Royal Rajasthan Tour: 14 Days of Palaces in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Udaipur and Pushkar

Arrive in Jaipur

Fly into Jaipur, directly or via Delhi or Mumbai. Your driver meets you at the airport and takes you to SUJÁN Rajmahal Palace, a 1729 garden palace that was once a British Residency and later a home of the Jaipur royal family, now an intimate boutique hotel with bold, playful interiors.

Spend the rest of the day settling in. Walk the hotel's lawns, have tea on the veranda and read up on the city's history in its library.

In the evening, your guide can take you for a gentle walk to see the old city's gates lit up, or you can dine at the hotel. If you land early and feel fresh, the Albert Hall Museum, Jaipur's oldest museum, is a short drive away and is floodlit after dark.

For a first taste of Rajasthan, try a thali with dal baati churma, baked wheat balls served with lentils and sweet crumbled wheat, and gatte ki sabzi, gram-flour dumplings in a yoghurt curry. Keep the first night early: tomorrow starts soon after breakfast to reach Amber Fort before the crowds. Your coordinator will call or message to welcome you and confirm the start time.

• ArrivalMeet and greet at Jaipur airport and transfer to your hotel
• AfternoonSettle in and explore the palace grounds
• EveningOptional walk to the illuminated city gates; Rajasthani dinner

OvernightJaipur, 3 nights (2 now, 1 at the end).

Amber Fort and the Pink City

Drive out early to Amber Fort, the hilltop palace of the Kachwaha rulers and part of the UNESCO-listed Hill Forts of Rajasthan. Walk through its courtyards to the Sheesh Mahal, the Hall of Mirrors, where a single candle once lit the whole room. We take you up by jeep, not by elephant. On the way back, stop at the Jal Mahal and the Panna Meena ka Kund stepwell.

In the afternoon, explore the walled city founded by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727. See the City Palace, still home to the former royal family; the Jantar Mantar, his astronomical observatory and a UNESCO World Heritage Site; and the honeycomb façade of the Hawa Mahal, built in 1799 so royal women could watch street life unseen.

End in the bazaars, for block-printed cotton, jewellery and blue pottery. Your guide knows which workshops sell genuine crafts.

• MorningAmber Fort, the Jal Mahal and Panna Meena ka Kund
• AfternoonCity Palace, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal
• EveningOld city bazaars

OvernightJaipur.

Across Rajasthan to the Blue City

Drive west across Rajasthan, through farmland and small market towns, with a break for lunch on the way. The country slowly dries out as you go: in winter, green wheat and yellow mustard fields give way to scrub, thorny khejri trees, grazing goats and the occasional camel cart. Your driver stops for tea at roadside dhabas, and lunch is a simple Rajasthani meal at a clean highway restaurant. As you near Jodhpur, the great walls of Mehrangarh Fort appear on their rock above the city.

Check in to Umaid Bhawan Palace, one of the largest private residences in the world. Built between 1929 and 1943 in sandstone on a hill above the city, it was designed by the British architect Henry Vaughan Lanchester in a blend of Art Deco and Indian styles. It is still partly home to the Jodhpur royal family; the rest is run as a Taj hotel.

Watch the sunset from the palace terraces, with Mehrangarh glowing across the city. Jodhpur is known for mirchi bada, a large green chilli stuffed with spiced potato and fried in batter, and for makhaniya lassi, thick and scented with saffron; ask your guide where to try them tomorrow.

• DayDrive from Jaipur to Jodhpur
• AfternoonCheck in at Umaid Bhawan Palace
• SunsetOn the palace terraces

OvernightJodhpur, 2 nights.

Mehrangarh Fort and the Blue City

Start early, while it is cooler and quieter, at Mehrangarh Fort, founded by Rao Jodha in 1459 and rising about 120 metres above the city. You enter through a series of gates; by the Loha Pol, look for the small handprints of royal widows carved into the wall. A lift runs to the upper levels if you would rather not walk up the ramp. Inside are some of the finest palace rooms in India: the gilded Phool Mahal, the mirrored Sheesh Mahal and galleries of royal palanquins, weapons and paintings. From the ramparts, the old city spreads below in shades of indigo blue.

Stop at Jaswant Thada, the white marble memorial to Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, then walk down through the blue-washed lanes of the old city to the Clock Tower and Sardar Market, busy with spices, textiles and silver.

Spend the afternoon at Umaid Bhawan: its museum of royal clocks and vintage cars, the gardens, or the spa. If you prefer to stay out, the Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park below the fort has easy walking trails among native desert plants, best in the late afternoon.

• MorningMehrangarh Fort and Jaswant Thada
• MiddayWalk through the blue lanes to the Clock Tower market
• AfternoonFree at Umaid Bhawan Palace

OvernightJodhpur.

Into the Thar Desert to the Golden City

Drive deeper into the Thar Desert, across a landscape of scrub, villages and grazing camels. The road is good and fairly quiet, and the villages grow sparser as you go, with round mud-walled huts, women in bright odhnis drawing water and herds of goats crossing the road. About halfway, Pokaran has a small sandstone fort if you would like to stretch your legs. Closer to Jaisalmer, rows of wind turbines line the ridges. Near the end, Jaisalmer Fort appears on the horizon, its honey-coloured walls rising from the sand like a mirage.

Jaisalmer grew rich on the camel caravans that crossed the desert between India and Central Asia, and its merchants spent their wealth on carved sandstone mansions. Check in to Suryagarh, a luxury hotel built from local stone in the style of a desert fort, just outside the city.

In the evening, enjoy the hotel's terraces and the desert silence. From December to February, desert nights can be close to freezing, so keep a warm layer to hand. Try ker sangri, a Rajasthani dish of desert beans and berries, cooked with spices; it is a speciality of this dry western corner of the state.

• DayDrive from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer, with an optional stop at Pokaran
• EveningCheck in at Suryagarh

OvernightJaisalmer, 3 nights.

The living fort and the merchant havelis

Walk up into Jaisalmer Fort, built in 1156 by Rawal Jaisal and one of the few living forts in the world: several thousand people still live and work inside its walls. Explore its lanes, the Raj Mahal palace and a cluster of intricately carved Jain temples from the 12th to 16th centuries. The Jain temples usually open to visitors only in the morning, and leather items such as belts and bags must be left outside. The lanes are narrow and stepped, so wear comfortable shoes.

In the old town below, visit the havelis built by the city's merchant families. Patwon ki Haveli is a group of five mansions with stone screens so fine they look like lace; Nathmal ki Haveli was carved by two brothers, each working on one half. Look up at Salim Singh ki Haveli, whose top floor flares out under a curved roof said to resemble a peacock.

Finish at Gadisar Lake, lined with small temples and shrines, as the late sun turns the city gold.

• MorningJaisalmer Fort, its palace and Jain temples
• AfternoonPatwon ki Haveli and Nathmal ki Haveli
• Late afternoonGadisar Lake

OvernightJaisalmer.

Sunset on the Sam sand dunes

Enjoy a free morning at the hotel. If you would like to explore, visit Kuldhara, about 18 km from Jaisalmer, a village abandoned overnight by its people two centuries ago, according to local legend. Its roofless stone houses and temple still stand in neat lanes, and it is quiet and atmospheric in the morning light. Back in town, you could also visit the Desert Culture Centre or simply rest by the pool.

In the late afternoon, drive out to the Sam sand dunes for a camel ride across the sand as the sun sets over the desert, followed by drinks on the dunes. The ride usually lasts 30 to 45 minutes; mounting and dismounting are the trickiest parts, and the camel handlers help. If you prefer, sit in a camel cart or take a jeep instead. Sam is popular at sunset, and your guide knows where to go for quieter sand.

Dinner is served under the stars with Rajasthani folk music, often by Manganiyar or Langa musicians, whose songs have been passed down through families for generations, and sometimes Kalbelia dancers. Bring a warm layer: the desert cools quickly after dark. Then drive back to your hotel.

• MorningFree, or a visit to the abandoned village of Kuldhara
• SunsetCamel ride and sundowner on the Sam dunes
• EveningDinner under the stars

OvernightJaisalmer.

Fly to the City of Lakes

Jaisalmer's small airport has a limited, seasonal schedule, so you connect via Delhi, Jaipur or Mumbai, depending on the day. On dates without good flights, we drive via Jodhpur instead and break the journey.

Your Udaipur driver meets you at the airport. At the Lake Pichola jetty, a private boat carries you across the water to the Taj Lake Palace, an 18th-century white marble summer palace built for the Maharana of Mewar, now one of the most photographed hotels in the world.

Udaipur was founded by Maharana Udai Singh II in 1559, and after the Mughals captured Chittorgarh in 1568 it became the capital of Mewar; its lakes and surrounding hills made it far easier to defend. The Lake Palace, built in the 1740s by Maharana Jagat Singh II, seems to float on the water. Spend the evening on the palace terraces, with the lit City Palace reflected in the lake.

Travel days with connections can be tiring, so keep a light bag with essentials and a change of clothes in your hand luggage, and plan nothing more than dinner. Your guide will meet you tomorrow morning.

• DayFlights from Jaisalmer to Udaipur
• AfternoonPrivate boat to the Taj Lake Palace
• EveningFree at the palace

OvernightUdaipur, 3 nights.

The City Palace and Lake Pichola

Explore the City Palace, the largest palace complex in Rajasthan, built over four centuries by the Maharanas of Mewar from 1559. Go soon after it opens, before the tour groups arrive. Its courtyards and painted rooms look out over the lake; in the Mor Chowk, look for the peacock mosaics made of coloured glass. In the Fateh Prakash Palace, the Crystal Gallery holds a collection of crystal furniture ordered from England in 1877 and never used.

Have lunch in the old city, where many places serve a Rajasthani thali or dal baati churma, then rest through the middle of the day or browse the lanes near the palace for miniature paintings, a long-standing Udaipur craft.

In the late afternoon, take a boat on Lake Pichola past the ghats and bathing steps, and stop at Jag Mandir, the island palace where the young Prince Khurram, later the emperor Shah Jahan, is said to have sheltered in the 1620s. The light is softest towards sunset. The evening is free to enjoy the Lake Palace.

• MorningCity Palace and the Crystal Gallery
• MiddayLunch and the old city lanes
• Late afternoonBoat ride on Lake Pichola to Jag Mandir
• EveningFree

OvernightUdaipur.

The old city on foot

Walk through Udaipur's old city with your guide, starting early while the lanes are cool and the shops are opening. The Jagdish Temple, built in 1651 and dedicated to Vishnu, is still in daily worship, with carved elephants flanking its steps and bands of dancers, musicians and gods around its tower. Continue to workshops where artists paint miniatures in the Mewar style with fine squirrel-hair brushes, and through lanes of havelis leading down to Gangaur Ghat, where women wash clothes and pigeons gather on the steps.

Spend the afternoon at leisure. Many guests choose the Lake Palace's spa, or visit Saheliyon ki Bari, the Garden of the Maidens, with its fountains and lotus pools. A Rajasthani cooking class in a family home is another good choice; ask us to arrange one.

In the evening, you can watch the Dharohar folk dance show at Bagore ki Haveli, which usually starts around 7 pm and includes the women's pot-balancing dance, or drive up to the Monsoon Palace at Sajjangarh for sunset over the lakes and the Aravalli hills.

• MorningJagdish Temple, miniature painters and Gangaur Ghat
• AfternoonFree; spa or Saheliyon ki Bari
• EveningFolk dance at Bagore ki Haveli or sunset at the Monsoon Palace

OvernightUdaipur.

North to the holy lake of Pushkar

Drive north through the Aravalli hills to Pushkar. The road climbs and dips through rocky hills, small lakes and marble quarries, and the landscape turns drier and flatter as you near Ajmer. If you would like a long day, we can stop at Chittorgarh, one of the largest forts in India and a symbol of Rajput courage, adding about two hours. Its 15th-century Vijay Stambha, the Tower of Victory, is carved inside and out with Hindu gods.

Pushkar is a small, sacred town built around a lake that, in legend, formed where a lotus petal fell from the hand of Brahma, the creator. Check in to your hotel close to the ghats and take a little time to settle in. Pushkar is a pilgrimage town, so meat, eggs and alcohol are not served.

At sunset, sit by the lake as bells ring out from its temples and pilgrims float lamps on the water. Priests on the ghats may offer flowers for a blessing and ask for a donation; you are free to politely decline. Try malpua, a sweet fried pancake soaked in syrup, a Pushkar favourite.

• DayDrive to Pushkar, with an optional stop at Chittorgarh Fort
• SunsetEvening prayers on the ghats

OvernightPushkar, 2 nights.

The ghats and the Brahma Temple

Walk around Pushkar Lake's 52 ghats in the morning, when pilgrims bathe and pray. Your guide explains the rituals and the town's stories, including why so many Hindus come here to perform rites for their ancestors. Shoes come off on the ghats, and it is polite to ask before photographing people bathing or praying. Visit the Brahma Temple, one of the very few temples in India dedicated to the creator god, with a silver turtle set into the floor of the entrance hall. The present building is usually dated to the 14th century, although the site is far older.

Spend the afternoon in the bazaar and the rooftop cafés that have fed travellers for decades, browsing silver jewellery, bangles, textiles and rose products made from the flowers grown around the town. Or take the ropeway to the Savitri Temple for a view over the valley. Pushkar is a pilgrimage town, so it is vegetarian and alcohol-free.

In November, Pushkar hosts its famous camel fair, when the dunes fill with livestock traders, and the town is very busy. At other times, the pace is gentle, and an evening by the lake is the best way to end the day.

• MorningThe ghats and the Brahma Temple
• AfternoonBazaar, cafés or the Savitri Temple viewpoint
• EveningBy the lake

OvernightPushkar.

Back to Jaipur

Drive back to Jaipur after breakfast, stopping if you like at the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti in Ajmer, one of South Asia's most revered Sufi shrines, visited by people of all faiths. The 13th-century saint's tomb sits in a marble courtyard reached through busy lanes of flower and sweet sellers. Heads must be covered and shoes left at the entrance, and the shrine is especially crowded on Thursdays and Fridays. Your guide can explain the qawwali singing you may hear in the courtyard.

The road on to Jaipur is a fast highway, passing Kishangarh, a centre of the marble trade, its roadside lined with marble yards.

Spend the afternoon on anything you missed at the start: the Albert Hall Museum, with its collection of arts, textiles and an Egyptian mummy; a block-printing workshop in Sanganer, where you can try printing a piece of cloth yourself; the Panna Meena ka Kund stepwell near Amber; or a last round of shopping for gems, textiles and blue pottery. Your final night is at a hotel near the airport.

• MorningDrive to Jaipur, with an optional stop in Ajmer
• AfternoonFree for museums, crafts or shopping

OvernightJaipur, near the airport.

Fly home from Jaipur

After breakfast, check out and transfer to Jaipur International Airport for your onward or departing flight. Jaipur has direct flights to Delhi, Mumbai and other Indian cities and to several Gulf hubs, which makes connections home straightforward. Allow about two hours at the airport for domestic flights and three for international ones.

If your international flight leaves from Delhi, we can drive you there instead, about five to six hours, so please choose a flight leaving in the evening. If you fly late, we can usually arrange a late check-out or a day room, and your driver is available for a last look around the city.

• MorningTransfer to Jaipur airport