Rajasthan: Desert & Palaces

Jaipur, the painted havelis of Mandawa, Bikaner, the Thar desert at Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Udaipur.

Your route

1. 1 Jaipur 2 nights
2. 2 Bikaner 1 night
3. 3 Jaisalmer 2 nights
4. 4 Jodhpur 1 night
5. 5 Udaipur 2 nights

1. Day 1 Jaipur

   Arrive, evening at leisure.

   Arrive in Jaipur, the Pink City, where our driver meets you and takes you to your 4-star hotel. After check-in and rest, spend the evening in the old city bazaars of Johari and Bapu Bazaar for jewellery and textiles, and see the Hawa Mahal lit up at night. Visit Birla Mandir, the white marble temple, for its evening glow. Enjoy a Rajasthani thali for dinner. Jaipur was planned in 1727 and painted pink in 1876 to welcome the Prince of Wales. Overnight in Jaipur.

2. Day 2 Jaipur

   Amber Fort, City Palace, Hawa Mahal.

   A full day in Jaipur. Visit Amber Fort on its hilltop, with the Sheesh Mahal mirror palace, then stop at Jal Mahal. Explore the City Palace, still home to the royal family, and Jantar Mantar, a UNESCO-listed observatory. Photograph the Hawa Mahal from the cafe opposite. In the evening, Nahargarh Fort offers sunset views over the city. Entry fees are extra. We recommend reaching Amber early in the morning, before the crowds and heat. Jaipur is also famous for gems and blue pottery. Overnight in Jaipur.

3. Day 3 Bikaner

   Mandawa havelis, on to Bikaner.

   After breakfast, drive to Mandawa, about 170 km, in the Shekhawati region, often called an open-air art gallery for its havelis covered in colourful painted murals. Walk through the lanes with a local guide. Continue to Bikaner, about 190 km further, a desert city founded in 1488. Check in and visit the Junagarh Fort if time allows, or the famous Bikaner sweet and namkeen shops. Many havelis are privately owned, so a small entry fee is usually charged. Overnight in Bikaner.

4. Day 4 Jaisalmer

   Junagarh Fort, drive to Jaisalmer.

   Visit Junagarh Fort, never conquered in battle, with its richly painted palaces. Then drive about 330 km to Jaisalmer, the Golden City, deep in the Thar desert, a journey of about six hours across sand and scrub. Check in and watch the sunset from the Vyas Chhatri, with the honey-coloured fort glowing above the town. Jaisalmer gets very cold on winter nights, so carry warm layers. Bikaner is also home to a camel breeding farm, the only one of its kind in Asia. Overnight in Jaisalmer.

5. Day 5 Jaisalmer

   Fort, havelis, Sam dunes at sunset.

   Explore Jaisalmer Fort, one of the few living forts in the world, with homes, shops and temples inside its walls. Visit the Patwon ki Haveli and Nathmal ki Haveli, with their fine stone carving, and Gadisar Lake. In the afternoon, drive about 45 km to the Sam sand dunes for a camel ride at sunset and a folk music evening, at extra cost. Return to Jaisalmer. Carry sunscreen and a scarf for the dunes, as the wind lifts the sand. Overnight in Jaisalmer.

6. Day 6 Jodhpur

   Drive to Jodhpur, Mehrangarh.

   After breakfast, drive to Jodhpur, about 280 km and five hours, the Blue City. Check in and visit Mehrangarh Fort, rising on a cliff above blue-painted houses, with its museum of palanquins and weapons. Then see Jaswant Thada, a white marble memorial nearby. In the evening, explore the clock tower market for spices, bandhani and leather. The road crosses the open desert, with villages, camels and roadside dhabas along the way. Try the famous mirchi bada and makhaniya lassi in the old city. Overnight in Jodhpur.

7. Day 7 Udaipur

   Ranakpur temple, on to Udaipur.

   Drive through the Aravalli hills to Udaipur, about 250 km and six hours. Stop at the Ranakpur Jain temple, a fifteenth-century marble temple with 1,444 carved pillars, no two alike. Modest clothing is needed and leather items are not allowed inside. Continue to Udaipur, the City of Lakes, arriving by evening. Enjoy dinner with a view of Lake Pichola. The road through the hills is green and winding, with small villages, farms and tea stalls, a welcome change from the desert landscape. Overnight in Udaipur.

8. Day 8 Udaipur

   City Palace and Lake Pichola.

   A full-day tour of Udaipur. Visit the City Palace, the largest palace complex in Rajasthan, with its museum, courtyards and lake views, the Jagdish temple and Saheliyon ki Bari, the garden of the maidens. Drive around Fateh Sagar Lake. In the evening, take a boat ride on Lake Pichola past the Lake Palace and Jag Mandir, or watch the folk dance show at Bagore ki Haveli, at extra cost. Udaipur is especially magical at sunset. Allow time to browse the shops near Jagdish temple. Overnight in Udaipur.

9. Day 9 Udaipur

   Departure.

   After breakfast, the day is free until your departure. Shop for miniature paintings, silver jewellery and textiles in Udaipur's old city, or relax by the lake. Our driver then transfers you to Udaipur airport or railway station for your journey home. Please allow time for traffic in the old city. Udaipur airport is about 25 km from the city. Your grand journey across Rajasthan ends here, from the Pink City and the golden desert to the blue streets and lakes.

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