Last Updated on: 16th February 2026, 09:54 am
First established in the 5th century AD, Gwalior Fort has been held by a myriad of different rulers, including various Hindu dynasties, the Delhi Sultanate, the Mughals, and briefly, the British. But for most, the highlight of visiting Gwalior Fort will be admiring its stunning Man Singh Palace.
Though located in the state of Madhya Pradesh, Gwalior Fort is quite a distance from the state’s main cities, such as Bhopal or Indore. It is, however, accessible as a day trip from Agra. But despite how many tourists visit Agra, few foreigners seem to make it out to Gwalior. But are they missing out?
We’ll be answering that at the end of this guide. Also at the end of the article, you can learn practical tips on reaching Gwalior Fort and the best places to stay in Agra.
Gwalior Fort stretches out for 3 km atop a 100 m-high hill. And much like Rajasthan’s Chittorgarh Fort, it feels more like a village situated atop a plateau rather than a regular fortress.
The fort has two main entrances, but it would be wise to take a tuk tuk to Urwai Gate to the west of the fort upon your arrival in the city. And when finished, exit via the Hindola Gate to the northeast.
The Jain Sculptures
The Urwai Gate was established in the 13th century. But for whatever reason, tuk tuk drivers aren’t allowed to take you beyond here, so from here you’ll need to walk.
But that’s actually ideal, as walking allows you to take your time at one of Gwalior Fort’s most interesting highlights.
Carved into the side of the hill in this area are countless Jain sculptures, many of which are massive.
They were largely carved in the 15th century during the time that the Tomar Dynasty maintained control over Gwalior Fort – specifically under the reign of Dungar Singh.
The Tomars were a Rajput dynasty, and similar to various Rajput kingdoms in modern-day Rajasthan, some Tomar rulers were major proponents of Jainism.
Note that unlike many of the other attractions around Gwalior Fort, the Jain sculptures are completely free to view. You’ll first encounter a large set of sculptures to the left side of the road, and then another set on the right.
The rock-cut carvings largely depict numerous Jain tirthankaras, of which there are 24 in total. And the largest of the entire group, which depicts Adinath, stands at 17 m high.
Continuing along the road, you’ll eventually pass through an upper gate, after which you’ll find yourself atop the hill. From here you have a couple of different choices.
As mentioned above, Gwalior Fort is huge and more similar to Chittorgarh Fort, complete with its own road network. If you don’t like walking, some tuk tuk drivers occasionally pass by to offer people rides. But where should you start your visit?
Gwalior Fort's Ticketing System
Confusingly, there’s no single entrance ticket to Gwalior Fort, and different landmarks are managed by different entities. Three different landmarks (Man Singh Palace, Sas Bahu Temple, and Teli Ka Mandir) are managed by the Archaeological Institute of India (ASI), and you can access them all with a single combo ticket that costs Rs 250.
But not only are the landmarks quite spread out, you can only purchase tickets digitally and not with cash. I ran into major technical problems trying to pay online with my phone. Had I known, I would’ve taken the time to sort out the ticket in advance. You can find the official link here.
Other than that, as we’ll cover below, another section of Gwalior Fort is managed by the state of Madhya Pradesh, with tickets costing Rs 400 for foreigners. Additionally, you’ll encounter a small sculpture museum that only charges Rs 5 for entry.
As for which route to take, for those who’ve entered via the Urwai Gate, it probably makes the most sense to start with the Teli Ka Mandir in the southern part of the fort. Upon reaching the top of the fort, it takes about 10-15 minutes to walk there, and then you’ll have to return the same way you came.
Teli Ka Mandir
Teli Ka Mandir is a 9th-century Hindu temple dedicated to Vishnu. It was built during the Prathihara Dynasty at the expense of a local oil dealer.
It stands at 30 m high, making it the fort’s tallest temple. And inside, it features a wagon-vaulted roof, a feature more commonly found in Dravidian temples to the south rather than this region.
Unfortunately, I didn’t end up making it inside this one. As mentioned above, the Gwalior Fort sites managed by ASI aren’t taking cash payments. And I tried twice unsuccessfully to purchase tickets through the official ASI website, but ran into errors each time (so much for India being a major tech hub).
Unfortunately, the staff member on-site refused to let me in and offered no help or solution. While I would eventually manage to purchase a ticket later on in the morning, Teli Ka Mandir was just too far to return to.
Walking from Teli Ka Mandir to the center of the fort, I passed by an interesting structure called Swaccha Smark which was free to enter, but almost no information seems to exist about it.
Man Singh Palace
Most people come to Gwalior Fort is to see Man Singh Palace, the area’s most impressive attraction. The iconic views of the palace’s exterior can actually be enjoyed by anyone for free. But as we’ll cover shortly, you’ll need to purchase the ASI ticket to step inside.
The palace was built in 1508 by Raja Man Singh (r. 1486-1516), a king of the Tomar dynasty. And it’s known for the various animal motifs that adorn its exterior walls. many of which were done in blue paint. There’s nothing else in India quite like it.
Amazingly, Man Singh Mandir is said to be the only intact palace in India that predates the Mughal era!
Be sure to spend ample time viewing its imposing outer walls and rounded towers from various vantage points. And when ready, it’s time to step inside.
Inside Man Singh Palace
As mentioned above, the interior of Man Singh Palace is accessible with the ASI combo ticket. (Fortunately, after yet another attempt, I finally managed to purchase it.)
The structure consists of four stories in total, two of which are basement level.
The interior is home to multiple open courtyards surrounded by intricately decorated pillars. And you’ll also find more of the palace’s characteristic blue paint.
Compared with its appearance from the outside, only a relatively small portion of the interior seems to be accessible. But the stunning stonework won’t disappoint.
Also be sure to step inside the crypt. Notably, the palace was used as a prison during Mughal rule over the area.
The Sculpture Museum
In the heart of Gwalior Fort, you’ll also find a small Sculpture Museum that only requires five rupees for entry.
Items on display here range from the 1st century BC to the 17th century AD. Apparently, not all of the objects were found right in the fort, with some coming from nearby towns as well.
Interestingly, the building once served as a hospital during British control over the fort.
Additional Palaces
Not far from Man Singh Palace and the Sculpture Museum, you’ll find the entrance for an additional area comprising of multiple palaces.
It’s not exactly clear what this area is officially called, but it’s managed by the state of Madhya Pradesh and requires an entrance ticket of Rs 400 for foreigners. At least you can pay in cash here,
The complex hasn’t held up as well as nearby Man Singh Mahal, but it does at least offer some excellent views from the edge of the hilltop fortress.
One of the first structures you’ll encounter is the Karna Mahal, which was built from 1480-1486 during the reign of Kirti Singh of the Tomar dynasty.
The large pool near the center is known as Johar Kund. Tragically, in 1232, local women committed mass suicide in the water tank upon the invasion of the Delhi Sultanate.
Additional palaces include Vikram Mahal, a 65 m-long structure constructed by Raja Man Singh’s son, Vikramadity (r. 1516-1523). It’s from here that you can enjoy the best views of Gwalior down below.
Two additional palaces, meanwhile, date from the Mughal Era. They were built by Jahangir (r. 1605-1627 AD) and Shah Jahan (r. 1627-1658 AD), though they’re certainly not on the level of what you’ll find in Agra.
The Sahasrabahu Twin Temples
There’s still yet one more Hindu temple managed by ASI that you should check out before leaving. Or rather, a pair of twin temples in this case.
The Sahasrabahu Twin Temples are located in the eastern part of Gwalior Fort, and they’re about a 10-15 minute walk one-way from Man Singh Palace.
Finished in 1093 AD, the temples are known for their exquisite carved pillars decorated in floral and geometric patterns. You can also get some great views of Gwalior Fort from the edge.
The larger of the two temples is decorated with various figures from the legends of Krishna.
Interestingly, According to to a centuries-old inscription, the temple was largely covered in lime during the era of Muslim rule, and it was later cleaned off by the British in the late 19th-century.
Out The Other End
Finished with your visit, you can exit via the Hindola Gate to the northeast. You’ll walk down a series of switchbacks, passing by numerous interesting structures along the way.
One of the gates along the way is known as the Laxman Gate which could be as old as the 9th century AD.
Not far away is Chaturbhuj Temple, carved out of solid rock in the side of the hill. Dedicated to Vishnu, it consists of a simple square shrine with a spire on top. It’s said to date back to 876 AD. You’ll next pass through the century Ganesh Gate.
And right by the final exit, you’ll encounter yet another archaeological museum! It’s situated in an old structure called the Gujari Mahal.
But even if you’ve purchased all the tickets for the various sites atop the hill, this museum requires yet an additional ticket. Foreigners have to pay Rs 400, and I ultimately decided to skip this one.
But I wasn’t quite finished yet in Gwalior.
The Tomb of Mohammed Gaus
About 15-20 minutes on foot from the fort is the Tomb of Mohammed Gaus. While visually, it may not be able to compete with the various Mughal tombs around Agra, it’s still worth a quick look. Entrance to the site is also free.
The tomb belongs to a 16th-century Sufi saint who, fascinatingly, translated ancient Sanskrit texts and found common ground between Sufism and yoga.
His book, Ocean of Life (Bahr al-Hayat), though written in Persian, is even considered the first book to contain illustrations of various yogic poses!
Gaus, who passed away in Gwalior in 1562, was a teacher of Mughal Emperor Hamayun, while Tansen, a court musician under Hamayun’s son Akbar, is buried within the same complex.
For those with more time in Gwalior, another major attraction in town is the Jal Vilas Palace Museum. Just note that it costs Rs 850 for foreigners.
Additional Info
It would be wise to leave Agra quite early to allow yourself time to leisurely explore Gwalior Fort.
Depending on which train you take, the journey could take anywhere between 1.5-2.5 hours. Therefore, I’d recommend getting tickets for the Shatabdi Express train (12002), which departs Agra Cantonment Station at 7:55, arriving in Gwalior at 9:23. Be sure to book this in advance in case it sells out.
Upon arrival at Gwalior Station, have a tuk tuk driver or Uber take you to the Urwai Entrance of the fort mentioned above. The ride lasts 15-20 minutes and should cost a couple hundred rupees.
In regards to return tickets, I also booked one in advance but later regretted it. My train was delayed by hours, but there were so many other trains heading to Agra that I just bought an unreserved ticket for whatever train was departing next. I ended up making it back to the city in a little over two hours.
(Note: Unreserved tickets can’t be bought online, only in-person at the station.)
If taking the train sounds like too much of a hassle, you could also reach Gwalior via a private tour like this one.
Gwalior Fort is indeed an impressive fort, while it makes for a relatively easy day trip from Agra. With that said, in many ways it represents everything wrong with tourism in India.
For example, there’s a total lack of on-site signage regarding the confusing ticketing system, and no maps directing people where to go, either.
Despite having checked four or five online resources before my arrival, none of them had mentioned this. And even if you know what to expect, you still can’t pay for the ASI ticket in cash and will be forced to use their horribly buggy online payment system.
The ASI sites are at least well-maintained, while the same can’t be said for the palaces managed by the state.
If the various landmarks could be united under a single and straightforward ticketing system, the visiting experience would be improved dramatically.
But is visiting Gwalior Fort worth it or not? Let’s say you have two free days in Agra following a day spent seeing the Taj Mahal and Agra Fort. In that case, I’d dedicate them to seeing various mausoleums around the city in addition to a trip to Fatehpur Sikri. But if you have a third day, then yes, go out and see Gwalior Fort.
Vrindavan is another popular day trip from Agra, but Gwalior Fort will have a broader appeal for the average visitor.
Agra is one of the easiest places in India to reach by train, with well over a dozen direct trains departing from Delhi each day. The journey takes just a few hours.
Trains connecting Agra with Jaipur are also abundant, with the journey lasting around four hours.
You can also reach Agra directly from cities like Kota, Bhopal, Mumbai, and even Chennai, among many others.
Like many cities in India, Agra has multiple railway stations, but most people will want to arrive at either Agra Cantonment or Agra Fort stations.
If you’re doing a long trip through India, it’s best to create an account on the official Indian Railways (IRCTC) website. But that’s much easier said than done!
If you’re just doing a shorter trip, it’s best to book train tickets through 12GoAsia. You’ll pay a significantly higher fee, but it’s a much smoother experience.
The above link is an affiliate link, but I did use 12GoAsia a few times before I got my IRCTC account set up and I had no issues.
Unsurprisingly, the desirability of a hotel’s location in Agra is based on its proximity to the Taj Mahal (but there are, of course, plenty of other sites to see around town).
Just be careful, because lots of places will exaggerate how close they really are. Before confirming your booking, carefully read through reviews and also do some measurements yourself using Google Maps.
I ended up staying at Friends Guest House, which offers budget-friendly, comfortable rooms. They also have a rooftop restaurant, though you will have to walk around for quite a bit to find real (non-instant) coffee.
Though it was a little bit further from the Taj Mahal than I expected, it was still walkable.
Other highly-rated places near the Taj Mahal include The Vacation Villa Agra, Sheela Homestay, and Hotel Shyam Palace.