Gujju Diary

Madhya Pradesh · road trip

Mandu, Maheshwar, Omkareshwar, Indore & Ujjain

A road trip from Ahmedabad into Madhya Pradesh: palaces in Mandu, the ghats of Maheshwar, two jyotirlingas, and Indore’s food streets in between.

November 2023

Duration
8 days, 7 nights
Season
November, cool and dry
Driving
About 1,000 km
Getting around
Self-drive from Ahmedabad
Stays
Maheshwar, Omkareshwar, Indore, Ujjain

The route

We drove from Ahmedabad to Mandu, spent three nights by the Narmada in Maheshwar, then moved on to Omkareshwar, Indore and Ujjain before driving home.

The loop

  1. Ahmedabad start
  2. Mandu on the way in
  3. Maheshwar 3 nights
  4. Omkareshwar 1 night
  5. Indore 1 night
  6. Ujjain 2 nights

Drive home to Ahmedabad

How the trip went

If you only read one part of this page, read this. The full day-by-day table is below it.

Days 1–3
Mandu, Maheshwar

Ruins on the way in, then the Narmada

We left Ahmedabad early and broke the 370 km drive at Mandu, where the Jahaz Mahal stands between two lakes like a ship at anchor. By evening we were in Maheshwar, 50 km on, for three unhurried nights.

Ahilyabai’s fort and the ghats below it are beautiful at any hour. The food at the Banke Bihari temple and lunch at Rajbhog were highlights, and on the third day we went out to Sahastradhara, where the Narmada splits around the rocks, and the Osho ashram at Jalkoti.

Draft note for Manan: the Maheshwar ghats at sunset.

Day 4
Omkareshwar

An island temple

Omkareshwar sits on Mandhata island in the Narmada, with the jyotirlinga temple and the towering statue of Adi Shankaracharya above it. We parked a couple of kilometres before the temple area, walked in, and finished the day watching the sun go down from Ahilya Ghat.

Day 5
Indore

A pause for the stomach

Indore is a veg food paradise. Between the mirror-work Kaanch Mandir and Khajrana Ganesh temple we ate our way through Chappan Dukan, and after dark Sarafa Bazaar, where the jewellery shops close and the food stalls take over.

Draft note for Manan: the best thing you ate in Indore.

Days 6–8
Ujjain

Mahakal and the ghats of the Shipra

Ujjain was the spiritual end of the trip: Mahakaleshwar temple and the new Mahakal Lok corridor on the first day, then Kaal Bhairav, the Jantar Mantar observatory, Sandipani Ashram, Harsiddhi temple and the ghats along the Shipra on the second.

On the last day we drove home to Ahmedabad.

Day-by-day itinerary

Distances and drive times are the ones we planned with. Optional extras are highlighted like this.

Day Route and travel Sightseeing Stay Distance
Mandu and Maheshwar
Day 1 Ahmedabad to Mandu, then on to Maheshwar Jahaz Mahal and Mandu’s palaces Hotel Kanchan Recreation, Maheshwar 370 km + 50 km
Day 2 Maheshwar Ahilyabai Fort and the ghats, Banke Bihari temple (amazing food), lunch at Rajbhog Hotel Kanchan Recreation, Maheshwar
Day 3 Maheshwar Sahastradhara on the Narmada, Osho ashram at Jalkoti Hotel Kanchan Recreation, Maheshwar
Omkareshwar, Indore, Ujjain
Day 4 Maheshwar to Omkareshwar (1.5 h) Jyotirlinga temple, Statue of Oneness (Adi Shankaracharya), Mandhata island where the Kaveri meets the Narmada, sunset at Ahilya Ghat Hotel Ashirwad, Omkareshwar 80 km
Day 5 Omkareshwar to Indore Kaanch Mandir (Jain), Khajrana Ganesh temple, Phoenix Citadel mall, Chappan Dukan and Sarafa Bazaar for food VR games at Clicktra Treebo Trend Jayshree Palace, Indore
Day 6 Indore to Ujjain Mahakaleshwar temple, Mahakal Lok, Bharat Mata temple Hotel Nandi, Ujjain
Day 7 Ujjain Kaal Bhairav temple, Jantar Mantar, Sandipani Ashram, Ram Ghat, Triveni Ghat, Harsiddhi temple, the haveli (bethak ji) Hotel Nandi, Ujjain
Day 8 Drive home to Ahmedabad Car

What has changed since our trip

  • Recent trip: Nothing major we know of since November 2023. Spotted a change? Tell us in the comments.
  • Mahakaleshwar: Bhasma aarti and VIP darshan need advance booking on the temple’s official site.
  • Prices: Left out on purpose. Check before you go.

Last checked: November 2026

If you are planning this route

  • Go to Sarafa after 9 pm. That is when the food stalls take over the jewellery market.
  • Give Maheshwar two or three nights. It is the calmest stop on the route, and Maheshwari saris make good gifts.
  • Park before the temple in Omkareshwar. Our hotel was about 2 km before the temple parking, which made walking in easy.
  • Eat at the Banke Bihari temple in Maheshwar. The food was a highlight of the trip.
  • Add Janapav Kuti. Parshuram’s birthplace is about 55 km from Indore and open 6 am to 6 pm.
  • Book Mahakal darshan early. Slots for the bhasma aarti go quickly.