Khajuraho 2 Days itinerary : UNSECO World Heritage site with brilliant temples, Places to enjoy special meals, forests, waterfalls & Wildlife

Next thing to know is what all are you skipping when you explore only these 2 things in Khajuraho and let me explain each of those with reasoning. I am doing it so that you know my reasons and that may not align with your priorities. If it happens, you should skip this blogpost and create your own plan. 1. Khajuraho has more temples apart from it’s western group of temples and they are spread across different directions of the town. Most of the them are not so well maintained and smaller in comparison to what you will see in western clusture of temples. Architecture is also similar. Now this can be interesting for someone who wants to explore all temples along with understanding history & thought process associated with these temples. If you are that person, you simply forget about the Raneh falls and have a guide for full day exploration of these temples in Khajuraho town. 

We reached Khajuraho by 10:30am. On the way, we took one meal break and also came across some traffic jams due to ongoing construction on the highway. Many people chose to come to Khajuraho via train or flight as well. 


During our recent trip to Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh (Orchha, Khajuraho, and Jhansi), we had planned to do budget travel. We were driving from NCR, and we had decided that we would stay at budget hotels and eat at budget eateries. But we had also decided that we would reward ourselves by ending our trip with one stay in a non-budget hotel and one meal at a good restaurant. For a meal at a good restaurant, we went for Raja Cafe in Khajuraho. For non-budget stay, we chose Golden Tulip in Khajuraho.

Related Blogpost - A Pleasant, Standardised stay at Golden Tulip, Khajuraho || A hotel at walking distance from famous Western Group of Temples


We checked into the hotel, freshened up and then walked to the Western Group of Temples in Khajuraho. Tulip Garden is at 5-7 walking distance from these temples. 


Khajuraho has three groups of temples - Western, Eastern and Southern. Of these, the Western Group of Temples is the most famous. This is the place that is most frequented by tourists. It is also at the center of Khajuraho, opposite the most happening marketplace and cafe street. It is also the place where the Light and Sound Show happens.

Related Blogpost - Ethereal Western Group of Temples || The Temples that make Khajuraho such an enticing entry on the World Tourism Map


Western Group of temples take 1.5-3 hrs to explore. There is single ticket for this and each temple in the campus is different from other. After exploring Western Group of temples in Khajuraho, we had lunch and then headed back to the hotel for some rest. After that we picked our car and visited other temples in Khajuraho which are dispersed in all directions but not too far. We also visited a jain temple in Khajuraho. For details, please do check out the link above. 


We were in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh, in October 2021 when the pandemic had relented for a bit and had loved the city. It had the air of tiny, charming hamlets where you could stay for days and relax. It looked like a good place to spend your days and evenings drinking beer in one of the many cafes facing the Western Group of Temples, and just chill. And when it comes to evenings, you should plan to spend at least one watching the sound and light show that is organized in the Western Group of Temples.

Related Blogpost - Khajuraho Light and Sound show || A spellbinding and informative opportunity to learn about the history of the temples and that of the Chandela Dynasty


Light & Sound show happened at Western Group of temples in Khajuraho and before concluding the day, we witnessed this show. Audio of this show is done by Amitabh Bachhan. 


Related Blogpost - Raja Cafe, Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh || Enjoy great views of the Western Group of Temples while munching on awesome food and chilled beer


After that we headed to Raja Cafe for dinner and concluded the day with a good meal. 


Related Blogpost - Khajuraho one day Itinerary - How to spend a day around this World Heritage City of Madhya Pradesh in best way ?


When we visited Khajuraho, we had a packed first day when we explored the Western, Eastern, and Southern Groups of temples. And after we were done with that, we had another complete day in the city. So we decided to visit some of the nearby places. We planned for Raneh Falls in the first half and then explore Pandava Caves in the second half. Pandava Caves did not happen because we ended up going for a safari in Panna National Park (Read about that exciting experience here), but Raneh falls did, and it was absolutely wonderful.


Day-2 : A day well spent around Raneh Falls, i's forest and Panna National Park, where we saw one leopard, dears & many birds


On next day, we drove to Raneh Falls which is close to Khajuraho. You see beautiful waterfalls here, along with beautiful canyons surrounded by dense green forest. we drove through this forest and also came across some deers, monkey and different kinds of birds which you commonly see in Madhya Pradesh state of India. 

Related Blogpost - Raneh Falls - A preserved area with Magnificent Waterfall around underrated Canyon with colourful rocks and lush green Forest with active wildlife around Ken river in Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh

To cut the suspense - no, we did not see a tiger. Though the way our guide was talking about it, we are more of an exception than a rule. Apparently during the morning safari, they had seen a tigress with cubs. But yes we saw a lot and it is definitely worth talking about.


After visiting Raneh Fall, we headed towards Panna National Park of Madhya Pradesh which is not too far from Khajuraho. We took afternoon safari and had a wonderful experience in Panna forest. 

Related Blogpost - Spots and Stripes at Panna National Park || Guess what we saw at the Tiger Reserve


After Jungle Safari in Panna, we headed back to our hotel in Khajuraho and this night we visited a small restaurant for their Marwari Thali.

Here is what ChatGPT shares as 2 days itinerary for Khajuraho, but it's not feasible. One obvious example is visiting Panna in afternoon when no safari happens :), but broadly other details can be helpful to get a decent sense:

Day 1:

Morning:

1. Start your day with a visit to the Western Group of Temples, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and contains some of the most well-preserved temples in Khajuraho.
2. Some of the must-visit temples include the Kandariya Mahadev Temple, Chaunsath Yogini Temple, and the Chitragupta Temple.
3. Take a guided tour of the temples to learn more about their history and significance.

Afternoon:

1. Have lunch at one of the restaurants in the nearby town of Khajuraho.
2. After lunch, visit the Eastern Group of Temples, which is known for its Jain temples.
3. Some of the must-visit temples include the Parsvanath Temple, Adinath Temple, and the Shantinath Temple.

Evening:

1. Head to the Raneh Falls, which is located about 20 km from Khajuraho.
2. Take a guided tour of the falls, which are known for their unique rock formations and stunning views.
3. Watch the sunset over the falls before heading back to your hotel for the night.

Day 2:

Morning:

1. Start your day with a visit to the Southern Group of Temples, which is located about 5 km from Khajuraho.
2. Some of the must-visit temples include the Duladeo Temple and the Chaturbhuj Temple.
3. Take a guided tour of the temples to learn more about their history and significance.

Afternoon:

1. Have lunch at one of the restaurants in Khajuraho.
2. After lunch, visit the Panna National Park, which is located about 25 km from Khajuraho.
3. Take a safari tour of the park, which is known for its diverse wildlife, including tigers, leopards, and crocodiles.

Evening:

1. Return to Khajuraho and visit the Khajuraho Sound and Light Show, which is held in the Western Group of Temples.
2. The show tells the story of the temples and their history through a combination of light and sound.
3. Have dinner at one of the restaurants in Khajuraho before retiring to your hotel for the night.










While it is the Western Group of Temples that the city of Khajuraho is most famous for, there is a small but stunning temple that stands proud very close to the Western Group of Temples. While walking towards the Western Group of Temples from the Airport road (crossing Gold Tulip), there is a gate that looks like it does not lead anywhere. It is this gate that you would need to enter to visit the Chausath Yogini Temple.Chausath Yogini Temple, Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh || A stunning 9th century temple that now lies in ruin but still manages to win hearts



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