Rajasthan itinerary: routes for 5, 7, 10 and 14 days

Start with what you want to see

Rajasthan is India's largest state by area, and its highlights are far apart: the forts and palaces of Jaipur and Jodhpur, the golden fort and dunes of Jaisalmer, the lakes of Udaipur and the tiger reserve at Ranthambore. Few trips can include all of it comfortably, so the best routes start with a choice.

Most first-time visitors want a little of everything, which is why the classic route of Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur is so popular. Add Jaisalmer if the desert matters to you, and Ranthambore if a tiger safari does.

How far apart the towns are

Rajasthan's highways are generally good, but the towns are far apart, and the last stretch into an old city or up to a fort is always slower. Plan on roughly 50–60 km an hour door to door once you count town traffic, tea stops and lunch.

Times depend on traffic, roadworks and how often you stop. After dark, slow tractors, wandering cattle and poorly lit trucks make rural roads harder going. Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur have airports with flights to Delhi and Mumbai, which can replace a long drive at the start or end; flights between Rajasthan's own cities are limited.

Five and seven days: first-trip routes

Five days: Jaipur, Pushkar and Jodhpur

• Nights: Jaipur 2, Pushkar 1, Jodhpur 1.
• Drives: Jaipur → Pushkar, about 145 km (2½–3 hours); Pushkar → Jodhpur, about 190 km (3½–4½ hours).
• You see: Amer Fort, the City Palace and Jaipur's bazaars; Pushkar's lake and ghats (steps down to the water) at sunset; Mehrangarh Fort and the blue houses of Jodhpur's old city.
• At the end: fly out of Jodhpur, or drive back to Jaipur (about 340 km, 5½–6½ hours).

For wildlife instead, spend the last two nights in Ranthambore, about 180 km from Jaipur (3½–4 hours); see the Ranthambore Safari Weekend. For lakes, fly to Udaipur and split the days with Mount Abu. For a shorter break, see the Jaipur Getaway.

Seven days: Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur

• Nights: Jaipur 2, Jodhpur 2, Udaipur 2.
• Drives: Jaipur → Jodhpur, about 340 km (5½–6½ hours); Jodhpur → Udaipur via Ranakpur, about 260 km (5–6 hours, plus the temple).
• You see: Jaipur's forts and palaces; Mehrangarh, the marble Jaswant Thada memorial and Jodhpur's old city; the carved Jain temple at Ranakpur; Udaipur's City Palace, a boat on Lake Pichola and the lanes around the Jagdish Temple.
• At the end: fly out of Udaipur, drive back to Jaipur (about 400 km, 6–7 hours) or carry on into Gujarat.

This is the classic first trip. With an eighth day, add a night in Pushkar between Jaipur and Jodhpur, which also splits the longest drive in two. The main temple at Ranakpur, famous for its carved marble pillars, usually admits visitors from around midday, as mornings are kept for worship, so leave Jodhpur after breakfast; cover shoulders and knees, and leave leather items in the car. Our Classic Rajasthan sample is a good place to start.

Ten and fourteen days: adding the desert

Ten days: Jaipur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Udaipur

• Nights: Jaipur 2, Bikaner 1, Jaisalmer 2, Jodhpur 2, Udaipur 2.
• Drives: Jaipur → Bikaner, about 330 km (5½–6½ hours); Bikaner → Jaisalmer, about 330 km (5–6 hours); Jaisalmer → Jodhpur, about 285 km (5–6 hours); Jodhpur → Udaipur via Ranakpur, about 260 km (5–6 hours).
• You see: the classic route, plus Bikaner's Junagarh Fort, Jaisalmer's sandstone fort, which people still live in, its carved havelis (merchants' mansions) and sunset on the dunes.
• At the end: fly out of Udaipur, or carry on to Mount Abu or Gujarat.

Spend one Jaisalmer night at a desert camp near the Sam or Khuri dunes, about 40–50 km from town, for a camel ride at sunset and dinner under the stars. This route has four long drives in ten days; with twelve days you can break the first one with a night in Mandawa and slow down, as in our Grand Rajasthan sample. For a short trip built around the desert, see the Jaisalmer Desert Escape.

Fourteen days: the grand loop

• Nights: Jaipur 2, Mandawa 1, Bikaner 1, Jaisalmer 2, Jodhpur 2, Ranakpur or Kumbhalgarh 1, Udaipur 2, Pushkar 1, Jaipur 1.
• Drives: Jaipur → Mandawa, about 180 km (3½–4 hours); Mandawa → Bikaner, about 190 km (3½–4 hours); Bikaner → Jaisalmer, about 330 km (5–6 hours); Jaisalmer → Jodhpur, about 285 km (5–6 hours); Jodhpur → Ranakpur, about 165 km (3–4 hours); Ranakpur → Udaipur, about 95 km (2–2½ hours); Udaipur → Pushkar, about 280 km (5–6 hours); Pushkar → Jaipur, about 145 km (2½–3 hours).
• You see: everything on the ten-day route, plus the painted havelis of Shekhawati at Mandawa, a quiet night in the hills at Ranakpur or Kumbhalgarh, and Pushkar.
• At the end: back in Jaipur for a flight, or the drive to Delhi or Agra.

Two weeks is when Rajasthan stops feeling like a race. Use a spare day in Udaipur for Chittorgarh, one of India's largest forts, about 115 km away (2–2½ hours each way).

Adding the Golden Triangle or Gujarat

Rajasthan joins the Golden Triangle at Jaipur. If you fly into Delhi, see Delhi and Agra first, drive on to Jaipur (about 240 km from Agra, 4–5 hours) and continue into Rajasthan, finishing with a flight back to Delhi or Mumbai from Udaipur or Jodhpur. The Golden Triangle itinerary guide covers the Delhi and Agra end, and Golden Triangle with Udaipur is a sample of the combination.

Gujarat joins at Udaipur: Ahmedabad is about 260 km away (4½–5½ hours), or about 225 km (4–5 hours) from Mount Abu. From there you can go on to the Statue of Unity, the Rann of Kutch in winter, or the temples of Dwarka and Somnath. Our Gujarat tour plan has the details.

What travelling by private car is like

Rajasthan is a road-trip state, and a private car with a driver is the easiest way to see it. The same car and driver usually stay with you for the whole tour, so your luggage stays in the boot, the day starts when you are ready, and you can stop for tea, photographs or a roadside temple whenever you like.

• The car. Our cars are chauffeur-driven sedans, SUVs, tempo travellers (12- to 17-seat minibuses) and coaches from Vibrantcar, the group's car rental business. A sedan or SUV suits two to four people; larger families and groups travel in a tempo traveller or coach.
• The driver looks after the road, the parking and the directions. Drivers are not guides, but licensed local guides can be arranged at the major sights.
• A typical travel day starts after breakfast, with a tea break every couple of hours and lunch on the way, so you arrive by mid-afternoon with time to rest before the evening.
• Tipping your driver at the end of the trip is customary in India; the amount is up to you.

Pace for families and seniors

Every route here works for children and grandparents if the pace is honest. A few habits make the biggest difference:

• Two nights in most places. Every one-night stop means packing, checking out and an early start.
• One long drive at a time. Follow a travel day with a sightseeing day, and keep drives to about six hours.
• Sightsee early and late. Forts are cooler and quieter at opening time; keep the afternoon for a rest or the pool.
• Check the climbs. Forts mean ramps, uneven stone and steps. Mehrangarh usually has a lift for part of the way up, and at Amer you can go up by jeep instead of walking; ask us about easier routes before the day.
• Choose the car for comfort. A bigger car than you strictly need gives everyone room to stretch, which matters more on day eight than on day one.
• Mix in lighter moments for children: a boat on Lake Pichola, a camel ride, a puppet show or a block-printing workshop.

Our family holidays page has more ideas for travelling with children and grandparents.

Help with your route

Every route here can be stretched, shortened or turned around. Tell us your dates and interests and we will suggest a day-by-day plan with an itemised quote.