Gwalior

I'm currently writing from Gwalior, Madhya Pradesh!

Just about 3 hours from Delhi by train, Gwalior is known for it's historical marvels, forts and palaces. I'd suggest spending around 2 days here.  

Getting Here

I'd say the easiest and most convenient way to reach Gwalior is by Rail. The railway station is in the heart of the city and is well connected to Delhi and other major cities in Madhya Pradesh such as Bhopal, Indore and Jabalpur.

Getting Around

I have to give Gwalior the best city to use the Uber app in everywhere I've visited in India. I used atleast 10-15 uber auto's during my 3 days here and had the best experience. Prices are decent, faced zero cancellations, confirmation within seconds and autos were available in all parts of the city within less than 2 minutes when I booked. I'd recommend making Uber auto's your go-to commute partner during your time in Gwalior

Accommodation

For folks travelling solo, unfortunately Gwalior doesn't have any backpacker hostels (at the time of writing). However, it has a lot of budget friendly hotels - most of them also conveniently located near the railway station and city centre. I personally stayed at Hotel Grace and found it clean and worth the money spent. I'm adding a link to the property.

Places

Gwalior Fort

Notably the most famous monument in the city - you probably shouldn't leave Gwalior without coming here.

1. Assi Khamba Ki Bawadis
2. Maan Singh Palace
3. Archeological Museum
4. Gurudwara Data Bandi Chhor Sahib
5. Suraj Kund
6. The Scindia School
7. Siddhanchal Jain Temple Caves (Way up/ Way back)
8. Sahastrabahu temple (Saas-Bahu temple)
9. Teli ka mandir

All of these points are in close vicinity of one another another. However, there is a catch - auto rikshaw's are not allowed to go up the fort hill. You can either take an auto till the fort entrance and walk - not recommended in the heat. What I did was walk up the hill then took an e-rikshaw to take me to all of these points. I was charged 250 rupees including waiting for the same. If you have your own vehicle then that would be the most convenient.

Jai Vilas Palace

While I was initially shocked that a museum was charging me 300 rupees to enter - I think the price may be justified in the case of Jai Vilas Palace and museum. The property is well maintained and since it's a comparitively new palace with very recent inhabitance, it stil exuberates royalty. You can see most things as is and up close over here - even better than those maintained in the palaces in Udaipur, Jaipur,etc

Gwalior Zoo

This is a mini-zoo cum zoological park setup with lions, leapards, Tigers, Hippos, crocodiles, ostriches, etc. It may be of interest to folks with kids, else for everybody else it has a lot of shade, a great walking path and is relatively cool and calm compared to the rest of the city.

Gopachal Parvat

This is a decent spot for a morning or evening walk. However, do note that there are people who prevent you from going up the mountain if you're travelling alone. I was stopped and said that I couldn't go up the hill, as I wasn't travelling with my family. I'm not exactly sure why this happened - so if someone does figure this out, let me also know :)

Other Notable mentions: Sarod Ghar (Closed on Sundays), Baijataal

Food

Agarwal's Poha Bandhaar - Poha & Dhokla's

Please don't be like me and go to the wrong one! There are multiple places on Google map with similar names! I tried the Poha and the Dhokla's here and I've got to say they were both great. But if you can try only one - I'd say go for the Dhokla's and don't get tricked by the store's name. This is an extremely small outlet so you can choose to eat there or even get in packed at the place like most locals seemed to be doing. It's extremely affordable with Half a plate priced at ₹20 and a full plate at ₹25.

Rajbhoj Restaurant- Rajasthani Thali & Dahi Kebabs

I went here on my first day in Gwalior and absolutely loved the place. While I went here in anticipation of their well known Rajasthani Thali, I was told I've arrived early and there would be a 25 minute waiting time. However, I'd still recommend trying it out, since the rest of the food I ate there including their special dahi kebabs were absolutley amazing. If you're going for the thali's, either call in advance or go post 1pm for lunch.

Indian Coffee House

Man I've been surprised that Madhya Pradesh has so many Indian Coffee Houses. My Malayali ass has been living in a bubble thinking it's a chain from Kerala. Well the one in Gwalior out did my expectations and may have even been better than the one back home :)

Shri Jodhpur Mishthan Bhandaar

The store was crowded when I went around 5:30 in the evening and all anybody seemed to be buying was their famous Pyaaz Kachodi - and I've got to say it was totally worth the hype. I also happened to try Gwalior's popular Paneer Jalebi here - and would give it a solid 8.5/10 rating. Unlike the name, it's not made out of paneer so my lactose intolerant girlies can also definitely have it :D