Alwar, Rajasthan isn’t that famous of a tourist destination for north Indian travelers but we would say it better be like that. Let it be a hidden gem.
It’s located approximately 150Km from New Delhi and therefore perfect for a road trip or short weekend trip. There are forts, Havelis, lakes, and natural reserves. Do you really want more for it to be famous? Bleh!
The journey to Alwar from Delhi is quite scenic(we were not expecting it). You will see Aravalli Range on your way and might question why are there mountains in Jaipur, isn’t it supposed to have only sand dunes because it is Rajasthan. (This was Jatin when he went to Rajasthan for the first time)
Well, It took us approximately 3 hours to reach Alwar from New Delhi. The road is pretty ok, and it is advisable to not exceed 80 – 90 km/hr as there are strict checks on the way and you might end up shedding more than the cost of petrol(well can’t say if that’s true after the recent spike in the fuel price).
We visited this place when the Indian Government allowed leisure travel, after the COVID pandemic. Everybody along the way was wearing masks and trying to socially distance themselves.
On our way, there were many roadside fresh juice sellers and we had very refreshing Orange Juice. It was tangy and Jatin loves tangy food.
Once we reached, we were welcomed by our hotel manager with a thermal scan and sanitizer. Both went well.
There are very few good staying options in Alwar, so research really well or see our suggestions below. (We have removed the place where we stayed, as it was not worth mentioning due to our experience)
Travel Tip: Don’t waste time in a hotel stay, just take a quick bath or freshen up to get started. This city has many things to offer, see what all you can see in a day’s time.
We started with the most famous point in the city which is Bala Quila. It was about 8 km from the main city by google maps. We had to park about 4 km before the fort as you can only go in by a 4×4 vehicle run by government guides and tour operators.
They charge you about 60 INR per head for entry and 1400 INR for the car ride which will give you a tour of all gates of the fort and the guide will explain to you complete details of the fort. Trust me there were many fascinating facts about the place. Read more about Bala Quila in the linked post.
After a good time spent there and a good meal in between at the Prem Pavitra Bhojnalaya(good authentic food, their Dahi Bhalla was out of the world), we rushed to our second destination of the day, which is Moosi Maharaja ki Chhatri.
It used to be a small palace with a nice artificial water setup called Sagar Kund. We could find some couples doing their pre-wedding shoots there which was obvious as the place was really magnificent.
You can read about it more on the linked post.(coming soon)
Well, that was all about the daytime.
After the sunset, there isn’t too much to do about Alwar city. Of course, you need to eat and unwind n chill after a long but awesome touristy day. We will suggest you the one we tried and it turned out well(minus the ambiance)
So we went back to our hotel, had a coke and our usual hunger pang was there. Minutes after hustling whether to order something from Zomato or not, we decided to go out again. It was a wise call.
There is a place close to the start of the city named AL-LAZEEZ restaurant. They served good Mughlai food & in record 40 minutes time we were amazingly full.
I liked the part that they served us food on eco-friendly one-time-use plates. This was a good move due to the coronavirus spread everywhere. I am amused why can’t big chains and names cannot follow this. Not saying anyone to reduce their food quality or quantity but serving in their existing bone china crockery is risky in our humble opinion.
The next day morning, we got ready on time to buy the very famous “Kalakand” of Alwar by Baba Thakur Das and got some Samosas and kachoris to go snack on our journey back home.
Things to Do | Places to Visit
- Bala Quila
- Safari in Sariska Reserve / Sariska National Park
- Moosi Rani Ki Chhatri
- Siliserh Lake
Where to Stay?
There are very few choices of good stay in Alwar. All the good hotels are at least 20 Km from the city center. The hotel where we stayed is not worth mentioning.
- Hotel Clarks Inn
Where to Eat?
- Prem Pavitra Bhojanalya
- Al Lazeez
- Baba Thakur Das (famous for Kalakand)
How to reach?
- Take a train from New Delhi to Alwar
- Self Drive
- Hire Ola/Uber outstation
- Go by bus
Appetitravel recommends
A good option for a short touristy weekend trip from New Delhi.