Rajasthan in one breath
Rajasthan is not one place. It is a set of old kingdoms with their own dynasties, dialects, dishes and colours, joined into a single state only after 1947.
The east: Jaipur and Amer, the Kachwaha country, close to Delhi and Agra. Our Dhundhar page tells its story.
The west: Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Bikaner, the desert kingdoms of the Rathores and Bhatis, where the stone turns red and gold.
Facts to know
- Size
- India's largest state by area
- Capital
- Jaipur
- Old kingdoms
- Dhundhar, Marwar, Mewar, Maad, Hadoti and more
- UNESCO sites
- Six hill forts, Jantar Mantar, Jaipur's walled city, Keoladeo
- Greeting
- Khamma ghani, the Rajasthani hello
- The south: Udaipur and the green Aravalli hills of Mewar, with lakes, temples and hill forts.
- The wild side: tigers at Ranthambore, leopards at Jawai and birds at Bharatpur. See Wild Rajasthan.
- The big idea: distances are real. Jaipur to Jaisalmer is a two-day journey by road. Choose a shape for your trip before you choose hotels.
How long you really need
The question we hear most is how much can I see in a week. The honest answer is less than you hope, and more than enough.
One week
- What fits: two or three places, such as Jaipur and Udaipur, perhaps with Agra for the Taj Mahal.
- Our rule: fly at least one leg so you are not losing a day to the road.
Ten days
- What fits: Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur, or the Golden Triangle with Udaipur, with time to breathe.
- Who it suits: most first-timers. Ten days is where Rajasthan starts to feel unhurried.
Two weeks
- What fits: the classic loop of Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur, with a village fort or tiger reserve in between.
- Why we love it: you see city, desert and lakes, and still have slow afternoons.
Three weeks or more
- What fits: everything above plus Bundi, Shekhawati, Pushkar or Ranthambore, with Delhi and Agra at either end.
- Who it suits: retired travellers, photographers and anyone who wants to see Rajasthan once, properly.
Local tip
Count nights, not places. Two nights in each stop is our minimum. One night means you arrive tired, sleep and leave before you have seen the city at dawn.
The cities, and what each one is for
Every Rajasthani city has a mood. A first journey works best when you choose places that feel different from one another.
Jaipur, for history and craft
- Why: Amber Fort, the City Palace, the Jantar Mantar and the bazaars of the walled city. The easiest first stop from Delhi.
- Nights: three. Read our Jaipur guide.
Udaipur, for romance and rest
- Why: palaces on Lake Pichola, boats at sunset and the gentlest pace in Rajasthan. The perfect last stop.
- Nights: three. Read our Udaipur guide.
Jodhpur, for drama
- Why: Mehrangarh on its cliff above the blue old city, one of the great forts of India.
- Nights: two. Read our Jodhpur guide.
Jaisalmer, for the desert
- Why: a living golden fort, carved havelis and a night among the dunes of the Thar.
- Nights: two in town, one in a camp. Read our Jaisalmer guide.
Ranthambore, for tigers
- Why: the most famous place in India to see a wild tiger, a few hours from Jaipur.
- Nights: three. Read Jawai or Ranthambore if you are choosing.
Save for next time
- Bundi, Shekhawati, Bikaner and Pushkar: wonderful places that reward a second journey. Read Jaipur or Udaipur if you can only choose one city.
Three first journeys we plan most
Most first-timers end up on one of three shapes. Each one is a starting point we change for every guest.
Golden Triangle and Udaipur, nine nights
- The route: Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Udaipur, with one fast train and one short flight.
- Who it suits: first-timers who want the Taj Mahal and the best of Rajasthan without long drives.
Palaces and Tigers, ten nights
- The route: palace hotels in the great cities with a safari lodge at Ranthambore.
- Who it suits: families and anyone for whom a tiger is part of the dream.
The Royal Rajputana, fifteen nights
- The route: the full sweep of the old kingdoms, from Jaipur through the desert to the lakes of Mewar.
- Who it suits: travellers with two weeks or more who want to see Rajasthan once, and well.
When to come
Rajasthan has a long, golden winter and a fierce summer. For a first journey, the calendar matters more than almost anything else.
October and November: warm days after the rains, with Diwali and, in some years, the Pushkar fair.
December and January: cool, clear and busy. Mornings can be close to freezing in the desert, so pack a warm layer.
Facts to know
- Main season
- October to March
- Our favourite
- February and early March
- Busiest
- Christmas, New Year and Diwali
- Hot season
- April to June, often above 40°C
- Monsoon
- July to September, green and quiet
- February and March: lovely weather, mustard fields, Holi and the run-up to Gangaur.
- April to June: very hot. Good for tiger sightings and empty palaces, hard for sightseeing.
- July to September: the monsoon turns Udaipur and the hills green. Some parks close.
- Month by month: our best time to visit Rajasthan guide and the festival calendar have every detail.
Festivals worth planning around
A festival can be the best day of a first journey, or the reason every hotel is full. Either way, it is better to know before you book.
Diwali, October or November
- Why come: the bazaars of Jaipur and Udaipur are lit end to end, and families fill the streets until late.
- Watch for: hotels fill early and prices rise. Read Diwali in Rajasthan.
Pushkar Camel Fair, October or November
- Why come: herders, camels and pilgrims gather on the dunes around the holy lake in the lunar month of Kartik.
- Watch for: the town is very crowded. We plan a camp or a stay nearby. See the Pushkar Camel Fair.
Makar Sankranti, 14 January
- Why come: the whole of Jaipur climbs onto its rooftops to fly kites. One of the happiest days of the year.
- Watch for: the old city roads become a festival, so stay put. Read about Makar Sankranti.
Holi, February or March
- Why come: colour, music and bonfires the night before. We arrange a private celebration for guests who want it gentler.
- Watch for: street Holi can be rough. Read Holi in Rajasthan for safety and consent.
Jaisalmer Desert Festival, January or February
- Why come: folk music, camel races and turban-tying in the golden city and on the dunes.
- Watch for: the festival follows the lunar calendar, so we confirm the dates each year. See the Desert Festival.
Local tip
Festival dates move every year with the lunar calendar. Tell us your travel window and we will check which festivals fall in it before you book anything.
How you will move around
Most of our guests travel by road with their own chauffeur, and fly or take a train where it saves a long day. The secret is in how the days are drawn.
A private chauffeur: the same driver and car for the whole journey, waiting outside every sight. It is the calmest way to see Rajasthan.
Why not self-drive: the roads are shared with trucks, cows, camels and weddings. A local driver reads them in a way no visitor can.
Facts to know
- Delhi to Jaipur
- About four to five hours by road
- Jaipur to Jodhpur
- About five to six hours
- Jodhpur to Jaisalmer
- About five hours
- Jaipur to Udaipur
- About six hours, or an hour by air
- Our rule
- Under about five hours, always in daylight
- Flights: we often fly Jaipur to Udaipur, and fly into Jaisalmer in winter when flights run.
- Trains: fast day trains link Delhi with Jaipur and Agra, and are often quicker than the road.
- Breaking the drive: we stop at stepwells, temples and heritage hotels for lunch. Udaipur to Jodhpur by way of Ranakpur is one of the best days of any journey.
- More detail: our guides to getting around and road distances.
Where to stay on a first journey
Rajasthan is the one place in the world where you can sleep in a different kind of palace every few nights. Mix them.
A royal palace: at least once. Rambagh Palace, Taj Lake Palace and Umaid Bhawan Palace are the great three.
A modern palace resort: for calm, big bathrooms and a spa between busy days, such as the Oberoi resorts in Jaipur and Udaipur.
- A haveli: a merchant's or nobleman's townhouse inside an old city, with painted rooms. See heritage havelis.
- A village fort: a night with a noble family between the big cities. It is often the night guests remember most.
- A desert camp: a tented night beyond Jaisalmer, with dunes and stars. See luxury desert camps.
- Our pick of palaces: read the best palace hotels in Rajasthan.
Your first forty-eight hours
The first two days set the tone of the whole journey. We plan them gently, because jet lag and Delhi traffic are a hard combination.
Arrive and rest: we meet you at the airport, take you to a calm hotel and plan nothing more than dinner on the first evening.
Start slowly: a short morning walk and a long lunch. Save the big forts for the second or third day.
- Get a local SIM or eSIM: it makes WhatsApp with your planner and chauffeur easy. Our SIM cards and internet guide explains how.
- Change a little money: carry small notes for tips, chai and temple offerings. See money and tipping.
- Eat simply: hot, freshly cooked food and bottled or filtered water for the first days, while your stomach adjusts.
- Watch Fridays: the Taj Mahal is closed to sightseers on Fridays, so we plan Agra around it.
What to eat, and how to eat safely
Rajasthani food is the food of a royal court and a desert kitchen at once. You will want to try both, and you can do it without worry.
Dal baati churma: baked wheat rolls broken into lentils, drenched in ghee, with sweet crumbled churma. Every family has its own recipe.
Laal maas: mutton in a fierce red sauce of Mathania chillies, the dish of the Rajput hunting camps. Ask for it mild if you need to.
- Ker sangri: dried desert berries and beans, a taste of the Thar you will find nowhere else.
- Breakfast in Jaipur: pyaaz kachori and a clay cup of lassi. See a Jaipur morning.
- Staying well: choose busy places, food cooked in front of you and peeled fruit. Bina mirch means without chilli.
- A thali: a round platter of many small dishes, the best way to taste a region in one meal. Our Rajasthani food guide explains the rest.
Manners, money and dress
Rajasthan is warm and welcoming, and a few small courtesies make it warmer still.
Dress modestly: light, loose clothes that cover shoulders and knees are comfortable and respectful everywhere.
Ask before photographing people: a smile and a gesture is enough. Accept a no gracefully.
Facts to know
- Temples
- Shoes off, shoulders and knees covered
- Greeting
- Khamma ghani or a namaste
- Currency
- Indian rupee, cash for small things
- Tipping
- Customary for guides, drivers and hotel staff
- Bargaining
- Expected in bazaars, not in fixed-price shops
- Use your right hand: for eating, giving and receiving, especially in homes and temples.
- Leather in Jain temples: belts, bags and shoes are often not allowed inside. Our temple etiquette guide covers each faith.
- Say no to commission shopping: if a stranger or driver insists on a shop, decline politely. We take you to families we trust.
- More detail: our guide to etiquette and dress.
Mistakes we see first-timers make
None of these will ruin a journey. Avoid them, though, and you will come home rested rather than exhausted.
Too many places: eight cities in ten days means living in the car. Four or five is plenty.
One-night stops: you arrive in the afternoon heat and leave before dawn, and never see the city at its best hours.
- Sightseeing at noon: every fort is crowded and harsh at eleven. Go at opening time and at sunset, and rest in between.
- Driving after dark: highways at night are hard work. We plan every long drive in daylight.
- Booking elephant rides: we don't, at Amber or anywhere else. See our ethical animal encounters page.
- Skipping a rest day: one slow morning in three, with breakfast in a palace garden, is never wasted.
- Booking palaces late: for December, January and Diwali, the best rooms go many months ahead.
Local tip
Leave one afternoon in every city completely empty. It is the afternoon our guests most often describe as the best of the trip.
What most first-timers miss
The great forts are unmissable. But the moments guests describe at home are usually smaller, quieter and harder to find without a local.
The old cities at dawn: before the shutters lift, the bazaars belong to milkmen, priests and pigeons. Our heritage walks start then.
A stepwell: Chand Baori at Abhaneri turns the drive between Jaipur and Agra into a highlight. Read the stepwells of Rajasthan.
- A village: a night in a noble family's fort, a walk through the fields and dinner cooked by the family. See village Rajasthan.
- A craft family: an hour printing cloth with a family in Bagru, or shaping lac bangles in a Jaipur lane. See block printing and crafts.
- Music after dark: Manganiyar singers under the stars near Jaisalmer, or a folk performance in a haveli courtyard. See folk music and dance.
- Sunset from the right place: Nahargarh above Jaipur, the ghats of Udaipur or the dunes beyond Jaisalmer. See the best sunsets in Rajasthan.
Shaping a first journey around who is travelling
The same route feels completely different for a honeymoon, a family and a solo traveller. We plan each one a little differently.
Couples: fewer places, more nights, and a palace on the water at the end. Our Rajasthan honeymoons show how.
Families: short drives, pools, and something to make or do every day, from kites to block printing. See travelling with children.
- Several generations: large palaces with lifts and gardens, and no hill forts with long climbs for grandparents. See multi-generation journeys.
- Solo travellers: private guides in each city and a planner on WhatsApp. Read Rajasthan for solo travellers.
- Guests with limited mobility: many palaces and sights are manageable with planning, and some are not. Our accessible travel guide is honest about which.
Before you go
The practical things are simple, and we help with all of them. These are the ones to start early.
Visa: most visitors need a visa or e-Visa before they fly. Check the rules on the official portal, indianvisaonline.gov.in, and read our visa guide.
Health: see your own doctor or a travel clinic well before you travel, and read our health and safety guide.
- Insurance: take out travel insurance that covers medical care. See travel insurance for India.
- Packing: layers for desert mornings, modest clothes for temples, soft shoes you can slip off. Our packing guide has a full list.
- Women travellers: Rajasthan is welcoming, and a few local habits help. Read Rajasthan for women travellers.
- Talk to us: one conversation is enough for us to draw a route and quote it. Plan my journey.