My Amazing Nagpur to Indore 550 Km Bus Journey

Hi Friends. Today I am going to share my detailed journey experience of Nagpur to Indore MSRTC bus via my nomadpatel.in. I am from Chikodi which is 50 KM from Kolhapur. I travel across Maharashtra to collect real MSRTC bus route data for my website.

This was my first inter-state journey from Vidarbha to Madhya Pradesh. My last journey was Chandrapur to Nagpur E Shivai which was 160 KM in 3 hours from Platform 11 at 7 AM. After reaching Ganesh Peth Agra Nagpur at 10:15 AM, I took rest at Nagpur for one night. Next day on 4th April 2026,I decided to travel from Nagpur to Indore because there is a direct MSRTC bus available at 5:15 AM from Ganesh Peth Bus Stand.

The main reason to travel this route was to cover Melghat Tiger Reserve route which is very famous but less documented on the internet. Also I wanted to collect data of Paratwada to Burhanpur route which is 80 KM via Melghat and is very important for my website nomadpatel.in

This journey is special because it goes through three major ghats – Melghat, Dhulghat and Choral Ghat. It also crosses three major rivers – Wardha River, Tapi River and Narmada River. The bus goes from Maharashtra to Madhya Pradesh and you can see the change in language, food and culture after Burhanpur. I charged my phone 100 percent at night because I knew network will be less in Melghat forest area. My power bank was at 34 percent only, so I was a little worried.

Nagpur To Indore Distance

Nagpur to Indore distance is approximately 550 Kilometers as per my diary. Google Map shows 568 Kilometers and 13 hours 25 minutes driving time. But MSRTC bus takes 16 hours 45 minutes because of ghat sections, diesel filling, driver change, tea breaks and dinner halt. This is normal for MSRTC long route buses.

My bus started at 5:15 AM from Nagpur Ganesh Peth Bus Stand and reached Indore Bus Stand at 10:00 PM same day. So total journey time was 16 hours 45 minutes. The first 150 KM from Nagpur to Amravati was covered in 3 hours via Mumbai Nagpur Express Highway. Next 50 KM from Amravati to Paratwada was covered in 1 hour 20 minutes.

Paratwada to Dharni is 80 KM via Melghat and takes 3 hours because road is single and forest area. Dharni to Burhanpur is also 80 KM and takes 3 hours via Dhulghat. Burhanpur to Indore is 180 KM and takes 6 hours via Choral Ghat including dinner halt at Rishika Dhaba.

You must note that Nagpur has two main bus stands – Ganesh Peth Agra and Mor Bhavan. This Indore bus starts only from Ganesh Peth. At Ganesh Peth, two platforms are allotted for this route. So you must ask at enquiry counter about exact platform number. I reached at 4:45 AM and waited at platform.

Nagpur To Indore MSRTC Bus Details

My bus number was MH 40 AQ 6420. This bus belongs to Nagpur Division and Paratwada Depot. This is a 2×2 Semi Luxury bus with 45 seats. The bus condition was average but engine was very powerful which is needed for Melghat ghat.

Facilities in the bus: Pushback seats, water bottle holder, small magazine pocket, handle bar, footrest, mobile charging socket was not working properly, two fans, reading lamp was not available, emergency window and emergency door. The bus was not AC but windows were good. The conductor was very helpful and he knew every stop in Melghat.

I observed that this route is very important for tribal people of Melghat. Many students, farmers and daily wage workers travel from Paratwada to Dharni and Burhanpur. So the bus was full after Paratwada. Before Paratwada only 20 passengers were there.

Nagpur To Indore MSRTC Bus schedule

As per my travel day, there is only one direct MSRTC bus from Nagpur to Indore at 5:15 AM from Ganesh Peth Bus Stand. This bus goes daily. Sometimes an extra bus runs at 6:00 PM from Mor Bhavan, but that is via Khandwa route, not via Melghat. So if you want to travel via Melghat and see tiger reserve, you must take 5:15 AM bus only.

If you miss this bus, you can go via Amravati to Paratwada to Burhanpur with change. From Nagpur to Amravati buses are available every 30 minutes from 4 AM to 10 PM. From Amravati to Paratwada buses are available every 1 hour. From Paratwada to Burhanpur via Dharni, buses are available at 6 AM, 9:30 AM, 12 PM and 3 PM. From Burhanpur to Indore buses are available every 2 hours from 5 AM to 8 PM via MP Roadways and MSRTC.

I suggest you reach Ganesh Peth at least 45 minutes early because platform information changes and you need to keep luggage.

Nagpur To Indore Ticket Price

Nagpur to Indore ticket price was 850 Rs when I travelled in April 2026. This fare may increase or decrease slightly as per diesel price and toll. You must check at the counter. There is no online booking for this inter-state route on MSRTC website, you have to take ticket at bus stand only. Or you can book from redbus for MP Roadways buses.

My ticket was 850 Rs for 550 KM which is around 1.54 Rs per KM which is normal for semi luxury. The conductor gave me a printed ticket. He also told me that up to Amravati ticket is 180 Rs, up to Paratwada 250 Rs, up to Dharni 400 Rs, up to Burhanpur 550 Rs and up to Indore 850 Rs. So if you want to go only to Amravati or Paratwada, you can take this bus.

My Detailed Route and Timings – Nagpur to Indore Full Journey

I will explain my full journey stop by stop with exact timings as per my handwritten diary. I wrote this diary inside the bus with a small pen. My handwriting was a little shaky in ghat.

I left Nagpur Ganesh Peth Bus Stand at 5:15 AM sharp. The bus started from Platform 2, but board showed Platform 1 also for Indore. So there are two platforms allotted. At 5:15 AM it was dark and cold. The bus took the Mumbai Nagpur Express Highway, also called Samruddhi Highway. This highway is very smooth and six lanes. The driver drove fast.

First stop was Kondhali Bus Stand at 6:15 AM. Kondhali is 65 KM from Nagpur. Here 2 passengers got down and 5 got in. The bus did not go inside Kondhali city, it stopped at highway bus stop. After Kondhali, the bus continued on highway and reached Karanja Ghadge at 6:45 AM. Karanja Ghadge is also called Karanja Lad. This is a small town but famous for Laddu Gopal Temple. The bus stopped for 2 minutes.

After Karanja Ghadge, the bus went via Talegaon Bus Stand at 7:15 AM. Talegaon is 90 KM from Nagpur. Here the road leaves Samruddhi Highway and goes towards Amravati via old NH 53. At Talegaon, we crossed a small bridge over a local river. I ate one Parle-G biscuit which I had in my bag. My phone battery was 92 percent now.

After Talegaon, we crossed Wardha River bridge. Wardha River is a big river which separates Nagpur district and Amravati district. After crossing Wardha River bridge, we entered Amravati district. The road became two lane and traffic increased. At 8:10 AM we reached Amravati Central Bus Stand. Distance from Nagpur to Amravati is 150 KM.

I covered this in 2 hours 55 minutes. Amravati city has three bus stands – Badnera Bus Stand, Rajapeth Bus Stand and Amravati Central Bus Stand which is also called Amravati Madhyavarti Bus Stand.

My bus went to Central Bus Stand. Here 15 passengers got down and many new passengers got in for Paratwada and Dharni. The bus halt was 10 minutes. I went to washroom and bought one water bottle for 20 Rs. Water bottle holder in my seat was broken, so I kept bottle in my bag.

From Amravati Central, the bus went towards Paratwada. Paratwada is 50 KM from Amravati. The road from Amravati to Paratwada is called Amravati Paratwada Highway. It is a good two lane road with many villages. We passed Walgaon village, then Asegaon Purna village.

Purna River is a small river but water was less in March. After Asegaon Purna, we reached Paratwada Bus Stand at 9:30 AM. So Amravati to Paratwada 50 KM was covered in 1 hour 20 minutes.

Paratwada is an important town for Melghat. This is the gateway to Melghat Tiger Reserve. Paratwada Bus Stand is big. There are total 12 platforms. My bus came to Platform 12. From Platform 12, buses for Dharni, Bhokarbardi, Tukaiwad, Khandwa and Indore start.

So if you want to go to Dharni, you must come to Platform 12. At Paratwada Bus Stand, my bus diesel was filled. The bus went inside Paratwada Depot which is behind the bus stand. Diesel filling took exactly 15 minutes. During this time, all passengers got down.

I also got down and stretched my legs. I saw many ST buses of Amravati Division and Nagpur Division parked there. One dog was sleeping near tea stall. I took one blurry photo of diesel filling because my hand was shaking.

After diesel filling, the bus again came to Platform 12 at bus stand. Here driver and conductor changed. New driver came who is expert in Melghat ghat driving. Old driver told me that Melghat road is dangerous and single road with sharp turns, so expert driver is needed. Till now we had covered 200 KM from Nagpur.

From Paratwada, distance to Burhanpur via Melghat is 80 KM only but takes 3 hours. The bus left Paratwada at 10:30 AM sharp. Immediately after leaving Paratwada, the road enters Melghat Tiger Reserve forest.

The forest is very dense and beautiful. You can see big teak trees and bamboo trees. The road is single and no divider. Sometimes you can see tribal people walking with wood. The bus horn was continuously blowing.

We passed Bihali village, then Ghatang village. Ghatang is inside forest. At Ghatang, network was zero. My phone showed no signal. Then we reached Semadoh at 12:15 PM. Semadoh is a small tribal village and also a tourist place for Melghat Tiger Reserve. Many tourists stay at Semadoh for jungle safari.

My bus stopped at Semadoh for 10 minutes for tea and water. Tea break was only 10 minutes. I bought one tea for 10 Rs and one biscuit for 10 Rs. The tea was very strong and tasty. The shop owner was a tribal lady. She was very friendly. I asked about tiger sighting and she said sometimes tiger comes near road at night. After tea break, driver started bus again.

From Semadoh to Dharni, distance is 45 KM. The road is still inside forest and ghat. The ghat is called Melghat Ghat or Dhakna Ghat. The driver drove very slowly and carefully. After 15 minutes of journey from Semadoh, we reached Harisal village. Harisal is also a tribal village.

Then we reached Dharni Bus Stand at 1:00 PM. Dharni is a taluka place in Amravati district. It is 280 KM from Nagpur. Dharni Bus Stand is small but crowded. Many passengers for Burhanpur got in here. The bus halt was 5 minutes only.

From Dharni to Burhanpur is 80 KM. This stretch is very important because it crosses Dhulghat and Maharashtra Madhya Pradesh border. After leaving Dharni, the bus went via Dhulghat. Dhulghat is a very steep ghat with hairpin bends.

The driver used horn at every turn. After Dhulghat, we crossed Maharashtra Madhya Pradesh border at Dedtalai. Dedtalai is a border village.

Here you can see Maharashtra and MP police check posts. After Dedtalai, we entered Madhya Pradesh state. We passed Tukaithad village, then Manjrod village, then Khaknar village. Khaknar is a big village in Burhanpur district.

We continued via Doifodia village, then Daryapur village, then crossed Tapi River bridge. Tapi River is a very big river which flows from MP to Maharashtra. The bridge is long. After crossing Tapi River, we entered Burhanpur city area. Burhanpur is famous for banana and power loom.

At 4:00 PM we reached Burhanpur Bus Stand. So Dharni to Burhanpur 80 KM took 3 hours. From Nagpur to Burhanpur total distance is 360 KM and time was 10 hours 45 minutes.

At Burhanpur Bus Stand, many passengers got down. The bus halt was 15 minutes. I bought one Samosa for 15 Rs. Burhanpur Bus Stand is big and has many platforms. From Burhanpur to Indore distance is 180 KM remaining. The conductor told me it will take 5 hours 30 minutes more because of Choral Ghat and dinner halt.

Burhanpur to Indore bus left Burhanpur at 4:15 PM. The road is called Burhanpur Indore Highway. It is a good two lane highway but with many trucks. We passed Deshgaon village, then Sanawad village. Sanawad is famous for Omkareshwar Jyotirlinga diversion. From Sanawad, road goes to Mortakka which is called Omkareshwar Mortakka Highway.

At Mortakka, we crossed Narmada River bridge. Narmada River is one of the seven holy rivers of India. The bridge view was very beautiful. I took one photo but it was blurry because bus was moving.

After Narmada River bridge, we reached Badwah town, then we started climbing Choral Ghat. Choral Ghat is a famous ghat between Khandwa and Indore. It is very steep and has many turns. The driver was very expert. After Choral Ghat, we reached Rishika Dhaba at 8:30 PM.

This dhaba is on highway between Burhanpur and Indore. All Indore buses stop here for dinner. Halt was 30 minutes. I ate Dal Rice for 80 Rs. The food was average but hot. Many truck drivers also eat here. One dog was sitting near my table and asking for food. I gave him one roti.

After dinner, bus started at 9:00 PM. From Rishika Dhaba, Indore is 125 KM. We crossed Bhairav Ghat which is small ghat, then Simrol village. Simrol is 30 KM before Indore. After Simrol, the road becomes four lane and city lights start.

Finally at 10:00 PM we reached Indore Bus Stand which is also called Indore Sarwate Bus Stand. Total journey was 16 hours 45 minutes. My legs were paining but I was happy because I completed a difficult Melghat route.

Food and Halts

Food halts in this journey: Semadoh at 12:15 PM for 10 minutes tea break, Burhanpur at 4:00 PM for 15 minutes snacks, Rishika Dhaba at 8:30 PM for 30 minutes dinner. You must carry water bottle and some biscuits because in Melghat forest there is no shop between Paratwada and Dharni except Semadoh and Harisal. Also carry power bank because charging socket may not work.

My Personal Experience and Tips

This was one of my toughest journeys because Melghat road is single and bumpy. But scenery was very beautiful. Forest is dense and green even in March. I saw many tribal huts made of bamboo. I talked with one tribal student who was going from Dharni to Burhanpur for college. He told me daily buses are lifeline for them.

My battery was 18 percent at Burhanpur because I took many photos and videos in Melghat. I charged at Burhanpur tea stall for 10 minutes with permission. Always keep cash because in forest area UPI may not work. Ticket checking was done twice – once at Amravati and once at MP border.

I was wearing a red t-shirt and blue jeans. My bag was heavy because I had my diary, water bottle and some clothes for Indore. I booked a lodge near Indore bus stand for 400 Rs for night.

Total Expense Sheet

Ticket from Nagpur to Indore: 850 Rs
Water bottle at Amravati: 20 Rs
Tea and biscuit at Semadoh: 20 Rs
Samosa at Burhanpur: 15 Rs
Dinner at Rishika Dhaba Dal Rice: 80 Rs
Total: 985 Rs

If you go direct without lodge, total expense is 985 Rs only for travel and food.

What to Pack for This Journey

You must pack water bottle, power bank, small towel, some biscuits and chips, one jacket because Melghat is cold in morning, your Aadhar card for MP border checking, some cash, medicines if you have motion sickness because ghat has many turns.

Nagpur To Indore Final Destination

Indore is the cleanest city of India and biggest city of Madhya Pradesh. Indore Bus Stand is called Sarwate Bus Stand and has many platforms. From Indore you get buses to Bhopal, Ujjain, Omkareshwar, Mumbai, Pune, Nagpur. I took auto from bus stand to my hotel for 50 Rs. Auto driver asked 100 Rs but I bargained.

Indore is famous for Poha Jalebi, 56 Dukan food street, Rajwada Palace, Lal Bagh Palace. I ate Poha Jalebi next morning for breakfast for 30 Rs. It was very tasty.

Conclusion

So friends, this was my detailed journey from Nagpur to Indore via Melghat Tiger Reserve. This route is difficult but very beautiful and important for tribal people. If you want to see real forest and ghats, you must travel this route once. You can also visit Melghat Tiger Reserve by getting down at Semadoh. From Semadoh you can take a jeep for jungle safari.

If you have any questions about Nagpur to Indore MSRTC bus, you can comment below or message me on Instagram. I will reply. Please share this post with your friends who want to travel from Vidarbha to MP.

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