Raisen · 31 km
An eleventh-century temple abandoned mid-construction around the largest single-stone Shiva lingam in India — with the architects' setting-out drawings still on the rock outside.
© Shirazibustan · CC BY-SA 4.0Hero photograph by Shirazibustan (CC BY-SA 4.0) · source. Remaining gallery slots await licensed imagery.
Tier 4 · OffbeatEco-sensitive
Ginnorgarh Fort
Sehore district, Madhya Pradesh
- Recommended
- 7 hrs
- min 4 hrs
- Difficulty
- Challenging
- Best season
- Winter
- +1 more
- Typical spend
- ₹600
- per person
- Check-in worth
- 150 pts
- Offbeat
- Crowds
- Rarely crowded
Why go
An hour and a half from Bhopal there is an eleventh-century Gond fort on a 600 m outcrop that almost no one in Bhopal has climbed. It is the best half-day trek in the region and the summit is usually yours alone.
Ginnorgarh was a Gond stronghold, held by the Gond rulers of the region before Dost Mohammad Khan took it in the early eighteenth century on his way to founding Bhopal — the fort was part of the territory he acquired through the service and betrayal that built that state. The fort sits inside what is now the Ratapani Tiger Reserve, on a sandstone outcrop with sheer faces on three sides. The structures on top are ruined but substantial: gateways, water tanks cut into the rock, and the remains of a palace. The Ratapani reserve around it is genuine tiger habitat, which is both part of the appeal and the reason for the rules.
Things to do here
6 things · 8 hrs to do all of them
Ginnorgarh trek, a day from Bhopal
Single day · 9 hr 30 min of planned activity
Drive from Bhopal to Ginnorgarh village
1 hr 30 min
60 km via Kerwa and Chiklod
Register with the forest post, meet the guide
30 min
Trek to the summit
2 hr 15 min
Fort ruins, water tanks and the views
1 hr 30 min
Descend
1 hr 45 min
Late lunch in Chiklod
1 hr
Kerwa dam on the way back to Bhopal
1 hr
Location & geofence
The shaded ring is the check-in geofence — 1000 m around the site. Your GPS has to fall inside it for a check-in to count.
23.0667, 77.3167 · Open turn-by-turn in Google Maps
Visitor information
Before you go
- Inside an active tiger reserve. Register at the forest post, go with a guide, and do not trek alone or at dusk.
- A steep unprotected scramble near the summit. No mobile coverage on the hill. Carry 3 litres of water per person.
- Eco-sensitive zone — carry all waste back out.
TrekDaylight only. Forest department requires descents to begin by 2:00 pm
Forest post registration6:30 am – 10:00 am
Best time of dayStart at first light. The climb is unshaded in its final third and the forest department wants you off the hill by mid-afternoon.
- Forest entry₹100
- Local guide (strongly recommended)₹700
- Parking at the village₹50
60 km from Bhopal via Kerwa and Chiklod, about 90 minutes. Bhopal is the nearest airport and railhead. No public transport to the trailhead.
Last mile: The last 12 km to Ginnorgarh village is a forest road, rough and unlit. Not advisable after dark or in monsoon.
ParkingNot available
WashroomsNot available
FoodNot available
Drinking waterNot available
NetworkNo mobile coverage
Nearest ATM28 km
Nearest hospital35 km
PhotographyFree. No drones over the Ratapani reserve.
GuidesVillage guides at Ginnorgarh. The trail is not well marked and a guide is the sensible call, as well as being local income.
- Police100
- Ambulance108
- MP Tourism helpline1800-233-7777
Accessibility
- WheelchairNo
- Senior friendlyNo
- Child friendlyNo
A 4 km trek with a steep final scramble. Proper shoes required.
Reviews
4.7from 110 explorers
Only explorers with a verified check-in here can leave a review.
Devendra Singh
@fortfinder · 7 Sept 2026
Beautiful, but the plastic around the parking area is depressing. Carried out what I could. The site itself is clean once you are past the entrance.
Tip: Carry a bag out with you. It genuinely helps.
43 found this helpful
Ritu Baghel
@offbeat_ritu · 31 Jul 2026
Came for the check-in points and stayed because it turned out to be the best thing I saw all week. That is presumably the idea.
Tip: Do not treat it as a quick tick. It deserves the afternoon.
11 found this helpful
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