Chiklod is for the days you want trees, quiet and a drive — not a ticket queue. About 45 km from Bhopal, tucked into the wooded Vindhya hills, it’s best known for the old Chiklod Palace, once a retreat and hunting lodge of the Nawabs of Bhopal. There’s no grand monument to “do” here; the pleasure is the green setting and the unhurried escape from the city.
A royal retreat in the hills
The Bhopal royals kept several country properties beyond the city, and Chiklod — a large forested estate recorded among the Nawabs’ ancestral holdings — was one of their hunting-lodge retreats. That history is why the spot carries a palace at all, set among hills that still feel remote and green a short drive from the capital.
Make a day of it
Chiklod works best combined with a nearby outing rather than as a destination on its own. Pair the drive with the lake-and-forest calm of Kerwa Dam, or fold it into a heritage day towards Bhojpur and Raisen Fort. Go in the cooler months, carry your own water and snacks, and treat it as what it is — a quiet, green half-day away from Bhopal.
Verified June 2026 against MP travel sources and Nawab-era estate records. Details for Chiklod are limited and the palace is privately held — confirm current access locally before planning a visit.
