Why some journeys belong in the air
From a small aircraft on a clear morning you see Rajasthan as its rulers' surveyors drew it: the long ridge of the Aravallis, the walls of Kumbhalgarh following the hills, the glint of Pichola, then the great buff-coloured emptiness of the Thar. Even guests who have travelled widely come down quiet.
We love the road: we say so on almost every page of this site. But Rajasthan is large.
The distances: Jaisalmer sits far out in the west, close to the border, and Udaipur is in the hills of the south. By road they are the better part of two days apart, through Jodhpur.
- Nights
- Ten, in five cities
- Pace
- Four short flights, two or three nights everywhere
- Best months
- October to March, with care around fog
- Good for
- Short of time, wanting desert and lakes
- Starts
- Delhi
- Ends
- Udaipur
- Longer still: Delhi to Jaisalmer.
- Who flying helps: travellers with a week or less, or with a reason to avoid long hours in a car. Flying turns a hurried journey into a calm one.
- Option one, the practical one: a private jet or turboprop flying between airports. Flight times between the main cities are short, often around an hour.
- On the ground: your car and driver meet you on the apron or at the terminal.
- Option two, the helicopter: it can reach places without an airport, but only where there is an approved landing site and the right permissions are in place.
- Honest from the start: both are possible. Neither is as simple as it sounds in a brochure.
- Through established operators: we arrange charters with them and handle everything on the ground, so the flight is one smooth part of a journey rather than a separate adventure.
- Only where it makes sense: even on a fly-drive journey, much of the pleasure still comes from the car, the guide and the village lane.
What the rules allow, in plain words
- Regulator
- Directorate General of Civil Aviation
- Operators
- Non-scheduled operator permit holders
- Civil airports
- Jaipur, Udaipur
- Air Force enclaves
- Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner
- Small airport
- Kishangarh, near Ajmer
- Helicopter permissions
- Often weeks, sometimes no
Who can fly you
The permit: in India, charter flights for paying passengers are flown by companies holding a non-scheduled operator permit from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, the national regulator.
- Only established operators: we ask about their aircraft, crews and safety record before we put a guest on board.
- What we don't book: informal joyrides, or operators we cannot check.
Private jets and turboprops between airports
The backbone of a charter journey: Jaipur and Udaipur have busy civil airports.
Air Force bases: Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Bikaner have civil terminals at them, so civil flights follow defence rules on timing and access.
- Clearance in advance: private movements at those bases need it.
- Kishangarh: near Ajmer and Pushkar, it has a small airport too.
- One week, many cities: with good planning, a jet or turboprop can link most of the great cities of Rajasthan in a single week.
- Luggage: smaller aircraft carry less, so we usually send the bulk of your bags ahead by road with your driver, and you fly with what you need for a night or two.
Helicopters and landing sites
Only where approved: a helicopter can land only where a suitable site exists and the permissions have been granted.
What counts: a recognised helipad, an airport, or a private site such as a hotel lawn or estate ground, with the owner's consent.
- The clearances: from the local administration and police. Arranging them takes time, often weeks, and the answer is sometimes no.
- When it works: a helicopter can bring a remote fort or a desert camp within easy reach.
- Our rule: we never promise a landing we have not confirmed.
Places that are off-limits or restricted
The border: large parts of western Rajasthan lie close to the border with Pakistan, and civil flying there is restricted.
Air Force bases: they have their own controlled airspace.
- Protected monuments: the skies over some of India's most important monuments are protected, the Taj Mahal most famously.
- Not over the parks: we do not arrange low flying over national parks and wildlife sanctuaries at all. It frightens animals and spoils the peace for everyone else.
- Drones: tightly regulated in India, and we do not arrange them near monuments, palaces or military areas.
Weather, daylight and the seasons
By day: most charter helicopters in India fly by day in good visibility.
Winter fog: in December and January, dense morning fog across Delhi and the northern plains can delay or cancel flights.
- Monsoon cloud: low cloud over the Aravallis does the same.
- Summer heat: in May and June, aircraft performance falls and loads can be limited.
- Always a backup: we build slack into every flying day and keep a car ready.
Our sample fly-drive route, day by day
- Delhi to Jaipur
- By road about 280 km, four to five hours
- Jaipur to Jodhpur
- By road about 340 km, five to six hours
- Jodhpur to Jaisalmer
- By road about 285 km, around five hours
- Jaisalmer to Udaipur
- By road, best over two days
- Typical flight
- Often around an hour
Day 1: arrive in Delhi
Met in arrivals: land, meet our team and go straight to bed at The Leela Palace, New Delhi, the most cocooned of the city's grand hotels.
- Landing in the small hours? A hotel in Aerocity beside the airport means more sleep before your morning departure.
- Want the Mughal city? See our Delhi guide and add a night.
Days 2-3: fly to Jaipur
By late morning: a short flight brings you into Jaipur, a journey of four to five hours by road.
Lunch and a rest: your driver meets you at the aircraft and takes you to Rambagh Palace or The Oberoi Rajvilas.
- The walled city: in the late afternoon, walk it with a guide as the pink walls turn rose, and end on a rooftop above Badi Chaupar.
- Amber at opening time: be at Amber Fort as the gates open the next morning.
- Near midday: the City Palace and the Jantar Mantar, when its sundials read best.
- Up without a charter: a hot-air balloon at dawn over the villages near Amer is a lovely alternative in the cool months.
Days 4-5: fly to Jodhpur
West to Jodhpur: fly to Jodhpur, a drive of five to six hours by road.
Agreed times: the airport is a civil enclave at an Air Force base, so flight times are agreed in advance and we plan the day around them.
- Umaid Bhawan: check into Umaid Bhawan Palace, the great Art Deco palace on Chittar Hill, where the former royal family still lives in one wing.
- Mehrangarh at opening time: spend the next morning inside Mehrangarh, before the tour groups.
- Down through the blue lanes: to the clock tower and the stepwell of Toorji ka Jhalra.
- The Bishnoi villages: a short drive south in the afternoon. Their people have protected trees and blackbuck for more than five centuries.
Days 6-7: fly to Jaisalmer
The flight that saves most: it replaces a five-hour drive across the desert.
Another civil enclave: private movements need clearance, and timings are fixed in advance.
- Where to stay: Suryagarh on the Sam road, or The Serai, SUJAN's camp in a hundred acres of private desert.
- The fort in the morning: Jaisalmer Fort, founded in 1156 and still home to thousands of people, and the carved merchant havelis below it.
- Dunes at sunset: then dinner by firelight while Manganiyar musicians sing the old songs of the desert.
- Choosing a camp: our guide to desert camps and dunes explains the choices.
Days 8-10: fly to Udaipur
Two days become a morning: by road, Jaisalmer to Udaipur is a long journey best broken over two days.
Landing: at Udaipur's airport at Dabok, east of the city, then the drive to the lake.
- On the shore: The Oberoi Udaivilas on Pichola.
- On an island: the Taj Lake Palace on Pichola, or Raffles Udaipur on its own island in Udai Sagar.
- Three slow nights: in Udaipur, see the City Palace in the morning and take a private boat on Lake Pichola in the last hour of light.
- The widest view: drive up to the Monsoon Palace over the lakes and hills.
- One more journey: Kumbhalgarh and the marble temple of Ranakpur are each about two and a half hours by road.
- By helicopter? An approved landing nearby may sometimes be possible. Ask us early.
Where you'll stay
How we choose: for calm, service and, where possible, distance from the airport.
Jaipur: Rambagh Palace is the grandest address, and Rajvilas the most peaceful, set on wide grounds outside the city.
Jodhpur: Umaid Bhawan Palace is a palace in every sense. RAAS Jodhpur is the choice if you want the old city and the fort at your window instead.
- Jaisalmer: Suryagarh suits families and Serai suits couples.
- Udaipur: choose Udaivilas for space and service, the Lake Palace for romance, or Raffles for quiet and gardens.
- Delhi, first and last nights: about sleep and ease. The Leela Palace in Chanakyapuri is close to the diplomatic quarter and an easy run to the airport.
- History in Delhi: The Imperial on Janpath has the most, and a central position for Old Delhi.
- Early charter? A night in Aerocity beside the airport saves the morning traffic.
- Matched to the flight: we match each night to the next morning's flight, so that no departure feels rushed.
- Landings confirmed first: we check what is possible for your dates, and we never promise a landing until the paperwork is in hand.
- Compare the great palaces: our guide to palace hotels, and our luxury desert camps page for the Thar.
When to fly
Our favourite months: October, November, February and March. The air is clear, the days warm, and flights rarely face delays.
December and January: beautiful on the ground, but morning fog across the northern plains can hold flights at Delhi and sometimes Jaipur for hours.
- Best
- October, November, February, March
- Fog risk
- December and January mornings
- Heat limits
- April to June
- Cloud and storms
- July to September
- How we plan for fog: departures from Delhi in late morning in those weeks, with a car on standby.
- April to June: the desert heat is fierce, and aircraft, especially helicopters, can carry less in hot air. Flights still operate, but we fly early and keep journeys short.
- The monsoon: from July to September, low cloud and storms affect the Aravallis around Udaipur and Kumbhalgarh. Rajasthan is green and lovely then, but any flying plan needs a backup.
- Festivals: they bring busy skies and full hotels. For the Jaisalmer Desert Festival or the Pushkar Camel Fair, we book aircraft and hotels many months ahead.
- The whole year: our best time to visit Rajasthan guide covers it.
Make the flying journey yours
A short escape
Four or five nights: fly from Delhi to Jaisalmer for two nights in the desert, then on to Udaipur for two by the lake.
- Impossible by road: it cannot be done in the time any other way.
- More ideas: our short escapes page.
Scheduled flights and a charter for one leg
Scheduled flights: link Delhi with Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur in about an hour, and they are comfortable and frequent.
- Charter only the hardest leg: usually to or from Jaisalmer. That keeps the convenience and reduces the complexity.
- The options explained: our guide to airports and flights.
Adding wildlife
No airports of their own: Ranthambore and Jawai.
- Ranthambore: we prefer the fast train from Delhi or the drive from Jaipur.
- Jawai: fly to Udaipur or Jodhpur and drive about three hours.
- On the ground: safaris are always by open vehicle.
For families and groups
Everyone together: a charter can carry a whole family or a group of friends, which is often the reason to choose one.
- Luggage: small aircraft have strict weight limits, so we plan it carefully and keep the ground days relaxed.
- Ideas for every age: our family journeys page.
For celebrations
- When guests ask: weddings, anniversaries and milestone birthdays, especially for moving a group between Udaipur and Jodhpur or Jaipur.
- More: our pages on destination weddings and Rajasthan honeymoons.
What a flying day actually feels like
Later than you think: we rarely plan take-offs at dawn. The early light is too good to waste in an aircraft and, in winter, fog may still be lying on the runway.
The shape of the day: see a monument at opening time, come back for breakfast, and leave for the airport mid-morning.
At the airport: your driver takes you to the general aviation terminal or the right gate, where the operator's team meets you and handles the formalities.
- Security still applies: you will need your passport, but it is far calmer than a scheduled departure.
- Jets and turboprops: quiet and comfortable, with leather seats, a small galley and, on most aircraft, a washroom.
- Helicopters: noisier, with headsets for conversation, and the views are wider and lower.
- Short hops: you will often be on the ground again before you have finished your coffee.
- At the other end: your next driver is waiting, the car is cool, and your bags, if they flew with you, are in the boot before you reach it.
- Permission can't be hurried: at the civil enclaves inside Air Force bases, departure and arrival times are agreed in advance, so we keep flying days flexible.
Rajasthan from above, without a charter
A hot-air balloon at dawn
Where: in the cool months, over the countryside near Jaipur and in a few other places.
- What you see: villages, fields and, on a still morning, the hill forts.
- How it feels: gentle, silent and over in about an hour.
- Read more: our hot-air balloons page.
The ramparts of Nahargarh and Jaigarh
Nahargarh at sunset: from the walls of Nahargarh Fort the whole grid of Jaipur lies below you.
- Jaigarh: from Jaigarh Fort you look straight down onto Amber and Maota Lake.
- As good as a flight: both views are.
The Monsoon Palace above Udaipur
Where: Sajjangarh, the Monsoon Palace, sits on a hilltop west of Udaipur.
- When: an hour before sunset.
- The view: the widest over the lakes and the Aravallis, with the City Palace a pale line on the far shore.
The walls of Kumbhalgarh at sunrise
The wall: the great wall of Kumbhalgarh runs for about 36 kilometres over the hills.
- In the first hours after sunrise: walk a stretch, and fold upon fold of the Aravallis opens up around you.
- A pilot's view: exactly what one would show you, but with birdsong.
Why the ground still matters
What flying skips: the in-between places that make Rajasthan so rich: the dhaba where the chai is boiled with ginger, the stepwell beside the highway, the village where women draw water at dusk.
Giving some of it back: on the days you fly, we often add a short drive on arrival to a craft village, a temple or a viewpoint.
- Land under your feet: so you feel it before the hotel gates close behind you.
- Your driver and guide: as important on a charter journey as on any other. They meet you at the aircraft and know the quiet hours at each monument.
- The small details: cold water in the car, the right entrance, a table booked with a view.
- The ground team: it is what turns a series of airports into a story.
How we look after you
Checked operators: we work only with permitted, established charter operators, and we check the aircraft and crew before we book.
Permissions early: we apply for landing permissions and clearances well in advance, and tell you honestly when the answer is no.
- A car at every stop: with your driver waiting at the aircraft or terminal, and luggage sent ahead by road where needed.
- Licensed local guides: in every city, with visits planned for the quiet hours.
- A backup every flying day: by road or scheduled flight, in case of fog, heat or cloud.
- Your own planner on WhatsApp: in touch with the operator, your driver and your hotels throughout.
- No prices on this page: charter costs depend on aircraft, routing and dates, and we quote after one conversation. Start with plan my journey.
Who will love it, and who might choose differently
There is a middle way, and it is the one most of our guests choose. Travel mostly by car, with your own driver and guides, and fly just once, usually across the desert between Jaisalmer and Udaipur or back to Delhi at the end. You keep the texture of the road and lose only its longest, dullest day.
Short time, long list: you will love a fly-drive journey if your time is short and your wish list long.
- Love it
- Short time, long wish list
- Also
- Older relatives, wedding groups
- Think twice
- Dislike small aircraft, need certainty
- Two weeks or more
- The road, with one flight
- Long drives are hard: if you are travelling with older relatives or anyone for whom they are difficult.
- Jaisalmer and Udaipur in one short trip: flying is the only way to do both.
- Groups: if you are moving a group for a wedding or celebration.
- The view: on a clear winter morning over the Aravallis.
- Choose differently if: you dislike small aircraft, need perfect certainty about timings, or want to see village Rajasthan up close, because flying passes over it.
- Better choices then: our private chauffeur journeys or our luxury trains of Rajasthan.
- Two weeks or more: the road is usually the richer choice, with perhaps one flight to save the longest day.
