Khajuraho travel guide

Khajuraho is one of Madhya Pradesh's highlights. This guide keeps every fact sourced. It covers sights, food and day trips.

Come in the cooler months if you can. Give it a few unhurried days. The sections below help you plan.

Every place name links to a source. The figures come from trusted sites. Plan your trip with confidence.

Use this guide as a starting point. Mix the big sights with slow time. The best trips leave room to wander.

Each headline sight has its own detailed guide.

Khajuraho is best in the cool, dry months. Summers can be hot and busy. The monsoon brings rain and lush green. Shoulder months bring fewer crowds. Check local festival dates as well.

Reference: Climate of India.

Time your trip for extra colour.

Khajuraho is well linked by road and rail. The nearest airport and station serve it. Autos and app cabs cover the area.

Within the city, app cabs and autos are easiest. Old quarters reward exploring on foot. Day trips are best by hired car. Buses and trains link the wider region cheaply.

🚕 Getting around locally

• 1Ride-hailing appsUber and Ola are cheap and reliable.
• 2Auto-rickshawsAgree a fare, or insist on the meter.
• 3Metro or local trainsFast where the network reaches.
• 4On footOld quarters are best explored walking.
• 5Cycle & e-rickshawsHandy for short old-city hops.
• 6Day-hire taxiBest value for day trips and far sights.

More in our India transport guide.

Rough per-person daily ranges, in rupees.

Guide: Incredible India. Prices vary by season.

Beyond the big sights, here is how to feel the city.

• 1Western GroupThe largest temple cluster.
• 2Kandariya MahadevaThe tallest, 31 m shikhara.
• 3Eastern Group (Jain)Quieter, fine temples.
• 4Southern GroupDuladeo and Chaturbhuja.
• 5Chausath YoginiThe oldest, 9th-century ruins.
• 6Sound-and-light showThe temples' story after dark.
• 7Archaeological MuseumOver 2,000 sculptures.
• 8Raneh FallsA colourful rock canyon.
• 9Panna safariA nearby tiger reserve.
• 10Dance FestivalClassical dance among temples.
• 11Lakshmana TempleA complete Western-group temple.
• 12Vishwanath TempleFine sculpture and a Nandi shrine.
• 13Matangeshwar TempleA living Lord Shiva temple.
• 14Adivart Tribal MuseumRegional folk art.
• 15Chaturbhuja TempleA southern-group Vishnu shrine.
• 16Javari TempleA finely carved eastern temple.
• 17Kandariya MahadevaThe tallest Western temple.
• 18Archaeological MuseumChandela-era sculpture.
• 19Chausath YoginiThe oldest granite temple.

Short on time? Prioritise your days like this.

With more time, slow down and wander. Mix the big sights with cafes and lanes. The best of Khajuraho rewards a gentle pace.

A little history and culture, in brief.

The Chandela dynasty built most temples between 950, 1050 CE.

Kandariya Mahadeva, the tallest, rose around 1025 CE.

Invasions hastened the Chandela decline after 1200.

A British officer rediscovered the site in 1838.

Khajuraho lies in Bundelkhand, Madhya Pradesh.

The Chandelas built its temples in sandstone.

Dense forest hid the site for centuries.

It draws visitors for art and heritage today.

Khajuraho is a small Madhya Pradesh town.

Its temples are a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Chandelas built them a thousand years ago.

Only about 25 of 85 temples survive.

A nightly light show tells their story.

Panna's tiger reserve lies close by.

Khajuraho has a small domestic airport.

Trains link it to Delhi and Jhansi.

October to February suits touring.

Summers are hot and humid.

The compact town is walkable.

The temples show classic Nagara architecture.

Sandstone carvings cover every surface.

Evenings are cool and pleasant in winter.

Sources: UNESCO — Khajuraho · Khajuraho — Wikipedia · Khajuraho Temples · Kandariya Mahadeva.

English is widely understood, but a few words help.

Regional languages also apply; see the India guide.