Chunar Fort

A great sandstone fort on a cliff above a bend of the Ganga, some 40 km and an hour to an hour and a half from the city. Its walls hold eight centuries in layers: Prithviraj Chauhan in 1177, then Babur, Sher Shah Suri, Akbar retaking it in 1575, and finally a British arsenal. Inside are the Sonwa Mandap pavilion, an enormous well and a sundial, but the reason to come is the view from the clifftop, where the river swings away below. Open roughly 9:00 to 17:00, entry free. Half a day, ideally with time for the quiet riverside town underneath.

A half-day fortress trip with eight centuries in the walls and the Ganga swinging away below