Exciting Budget Solo Trip to Khajuraho in INR 3000

Can You Believe It? Khajuraho for Just ₹3000! No, we are not exaggerating. As a solo traveler who is always on budget but with an enthusiasm for exploring, I’ll explain how I made it possible.

Khajuraho Group of Temples are one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of India. I had been planning to visit this place for so long and finally I got the opportunity to pay a visit here.

If you are someone like me who wants to go solo and explore this Indian gem, keep reading. In this blog, I’ll explain my personal experience, budgeting, things to keep in mind, etc.

Ditch the expensive tour packages and discover the erotic artistry of Khajuraho on a shoestring budget.

Think it’s impossible? Buckle up, ’cause we’re about to blow your mind!

How to Reach Khajuraho

By Train:

Khajuraho is well connected with mostly all parts of India. You can find trains to Khajuraho here. While not as direct, taking a train can be a great way to save money.

By Flight:

Khajuraho has its own airport, making it easily accessible from major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Bhopal.

This way is best for time-bound travelers or those who prefer a hassle-free journey.

Where to Stay in Khajuraho

Khajuraho is a village that gives you a wide variety of accommodations to choose from. From budget hotels, bed and breakfasts to luxury hotels, you can get your stay according to your needs.

The place is mostly visited by international solo travelers, so these hotels often provide you with tour packages suitable for a single person.

Top 10 Budget hotels in Khajuraho

Name of the Hotel	Rates (Starting rates on a dual sharing basis)	Rating	Distance from the center
Khajuraho Hostel (Recommended)	INR 450	9.3	0.6 km
Hotel Lakeside	INR 300	8.8	1 km
Moustache Khajuraho	INR 350	8.8	0.6 km
Sunrise Bed & Breakfast	INR 672	9.6	1.8 km
Backpackers Karma Homestay	INR 350	9.6	0.6 km
Peaceful Homestay	INR 500	9.0	100 M
Karma Hostel	INR 250	9.4	0.6 km
Madpackers Khajuraho	INR 400	9.1	0.8 km
Happy Homestay	INR 350	9.1	1.8 km
Khajuraho Homestay	INR 500	9.3	1.8 km

(P.S. For the latest rates and availability, kindly check the websites.)

Where to Eat in Khajuraho

Usually all the hotels in Khajuraho provide food. Either they offer homemade food or they have included breakfast in the room fare.

Apart from that you can easily find restaurants in the city market area. Talk to the locals or autowalas for personal recommendations if you want to try authentic Bundelkhandi cuisine.

Many locals offer such authentic homemade foods in their houses. You just need to communicate with locals to find a place to eat that best suits your needs.

Sightseeing in Khajuraho

Khajuraho is known for its temples and erotic carvings on them. Keep a day to visit these temples. It’s better to hire a guide as they will explain the vision behind construction of these temples. So your exploring experience will be enhanced.

Click here to check 22 Stunning Places to Visit in Khajuraho.

You will find paid guides at the entrance of Western Group of Temples. You will have to explore Eastern and Southern temples on your own.

Most hoteliers are locals and offer guide services which you can opt for. My hotel operator offered to show me around these temples (Western, Eastern, Southern) + Aadivart Tribal Museum for INR 500. It could be more or less, totally depending upon your bargaining skills and the size of your group. I was alone, so I went with him on his bike.

Here is his contact: Tiwari 9981859680

Aadivart Museum

Indian Visitor	INR 20
Foreign Visitor	INR 400
Camera Charges	INR 100 per camera

Timings : 12:00 Noon to 9 PM

Closed on Mondays and Government of India Declared Holidays

Tickets

For Western Group of Temples you will have to buy an online ticket. There are no conventional ticket counters available.

Ask your hotel to book tickets for you, or you can book these tickets online. At the entrance of Western Group of temples, you will find QR code standees where you can scan the code and book your tickets.

Make sure you carry your valid govt. ID proof at the checking point.

Citizen	Fare
Indian	INR 35
Foreigner	INR 550
SAARC	INR 35
BIMSTEC	INR 35

You do not need to buy tickets for the Eastern and Southern group of temples in Khajuraho.

Here is the list of places I visited in Khajuraho

• Western Group of Temples
• Eastern Group of Temples
• Southern Group of Temples for Sunset
• Aadivart Tribal Museum
• Pandav Falls
• Panna National Park 
• Raneh Falls

If you want to visit Raneh falls and Pandav Falls. Keep a day spare for this. The national park is beautiful and serene. You can also go for safaris there.

For Raneh Falls and Pandav Falls, Autos usually charge INR 1000 and so do private tour guides (Tiwari Ji).

I got the deal for INR 800 (totally depends upon your bargaining skills).

Top 8 Things to keep in mind while visiting Khajuraho

1. You can feel a major culture shift in Khajuraho. It’s a small village with the history of temples that showcase erotica and expression of love and life, which could be a little uneasy for some of us.
2. You can wear whatever you can while visiting temples. Avoid extremely exposing clothes, as these sites are historic. 
3. While visiting the forest area, remember that it’s a reserved forest and you are not supposed to feed wild animals, make unnecessary noises, litter garbage or make pollution. Wear comfortable clothes while visiting these areas.
4. You will find many vendors selling souvenirs that showcase similarities to those erotic sculptures in the temples. This is completely normal for the locals but could be a little controversial for you. Be ready for such encounters.
5. While visiting Jain temples, you will see meditating Digambara Monks who do not wear clothes. According to their ideology, clothes are considered to be possessions and being a monk calls for sacrificing all the worldly pleasures and attachments. This could be a very different experience for some of us. 
6. Khajuraho is a small region and generally not at all expensive. Local people are hospitable and kind. Do not fall for any expensive guides that can cost you a fortune. 
7. If you want to travel from the Railway Station and The Khajuraho Airport to the city center (near temple area), the autos should not cost you more than INR 200. This could be the best time to show off your bargaining skills.
8. All the guide charges I had mentioned earlier are exclusive of entry charges to any of the temples and falls. 

Budgeting for the solo trip to Khajuraho

I stayed in Khajuraho for 2 whole days and I spent INR 3000 for stay, food and sightseeing. Ill break it down for you.

If you have a valid driving license for two-wheelers, you can save even more. Plus I was traveling solo, so a few expenses like stay and sightseeing did not get divided as they would if I was traveling with a partner!

Stay- INR 450 per night

I do not make impromptu bookings. This always has higher chances of ending up paying more. For example, I planned this trip a month ago and booked my hotel then only. Since this was a long weekend, most hotels have updated their rates to be higher, except the one I stayed in. So I booked it then and there.

They updated their rates for the weekend later, but before that I had locked my deal.

Stay- Khajuraho Hostel (not sponsored)

My honest review

This hotel is located at the walking distance from the Eastern group of temples. Rest of the temples are also nearby.

As a solo female traveler, I can guarantee your safety at this place. The moment I had walked in to this hotel, they gave me their contact number and asked me to give them a call whenever I needed.

And they also told me that I do not need to worry here as a lone female. They will take care of me as a family.

The room that I had booked had no attached washroom. But, they upgraded my room to the one with an attached bathroom.

Rooms were spot-clean- the major criteria for booking my stay! 

There are other hotels and hostels that provide stays at the similar price range which you can try and test!

Total Expense for Stay- INR 900

If you travel with a partner your expenses would get divided here for a stay.

Food- INR 500

Khajuraho does not have many options when it comes to high-end restaurants as it’s a small village. However, it has so many places where they offer homemade authentic Bundelkhandi food. I did not get a chance to try it, as I was unwell during that time.

Whatever I ate was at my hotel only. I used to eat heavy breakfast and early dinners and would skip lunch. 

Homemade food costs much less and the food at this hotel also costs much less. Although they did not have a fixed menu, they asked me everytime about my preferences and charged me accordingly.

Total Expense for Food- INR 500 approx

Tea– INR 60 (3-4 times, INR 15, each)

Breakfast– INR 120 (Poha- 40, Aloo Paratha- 80)

Dinner– INR 300 (Sabzi + roti- 120, restaurant food- 180) 

Sightseeing- INR 1500 H2

You can hire an auto for the sightseeing and most of the attractions can be explored on foot. This was my initial plan, but the day got very sunny, so I decided to let Tiwari ji show me around the village.

On the first day, we went to Pandav Falls and Raneh Falls. For this, he charged me INR 800. The usual rates for this trip are around INR 1000.

Why this costs this much- The distance from the main city to Raneh Falls to Pandav falls and back to the city is around 75-80 kms. Plus, he told me everything about these places, making him a free guide too!

For me this was a good deal.

I paid INR 100 for the Entry fees of two wheeler at Raneh Falls and INR 50 for a two-wheeler at Pandav falls.

Raneh Falls Entry Fees

Guide Fees	Rs. 125/-
On foot/ Bicycle (per person fee)	Rs 50/-
Scooter/Motorcycle/ other two wheelers	Rs. 100/- only two persons permit fee of riding the vehicle.
Auto Rickshaw	Rs. 200/- only three persons permit fee of riding the vehicle.
Light Motor Vehicles (Car, Jeep, Gypsy or similar)	Rs. 300/- only six persons permit fee of riding the vehicle.
Mini Bus	Rs. 600/- only twenty persons permit fee of riding the vehicle.

Pandav Falls Entry Fees

Guide Fees	Rs. 100/-
On foot/ Bicycle (per person fee)	Rs 25/-
Scooter/Motorcycle/ other two wheelers	Rs. 50/- only two persons permit fee of riding the vehicle.
Auto Rickshaw	Rs. 100/- only three persons permit fee of riding the vehicle.
Light Motor Vehicles (Car, Jeep, Gypsy or similar)	Rs. 150/- only six persons permit fee of riding the vehicle.
Mini Bus	Rs. 300/- only twenty persons permit fee of riding the vehicle.

You can also hire two-wheelers with a valid driving license for around INR 500. If you are accompanied by someone, then this cost can also be reduced. (per person- INR 300/per day).

Next day, I visited Western Group of Temples, the Eastern Group of Temples, and the Southern Group of Temples. We have also paid a visit to Aadivart Tribal Museum (Entry Ticket: INR 20). 

For Western groups of temples you will have to buy an online ticket for INR 35, if you are an Indian. Ticket rates for these temples are mentioned above.

For this day, I paid INR 500 for Tiwari ji’s guide services.

Total Expenses: INR 2900 + miscellaneous.

Traveling to Khajuraho

Expenses for traveling are not included in the above budget, as your mode of traveling is completely subjective.

Khajuraho airport and the railway station are very close to each other and around 10 kms away from the city center.

Flights to Khajuraho are quite expensive and will cost you not less than INR 4500 one way. So, this was not an option for me, as I was on a budget. 

I traveled by train in a 3 tier ac compartment which cost me around INR 1100 one way. Your traveling cost absolutely depends on the mode of transport and the class of compartment you choose.

So, this is it! This is how I managed my solo trip to Khajuraho on a budget! If you have any questions or doubts about the trip, do comment down below or just drop an email.