15 Best Tourist Places to Visit near Indore (2024)

Ajanta Caves are one of the oldest UNESCO World heritage sites in Maharashtra, and among the most prominent Maharashtra tourist places. One of the most visited ancient monuments in India, these caves are situated about 98 km from Aurangabad, 326 km from Pune, and 443 km from Mumbai.

Carved between 2nd Century BC and 6th Century AD, Ajanta Caves are excavated in a horseshoe-shaped bend of rock surface nearly 76 m in height overlooking the Waghur River. The complex consists of 29 rock-cut cave monuments built during the Satavahana period and the Vakataka period. The caves at Ajanta are famous for beautiful mural paintings and sculptures that depict tales of Jatakas. The world-famous paintings at Ajanta also fall into two broad phases. The earliest is noticed in the form of fragmentary specimens in Cave 9 & 10, which are among the must-visit places as part of Ajanta holiday packages. The second phase of paintings started around the 5th - 6th centuries and the specimen of these exemplary paintings could be noticed in Cave 1, 2, 16, and 17.

Various incidents from the life of Gautama Buddha and the Jataka Tales are represented and recreated on the walls of these caves. It can be visited along with Aurangabad tour packages.

Distance from Indore: 300 Kms

Ujjain is an ancient city situated in the Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh. About 56 km from Indore, and 197 km from Bhopal, it is one of the holiest pilgrimage sites in India, and among the best places to visit near Bhopal.

Situated on the banks of the Kshipra River, the ancient city is known as the temple city for its numerous temples from different eras including one of the 12 Jyotirlingas the Mahakaleshwar Temple, among the must-include places in Ujjain packages. Kal Bhairava Temple, Ram Ghat, Harsiddhi Temple, Kalideh Palace, Pir Matsyendranath, Jantar Mantar, Bhartrihari Caves, ISKCON Temple, Bade Ganeshji Ka Mandir, etc., are some other tourist paces in Ujjain.

Ujjain is among the top places to visit in Madhya Pradesh. Also, Ujjain is one of the four sacred sites in India, where the famous 'Kumbh Mela', one of the largest religious festivals in the world, is organized once in 12 years. Ujjain is considered the Greenwich of India, with the first meridian of longitude passing through it.

Distance from Indore: 55 Kms

Omkareshwar is a famous pilgrimage center located on the island of Mandhata in the Khandwa district of Madhya Pradesh. About 76 km from Indore, and 256 km from Bhopal, it is one of the top places to visit in Madhya Pradesh, and among the must-include places in India tour packages.

The holy town of Omkareshwar consists of two ancient shrines- one is Omkareshwar and the other is Amareshwar or Mamleshwar, among the must include places in Omkareshwar packages. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Omkareshwar Temple is considered to be fourth among the 12 revered Jyotirlinga shrines of Shiva. Besides, Kedareshwar Temple, Siddhanath Temple, Gauri Somnath Temple, Nagar Ghat, Abhay Ghat and OMkar Ghat are some of the prominent tourist places in Omkareshwar.

Maha Shivratri is one of the most important festivals celebrated in Omkareshwar when the whole island is decorated with lights and many pilgrims visit the temple. It can be visited along with Indore tour packages.

Distance from Indore: 80 Kms

Maheshwar is a temple town located in the Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh. About 90 km from Indore, and 279 km from Bhopal, it is one of the popular places to visit near Indore and among the must-include places in India tour packages.

Maheshwar is largely referred to as the temple town of Madhya Pradesh,and one of the best places to visit in Madhya Pradesh. The town is famous as the place ruled by the legendary Maratha Malwa queen Maharani Ahilya Bai Holkar. Situated on the banks of river Narmada, the town possesses a treasure trove of beautiful temples, gorgeous ghats, and forts. Rajeshwar temple is the main. Narmada Ghat, Kaleshwara Temple, Rajarajeshwara Temple, Ahalyeshwar Temple, and Maheshwar Fort are some of the top tourist places in Maheshwar. Besides, the town is famous for Maheshwari Sarees, and locally manufactured brass utensils.

Nimar Utsav is one of the major events held every year at Maheshwar around Kartik Purnima (November). Apart, Maha Shivratri is also an important festival where thousands of people spend the night on the Ghats and worship the multitude of Shivalinga's as part of Maheshwar packages.

Distance from Indore: 96 Kms

Bhopal is the capital city of the Indian state of Madhya Pradesh and the administrative headquarters of Bhopal district. About 193 km from Indore, it is one of the the must include places in Madhya Pradesh tour packages, and among the best places to visit near Indore.

The city of Bhopal is often called the 'City of Lakes' as it features a pair of artificial lakes - Upper Lake and Lower Lake, among the must include places in Bhopal packages. Bhopal is a true paradise for history buffs as it boasts numerous historical monuments, religious places, and several museums. Moti Masjid, Upper Lake, Birla Mandir, Shaukat Mahal, Van Vihar National Park are the top and major Bhopal places to visit.

The city is also famous for its Nawabi food that is an absolute delight for foodies. Tragically, Bhopal is also a reminiscence of the world's worst industrial disaster in the chemical plant of Union Carbide that was responsible for at least 8000 deaths from the explosion alone.

Distance from Indore: 192 Kms

The archaeological site of Bhimbetka is one of the popular places of heritage in Madhya Pradesh, and among the top tourist places in Madhya Pradesh. About 45 km from Bhopal, it is situated inside the Ratapani Wildlife Sanctuary, embedded in sandstone rocks, in the foothills of the Vindhya Range.

The site consists of around 750 rock shelters distributed over 10 km (6.2 mi) which are the must-visit attractions of Bhimbetka holiday packages. The Bhimbetka group contains 243 of these, while the Lakha Juar group nearby has 178 shelters. The Bhimbetka site has the oldest-known rock art in India. Among all other caves, Auditorium Cave is one of the significant features of the site. Bhimbetka can also be visited along with Bhopal tour packages.

Out of the 750 rock shelters, 500 are adorned with interesting paintings and the earliest are about 30,000 years old. However, only 15 caves are opened for visitors. The paintings in the caves are completely diverse in nature as the caves have been around for millennia, and are executed with themes taken from the everyday events of the people who lived in the caves.

Distance from Indore: 239 Kms

Famous worldwide for its Buddhist monuments, Sanchi is one of the popular places of heritage in Madhya Pradesh. It is located about 21 km from Raisen, and 46 km from Bhopal.

Among the top places to visit near Bhopal, the town of Sanchi is the center of a region with innumerable age-old stupas, monasteries, temples, monolithic pillars, and other remnants of the rich Buddhist culture. The monuments of Sanchi are probably the best-preserved group of Buddhist monuments in India, and among the must-visit places as part of Sanchi holiday packages.

A renowned UNESCO World Heritage site, the Great Stupa is one of the oldest stone structures in India and was installed by Emperor Ashoka of the Mauryan dynasty in the 3rd century BC. This Greco-Buddhist-style monument is believed to hold the bones and beads of some of the closest disciples of Buddha. Besides, Ashoka Pillar, the Great Bowl, Sanchi Museum, Gupta Temple, and Udayagiri Caves are the other tourist places in Sanchi.

Distance from Indore: 239 Kms

Kevadiya is a census town in the Narmada district of Gujarat. It is one of the top places to visit in Gujarat as the Statue of Unity is located here. It is about 85 km from Vadodara, and 189 km from Ahmedabad.

Nestled between the Satpura and Vindhyachal mountain ranges, the tribal village of Kevadia is home to a 182 m tall statue of the Ironman of India Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel.
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel. This is the 'Tallest Statue in the World' and is the must-include place in Kevadiya packages.

Besides the Statue of Unity, Valley of Flowers, Jungle Safari, Cactus Garden, Butterfly Garden, Khalwani Eco-tourism, Zarwani Waterfall, the Narmada Dam, etc are some of the popular places to visit in Kevadiya. It can be visited along with Vadodara tour packages.

Distance from Indore: 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 Indore: 250 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 Indore: 35 Kms