Chittorgarh — The Fortress City
On the Palace on Wheels route: Day 3 of the 7-night, 8-day itinerary.
About
About Chittorgarh
Chittorgarh was the original capital of Mewar, one of Rajasthan's most powerful kingdoms, until it was abandoned in 1568 after its third and final siege. What remains is the largest fort complex in India — a hilltop city nearly 700 acres in size, enclosed by seven gates, holding the ruins of palaces, temples, and towers spanning roughly a thousand years of continuous habitation before its final fall.
Chittorgarh's history is defined as much by its sieges as by its architecture: the fort was besieged three times between the 14th and 16th centuries, and its story is bound up with acts of jauhar (self-immolation by the women of the fort to avoid capture) that are still recounted in the evening sound and light show staged against its illuminated ramparts.
The Journey
Chittorgarh on Palace on Wheels
Palace on Wheels reaches Chittorgarh by afternoon, following the morning's Ranthambore safari. Guests explore the fort's two great victory towers — the Vijay Stambha (Tower of Victory), a nine-story 15th-century monument, and the more slender 12th-century Kirti Stambha (Tower of Fame) — along with the palace ruins and temples scattered across the plateau.
The visit typically closes with the evening sound and light show, the fort's centuries of siege and sacrifice narrated against its floodlit walls — a dramatic bookend to a day that began with Ranthambore's dawn wilderness and ends with Rajasthan's fortress history, before the train departs overnight for Udaipur.
Top Highlights in Chittorgarh
- Chittorgarh Fort (UNESCO Hill Forts of Rajasthan)
- Vijay Stambha (Tower of Victory)
- Kirti Stambha (Tower of Fame)
- Evening Sound & Light Show
Climate & Best Time to Visit
Chittorgarh's climate mirrors the rest of southern Rajasthan: hot, dry summers from April to June, a brief monsoon through September, and pleasant winters from October to March that are by far the best time to visit and to sit through the outdoor evening light show comfortably.
Food & Cuisine
Food in Chittorgarh
Famous Local Food
Chittorgarh sits in the Mewar culinary region, known for dal baati churma in its Mewari form, safed maas (a mild white mutton curry, a counterpart to Jaipur's fiery laal maas), and mawa kachori — a sweet, khoya-stuffed kachori associated with this part of southern Rajasthan and often sold still warm from roadside stalls near the fort.
Onboard on This Leg
Dinner aboard Palace on Wheels on the Chittorgarh evening is served in the Swarn Mahal restaurant car, timed to follow the fort's sound and light show — a natural point in the journey for the kitchen to lean into Mewari regional dishes, echoing the history guests have just walked through.
Book Your Palace on Wheels Journey
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