed places and avoid the fort path alone late in the day.
Roads
The Kota to Bundi road is short and in reasonable condition. The hill road up to the palace is steep and narrow.
Emergency numbers
112 (all emergencies), 108 (ambulance)

Practical

Mobile network
All the main networks (Jio, Airtel, Vi and BSNL) work in town.
ATMs and cash
ATMs are easy to find in town. Machines are in the newer part of town rather than the old lanes.
Fuel
There are several petrol pumps in and around town. Pumps are on the Kota road.
Medical
A district hospital serves Bundi; the larger hospitals are in Kota, about an hour away.

Coverage maps: Jio · Airtel · Vi · BSNL. Report a problem

Accessibility

Seniors
The old town is flat and walkable, but the palace ramp is steep and the fort climb is demanding.
Children
Suitable. Keep children away from the unfenced stepwell edges.
Wheelchair users
Limited. The lakeside and market are level, but the palace, fort and stepwells all involve steps.

Unless a sight is described as accessible, assume it is not step-free.

Culture and responsible travel

  • Remove shoes at temples and at the Varuna shrine when the lake is low.
  • Dress modestly; the town is conservative away from the guesthouse rooftops.
  • Ask before photographing the blue houses and the people living in them.
  • Do not touch or lean on the Chitrashala murals; the pigment is fragile.
  • Bundi Utsav in November or December fills the town; book ahead for those dates.

What to pack

  • Photo ID (Aadhaar, passport or driving licence); hotels and permits ask for it
  • Enough cash for the whole stay, a power bank and offline maps
  • Your regular medicines, plus basics for stomach upsets, headaches and cuts

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