Incredible India
7 Things to Do in Kumbhalgarh, Home to the World's Second-Longest Wall
A 15th-century Mewar fort in the Aravalli hills, Kumbhalgarh is ringed by a 36-kilometre wall often described as the world's second-longest continuous wall after the Great Wall of China.
Sep 24, 2026 · BigTravel.in
Kumbhalgarh sits in the Aravalli hills of Rajasthan's Rajsamand district, roughly halfway between Udaipur and Jodhpur, and is best known for a single remarkable structure: a fortification wall running for more than 36 kilometres around the hilltop, often described as the second-longest continuous wall in the world after the Great Wall of China. Built in the 15th century under Rana Kumbha of Mewar, the fort was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2013 as part of the Hill Forts of Rajasthan listing. Here are seven things to do there.
1. Walk a stretch of the Great Wall of Kumbhalgarh
The wall, wide enough in places for several horses to ride abreast, snakes across the surrounding ridgeline in both directions from the fort's main gates, and short walks along its ramparts give a sense of scale that photographs from the base rarely capture.
2. Kumbhalgarh Fort's main citadel
Built by Rana Kumbha in the 15th century and later expanded, the fort's citadel sits at the highest point of the complex and is said to have never been captured by direct assault, falling only once, briefly, through a shortage of drinking water.
3. Badal Mahal, the Palace of Clouds
The topmost palace within the fort, added later than Rana Kumbha's original structure, is split into a women's and a men's wing decorated with pastel-painted rooms, and its terrace gives a clear view over the wall's route across the hills, and on a good day, as far as the edge of the Thar Desert.
4. The fort's temple complex
Kumbhalgarh is said to hold more than 360 temples within its walls, the majority Hindu with a smaller number of Jain shrines, most dating to Rana Kumbha's reign; the Neelkanth Mahadev temple, with its large stone Shiva lingam, is among the most visited.
5. Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary
The forest surrounding the fort was declared a wildlife sanctuary in 1971 and is one of the few places in Rajasthan where wolves are regularly recorded, alongside leopards, sloth bears and a wide range of birdlife, best explored on an early-morning jeep safari arranged from the village below.
6. The evening light and sound show
A nightly light and sound show held at the fort's entrance narrates the history of Mewar and Rana Kumbha's reign, and is a straightforward way to take in the fort's floodlit silhouette against the hills after dark.
7. Ranakpur Jain Temple, a short drive away
Around 45 minutes from Kumbhalgarh, the marble Jain temple complex at Ranakpur, built in the 15th century and dedicated to Adinatha, is supported by more than 1,400 intricately carved pillars, no two said to be exactly alike, and is often paired with a Kumbhalgarh visit as a single day out from Udaipur.
Traveller tips
- Kumbhalgarh is roughly a 2 to 2.5 hour drive from Udaipur, the nearest city with an airport and rail connections.
- The fort complex is large; comfortable walking shoes are worth it for anyone planning to cover more than the citadel itself.
- Winter months, October to March, offer the most comfortable conditions for walking the wall and visiting the wildlife sanctuary.
- Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh are commonly combined into a single day trip from Udaipur; an early start helps avoid rushing either site.
Where this is
Kumbhalgarh, Rajasthan