Road trips are for exploring the unseen. If you ask me, heritage road trips in India will make you want to explore a little more. Road trips give a chance to explore more than just the roads. It helps in knowing a lot about the culture and traditions of any place as you try to get to the roots.
So what are the iconic heritage road trips in India?
India, is a country best known for its diversity. This is probably why it makes for a great tourist destination. What often adds to the glory of the country are some of the monuments of historic and aesthetic importance. So, if you’re planning a road trip, here’s a list of heritage road trips you might want to try exploring!
1. Taj Mahal, Agra
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Talk about heritage road trips in India and the 7th wonder of the world, the Taj Mahal comes to mind. It is after all of prime importance to the world and the country’s heritage. A monument from the 17th century, it is an ideal depiction of how rich the Mughal architecture has been. Built in the name of true love, it is the epitome of love.
A road trip from Delhi will be ideal for letting you explore your way through the two cities.
2. A tour of Rajasthan
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There’s a lot of heritage that is embodied in the state of Rajasthan. From the state of forts Jaipur, to the royal palaces and lakes in Udaipur; there’s a lot one can see. We could lay out an entire itinerary for you, but we will leave it to you to decide. You could also consider visiting the holy shrine in Ajmer which is quite famous.
You can go road tripping in between the cities and stop by the ones you want to explore. This could be a good break from the everyday hustle.
3. The Golden Triangle tour with Amritsar
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Road trips are fascinating enough, and heritage road trips in India add to it. It’s always best to plan your trip well in advance so that you get to do it statewise. You can have a tour of Agra, Jaipur, and Amritsar through Delhi. While Agra and Jaipur fall on the same route, you’ll need to return to Delhi and travel to Amritsar thereafter. What otherwise makes for three different vacations, you can compile them into one 10 day long trip.
4. Khajurao Temples
Visited the #Khajurao temple that I wanted to see since I was 18. #BostonNomad #india #IncredibleIndia #Bostonian pic.twitter.com/kwljjFjZjN
— JGD (@JGDphoenixrises) December 26, 2016
While Khajurao in Madhya Pradesh is of great interest to heritage road trips in India, you can add cities like Gwalior and Bhopal into it and turn it into a vacation. This way, you get to combine your road trip with some real time travelling too.
The Khajuraho temples break from the conservative mindsets as they display erotic sculptures which are very artistically designed. A UNESCO world heritage site, these sculptures are a fine work of art, and a visit here can only be an eye opener.
In Bhopal, you can visit the Sanchi stupa, the museums, Jama Masjid mosque and other work of art and cultural heritage. Gwalior includes additional places of historic significance, and on your way, you can also stop by at Orccha and Datia. The two places have Mahals built in the Mughal period and also hold importance to the Indian epics, Mahabharata and the Ramayana.
5. Hampi in Karnataka
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Even if it weren’t for the heritage road trips in India, Hampi is one of the hot spots to travel to. While it has now reduced to just another place in Karnataka, the city has a past of cultural and historic importance. Now reduced to ruins and relics, you will still be able to see understand its significance by just taking a look at the architecture. Another World heritage site under the UNESCO, the village used to be the center for trade and administration.
6. Ajanta and Ellora Caves
By C .SHELARE – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Link
These caves look as natural as ever, but they have after all been crafted by the monks almost 2000 years ago. You can do a road trip from Maharashtra, as they are located a little away from the city of Aurangabad. What makes them worthy of heritage road trips in India is how they narrate the story of Buddhism through the sculptures. Check out this road trip plan to Aurangabad one of the community members made.
7. Old Goa
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More like a tour into the southern part of Europe, a trip to Old Goa is quite a cast away from the rest on this list of heritage road trips in India. While everyone knows Goa as Vagator beaches and the famous forts, there’s more to it. The churches, cathedrals and old architecture is also something worthy of exploration. Once you’ve explored the colonial aspect of the place, you’ve always got the beaches and bars to go back to. Did you know that Odisha is blessed with a rich cultural past that is hardly explored? Check them out on our post about 10 beautiful places to visit in Odisha.
So pack your bags and plan the next road trip, this time from our list of heritage road trips in India. While these might be seasonal road tripping places, it’s best you plan them accordingly!
Would you like to suggest any more heritage road trips to us? Leave us suggestions in the comment box below!
5 comments
Good article. Such a good motivation for our trip
We are leaving next week… so exited!
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Nice way of travelling.
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