Destinations · 8 places · 10 tours
Rajasthan is India's largest state, and it holds much of what people picture when they think of India: hill forts above walled cities, palaces on lakes, the Thar Desert and tigers in Ranthambore. Connecting Vacations is based in Jaipur, the state capital, and plans private Rajasthan tours in a chauffeur-driven car.
Best months: Nov–Feb
The name means 'land of kings', and the state was formed after independence, mostly from the princely states of Rajputana. Each old capital kept its own character, from Jaipur's pink bazaars and Jodhpur's blue lanes to Udaipur's lake palaces and Jaisalmer's golden fort. UNESCO World Heritage Sites here include the Hill Forts of Rajasthan (six forts listed together), Jaipur's walled city, its Jantar Mantar and Keoladeo National Park.
The Aravalli hills run across the state from north-east to south-west. West of them lies the Thar Desert, with Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Bikaner; to the east and south are Udaipur's lakes, the forests of Ranthambore and the cooler heights of Mount Abu. Distances are long, so a good trip follows one route well rather than trying to see everything.
With a week to twelve days you can choose between the Golden Triangle with a Rajasthan extension, the classic loop of Jaipur, Pushkar, Jodhpur and Udaipur, or a longer journey into the desert. Every itinerary can be changed, hotels are booked in the category you choose (3-star, 4-star, 5-star or heritage), and licensed local guides can be arranged at the major sights.
Why Rajasthan
From Amer and Mehrangarh to Jaisalmer's lived-in fort and the long walls of Kumbhalgarh, Rajasthan has more great forts than one trip can cover, and several palaces now take guests as heritage hotels.
Around Jaisalmer and Bikaner, the desert means sand dunes at Sam and Khuri, nights at tented camps, camel rides at sunset and folk musicians by the fire.
Udaipur's palaces line Lake Pichola, Pushkar's ghats ring a sacred lake, and Mount Abu, Rajasthan's only hill station, stays green and cool when the plains are hot.
Ranthambore is one of India's best-known tiger reserves, and Sariska near Alwar also has tigers. Keoladeo National Park at Bharatpur, a UNESCO-listed wetland on the Jaipur–Agra road, is best for birds in winter.
Jaipur sells gems, jewellery, blue pottery, lac bangles and block-printed cloth; Jodhpur has spices and antiques; Udaipur has miniature paintings; and villages such as Bagru and Sanganer still print fabric by hand.
Rajasthani cooking was shaped by the desert: dal baati churma, gatte (gram-flour dumplings) in curry, ker sangri (desert beans and berries), laal maas (a fiery mutton curry), and sweets such as ghevar.
Places
Classic routes
Delhi, Agra and Jaipur make the classic first trip to India: see the Golden Triangle Tour and the Golden Triangle itinerary guide. Two longer versions add Ranthambore's tigers or Udaipur's lakes. For a short break, there is the Jaipur Getaway or, from Jaipur, the Ranthambore Safari Weekend.
The best-known loop links Jaipur, Pushkar, Jodhpur and Udaipur, often stopping at the Ranakpur Jain temple on the drive south. See Classic Rajasthan for a sample itinerary, and the guides to a Rajasthan itinerary and the best time to visit for planning. Udaipur and Mount Abu pairs the lake city with Rajasthan's only hill station.
Head west to Jaisalmer, usually by way of Jodhpur, for the golden fort and a night at a camp on the dunes: see the Jaisalmer Desert Escape. Grand Rajasthan joins the desert to the royal cities, and Bikaner, reached through the painted-haveli towns of Shekhawati, makes a good stop between Jaipur and Jaisalmer.
Families from across India visit Khatu Shyam ji, about 80 km from Jaipur, and Salasar Balaji, further north in Churu district: see Khatu Shyam and Salasar Balaji Darshan. Other pilgrim stops fit into a wider tour: the Brahma temple at Pushkar with Ajmer Sharif nearby, Shrinathji at Nathdwara near Udaipur, the Dilwara temples at Mount Abu and Karni Mata near Bikaner.
Tours
Sample itineraries — each one can be changed.
5 days / 4 nightsDelhi → Agra → Jaipur
Five days by private car through Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, with the Taj Mahal at sunset and again at sunrise.
7 days / 6 nightsDelhi → Agra → Ranthambore → Jaipur
Delhi, Agra and Jaipur with two nights in Ranthambore National Park for tiger safaris, in seven days by private car.
8 days / 7 nightsDelhi → Agra → Jaipur → Udaipur
Delhi, Agra and Jaipur, then south via Chittorgarh to Udaipur for three nights by the lakes, in eight days.
8 days / 7 nightsJaipur → Pushkar → Jodhpur → Udaipur
Eight days by private car through Jaipur, Pushkar, Jodhpur and Udaipur, with a stop at the Jain temple at Ranakpur on the way.
12 days / 11 nightsJaipur → Bikaner → Jaisalmer → Jodhpur → Udaipur
Twelve days by private car from Jaipur through Shekhawati, Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur to Udaipur, with an optional night at a desert camp.
3 days / 2 nightsJaipur
Three days in Jaipur by private car for Amer Fort, the City Palace, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Nahargarh at sunset and the old-city bazaars.
3 days / 2 nightsJaisalmer
Three days in Jaisalmer: the lived-in fort, carved havelis and Gadisar Lake, then a night at a desert camp with a sunset camel ride and folk music.
3 days / 2 nightsJaipur → Ranthambore
Three days from Jaipur to Ranthambore National Park, with three safaris by gypsy or canter and a visit to Ranthambore Fort and the Trinetra Ganesh temple.
5 days / 4 nightsUdaipur → Mount Abu
Five days by private car: three nights in Udaipur with a day out to Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur, then a night in Mount Abu, Rajasthan's only hill station.
Jaipur
Two days from Jaipur by private car for darshan at Khatu Shyam ji and Salasar Balaji, with one night in Salasar.
When to go
October to March is the main season, with November to February the most comfortable; desert nights are cold in December and January. April to June is very hot, and the monsoon (July to September) suits Udaipur and Mount Abu best, while Ranthambore's core zones close.
Getting there
Rajasthan's cities are far apart: Jaipur to Udaipur is about 400 km and Jodhpur to Jaisalmer about 285 km. Five or six hours is a comfortable day on the road, ideally broken by a sight such as Pushkar, Ranakpur or Chittorgarh.
Ranthambore safari permits, rooms during the Pushkar fair, Diwali and the Christmas and New Year weeks, and the better desert camps fill first. Fix these, then build the rest of the trip around them.
Cover shoulders and knees at temples, take shoes off at the door, and leave leather items outside Jain temples. From December to February, desert nights often fall into single digits Celsius, so pack a warm layer.
Questions
A first Rajasthan tour usually takes 7 to 12 days: about eight days covers Jaipur, Pushkar, Jodhpur and Udaipur, and twelve days adds Jaisalmer and Bikaner. With four or five days, pair Jaipur with Ranthambore or Pushkar, or with Delhi and Agra.
The best time to visit Rajasthan is October to March, when days are warm and dry and nights cool. April to June is very hot, and the July to September monsoon brings humid weather, green hills around Udaipur and the closure of Ranthambore's core zones.
Rajasthan's main routes, from Jaipur to Udaipur and Jaisalmer, are well travelled by families, couples and first-time foreign visitors. A private car with a driver avoids most of the hassles of public transport; take the usual care with valuables in crowded bazaars, drink bottled or filtered water and dress modestly at temples.
For most Rajasthan trips, a car with a driver works best, because it lets you stop at places like Pushkar, Ranakpur or Abhaneri on the way and set your own times. Trains are useful for long hops, such as an overnight journey to Jaisalmer.
Yes. Jaipur is one corner of the Golden Triangle with Delhi and Agra, so many Rajasthan trips start there. In the south, Udaipur and Mount Abu are close to the Gujarat border, and Ahmedabad is about 260 km from Udaipur, a good link to the Rann of Kutch, the Statue of Unity or Gir.
Ranthambore National Park, about 180 km from Jaipur, is Rajasthan's best-known tiger reserve, with safaris usually from October to June; Sariska Tiger Reserve near Alwar also has tigers. No safari can guarantee a sighting.
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