Why Rajasthan works so well for children
Made for imaginations: forts really do sit on mountaintops with secret passages and cannon on the walls.
Palaces of wonders: rooms made of mirrors, and windows built so queens could watch processions unseen.
Animals everywhere: tigers in the ruins of an old fort, camels in the desert, monkeys on temple steps and peacocks on hotel lawns.
- Nights
- Ten: Delhi, Agra, Ranthambore, Jaipur, Udaipur
- Pace
- One long drive, a fast train, a short flight, a pool every afternoon
- Best months
- October to March, ideally the school holidays
- Good for
- Families with children about five and older
- Starts
- Delhi
- Ends
- Udaipur
- The maharaja's house: every child already pictures a maharaja. Here they can sleep in his house.
- Children notice more: the man shaping lac bangles over a charcoal fire, the cow asleep in the lane, pigeons wheeling over the square at dusk, the grandmother selling marigolds outside the temple.
- Guides who follow their lead: a history lesson for adults becomes a treasure hunt: count the elephants on this gate, find the hidden window, guess what this tool is for.
- A warm welcome: Indian culture adores children. Waiters play peek-a-boo, shopkeepers hand out sweets, and strangers want a photograph with your fair-haired toddler.
- If they'd rather not: a polite no is perfectly acceptable, and our guides step in smoothly.
- The trick is pace: the classic adult itinerary of long drives and three monuments a day exhausts children by day four.
- What works: fewer moves, shorter drives, a pool every afternoon, something hands-on every day and early evenings. That is how we built this one.
How we plan for families
- Most drives
- Under about four hours
- Stops
- About every ninety minutes
- Child seats
- Ask in advance
- After dark
- No long drives
- Longest leg
- Agra to Ranthambore, five to six hours
Short drives and the right car
Under four hours: most drives, and never two long days in a row.
Space: a large car or van lets children sleep or play, and a second car can give teenagers their own.
- Child seats: not standard in Indian touring cars, so tell us in advance and we bring them.
- Breaks: our drivers stop whenever someone needs one, and know which roadside stops have clean washrooms.
- Something at the end: children cope with drives better than adults expect when there is a reward waiting: a pool, a camel, a fort with cannon.
- Daylight only: cattle rest on warm tarmac at night and animals cross without warning, so long drives always finish before dark.
Hotels with space to run
What we look for: gardens, pools, interconnecting rooms or family suites, and kitchens that understand plain food.
- Palace hotels: often perfect, with large grounds full of peacocks and fountains.
- Honest advice: we tell you when a beautiful hotel doesn't suit small children, because of steep stairs, open terraces or a mood of hushed calm.
Guides who like children
Not every historian: is good with an eight-year-old.
- Our match: guides who tell stories, ask questions and know when to stop.
- For teenagers: guides who can talk about Rajput battles, Mughal politics and how Jaipur's astronomers measured time, because older children see through a simplified version.
Making, not just looking
Hands-on every day: print a scarf with wooden blocks in Bagru, fly kites on a Jaipur rooftop, learn to tie a turban, or cook rotis in a haveli kitchen.
- Puppets: watch a kathputli puppet show, then try the puppets.
- Why it matters: these are the moments children remember when the forts have blurred together.
Animals, ethically
Safaris: tiger and leopard drives with good naturalists.
- Camels: rides with handlers who look after their animals.
- Blackbuck: visits to Bishnoi villages where they graze near the houses.
- No elephant rides: at Amber or anywhere else. Our page on ethical animal encounters explains why, and what we offer instead.
Our sample family route, day by day
- Delhi to Agra
- Under two hours by train, three to four by road
- Agra to Ranthambore
- Five to six hours, via Fatehpur Sikri
- Fatehpur Sikri
- About an hour west of Agra
- Ranthambore to Jaipur
- About three and a half hours
- Jaipur to Udaipur
- About an hour by air, six by road
Day 1: Arrive in Delhi
Met at the airport: and taken to a calm hotel with a pool, such as The Oberoi, New Delhi or The Leela Palace, New Delhi.
- The simple plan: a swim, room service and an early night.
- If they're bright-eyed: a late-afternoon walk through the gardens of Humayun's Tomb. Our Delhi guide has more.
Day 2: The fast train to Agra
Children love Indian trains: the Gatimaan Express from Hazrat Nizamuddin reaches Agra in under two hours, and your driver meets you at the station.
- Taj views: The Oberoi Amarvilas, where every room looks towards the Taj.
- Room to roam: the sprawling gardens of ITC Mughal.
- A first look: cross the Yamuna to Mehtab Bagh, the moonlight garden, and watch the Taj turn gold and pink from the far bank. Quiet, open and easy with children.
Days 3 and 4: Sunrise at the Taj, then tigers
The Taj at sunrise: before the heat and the crowds at the Taj Mahal. Children are often more moved than adults expect by the marble and the hush of the garden.
Closed Fridays: the Taj is closed to sightseers every Friday, so we plan around it.
- Fatehpur Sikri: on the five to six hour drive to Ranthambore, stop at Fatehpur Sikri, Akbar's abandoned red city, where children run through empty palace courtyards.
- Where to stay: in Ranthambore, The Oberoi Vanyavilas, with the most comfortable rooms in the area and lawns full of peacocks.
- A morning safari: with an expert naturalist. Tigers live among lakes, ruins and dry forest, which makes them unusually visible, though never guaranteed.
- Midday and after: the pool through the hot hours, and a second safari in the late afternoon if the children still have energy.
Days 5 to 7: Jaipur, the Pink City
The drive: about three and a half hours to Jaipur.
Where to stay: Rambagh Palace, once the home of the Jaipur royal family, with peacocks on the lawns, or The Oberoi Rajvilas, whose walled grounds feel like a private village.
- Amber at opening: walk or drive up to Amber Fort and let the children loose in the Sheesh Mahal, where a single candle turns the mirrored ceiling into a sky of stars.
- The sundial: the Jantar Mantar near midday, when the giant sundial's shadow moves as you watch.
- The City Palace: the City Palace, with its armoury and painted gates.
- Making: a block-printing morning in Bagru, a cooking class in a haveli, or kites on a rooftop at sunset.
- City lights: end one evening at Nahargarh Fort as the lights come on below.
Days 8 to 10: Udaipur, the city of lakes
Fly, don't drive: Jaipur to Udaipur in about an hour, rather than six on the road.
On Lake Pichola: stay at The Leela Palace Udaipur or The Oberoi Udaivilas, and spend the first afternoon by the pool.
- The island palace: a boat on the lake to Jag Mandir.
- Palace and garden: the City Palace and its courtyards, and the fountains of Saheliyon ki Bari, the garden of the maidens, which children adore.
- Folk dance: the show at Bagore ki Haveli is colourful and short enough for young ones, with a woman dancing under a tower of pots.
- The last day: keep it easy before your flight home.
The rhythm of a family day
The best two hours: monuments are at their best and emptiest in the first two hours after opening, and children often are too.
A typical start: an early breakfast and a fort, palace or safari while the air is cool and the crowds are thin.
- Early morning
- Fort, palace or safari
- Late morning
- Back before the coaches
- Midday
- Pool, long lunch, nap
- Late afternoon
- One golden-hour outing
- Evening
- Early dinner, early bed
- Home by late morning: as the heat rises and the tour coaches arrive.
- The middle of the day: the pool, a long lunch, a nap or a quiet game in the shade. Many adult itineraries skip it, and it is why our families come home rested.
- One more outing: when the light turns golden, a boat on the lake, a bazaar walk, a craft workshop or a rooftop with kites.
- Early evenings: dinner often in the hotel garden, with bedtime not far behind.
- Travel days: leave after breakfast and arrive by lunch, so the afternoon is for settling in.
- In the car: snacks, water, wet wipes and a few surprises. Our drivers know a stop for a camel, a peacock or a roadside chai is never wasted.
Stories to tell them before you go
The nurse who saved a prince
Panna Dhai: every child in Mewar knows how the royal nurse saved the baby prince Udai Singh from an assassin by putting her own son in his place.
- What came of it: the prince grew up to found Udaipur.
- When to tell it: before the City Palace, and watch the children look at it differently.
The king who measured the sky
Sawai Jai Singh II: who founded Jaipur in 1727, loved the stars so much he built giant stone instruments to track them.
- The great sundial: at the Jantar Mantar children stand in the shadow of one about 27 metres tall and watch it move.
- A game: ask them to guess the time before the guide tells them.
- World famous: the Jantar Mantar is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and so is Amber Fort, as one of the hill forts of Rajasthan.
The palace of winds
Hawa Mahal: 953 small windows, built in 1799 so the royal women could watch the street without being seen.
- Who built it: Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, the grandson of Jaipur's founder.
- Imagine it: watching a festival procession from behind those screens, then try it from the inside.
The tigers of the old fort
Tigers among ruins: Ranthambore's are famous because they walk among lakes and old hunting pavilions.
- Machli: its most famous tigress, known around the world.
- Read together: our story on the tigers of Ranthambore.
Where families stay
Agra: ITC Mughal has big gardens and a relaxed feel, while Amarvilas gives you the Taj from your window.
Ranthambore: Vanyavilas has space, comfort and a fine pool.
Jaipur: Rambagh and Rajvilas both have large grounds, and the Fairmont Jaipur suits families who want a modern resort with plenty of space.
- Udaipur: the big lakeside resorts on Pichola have pools, lawns and boats.
- Shekhawati: Castle Mandawa has towers, terraces and painted rooms to explore.
- Near Jodhpur: Rohet Garh has horses and a lake.
- In the desert: a tented camp such as Suryagarh or Manvar gives children dunes to roll down and stars to count.
- More: our pages on palace hotels and luxury desert camps.
- Babies and toddlers: we look for ground-floor rooms, safe pool areas and space for a cot.
- Teenagers: connecting rooms or a separate room nearby matter more.
- Tell us who is coming: and we choose accordingly.
When to travel with children
October to March: warm, sunny days, nights cool enough for a sweater, and clear light.
Christmas and New Year: the busiest weeks, booked many months ahead.
February half-term: one of the loveliest times of all, with the mustard in flower and the desert pleasantly warm.
- Best months
- October to March
- Busiest
- Christmas and New Year
- Loveliest
- February half-term
- Kites
- 14 January in Jaipur
- Too hot
- April to June
- Ranthambore core zones
- Closed in the monsoon
- Easter: the heat is rising, so plan early mornings and long afternoons at the pool.
- Makar Sankranti: on 14 January, the whole of Jaipur climbs onto its roofs to fly kites, and children are welcome to join in. See Makar Sankranti.
- Diwali: Diwali, in October or November, fills the cities with lamps and fireworks.
- Holi: Holi, in March, is joyful but messy, and we plan it carefully with younger children.
- April to June: very hot, and we would not suggest a classic family tour then.
- The monsoon: July to September, Udaipur turns green and the lakes fill, but Ranthambore's core zones close.
- Every month: our best time to visit Rajasthan guide.
Make it right for your family
With young children
Under six: we usually skip the long safari mornings or keep them to one, and spend more time at hotels with pools and gardens.
- Fewer moves: a shorter route such as Delhi, Jaipur and Udaipur often works best.
- Another gentle shape: our family journey through Jaipur, Ranthambore and Udaipur.
With teenagers
Adventure: add the desert, with a night in a camp near Jaisalmer, jeep rides over the dunes and a camel trek at sunset.
- Ziplines in Jodhpur: a course has long run over the walls of Mehrangarh, with height and weight limits, so ask us before you promise it.
- Built for older children: our family adventure journey.
With grandparents
One of the joys of our work: three generations travelling together.
- How we plan: fewer steps, more rests, accessible rooms and separate cars when needed, so grandparents rest while children swim.
- More: our multi-generation journeys page.
A longer version
Two weeks: add Jodhpur and a night at a desert camp.
- Leopards: or Jawai, where children see Rabari herders and their flocks alongside the big cats.
- For older children: our Palaces and Tigers journey.
For families who have been before
Somewhere smaller: if you have seen the Taj and Jaipur.
- Shekhawati: the painted havelis of Shekhawati are an open-air picture book, with trains, motor cars and gods painted side by side on the walls.
- Bundi: Bundi has a palace of murals, deep stepwells and blue lanes made for exploring, and far fewer visitors.
Food, health and the small worries
Food children like: buttery naan, rice, mild dal, paneer, grilled chicken, crisp pakoras and sweet lassi.
No chilli on request: good hotels make any dish without it, and most have Western food too.
A sweet to try: ghevar, a honeycomb disc soaked in syrup.
- Street food safely: we steer you from risky stalls and to safe ways to taste it, such as Masala Chowk in Jaipur, an open-air food court beside Albert Hall.
- Water: bottled or filtered only, including for brushing teeth, and no ice outside good hotels.
- Bring: sun hats, sunscreen and mosquito repellent.
- Vaccinations: talk to your doctor well before you travel.
- Read more: our guides to health and safety and travelling with children, and our story on Rajasthan with children.
- If someone is unwell: good doctors and hospitals are available in all the main cities, and our team helps at any hour. Rarely needed, but good to know.
- Jet lag: we keep the first day after a long flight completely free, plan a gentle second day and avoid early starts until everyone has adjusted.
- Small comforts: a familiar snack in the bag and a favourite toy in the car help more than any itinerary.
What to pack for children
Light cotton: clothes that cover shoulders and knees, for temples and the sun, plus a warm layer for winter safari mornings.
Slip-off shoes: you remove them at every temple and many palace rooms.
- Sun kit: hats, sunscreen, sunglasses and a refillable bottle for filtered water.
- Repellent: suitable for children, especially for evenings by the lakes.
- Medicines: any your children take, with a simple first-aid kit, rehydration salts and something for upset stomachs.
- Fun kit: binoculars for the safari, a sketchbook for the forts and a small camera of their own.
- Our full list: what to pack for Rajasthan.
How we look after you
Private car and driver: for the whole journey, with child seats or a second car arranged in advance if you need them.
Guides with a way with children: and flexible, shorter visits at the quiet hours.
- Calm arrivals: airport meetings, help with luggage and calm first nights after a long flight.
- Trains and flights: fast trains and short flights where they save a tiring day on the road.
- Family hotels: pools, gardens and family rooms, with kitchens briefed on what your children like to eat.
- Your planner on WhatsApp: knows your family by name and can change tomorrow's plan tonight.
- No published prices: family journeys vary widely, so we quote after one conversation. Start with plan my journey.
Who will love it, and who might choose differently
Children about five and older: who enjoy stories, animals and a little adventure.
Parents who want the real India: for their children, not just a resort.
- Grandparents and grandchildren: and families celebrating a milestone together.
- Beach every day, or one base: Rajasthan's distances may feel tiring, and a slow stay in Udaipur with day trips could be better.
- Wildlife above all: look at our big cats and birds journey.
- Just the two of you: our Rajasthan honeymoons page is the place to start.
