Getting Around Gwalior
Gwalior is a compact, historic city, and most visitors find it easy to reach the main sights without much planning. The city's metropolitan area spreads across several distinct quarters, including Lashkar, the Old City (Fort City), Gwalior West, Gwalior East, Greater Gwalior and Morar Cantonment, so it helps to know which part of town you are heading to before you set out. The notes below cover the practical options, from shared tempos to the airport run.
How Tourists Move Around the City
For the area around Gwalior Fort, the most practical choices are auto-rickshaws or bike rickshaws. Walking is also viable if you have the time and don't mind the distances, and it is a rewarding way to take in the fort surroundings at your own pace.
Rail, Metro and Tram
Gwalior's rail connections are one of its strengths. Gwalior Junction is very well connected to major cities across India by direct train links, with services reaching places as varied as Jammu, Chandigarh, Amritsar, Dehradun, Ahmedabad, Nagpur, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Thiruvananthapuram, Kanyakumari, Visakhapatnam, Patna and Kolkata. From New Delhi, the journey can be made in under three hours on the New Delhi–Rani Kamalapati Vande Bharat Express.
Reserving a train ticket is fully computerised. You can book at the railway station itself or online through the Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation website. Once you arrive at the station, auto-rickshaws and tempos (shared auto-rickshaws) are available to most parts of the city around the clock, and taxis are also on hand. There is a prepaid booth at the railway station for hiring an auto-rickshaw, though it is still advised to negotiate the fare before hiring one.
Gwalior does not currently have a metro or tram system, so rail travel here means the national railway network rather than a local urban rail service.
Buses and Other Public Transport
Tempos are the cheapest way to move inside the city, but you may need to share them with other passengers. They are a good option if you are travelling light and are not in a hurry.
Buses serve both nearby places and journeys to different cities. They depart from the bus stand near the railway station, which makes switching between rail and road straightforward. M.P., Rajasthan and U.P. State Road Transport Corporations run a number of bus services connecting Gwalior to cities and towns around it, and some private operators also run luxury bus services on selected routes starting from various parts of the city.
Taxis and Ride-Hailing
Auto-rickshaws are costlier than tempos but convenient for reaching internal parts of the city. One important practical point: auto-rickshaws in Gwalior do not have fare meters, so never forget to negotiate the fare before hiring one. Taxis are also available at the railway station, and a prepaid booth there can simplify the process of arranging an auto-rickshaw.
Walkability
Walking is a realistic option in the area around Gwalior Fort, particularly if you have time to spare. For longer hops between the city's different quarters, though, you will want a tempo, auto-rickshaw or bus rather than relying on foot alone.
Getting from the Airport into the City
Gwalior Airport (GWL) is one of four airports in the region and also the site of an Indian Air Force Base. It has scheduled domestic services from Delhi, Mumbai, Ahmadabad, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Jammu and Indore on a daily basis, which makes it a workable arrival point for visitors coming from other Indian cities.
Once you land, the same local transport options that serve the rest of the city apply: tempos are the cheapest way to move around, auto-rickshaws are more convenient for reaching specific parts of town, and taxis are available. As elsewhere in Gwalior, auto-rickshaws do not use fare meters, so agree on the fare before you set off.