Holidays for · Pilgrimage
A pilgrimage needs its own kind of planning: reaching the temple in time for darshan (seeing the deity), allowing for queues on festival days, vegetarian meals and drives that don't tire older travellers. We plan temple journeys across Rajasthan and Gujarat by private car, tempo traveller or coach, for families and groups.
Rajasthan and Gujarat are home to some of India's most visited places of worship. Within a day's drive of Jaipur are Khatu Shyam ji and Salasar Balaji in the Shekhawati region, the Brahma temple and ghats (steps down to the water) of Pushkar, and the dargah (shrine) of the Sufi saint Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer. Near Udaipur is Nathdwara, home of Shrinathji, and on Gujarat's Saurashtra coast are Somnath, revered as the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas, and Dwarka, one of the Char Dham.
A pilgrimage plan starts from the temple's timings rather than the hotel's: drives are set around morning and evening darshan, and hotels in your preferred category are chosen as close to the temple as the town allows. Every itinerary can be changed, and the quote is itemised, so you can see what each part of the journey costs.
Temple timings set the day. We plan drives so you reach in time for darshan or aarti (the lamp ceremony), and allow extra time for queues on festival days and weekends.
Shorter drives, rest in the afternoons and hotels close to the temple where possible. Tell us about anyone who finds steps or long queues hard, and the plan is made around them.
Pushkar is a holy town where meat, eggs and alcohol are not served, and most temple towns are easy for vegetarians. We ask hotels for pure-vegetarian or Jain meals (without onion, garlic or root vegetables) when you need them.
Many temples ask for modest dress and don't allow phones, cameras or leather items inside, and the rules differ from one temple to the next. We check them for your route, and anything you can't take in can stay in the car with your driver.
Fairs and festivals, such as the Phalgun fair at Khatu Shyam ji or Janmashtami at Dwarka and Nathdwara, draw very large crowds. Dates are announced each year: tell us if you want to be there for one, or would rather avoid it.
Tempo travellers (12- to 17-seat minibuses) and coaches from Vibrantcar for extended families, satsang groups and communities travelling together.
Where to go
Pushkar has one of the very few temples in India dedicated to Brahma, and a sacred lake ringed by ghats. About 15 km away, over the hill, Ajmer is home to the dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, visited by people of every faith. Both are within about three hours' drive of Jaipur.
Two of Rajasthan's most visited temples lie in the Shekhawati region north-west of Jaipur: Khatu Shyam ji, whose Phalgun fair (usually in February or March) draws huge crowds, and Salasar Balaji, a temple to Hanuman. The two-day Khatu Shyam and Salasar Balaji Darshan covers both from Jaipur.
About 50 km north of Udaipur, Nathdwara is home to Shrinathji, worshipped as the child Krishna, with darshan opening for short sessions through the day. Eklingji, a Shiva temple long linked to the rulers of Mewar, is on the same road, so the two make an easy morning from Udaipur.
Somnath, revered as the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas, stands on the shore of the Arabian Sea, and Dwarka, the city associated with Krishna and one of the Char Dham, lies further up the coast. The Dwarka, Somnath and Gir tour links them, with the lion country of Gir close to Somnath.
Tours
Sample itineraries — every one can be changed.
Jaipur
Two days from Jaipur by private car for darshan at Khatu Shyam ji and Salasar Balaji, with one night in Salasar.
6 days / 5 nightsDwarka → Somnath → Gir
Six days on the Saurashtra coast: Dwarka and Nageshwar, Gandhi's Porbandar, Somnath's evening aarti and two safaris in Gir.
Questions
Yes. A temple tour for elderly parents can be planned with shorter drives, afternoon rests, hotels close to the temples where possible and a comfortable car. Tell us about steps, long queues or wheelchair needs when you enquire, so the plan fits.
From Jaipur, Khatu Shyam ji, Salasar Balaji, the Brahma temple at Pushkar and the Ajmer Sharif dargah are each within a day's drive. In Jaipur itself, the Govind Dev ji temple in the City Palace complex is the city's best-known temple to Krishna.
On a Connecting Vacations pilgrimage tour, we ask hotels for pure-vegetarian or Jain meals whenever you need them. In Pushkar, a holy town, meat, eggs and alcohol are not served.
October to March is the most comfortable time for a pilgrimage tour of Rajasthan and Gujarat, with mild days for queues and temple walks. Festivals bring very large crowds and their dates change each year, so plan early if you want to be there for one.
Yes. Pilgrimage groups can travel together in a tempo traveller (a 12- to 17-seat minibus) or a coach from Vibrantcar, with hotels booked in the category you choose and one itemised quote for the group.
Also
Private tours for families, with a car sized to your group, rooms that keep you together and days paced for every age.
Ideas and toursPrivate tours for honeymooners and couples: Udaipur's lakes, the Taj Mahal at sunrise, a night in the desert and palace hotels.
Ideas and toursTours for groups of friends, clubs, family reunions and company teams, with tempo travellers or coaches, rooming lists and GST invoices.
Ideas and toursSafari trips to Ranthambore for tigers, Gir for Asiatic lions and Keoladeo for winter birds, planned around seasons and permits.
Ideas and toursPrivate tours of the Golden Triangle, Rajasthan and Gujarat for visitors from abroad, with airport pickup, a driver throughout and guides at the major sights.
Ideas and toursShare your dates, who's travelling and what you'd love to see. We'll reply with a day-by-day plan and an itemised quote — no obligation.
