By Rail
Gwalior is on the Central Railways main Delhi - Gwalior and Delhi - Chennai lines, just as Agra. Among other major trains, the Taj and Shatabdi Express operating daily, connect Gwalior with Agra.

By Road
There are regular bus service from Gwalior to Agra, Mathura, Jaipur, Delhi, Lucknow, Bhopal, Chanderi, Indore, Jhansi, Khajuraho, Rewa, Ujjain and Shivpuri.

Local Transport
You can take local taxis, auto rickshaws, and six - seater tempos to move inside the city and all of them are easily available. Take the help of prepaid booths at airport and railway station before moving inside an auto rickshaw or taxi.

Area
289.85 sq km

Population
8,30,720

Languages
Hindi & English

STD code
0751

Climate
Summers are very hot. Months ? May-June.  Winters are cold. Months ? November ? January.

Best time to visit
October - March 

Gwalior Fort
Truly impressive both in size and the beauty of structure,history of the fort, spans over twelve centuries and is evident in the plethora of edifices that do the area; from old, crumbling ruins and exquisite palaces to the modern-day Scindia Public School. Gwalior s strategic position between north and south India made the Fort an important possession and it was captured by several ruling houses. Some left almost as soon as they came, while others stayed on to build and beautify the citadel. The first historical holders were the Huns. The Fort in 10th, 11th and 12th centuries was under the Kachwaha Rajputs, the Pratihars, Qutbuddin Aibak and Iltutamish and remained under Muslim possession till 1398. Under the Tomars, whose most important king was Man Singh (1486-1517), Gwalior rose to prominence. The Fort was finally surrendered to Ibrahim Lodhi in 1518.

The Mughals, who later captured the Fort, used it as a prison. While going through the dark, dank subterranean chambers, Jaswant tale acquires a fearsome and glory touch as he recounts how many of those who entered including Jehangir s eldest son Khusro and Aurangzeb s brother, Murad Baksh never left. He describes how the prisoners were made to drink a decoction of crushed poppy seeds that gradually produced insanity, and finally death. But those were hard, barbaric times.
Held in succession by the Jats, Marathas and the British, the Fort was finally handed over to Jiyaji Rao Scindia at a formal durbar in 1885. The Scindias who were last ruling family of Gwalior, used it as a place of residence till they built their more opulent Italian style palace at Lashkar.

Man Mandir
Moving through the Urvashi gate, where the towering Jain monoliths, with straight, severe forms and staring eyes are cut out of the rock face, you will come to "Man Mandir", the Fort s piece de resistance, the palace built by Man Singh Tomar in the 11th century. A delicate structure exhibiting a sense of joy and abandon through use of colour, motif and design, Man Mandir is at once delightfully spontaneous and yet exhibits a restraint that results in finished perfection. There are chambers for affairs of state as well as those for relaxation, adorned appropriately and ornately with carved animals, flowers and the human form; the yellow, green and bright blue tiles, adding a rich touch of colour, set off by the pale yellow sandstone base.

Gurjari Mahal
If Man Mandir reflects Man Singh s aesthetic sensibilities, Gujari Mahal speaks of his love. More significant than the palace itself (which is now a museum) is the tale behind it. Man Singh came across a Gujjar woman - Mrignayani, while she was separating two warring buffaloes. He was not only astonished by her courage, but was also mesmerized by her beauty. Would she be his queen? He asked. Fiercely proud and independent, she was unmoved by the honor. She would agree, she said, only if the waters of her native stream were brought to the palace. Further, she would accept no subservient role and would assume a position of equality at all times. The king agreed and built a palace for her with the waters of the Raj running through it.
Adding another dimension to their relationship was their love for music. The Dhrupad, a sophisticated and evolved form of music was created by them, and it was from this time that the tradition of music with which Gwalior is associated, having a Gharana of its own, developed.

Teli-Ka-Mandir
Contrasting with the predominant north Indian style of architecture is the Teli-ka-Mandir. Generally believed to be the oldest temple of the Fort, this ninth century temple, dedicated to Vishnu though Dravidian in form has sculptures that are distinctly north Indian. Some believed it was so named because it was built in the Telengana style; others say this was because it was built by telis (oil merchants). A more recent study ascribes it to Telap Raj, a prime minister of the region.

Shivpuri (112 kilometers) on the Agra Gwalior Road famed for its Madhav National Park and the Chattris (memorials to former rulers), (239 kilometers). Chanderi (239 km), a well-preserved medieval town famed for the craft of sari weaving, with beautiful structures executed in the Bundelkhandi style.

Orcha (120 kilometers), a former capital of the Bundela Rajputs, has interesting palaces and temples. Other interesting places include, Datia (69 kilometers), Marwar (122 kilometers), and Pawaya (68 kilometers).