The rhythm of a Mandawa day
Early: we walk the famous havelis before the tour buses from Jaipur and Delhi arrive at about eleven.
Midday: painted interiors, a long lunch and a rest at the castle.
- Early
- The famous havelis
- Buses arrive
- About eleven
- Midday
- Interiors, lunch, a rest
- From four
- Quiet lanes, a neighbour, the dunes
- Evening
- Courtyard dinner with music
- From about four: out again, to the quieter lanes, a neighbouring town or the dunes, finishing at a well or a rooftop as the sun goes down.
- Evening: dinner in a courtyard with music.
- All year: the rhythm matters most from March to October, when afternoons are hot, but it holds in winter too, because the crowds and the light are the same.
- Room for small moments: a chat with a caretaker who remembers when the owners last came home, or chai on a haveli platform while the town goes by.
- How you travel: every day here assumes a private car and driver, and a licensed local guide who knows which caretakers have the keys.
- Read more: our Mandawa destination page explains the history behind every stop, and our list of things to do in Mandawa gives the best hour for each.
Mandawa in brief, before you start
The castle: Thakur Nawal Singh raised the fort in 1755 to protect an outpost on the caravan road. His descendants opened it to guests around 1980 and still run it.
The painted century: from the 1830s to the 1930s, merchant families filled the lanes with courtyard mansions, painted inside and out.
- Fort built
- 1755, by Thakur Nawal Singh
- Hotel since
- Around 1980
- Painting era
- 1830s to 1930s
- Havelis
- Almost all private property
- Busiest hours
- About 10am to 2pm
- Private homes: some havelis charge a small entry fee and are kept like museums. In others a chowkidar, a caretaker, lives with his family in two rooms.
- Never touch the paintings: the oils from fingers do more damage than a century of sun.
- Be kind about the decay: many owners live in Mumbai or Kolkata, and restoring a shared family property is hard. Admire, and don't lecture.
Getting there, and the stops along the way
From Jaipur: about 170 kilometres, roughly four hours, through Sikar and Fatehpur or via Nawalgarh. Leave after an early breakfast and you'll arrive for lunch.
Stops on the Jaipur road: Samode for a look at the palace, or the ruined Harshnath temple on a hilltop near Sikar, completed in the tenth century, dedicated to Shiva, with sweeping views.
- From Jaipur
- About 170 km, four hours
- From Delhi
- About five to six hours
- From Bikaner
- About 3.5 to 4 hours
- Nearest stations
- Jhunjhunu and Nawalgarh
- In town
- On foot
- From Delhi: about five to six hours via the highways through Haryana and Jhunjhunu. We often break the journey with a night at Neemrana Fort-Palace.
- From Bikaner: about three and a half to four hours to the west, with stops possible at Churu or Ramgarh.
- By train: the nearest stations are Jhunjhunu and Nawalgarh, but trains are slow and infrequent, and you'll need a car for the day trips anyway.
- Inside Mandawa, walk: the lanes are narrow and sandy, and the best havelis are close together.
- More drive times: our guide to road distances and drive times.
One day in Mandawa, on the way through
Morning, the drive and an early arrival
Leave Jaipur at about seven: the road north runs through Sikar and Fatehpur, or via Nawalgarh, and takes about four hours.
- On the way: millet fields, village wells and camel carts. Stop for tea at a roadside dhaba and stretch your legs at a village well.
- Arrive by about eleven: and check in to Castle Mandawa.
Midday, the golden room and lunch
The Jhunjhunwala Haveli: visit its golden room while the late-morning sun pours through the coloured glass.
- Look closely: ask the caretaker to show you the painted ceiling, and find the faces of the gopis, the patterns on the robes and the tiny gold highlights that catch the light as you move.
- Then rest: lunch at the castle and a rest through the hottest hours.
Afternoon and evening, the famous loop
At four: walk out from the castle with your guide as the buses leave and the light warms the facades.
- The loop: the Murmuria, Newatia and Ladia havelis and the Chokhani and Goenka double havelis.
- Sunset: at the Harlalka well.
- Dinner: in the castle courtyard with folk musicians.
Next morning, before you leave
- Dawn: climb the ramparts with tea, and take one last walk through the waking lanes.
- After breakfast: drive on to Bikaner or back to Jaipur. Our Bikaner guide picks up from there.
Two days in Mandawa
- One night
- A glimpse, on the way through
- Two nights
- Our recommendation
- Three nights
- Add Nawalgarh, Dundlod, Ramgarh
- Four nights
- The whole region
Day one, arrival and the famous loop
Arrive by lunchtime: from Jaipur or Delhi, and rest.
Before the walk: if you arrive early, spend half an hour in the castle. See the family portraits in the darbar hall and the old painted rooms.
- From the bastions: get your bearings, pick out the havelis you'll visit and see how the lanes fan out from the fort gate into the sand.
- At four: walk out to the Jhunjhunwala golden room, the Murmuria haveli with its Nehru on horseback and the Ladia murals.
- Finish: at the Harlalka well as the sun goes down, then dinner in the castle courtyard, with music.
Day two, the quiet lanes and Fatehpur
Sunrise: tea on the castle ramparts.
Before the buses: the Newatia haveli for its aeroplane, and the Chokhani and Goenka double havelis.
- The outer lanes: where the sand takes over and you may not see another visitor all morning.
- After lunch and a rest: drive twenty kilometres to Fatehpur for the Haveli Nadine Le Prince, the Singhania and Goenka havelis and the town's temples.
- Evening: a sundowner on the dunes at the Desert Resort, and a last dinner at the castle.
- The details: our Fatehpur guide.
Three days in Mandawa and the painted towns
Day one, Mandawa's famous havelis
- Arrive by lunch: rest, and walk the famous loop from four o'clock.
- Sunset and dinner: the Harlalka well, then the castle courtyard.
Day two, Nawalgarh and Dundlod
Nawalgarh: half an hour's drive after breakfast. The Morarka Haveli Museum as it opens, then the Dr Ramnath A Podar Haveli Museum.
The Bala Qila: climb to its mirrored room.
- Two restorations: at the Podar the paintings were carefully retouched and the galleries arranged as a museum of Rajasthani life. At the Morarka they were cleaned, not repainted, so you see original colours and losses together.
- Ask your guide: which approach they prefer, and expect a passionate answer.
- After lunch: Dundlod for its small fort and the Goenka haveli.
- Late afternoon: back to Mandawa for the ramparts at sunset.
Day three, the outer lanes, Fatehpur and Ramgarh
Dawn: Mandawa's quiet outer lanes.
Morning: Fatehpur for the Le Prince haveli.
- Afternoon: Ramgarh, the town the Poddar merchants built after their quarrel with Churu, for its painted chhatris in the late light.
- Half asleep: Ramgarh is quieter and less restored than Mandawa, its chhatris, temples and havelis scattered through a drowsy town. That is its charm.
- The Poddar cenotaphs: our guides like to end here, where painted domes tell the Ramayana and the Krishna legends in soft, faded colour.
- Evening: a last dinner under the stars.
Four days in Shekhawati
Days one to three
- Follow the three-day plan: perhaps a little more slowly.
- One free afternoon: left entirely for the castle pool and the ramparts.
Day four, choose your direction
East: Jhunjhunu for the Khetri Mahal, the airy wind palace of the region, then Alsisar for a night in a fort-palace in a quiet village.
- North-west: Churu for its tall havelis and dunes, a stay at Malji ka Kamra, and a pre-dawn start for the blackbuck of Tal Chhapar.
- For art lovers: a day in Mahansar, with its gold and silver painted room, and the smaller towns around it.
Or split your nights
Two bases: many guests spend two nights at Castle Mandawa and two elsewhere.
- The options: Roop Niwas Kothi in Nawalgarh for the horses, or Alsisar Mahal for the village.
- Compare them: our luxury hotels in Mandawa guide.
Where the meals fall
Breakfast: early, ideally on the castle terrace before the first walk, with parathas, fresh curd and tea.
Mid-morning: jalebis hot from the pan in the bazaar, or a bag of roasted chickpeas.
- Lunch, the big meal: a Marwari thali of bajra roti, ker sangri, kadhi and gatte, eaten slowly at your hotel.
- On a day trip: lunch at a haveli hotel in Nawalgarh or Fatehpur that we've booked in advance.
- Late afternoon: tea and something fried keep everyone going until dinner.
- Dinner: the evening's main event, usually in the castle courtyard with music.
- Meat dishes: Shekhawati is largely vegetarian country, so for laal maas or another meat dish, ask the kitchen the day before.
- On the table: our Rajasthani food guide and the ker sangri explainer tell you what to look for.
A menu of Mandawa evenings
Sunset at the Harlalka well
- The view: the slender pillars and domed canopies of the old well stand out against the sky as the rooftops turn gold behind them.
A sundowner on the dunes
- Where: a drink on the crest of the sand ridge at the Desert Resort.
- The view: lamps coming on in the villages across the fields.
Dinner in the castle courtyard
The setting: lanterns and folk musicians.
- The food: a Marwari thali, or a slow-cooked laal maas ordered the day before.
- In December: a fire to sit by.
A camel cart into the fields
- The ride: an hour of bumping through the sandy outer lanes and out into the millet, with a carter we know.
- The end: as the light goes.
Stars from the ramparts
- On a clear winter night: a quiet corner of the castle terrace, a blanket and a sky full of stars.
- What to look for: our stargazing page.
If your dates fall on a festival
- Holi
- February or March
- Gangaur
- March or April
- Teej
- The monsoon
- Diwali
- October or November
The nights before Holi
For weeks beforehand: the men of Mandawa gather in the squares after dark to play the big chang drums and dance gindad in a circle.
- How we watch: we take guests out after dinner to watch from a respectful distance.
- Why it matters: one of the most joyful things you can see in Rajasthan, and it isn't staged for anyone.
Holi itself
The day of colours: the lanes fill with colour and high spirits.
- Morning: inside the castle, where the play is gentle and the sweets are homemade.
- Afternoon: out to the havelis when the town has washed and calmed down.
- The customs: our Holi page explains them.
Gangaur and Teej
- Processions: girls and women carry images of the goddess through the lanes and sing.
- Our advice: keep a late afternoon free to walk the town, and you will almost certainly meet one.
Diwali
Owners come home: some return from the cities, and a few usually locked doors are opened.
- Lamps: oil lamps are lit along the old facades.
- The mood: a beautiful, family time in the painted towns.
Adjusting the plan in the hot months
March, October and early April: start the haveli walks at half past six or seven and finish by ten.
Late morning: painted interiors and museums.
Lunch and rest: until four, then out again for the outer lanes or a neighbouring town.
- Warm evenings: the dunes at sunset and a late dinner on the terrace.
- Late April to June: keep visits to the first two hours after dawn and the last hour before dark.
- The hotel: one with a pool and strong air conditioning, and day trips limited to one town.
- July to September: keep the plan flexible and wait out a storm under a haveli arch with a glass of chai.
- After rain: the best light of the year for photographs.
- Every month: our best time to visit Mandawa guide explains them.
Mandawa with children
Short walks: keep haveli walks to an hour at a time.
Make it a game: who can find a steam train, a man on a bicycle, an Englishman in a top hat or a god with an elephant's head.
- Adventures: climb the castle towers, ride a camel cart into the fields and run on the dunes at the Desert Resort.
- Afternoons: in the pool.
- Always a success: a cooking session where children roll bajra rotis on a stone.
- Two nights, cool months: so nobody is rushed.
- More: our family journeys show how Shekhawati fits into a longer holiday, and our guide to travelling with children covers food, health and pace.
Mandawa for two
The room: a tower or rampart room at Castle Mandawa.
Sightseeing: only in the soft light of morning and evening.
- A private dinner: on the ramparts rather than in the courtyard.
- Sunset and dawn: a sundowner on the dunes, and the outer lanes hand in hand at dawn with nobody else in sight.
- A touch of polish: add a night at Alila Fort Bishangarh or Samode Palace on the way from Jaipur.
- Our journeys: Rajasthan for Two and our honeymoon journeys can include Shekhawati this way.
A gentler pace for grandparents
One base: everyone at Castle Mandawa.
Short walks: with the car following, so anyone can ride back when they've had enough.
- Rooms: ground-floor where possible.
- Which havelis: those with courtyards close to the street rather than steep stairs.
- Split the day: grandparents enjoy the castle terraces and courtyard dinners while the younger ones explore the outer lanes.
- How we plan it: our multi-generation journeys and accessible travel guide.
If you've seen Mandawa before
A fresco specialist: a morning learning to tell true fresco from later work and to date a wall from across the lane. Our guide to Shekhawati frescoes is a good start.
A different base: Nawalgarh or Alsisar, with Mandawa as a day trip.
- Unvisited towns: Mahansar, Mukundgarh and Lachhmangarh, which most visitors never reach.
- Holi: plan your dates around it, for the chang drums and the gindad dancers in the squares at night.
- Into the desert: via Churu and Tal Chhapar to Bikaner, a route that shows how the painted towns change as you approach the dunes.
- A painted haveli: spend a night in one, such as the Le Prince haveli in Fatehpur, rather than a castle.
Where Mandawa fits in a longer journey
Distances: from Jaipur about four hours by road, from Delhi about five to six.
The popular route: Delhi or Jaipur to Mandawa for two nights, then west to Bikaner, about three and a half to four hours, and on to Jaisalmer and Jodhpur.
- Why it works: it breaks the long drive to the desert with the most beautiful towns in the region.
- The other direction: after the desert, two nights in Shekhawati make a gentle last chapter, with Delhi about five to six hours away, close enough to catch an evening flight home.
- Tigers: Jaipur is the link south to Ranthambore, three to four hours beyond the city.
- Breaking the drive: from Delhi at Neemrana Fort-Palace, and from Jaipur at Samode Palace or Alila Fort Bishangarh.
- Our journeys: the Heritage Havelis Trail combines Shekhawati with other haveli towns, and our desert triangle continues west from Bikaner.
- The whole region: the Shekhawati region page introduces every town.
Practical notes for every itinerary
When: between November and February if you can. From April to June, keep every plan to dawn and dusk. Our best time to visit Mandawa guide explains each month.
A licensed local guide: arrange one in advance. They know which havelis will open on the day, and they keep you clear of shops that pay commission.
- Best months
- November to February
- Guide
- Licensed, booked in advance
- Carry
- Small notes and a torch
- Pace
- Two towns a day at most
- Meat dishes
- A day's notice
- Small notes: for entry fees and caretakers' tips.
- A torch and easy shoes: for dark arches and ceilings, and for slipping off at temples.
- Slow roads: the roads between the painted towns are narrow and slow, so plan no more than two towns in a day.
- Ask first: before photographing people in their homes and courtyards. Many havelis are still lived in.
- Dietary needs: tell us in advance. Shekhawati is largely vegetarian country, and meat dishes need a day's notice.
