Day 01: Arrive Bhopal and Sightseeing

Pick up from Bhopal Airport / Railway station. Transfer to Hotel. Check in to the Hotel & relax. Later proceed to visit Local Bhopal Sightseeing. Visit Gohar Mahal, Shaukat Mahal, Bharat Bhavan, Mankind Museum and Tribal Museum. Night stay in Bhopal.

Gohar Mahal isa unique amalgamation of Hindu and Mughal architecture, Gohar Mahal was built by Qudisiya Begum or Gohar Begum, the ruler of Bhopal. It was constructed in 1821 and boasts a spacious hall overlooking a beautiful lake in the vicinity.

Shaukat Mahal was constructed in the 1830s as a wedding gift for Sikander Jehan Begum, the first full-fledged female ruler of Bhopal. It is an integral part of the famous royal quadrangle of Bhopal around the Iqbal Maidan, earlier known as Khirniwala Maidan.

Bharat Bhavan is an autonomous multi-arts complex and museum. Its have architect of the Bharat Bhavan is Charles Correa. Opened in 1982. it houses multiple art galleries, a graphic printing workshop, a ceramics workshop, an open-air amphitheatre, a studio theatre, an auditorium, a museum of tribal & folk art, and libraries of Indian poetry, classical music & folk music.

Mankind Museum or Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya (IGRMS) is an anthropology museum to present an integrated story of the evolution of man and culture with special reference to India.

The Tribal Museum was designed by Revathi Kamath. It was inaugurated in 2013. The museum is divided into six different themes galleries showcasing traditional art, craft and culture of various tribes of Madhya Pradesh like Gonds, Bhils, Bharias, Sahariya, Korku, Kol, and Baiga.

Note: Bharat Bhawan, Tribal Museum and Mankind Museum remain closed on Mondays.

After breakfast, proceed to Sanchi. Visit Sanchi Stupas (UNESCO World Heritage Site) and Udaigiri Caves. Later proceed to Gyaraspur and Visit Maladevi, Hindola torna and Bajramath Temple. Later You will come back to Bhopal in the evening. Overnight stay at Bhopal.

Tip: Guide recommended for Sanchi.

          Guests can do Early morning Bhopal Heritage walk with Guide with an Extra Cost.

Sanchi Stupas was originally commissioned by the Mauryan emperor Ashoka the Great in the 3rd century BCE. Its nucleus was a simple hemispherical brick structure built over the relics of the Buddha. It was crowned by the chatra, a parasol-like structure symbolising high rank, which was intended to honour and shelter the relics. The original construction work of this stupa was overseen by Ashoka, whose wife Devi was the daughter of a merchant of nearby Vidisha. Sanchi was also her birthplace as well as the venue of her and Ashoka's wedding.

Gyaraspur was of considerable importance in medieval India. The place has several ruins of several old Hindu, Jain and Buddhist places of worship. These include Maladevi Temple, Hindola Torna and the Bajramath Surya Temple

• Maladevi temple is in fact imposing and stupendous building. It comprise an entrance-porch, a hall and a shrine surrounded by a circumambulatory passage and crowned with a lofty Shikara all covered with rich carving.

• Hindola Torna is a large temple either of Vishnu or of Trimurti. The four sides of the two lofty pillars are carved into panels with insets of the ten incarnations of Vishnu.

Bajramath Temple is a fine example of a very rare class of temples with three shrines. The carving of the doorway is exceptionally fine and vigorous.

After breakfast, proceed to Bhimbetka. Visit Bhimbetka (UNESCO World Heritage Site). On the way, we will stop over to see Bhojpur temple. You will come back to Bhopal. Evening Spend time at Upper Bhopal Lake.  Overnight stay at Bhopal Hotel.

Tip: Guide recommended for Bhimbetka 

Bhimbetka is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that consists of seven hills and over 750 rock shelters which were inhabited more than 100,000 years ago. The rock shelters and caves provide evidence of human settlement and the cultural evolution from hunter-gatherers to agriculture, and expressions of prehistoric spirituality. Some of the Bhimbetka rock shelters feature prehistoric cave paintings and the earliest are about 10,000 years old corresponding to the Indian Mesolithic. These cave paintings show themes such as animals, early evidence of dance and hunting from the Stone Age as well as of warriors on horseback from a later time. The Bhimbetka site has the oldest-known rock art in India, as well as is one of the largest prehistoric complexes.

Bhojpur Temple’s construction is believed to have started in the 11th century, during the reign of the Paramara king Bhoja. The construction was abandoned for unknown reasons, with the architectural plans engraved on the surrounding rocks. The unfinished materials abandoned at the site, the architectural drawings carved on the rocks, and the mason's marks have helped scholars understand the temple construction techniques of 11th-century India.

Upper Lake is The lake is also known as Bada Talab ("Big Pond") until March 2011 it was renamed to Bhojtaal in honour of the Great King Raja Bhoj who built it. A huge statue of Raja Bhoj, standing with sword, was also installed on a pillar on one corner of the lake to cement the name of Bhopal as the city of lakes.

After Breakfast, proceed to Bhopal Airport/Railway Station for your onward Journey