Gwalior

Described as ‘the pearl amongst India’s fortresses’ by the Mughal Emperor, Babur, Gwalior Fort, despite being just a three-hour drive south of Agra, is nowhere near as tourist-trodden as some of its neighbouring forts and palaces of Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh. Construction began in the 8th-century, during the Tomar rule, and was later added to in the 15th century, by Raja Man Singh Tomar. Marvel as you ascend, at the sacred Jain statues, that line the road up to the fort; once behind its seemingly impenetrable walls, find the Gujari Mahal Palace, now an archaeological museum. The intricately carved Sasbahu Temple must be explored too. The best time to travel here between October and March.