| Alwar is referred as the gateway to the historic and colorful state of Rajasthan. Alwar is located in the north eastern part of Rajasthan at an altitude of 237 meters above sea level. It covers an area of 44.76 square km. It lies 170 km south of Delhi and is about 150 km from Jaipur. It is flanked by the barren hills of the Aravali range. Alwar has its own heritage, which goes back to the mythological legends of the Mahabharata. Alwar has had a chequered history and has been a witness to many rules and rulers. It offers the traveler various sites of historical importance. The climate of Alwar is temperate. Summers are hot but the winters are cool and pleasant.During the summers the temperature is around 41.8º Celsius and during winters it is around 5º Celsius. So the best time to visit this place is from September to February. Hindi, Rajasthani, Marwari and English are the common languages which are spoken here. |
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| History of Alwar |
| Once an ancient Rajput state, formerly known as Mewar, Alwar was nearest to the imperial Delhi. The people of the state did not accept any external interferences and daringly resisted all foreign invasions. In the 12th and 13th centuries, they formed a group and raided Delhi. But finally, Sultan Balban (1267 AD - 1287 AD) suppressed them, bringing the area under the Muslim rule. In 1771 AD, Maharaja Pratap Singh, a Kuchhwaha Rajput belonging to the clan of Jaipur’s rulers, won back Alwar and founded a principality of his own. Apart from its long history, the city has a rich natural heritage with some beautiful lakes and picturesque valleys thickly wooded in parts. |
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| Tourist Attractions of Alwar |
| The main tourist attraction of Alwar is City Palace or Vinay Vilas Mahal. The other main attraction is Sariska National Park in Sariska. Sariska was once the hunting reserve of the Maharajas of Alwar. The main fauna in the Sariska National Park are the Tiger, Leopard, Panther, Hyena, Jungle Cat, Civet, Sambhar, Chinkara, Nilgai, Porcupine and Four-Horned Antelope. |
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| How to get there |
By Air: The nearest airport to Alwar is Jaipur which is about 148 km.
By Rail: Alwar is on the broad gauge network of the western Railways. It has convenient connections from Delhi and Jaipur. An exciting and exotic train runs from Delhi to Alwar. It is the famous Fairy Queen, which is the oldest running steam locomotive in the world. The hospitality and the luxury of this train are exceptional. It takes about 3-4 hours to reach Alwar. One can enjoy the scenery of the surroundings en route.
By Road: Alwar is well connected by road to the various parts of Rajasthan. Regular bus service operates between Alwar and major cities like Delhi, Jaipur, Kota, Udaipur, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Ajmer. |
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| Map of Alwar |
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Alwar City Tour
3 Days / 2 Nights
Jaipur - Alwar - Jaipur
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| Alwar is referred as the gateway to the historic and colorful state of Rajasthan. Alwar is located in the north eastern part of Rajasthan at an altitude of 237 meters above sea level. It covers an area of 44.76 square km. It lies 170 km south of Delhi and is about 148 km from Jaipur. It is flanked by the barren hills of the Aravali range. The climate of Alwar is temperate. Summers are hot but the winters are cool and pleasant. So the best time to visit Alwar is from September to February. In Alwar there are various sites of historical importance. Alwar city tour will take you to these historical places like Vinai Vilas City Palace, Yashwant Niwas and even to the Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary. |
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Day 01: Jaipur - Alwar (about 148 km)
Arrival at Jaipur airport or railway station. After arrival in Jaipur drive to Alwar. Upon arrival in Alwar, you will be transferred to the hotel. Rest of the day at leisure.
Day 02: Alwar
Today we have full day sightseeing in Alwar. We will visit the Vinai Vilas City Palace. This palace has a fine museum with more than 7000 manuscripts, miniature paintings in both Mughal and Rajasthani style, armour, textiles and musical instruments. We will also visit the Yashwant Niwas. It is a palace built by Maharaja Jai Singh in the Italian style. In the evening we will visit the Siliserh Lake.
Day 03: Alwar - Jaipur (about 148 km)
After having breakfast drive to Jaipur. Enroute we visit the Sariska wildlife sanctuary. In the evening transfer to the airport or railway station.Inclusions:
 Standard Rooms on twin sharing basis.
Breakfast in the Hotel.
Driver allowances.
Toll Tax and Parking.
Hotel Transfer at all places.
Vehicle Insurance included.
Petrol/Gas cost included.
All Transfers and departures on arrival and departure by Indo Vacations
representative.
All Transfers and Sightseeing throughout the tour by an individual air-conditioned
vehicle (car/Jeep etc.) with driver (reliable, experienced and English speaking- have a look at the references on our website from all over the world).
Exclusions:
Any Kind of Personal Expenses such as Tips, Laundry, Telephone Bills and Alcoholic
beverages.
Entrance/administrative fees. Camera fees (still or movie). Unspecified meal etc.
International or Domestic Flights. |
| We always look forward for any changes in the itinerary as wished by you for your individual trip. |
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| Major Tourist Attractions in Alwar |
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| Bala Quila (Fort) |
The "Bala Quila" or the Bala Fort is perched on the most prominent hill of Aravallis range which explains the tales of the rich history of the city. It is the massive medieval fort with 15 large and 51 small towers, 446 openings for musketry and 8 huge towers and rises about 3000 m above the city. This fort is also known as the Kunwara Kila. This huge fort is famous for its history, which predates the Mughal rulers. It runs 5 km from north to south, and nearly 2 km from east to west.
Some of the Mughal rulers are reported to have stayed there before it reverted back to the Rajput rulers in the 18th century. The fort is circumscribed with several gates known as Pols. A few of which are named after various personalities. e.g. Jai Pol, Laxman Pol, Suraj Pol.
In this fort the Mughal Emperor Babur decided to make a night halt here, but succumbing to innate greed, he raided the hidden treasures in the toshakhana and took the booty home to shower on his son Humayun. Salim Mahal, which lies in ruins now, is said to have been the palace where Prince Salim — later the Mughal Emperor Jehangir — spent his three-year exile.
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| City Palace |
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| Also known as Vinay Vilas Mahal, is the palace complex situated just below the fort but some of it has been converted into Government offices. Vinay Vilas Mahal was built by Maharaja Vinay Singh. This palace dates back to the 18th century and is a blend of Rajput and Mughal architecture.
A part of the complex houses the museum where a rich part of it's history has been preserved. In the gilded Durbar Hall at the City Palace there is a raised platform upon which rests a gold and velvet throne. |
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| On the walls and ceiling you would be able to discover a fabulous wealth of murals and mirror work. The City Museum, located on the upper floors of the Palace has a splendid range of miniature paintings of the Alwar School. The colors in the paintings are as fresh and vibrant as ever. In the museum there is the unusual silver table which used to entertain the nobility of the Rajera and also the vast collection of armory. |
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| Purjan Vihar (Company Garden) |
Built during the reign of Maharaja Shiv Dan Singh in 1868, Purjan Vihar is also known as the Company Gardens. This scenic garden serves as a popular picnic spot during summers. One of the most attractive features of the garden is setting known as Shimla. It was built by Maharaja Mangal Singh to provide cool shades as a relief from the scorching summer heat.
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| Museums in Alwar |
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Alwar Government Museum: The government museum is housed in the old City Palace. This museum has a unique collection of arms, lacquered brassware and ivory work items, musical instruments, stuffed animals, pottery works, miniature paintings and Persian and Sanskrit manuscripts. The museum is divided into three major sections, each housed in a big hall.
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| Virat Nagar Museum |
| In the epic period, the area around the district of Jaipur, Alwar and Bharatpur came to be known as Matsyadesh with Virat Nagar as its capital. Frequent references of Matsyadesh have been made in the Indian epic-the Mahabharat. The Virat Nagar museum has the richest collection of excavated material like potteries, paintings, old coins, seals, metallic pieces, weapons and statues. |
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| Sariska National Park |
Sariska National park is one of the India’s most exciting wildlife reserves. Sariska National Park lies in the Aravalli hills and spread over a core area of 498 square km. This park can be easily reached from Alwar, Delhi and Jaipur and about 40 km from Alwar and 107 km from Jaipur. Once, Sariska was the hunting ground of the Maharajas of Alwar, but later became a wildlife sanctuary in 1958 by the government of India. In 1979, it was brought under the Project Tiger and was given a status of national park in 1982.
The landscape in Sariska comprises of low hills, wide valleys, steep escarpment, hill plateaus and narrow valleys of the Aravali hill range. The topography supports scrub-thorn arid forests, dry deciduous forests, rocks and grasses. The major plants that one can find here are dhok, khair, tendu and ber. The plants remain lush and green during the monsoon and summers. Today, Sariska is a major milk producing region, and cattle have crowded the forestlands and pastures around the park, so that the population of wildlife has shrunk to the limits of the park alone. Human population and the presence of religious spots around and inside the park have further led to the deterioration of the environment. |
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| Major Attractions in the Sariska National Park |
The Sariska National Park is known for its tigers. According to the latest available data, there are about 35 tigers in the park here. Besides tiger, Sariska has a very good population of Sambhar, Chital, Nilgai, Leopard, Jackal, Hyena, Wild dog, Four-horned Antelope, Wild Boar, Common Langur, Caracal, Jungle Cat, Porcupines and Crocodiles. Water holes have also been created at various spots in the sanctuary. These water holes are now acting as the nerve centers of the sanctuary and various animals can be easily seen here during summers. Various tourists often gather at the hides located close to the waterholes to view and photograph the animals. Besides animals various birds can also be seen in Sariska National Park like Grey Partridges, White-breasted Kingfisher, Golden-backed woodpecker, Peacock, Red Spurfowl, Pigeons, Quails, Sand Grouses, Parakeets, Kites, Eagle. Owl and Vultures.
The Sariska National Park offers a wide range of activities such as a jungle safari in and around the park in the mornings and evenings, observing the wildlife at the waterholes, or photographing wildlife from the many hideouts provided in the park.Best Time to Visit :The sanctuary can be visited throughout the year except during July and August when animals move to higher ground. The best season to visit the park is from November to June. June is the best month for game viewing. The best way to visit the Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary is either by having a Jeep Safari or Canter Safari |
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| Other Attractions in Sariska National Park |
There are also historical ruins and monuments within Sariska which are the symbol of the rich past of Alwar. Various ancient temples and forts are also situated within the premises of the park.
Kanakwari Fort: Among the historic landmarks located within the Sariska national park, includes the Kanakwari Fort. This is the fort where Emperor Aurangzeb once imprisoned his brother, Dara Shikoh. The Kanakwadi fort also had links with Mughal history. Now overgrown with weeds and shrubs, it stands majestically on a hill overlooking the Kanakwadi plateau.
Ancient Shiva Temple: Within the area of the Sanctuary, Neelkanth temple, that belongs from the 6th to 13th century AD, now in ruins, afford a wonderful sight to the visitors. This ancient medieval temple is dedicated to the Lord Shiva.
Sariska Palace: Sariska was known as the royal reserve of the rulers of Alwar. The Sariska Palace was built by the Maharajas of Alwar and this palace has now been converted into a heritage hotel.
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| Excursions from Alwar |
Neemrana Fort Palace - Neemrana Fort is located in village Neemrana of the Alwar district. Neemrana Fort Palace is among the India's oldest heritage resorts which was built in the year 1464 AD. It is sited on a majestic plateau, concealed in a horseshoe formation of the billion year old Aravalli ranges.
Siliserh Lake: Siliserh Lake, an idyllic picnic spot is situated about 13 km south west of Alwar. The shimmering Siliserh lake covers an area of 10.5 square km. This lake is surrounded by thick wooded hills with beautiful chhatris on the embankment. This lake was once a source of the Alwar's water supply and various fishes and water birds can be seen in this lake. Situated between the Aravalis and overlooking the lake is the magnificent royal hunting lodge or Siliserh lake palace. This lake palace was built by Maharaja Vinay Singh in 1845 AD for his queen Shila. This palace has now been converted into a heritage hotel. This lake offers boating and sailing facilities and is a delightful spot for various photographers and film makers.
Vijay Mandir Palace - Situated just 10km from Alwar this is a royal residence, built by Maharaja Jai Singh in 1819. A splendid temple of Sita Ram is situated here which is visited by large number of devotees on the occasion of Ramnavmi.
Bhartrihari Temple - The Bhartrihari temple is a prominent pilgrimage center. There is a cenotaph of the legend associated the place with King Bhartrihari, who abandoned the world 21 centuries ago. He roamed about in these parts in penance and even has his cenotaph here. Every year a fair is organized at the temple in the months of September/October.
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