18 Best Tourist Places to Visit near Bhopal (2024)

Situated on the banks of the Narmada River, Jabalpur is one of the popular places to visit in Madhya Pradesh, and among the must-include places in India tour packages. It is about 315 km from Bhopal, 447 km from Gwalior, and 515 km from Indore.

Formerly known as Jubbulpore, Jabalpur is an important industrial and business hub of Madhya Pradesh. The city is known for the marble rocks on the river Narmada at Bhedaghat, among the must-visit places as part of Jabalpur packages. Jabalpur is sure to amaze you with its diverse range of attractions. From historical structures standing as proof of the city's imperial past to some of nature's most breathtaking spectacles, it has something for everyone. It is one of the top places to visit near Bhopal.

Dhuandhar Falls, Marble Rocks, Madan Mahal Fort, Balancing Rocks, Bargi Dam, Chausath Yogini Temple, Lord Shiva Statue, Sangram Sagar Lake, etc., are some of the top tourist places in Jabalpur. Besides, the city is famous for its durry designs which is a craft form where carpets are handmade from cotton and wool.

Distance from Bhopal: 300 Kms

At a distance of 24 km from Sanchi, and 44 km from Bhopal Junction, Raisen Fort is a historical edifice located in the town of Raisen, Madhya Pradesh. Situated atop a hill, it is one of the ancient forts in Madhya Pradesh, and among the popular places to visit near Bhopal.

Built-in 11th Century AD, Raisen Fort was an important center of administration from the period of its foundation from Hindu times. In the 15th century CE, this fort was ruled by the Sultans of Mandu, from whom it passed to the Rajputs. In 1543, Shershah Suri captured th fort from Puranmal. In Akbar's time, Raisen was the headquarter of a Sarkar in the Subah of Ujjain in Malwa. Fiaz Mohammad Khan, the third Nawab of Bhopal State occupied the fort in about 1760, later got himself recognized as Faujdar of Raisen by Emperor Alamgir II. Now, this fort is protected by the Archaeological Survey of India.

The Raisen Fort is spread over ten sq. km on a hill of more than 1500 high. The fort has a massive stone wall pierced with nine gateways. Adorned with a large courtyard and a beautiful pool in the middle, the Raisen Fort has four palaces namely Badal Mahal, Rohini Mahal, Itradaan Mahal & Hawa Mahal within its boundaries. The ancient fort also houses a temple dedicated to Lord Shiva and a shrine dedicated to Muslim saint Hazrat Peer Fatehullah Shah Baba. The doors of the temple open every year on the occasion of Shivratri. The fort also had ...

Distance from Bhopal: 44 Kms

At a distance of 35 km from Indore Junction, Patalpani is a scenic waterfall located in the Mhow Tehsil of Indore district of Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the beautiful waterfalls in Madhya Pradesh, and among the most visited tourist places in Indore.

Formed by the Choral River, the Pataipani Waterfall is cascading down from a height of about 91 meters (300 ft). The depth of the pond that forms at the bottom of the waterfall is unknown and legend has it that it goes as deep as patal. Therefore, the falls are called Patal-Pani, where Patal means the underworld and Pani means water in Hindi.

Surrounded by dense forest covers, majestic hills, and lush green landscapes, it is one of the popular picnics spots near Indore, and an ideal photography spot too. The waterflow is magnanimous during the monsoons and the area is prone to flash floods. It is best to maintain a cautious distance from the waterfall during the rain. However, the waterfall goes almost dry in the summer season, and the stream is reduced to a trickle. A railway line passing along the area adds to the charm of the place.

Timings: 6 AM - 6 PM

Entry: Free

Distance from Bhopal: 226 Kms

At a distance of 55 km from Indore Junction, Sheetla Mata or Sitlamata Waterfall is a beautiful waterfall located at Rampuriya Bujrg village near Indore, Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the scenic places to visit near Indore.

Sitlamata Waterfall is cascading down from a height of about 500 feet and is one of the most famous waterfalls near Indore. It is visited by a large number of tourists as well as devotees due to the presence of Sheetla Mata Temple. Various folk tales revolve around the existence of the fall. This place also has 3 beautiful caves, and it is also believed that Holkar state Pindaris hid there.

The popularity of the waterfall is owed to the mesmerizing aura that it creates, combined with plentiful greenery around it. The waterfall is in its full glory in the monsoon season. The water depth here is about 3 to 6 feet, and is safe for bathing, and swimming. One has to trek around 1-2 km to reach the waterfall from the parking area. Stairs are available to go down to fall. There were lots of monkeys on the way.

Timings: 8 AM - 5 PM

Entry: Free

Distance from Bhopal: 246 Kms

At a distance of 36 km from Mandu, and 65 km from Indore, Dhar Fort is a historical fort situated in the Dhar city of Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the top heritage sites near Indore, and among the must-visit places as part of Mandu holiday packages.

Dhar is an important medieval town and the erstwhile capital of Malwa Kingdom ruled by the Parmar dynasty from 800 - 1327 AD. Raja Bhoj, the most illustrious of the Parmaras shifted his capital from Ujjain to Dhar, where he established a university for Sanskrit studies, known as the Bhoja Shala. During the time of King Bhojdev (1010-1055), this fort was known as Dhar Giri Lilodyan. When Alauddin Khalji ascended the throne of Delhi, Islamic influence began to spread in Dhar, as a result of which in 1305 Ainul Mulk Multani, the general of Alauddin Khalji, attacked Malwa and killed the Parmara ruler Mahalakdev and ended the Parmar dynasty. Captured later, he renovated the fort and completed the work of fortification. In 1346, Muhammad bin Tughlaq also stayed for some time in this fort while going to Devgiri.

The Pawar dynasty captured this fort in 1732 AD and used it as a royal palace. During the Maratha struggle, Raghunath Rao's wife Anandi Bai took shelter here, and she gave birth to Peshwa Bajirao II at this place. Dara Shikoh, the eldest son of Shah Jahan, also took refuge in this fort during the war with Aurangzeb. During the Revolt of 1857, Dhar ...

Distance from Bhopal: 262 Kms

At a distance of 8 km from Bhimbetka, and 51 km from Bhopal, the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary is a protected reserve located in the Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the popular wildlife sanctuaries in India, and among the major places to visit as part of Bhimbetka Tour Packages.

Situated in Vindhya Range in central India, the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary stretches across 823 sq. km in the Raisen and Sehore districts of Madhya Pradesh. The area was declared as a sanctuary in 1976 and got the status of tiger reserve under the Project Tiger by the Government of India recently. The landscape is undulating, with hills, plateaus, valleys, and plains. Many seasonal streams irrigate the site in the monsoon, and water is retained in some pools along these streams even in the summer. Two large reservoirs, namely Barna Reservoir and Ratapani Dam (Barrusot lake) are among the major water bodies adjacent to or inside the sanctuary.

The forest of Ratapani is a dry deciduous and moist deciduous type, with teak (Tectona grandis) as the main tree species. About 55% of the area is covered by teak, the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the finest teak forests in Madhya Pradesh. The regal striped cat is the apex predator here and estimates suggest that 40 tigers roam these forests. Besides, the sanctuary is also home to animals like Panther, Hyena, Jackal, Indian Fox, Wild Dog, Jungle Cat, Small Indian Civet, Blue Bull, Chinkara, Black Buck, Chausingha, Spotted Deer, ...

Distance from Bhopal: 51 Kms

At a distance of 30 km from Bhopal Junction, and 34 km from Bhimbetka, Bhojpur Temple is an ancient Hindu temple located at Bhojpur in Madhya Pradesh. Also known as Bhojeshwar Temple, it is one of the beautiful shrines located near Bhimbetka and among the popular places to visit as part of Bhopal Tour Packages.

Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Bhojeshwar Temple is an incomplete Hindu temple believed to have started in the 11th century CE, during the reign of the Paramara king Bhoja. The Jain writer Merutunga, in his Prabandha-Chintamani, states that Bhoja constructed 104 temples in his capital city of Dhara alone. However, the Bhojpur temple is the only surviving shrine that can be attributed to Bhoja with some certainty. The construction was abandoned for unknown reasons, with the architectural plans engraved on the surrounding rocks. The temple has been protected and maintained by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI).

Bhojpur Mandir is a simple square with an outside portion of 66 feet. Although the temple is incomplete, it has a magnificent soaring strength of line and is supported by four pillars. The doorway is richly carved and, has two exquisitely sculpted figures on either side. The other three sides are balconies each supported by massive brackets and four intricately carved pillars.

Also known as the 'Somnath of North India', the Bhojpur Temple houses a 7.5 feet (2.3 m) high Shivalingam, carved out of a single rock. Set upon a massive platform of ...

Distance from Bhopal: 30 Kms

At a distance of 7 km from Vidisha, and 10 km from Sanchi Railway Station, Udayagiri Caves or Udaigiri Caves are a group of rock-cut caves located at Udaigiri village in Madhya Pradesh. It is one of the most important archaeological sites in India, and among the must include places in Sanchi Tour Packages.

Udayagiri, literally means the 'sunrise mountain', was a Buddhist and Hindu site by the 2nd century BCE. The place is also referred to as Visnupadagiri which means the hill at 'the feet of Vishnu'. The Udayagiri Caves are a group of 20 rock-cut caves near Vidisha from the early years of the 5th century CE. They contain some of the oldest surviving Hindu temples and iconography in India. Besides, these caves have rock-cut water tanks, and some have shrines and monuments on top.

Out of 20 caves, one is dedicated to Jainism, while others to Hinduism including Vaishnavism, Shaktism, and Shaivism. The Jain Cave is notable for one of the oldest known Jaina inscriptions from 425 CE, while the Hindu caves feature inscriptions from 401 CE. Cave 1 is the southernmost cave which is also considered to be a false cave since the side and the front were added later on. There are four pillars and the back wall has a deity carved onto it. Cave 2 is located north of Cave 1 but is still in the southern group and has traces of two pilasters. And there is also evidence of a structural mandapa underneath its roof.

Cave 3, also known as Skanda Temple, is the first one of the ...

Distance from Bhopal: 57 Kms