Perched on a steep cliff at 800 metres inside the Tala zone, the Bandhavgarh fort is believed to be around 2,000 years old. The fort is now ruined, but the approach — through dense sal forest with a good chance of encountering the park's wildlife en route — is part of the experience. The structure once held a treasury, palace, prison, temples, and a school; much of it is collapsed, but the scale of the original complex is still legible.
Access is on foot from a designated point inside the safari route — Bandhavgarh is one of the very few places in an Indian tiger reserve where you can leave the jeep. A small temple at the base of the fort draws pilgrims from local villages. Tigers and leopards have been sighted near the fort, which only adds to the atmosphere. The climb takes about 30–40 minutes and is not arduous.