Udaipur to Chittorgarh Distance: Routes, Time and How to Travel

Chittorgarh, home of the largest and most storied fort in all of India, is one of the truly great sights of Rajasthan, steeped in Rajput history and legend and from Udaipur, the beautiful City of Lakes, it is an easy and scenic journey of only around two hours, which makes it a perfect day trip or a natural stop on a wider tour. This complete guide from Delhi Agra Tour Packages covers the Udaipur to Chittorgarh distance, the best routes to take, how long it takes, how to travel and what to see at the magnificent fort, ideal as part of a wider Rajasthan trip within our tour packages.

I was born in Delhi and in more than 11 years planning trips across Rajasthan for Experience My India I have made this journey many times. Here is the clear, practical guide.

Udaipur to Chittorgarh at a glance

How far is Chittorgarh from Udaipur?

The distance from Udaipur to Chittorgarh is about 111 to 119 km by road, depending on the exact route you take and the journey usually takes around 2 to 2.5 hours by car. This short, easy distance makes Udaipur comfortably the nearest major city to Chittorgarh and by far the most natural and convenient base for visiting the great fort, far closer than Jaipur or any of the other big cities of Rajasthan, which lie several hours further away.

Because the journey between the two is so short and straightforward, on good roads, Chittorgarh is deservedly very popular as an easy day trip from Udaipur or as a natural stop on the way between Udaipur and other parts of the state. You can comfortably leave Udaipur after a relaxed breakfast, spend a good few hours exploring the vast and fascinating fort in the middle of the day and be back in the City of Lakes again by the evening, which makes it one of the very best, easiest and most rewarding day trips to be had from Udaipur.

Routes from Udaipur to Chittorgarh

There are a couple of main road routes between Udaipur and Chittorgarh:

• Via NH 48 and NH 27 (the main route): the usual and fastest route runs north-east from Udaipur along the main national highways, NH 48 and NH 27, a distance of about 111 km. This is the quickest and most direct way between the two cities, on good, fast, well-made national highways, taking around 2 hours and is the route most travellers take.

• Via the Udaipur-Chittorgarh Road: an alternative route follows the more direct Udaipur-Chittorgarh Road, a distance of about 119 km. This route is a little longer in distance and slower overall, at around 2.5 hours, but is a perfectly good alternative option if needed.

Both routes are good, usable roads. For most journeys, however, the main highway route via NH 48 and NH 27 is clearly the faster, smoother and more comfortable choice and the one your driver will usually prefer to take.

How to travel from Udaipur to Chittorgarh

You can travel from Udaipur to Chittorgarh by road, by train or by bus and each has its own advantages depending on your budget and your plans. Here is how the main options compare:

• By car or taxi: the most flexible and comfortable way by far, taking around 2 to 2.5 hours and the usual choice for visitors, especially on a day trip or a wider Rajasthan tour. A private car and driver lets you explore the large hilltop fort at your own pace, move between its scattered sights and return to Udaipur exactly when you wish.

• By train: Chittorgarh has its own railway station and several trains connect it with Udaipur, taking around 2 hours or so depending on the particular service. The train is a comfortable, restful and economical option, though a car is much handier for getting around the vast, sprawling fort once you have arrived at Chittorgarh.

• By bus: regular state-run and private buses connect Udaipur with Chittorgarh throughout the day, a reliable and budget-friendly choice, though a private car is considerably more comfortable and convenient, especially for a day trip and for exploring the large fort at the other end.

For most travellers, especially those based in Udaipur, going by road with a private car and driver is the easiest and most comfortable way, giving you the freedom to explore the fort fully and stop where you like along the way.

How long does it take and is it a day trip?

The time the journey takes depends a little on your route and how you travel. By road, the Udaipur to Chittorgarh journey takes around 2 to 2.5 hours each way, not counting any stops you make along the way. This short, easy and manageable distance is exactly what makes Chittorgarh such an ideal day trip from Udaipur: you can leave the city in the morning after breakfast, spend the whole of the middle of the day exploring the great fort at a relaxed pace and return to Udaipur comfortably again by the evening, all without ever needing to change hotels.

The fort itself is truly enormous, spread across a long hilltop plateau, so you will want to allow a good two to three hours or even more, to see its main sights properly without rushing, ideally with a guide to tell its stories and a vehicle to move between the scattered palaces and temples across the vast site. For those travelling on through Rajasthan rather than returning to Udaipur, Chittorgarh also makes a natural, convenient and rewarding stop on the way between Udaipur and the cities further to the north or east of the state, breaking the journey with a great sight.

What to see at Chittorgarh

The great Chittorgarh Fort is the whole reason to make the journey and it is one of the most magnificent, historic and genuinely moving sights in all of Rajasthan. The largest fort in India by area and one of the six UNESCO Hill Forts of Rajasthan, it sprawls grandly across a huge, flat-topped hilltop plateau several kilometres long, reached by a long winding road that climbs up through a series of seven great fortified gateways or pols. Once at the top, the fort holds a great deal to explore across its wide plateau, a whole ruined city of palaces, temples and towers:

• Vijay Stambh: the magnificent Tower of Victory, a soaring, intricately carved nine-storey tower of sandstone and marble, the great and unmistakable landmark of the whole fort, built in the fifteenth century to commemorate a great victory, which you can climb by its inner staircase for fine views out over the plateau.

• Kirti Stambh: the older Tower of Fame, a beautiful and slender Jain tower, slightly smaller than the Vijay Stambh but exquisitely and delicately carved, dedicated to the first Jain Tirthankara.

• Rana Kumbha Palace: the oldest and most important palace within the fort, now a grand, roofless and deeply atmospheric ruin of arches and courtyards, closely tied to the great events of the fort's long history.

• Padmini Palace: the graceful palace associated with the legendary queen Rani Padmini, set serenely beside a lotus pool in the water, one of the most romantic and storied spots in the entire fort.

• Meera Temple and Kumbha Shyam Temple: fine and ancient old temples, including the much-loved temple associated with the saint-poet Meera Bai, the great mystic devotee of Lord Krishna, whose devotional songs are still sung today.

• Gaumukh Kund and the reservoirs: the sacred Gaumukh, a spring-fed tank where water flows from a carved cow's mouth and the many great stepped water reservoirs that once allowed the fort and its people to withstand long and terrible sieges.

Chittorgarh is above all a place of great valour, sacrifice and solemn memory in the long and proud history of the Rajputs, a fort that was besieged and defended again and again over the centuries and it is therefore a place best visited thoughtfully and with respect and ideally in the company of a good local guide, who can bring its many remarkable stories, heroes and legends vividly and movingly to life as you walk among its ruins.

Chittorgarh, Udaipur and southern Rajasthan

Chittorgarh is one of the great highlights of southern Rajasthan and pairs naturally with Udaipur and the other sights of the region. Udaipur itself, the City of Lakes, with its beautiful lakes and palaces, is the natural base, as our best lakes of Udaipur guide shows the city you set off from.

From Udaipur, besides Chittorgarh, you can also easily visit the cool hill station of Mount Abu, as our Udaipur to Mount Abu distance guide covers that journey and the mighty hill fort of Kumbhalgarh with its great wall, so that the magnificent forts and the beautiful lakes of the whole region combine wonderfully into a rich and varied trip, as our best forts in Rajasthan guide covers all the great forts of the state, including Chittorgarh itself. If you are instead coming to Chittorgarh from Jaipur rather than Udaipur, the journey is very much longer, a drive of several hours across the state, as our Jaipur to Chittorgarh distance guide explains in full, which is exactly why Udaipur, being so very close, is the natural and most convenient gateway to the fort.

Best time to travel

The best time of year to travel from Udaipur to Chittorgarh and to explore the great fort, is the cool season, from October to March, when the weather is pleasant for the journey and for walking around the large, open hilltop fort. The summer, from April to June, can be very hot across this region, which makes a day at the exposed fort tiring, while the monsoon, from July to September, brings rain that turns the countryside green. Our best time to visit North India guide covers the seasons more widely.

Whatever the season you travel in, it is always best to set off from Udaipur fairly early in the morning, so that you reach Chittorgarh with the cooler, more pleasant part of the day still ahead of you for exploring the large, open and largely shadeless hilltop fort on foot, before the heat of the afternoon builds up.

Plan your trip with us

A Udaipur to Chittorgarh day trip or a wider southern Rajasthan journey, is easiest and most rewarding when the travel, the car and driver and the guiding at the fort are all arranged for you. That is what we do, a comfortable private car and an experienced driver, a knowledgeable guide to bring the great fort's history and legends to life and the whole trip, around Udaipur, Chittorgarh and beyond, planned around you.

Tell us your dates and group size and we will price it honestly around your standard rather than a fixed figure. Message us on WhatsApp and Experience My India will build it for you. You can combine it with the classic circuit on our Golden Triangle tours, extended into Udaipur and southern Rajasthan, as our Golden Triangle with Udaipur guide shows and we can build it all as a Golden Triangle tour with a Rajasthan extension.

Related guides

• New Delhi tour: the capital's imperial landmarks.

• Old Delhi tour: the Red Fort, Jama Masjid and Chandni Chowk.

• Delhi day tour: the best of the capital in a day.

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