Why slow travel suits Rajasthan
In the hour before dawn in Pushkar, the only sounds are temple bells, a conch shell on the far ghat and the wingbeats of pigeons lifting off the water.
Rajasthan is especially good at slowness. Villages wake with the sun and rest through the heat. Temples open with morning prayers and close for the god's afternoon sleep. Families walk around the lake as the light softens. Live alongside that rhythm for a few days and something in you slows too.
Most visitors see Rajasthan at speed: a fort in the morning, a palace after lunch, a long drive the next day.
At a glance
- Nights
- Twelve
- Pace
- Four bases, drives of about three hours
- Best months
- October to March, or the monsoon in Mewar
- Good for
- Rest, quiet and a deeper sense of place
- Starts
- Jaipur
- Ends
- Udaipur
- The cost: it is magnificent but tiring, and many guests go home needing a holiday from their holiday.
- Slow travel turns that around: fewer places, longer in each, and days that take their own shape.
- Wellness here is not a regime: it means sleeping well in quiet rooms, eating simple fresh food, walking every morning and swimming every afternoon.
- And time: an hour with a yoga teacher or in a palace spa, and time to sit with a book or a view.
- One great sight a day: at its quiet hour, rather than three at their busiest.
- Honestly, not a clinic: this is restorative travel, not medical treatment. We work with skilled yoga teachers and high-standard spas in fine hotels, but offer no cures or clinical programmes.
- A supervised Ayurvedic treatment of several weeks: we can talk about it, but it is a different kind of journey. Our yoga and Ayurveda in Rajasthan page explains more.
How we plan a slow journey
Slow travel is not just fewer places. It is a different way of arranging every day.
Our rules
- Nights per stop
- Two at least, mostly three or four
- Longest drive
- About three hours
- Leave
- After a late breakfast
- Arrive
- For lunch
- Sights
- One a day, at the quiet hour
Three nights or more in each place
The arithmetic: two nights gives you one full day. Three gives you two, and the second is the one when you stop being a visitor.
- On this journey: every stop is at least two nights, and most are three or four.
- Our preference: we would rather leave a place out than hurry through it.
Short drives only
About three hours at most: no drive on this route is much longer.
- Arrive for lunch: we leave after a late breakfast, so the afternoon is for settling in, not catching up.
- Your driver stops: whenever you like, for tea, a walk or a view.
Mornings and evenings outdoors
The best hours: Rajasthan's light and air are at their best in the first and last hours of the day.
- What goes there: walks, yoga, temple visits and boat rides.
- The hot middle of the day: rest, the spa and the pool.
One sight a day, at the quiet hour
- Still the finest monuments in India: but never in a crowd if we can help it.
- For example: Amber at opening, a temple at dawn, a palace in the late afternoon. Then home to the garden.
Food that feels good
Rajasthani home cooking: largely vegetarian, full of lentils, millet, yoghurt, seasonal vegetables and spices.
- Cooked lightly if you ask: good hotels will cook it simply.
- Every kitchen briefed: in advance on what you like and what you avoid.
Our sample slow journey, day by day
Twelve nights and four bases: a garden retreat outside Jaipur, a sacred lake, a family palace in the hills of Mewar, and the lakes of Udaipur.
Drive times
- Jaipur to Pushkar
- About three hours
- Pushkar to Deogarh
- About three hours
- Deogarh to Udaipur
- About three hours
Days 1 to 3: Jaipur, a garden retreat
Straight to The Oberoi Rajvilas: on thirty-two acres outside Jaipur, with fort-like walls, a restored eighteenth-century Shiva temple and a spa our guests talk about for years.
The first day is rest: a massage, a swim, an early dinner, a long sleep.
- Second morning, as the gates open: Amber Fort, while the courtyards are cool and quiet.
- Third morning, at dawn: walk up to Galtaji, the temple complex in a gorge east of the city, where pilgrims bathe in spring-fed tanks and the sun temple on the ridge looks over Jaipur.
- Afternoons: are yours.
- For a serious meditation practice: Dhamma Thali, a Vipassana centre in the hills near Galtaji, founded in 1977.
- How it works: residential courses, usually of ten days, by donation and in silence. A commitment rather than a visit, booked directly with the centre, and we can plan your journey around one.
Days 4 to 6: Pushkar, the sacred lake
About three hours to Pushkar: one of Hinduism's holiest pilgrim towns, built around a sacred lake with 52 bathing ghats.
A rhythm set by prayer: the town is vegetarian and alcohol-free, a natural place for a quieter few days.
- Stay outside the town: the Westin Pushkar Resort and Spa on the edge of town with gardens and Aravalli views, or Ananta Spa and Resort in the countryside at the foot of the hills.
- Compare them: our guide to luxury stays in Pushkar.
- One sunrise: a private yoga session.
- Another: the climb to the Savitri temple on Ratnagiri hill, one of the finest dawn views in Rajasthan.
- The ghats of Pushkar Lake: with a guide in the early morning, when pilgrims are bathing, and back for the evening aarti, the lamp ceremony, as the sky turns pink.
- On the ghats: shoes come off, and photographs of people bathing are not welcome.
Days 7 and 8: Deogarh, a palace in the hills
About three hours south: into the hills of northern Mewar to Deogarh.
Deogarh Mahal: a seventeenth-century palace, still run as a hotel by the former ruling family.
- Slow Rajasthan at its best: walks through villages and fields, lakes full of birds, terraces at dusk and long dinners with stories of the estate.
- An hour with a painter: Deogarh gave its name to a school of miniature painting. Watch colours ground from stone and plants, and a single line take an afternoon.
- For train lovers: the old metre-gauge line through the Aravalli hills nearby is a slow, beautiful ride through forest and gorges.
Days 9 to 12: Udaipur, the city of lakes
About three hours to Udaipur: four slow nights by the water to finish.
The Oberoi Udaivilas: its spa is one of the best in India, and its gardens run down to Lake Pichola.
- Raffles Udaipur: quieter and further out on its own island in Udai Sagar, with English gardens and complete peace.
- Dawn on the old city ghats: women washing clothes, and light coming low across the lake.
- One morning: the City Palace, and an hour in the fountain gardens of Saheliyon ki Bari.
- The last hour of light: a private boat on Pichola.
- The last full day: do nothing at all, and enjoy it.
Local tip
Give your first day in Jaipur to doing nothing. A massage, a swim, an early dinner and a long sleep are the kindest cure for a long flight.
A slow day, hour by hour
People sometimes ask what they will actually do all day. The honest answer is: less than you fear, and more than you expect.
The shape of the day
- Before sunrise
- Tea, then a walk or yoga
- Late morning
- One outing, if you want it
- Midday
- Swim, shaded lunch, spa, sleep
- Golden hour
- A boat, the aarti or a rooftop
- Night
- An early, simple dinner
Before sunrise
Tea to your room or terrace: then a walk, yoga or a seat by the water while the birds wake up.
- In Pushkar: the hour of the conch shells and the first bathers on the ghats.
- In Udaipur: the hour when the lake is glass and the City Palace is still grey.
Morning and midday
Breakfast: long and late, with nowhere to be.
- One outing, if you want it: a palace at opening time, a village walk, an hour with a painter or a weaver.
- Back by late morning: for a swim, lunch in the shade, a spa treatment and, if you are wise, a sleep.
- The old wisdom: Rajasthanis have rested through the heat of the day for centuries, and they are right.
Late afternoon and evening
As the light turns gold: a boat on the lake, the evening aarti, a rooftop, a slow walk through the bazaar.
- Dinner: early and simple, often outdoors, and the night is quiet.
- After a few days: most guests tell us they are sleeping better than they have in years.
Where you'll stay
On a slow journey, the hotel is not a place to sleep between sights. It is where much of the journey happens.
How we choose: for silence, space, gardens and good spas, and kitchens that cook well and simply.
The anchors: Rajvilas in Jaipur and Udaivilas in Udaipur, both among the finest resort hotels in India.
Privacy above all: Raffles Udaipur.
Our first choices
- Jaipur
- The Oberoi Rajvilas
- Pushkar
- Westin Pushkar or Ananta
- Deogarh
- Deogarh Mahal
- Udaipur
- The Oberoi Udaivilas or Raffles
- Pushkar: the resorts outside the town give you calm after the lanes.
- Deogarh: the palace offers character and warmth rather than polish.
- RAAS Devigarh: near Udaipur, an eighteenth-century hill palace at Delwara turned into a pared-back, modern marble hotel, with a calm that suits a wellness stay perfectly.
- Six Senses Fort Barwara: in a restored fort about an hour from Ranthambore, for a spa retreat with a few safaris.
- Alila Fort Bishangarh: near Jaipur, a hilltop warrior fort turned hotel, with wide views over the countryside.
- Compare the spas: our page on spas and Ayurveda.
- Rohet Garh: near Jodhpur, with a lake, horses and the desk where writers have worked for decades.
- Rawla Narlai: between Jodhpur and Udaipur, beneath a granite hill with old carved temples around it.
- Simpler, deeper: our guide to rural homestays with families.
Practices that fit the journey
You need not arrive with a practice. You may well leave with one.
Where and when
- Yoga
- Pushkar and Udaipur, at dawn
- Spa
- Afternoons, in the heat
- Walking
- Deogarh lanes, the Kumbhalgarh wall
- Cycling
- The old cities at first light
- Night sky
- Near Jaisalmer, in winter
Yoga at dawn
Private sessions: with experienced teachers, on a hotel lawn, a palace terrace or a rooftop above a lake.
- Any level: suited to beginners or to those with a long practice.
- Best places: Pushkar and Udaipur, and many hotels have their own teachers.
Spa and Ayurvedic therapies
- At the great hotels: massages and therapies drawn from Ayurveda, India's traditional system of medicine, alongside modern treatments.
- Restful and skilled: and best booked for the afternoons, when the heat makes sightseeing less pleasant anyway.
Walking
The simplest wellness of all: and Rajasthan rewards it.
- Where: the village lanes at Deogarh, the ghats of Pushkar and Udaipur at dawn, or a section of the great wall of Kumbhalgarh at sunrise.
- More: our page on heritage walks in the old cities.
Cycling at first light
- Before the traffic: the old cities belong to milk sellers, temple-goers and tea stalls.
- A lovely start to the day: read more about cycling the old cities at dawn.
Stillness and the night sky
- Dark, clear winter nights: away from the cities.
- Add the desert: a night or two near Jaisalmer gives some of the finest skies in India. Our page on stargazing in the Thar explains.
Eating lightly in Rajasthan
In a Marwari home the day's first meal might be a bowl of raab, a warm, thin porridge of millet flour and buttermilk, eaten slowly on the doorstep.
A reputation for richness: ghee, fried snacks and sweets, and the palace kitchens certainly made the most of them.
Everyday cooking is light and wise: millet breads in winter, buttermilk and yoghurt in summer, lentils every day, and seasonal vegetables cooked with cumin, coriander and turmeric.
Learned from the desert: waste nothing, and eat for the weather.
Light dishes to ask for
- Raab
- Millet and buttermilk porridge
- Bajra roti
- Millet bread, for winter
- Dal
- Lentils, every day
- Buttermilk
- For the hot months
- Ghevar
- The monsoon treat
- What we ask hotels for: simple dal, bajra millet rotis, vegetables from their gardens, fresh fruit and herbal teas. Many of the best hotels grow their own produce.
- Vegetarian and Jain: Pushkar is entirely vegetarian, and much of Rajasthan's food naturally suits vegetarian and Jain diets, which avoid root vegetables.
- Still try the treats: masala chai on a rooftop, a hot kachori in Jodhpur, a slice of ghevar in the monsoon. Wellness is about balance, not denial.
- The dishes and the stories: our Rajasthani food guide and our page on food and royal kitchens.
- Particular needs: gluten-free, vegan or low-salt, tell us before you travel and we pass the details to every kitchen on your route.
- In smaller heritage stays: the family cooks will usually make something simple and delicious from what is in season, and will be pleased to be asked.
When to come for a slow journey
Winter in Rajasthan is dry, sunny and cool, with the kind of mornings that make you want to be outdoors before breakfast.
October to March: warm, clear days, cool nights and lovely light for walking.
November and February: especially good.
December and January: cold mornings, so bring warm layers for dawn yoga and walks, and expect occasional early fog around Jaipur.
Season at a glance
- Best season
- October to March
- Especially good
- November and February
- Cold mornings
- December and January
- Green and quiet
- July to September in Mewar
- Very hot
- April to June
- The Pushkar Camel Fair: in Kartik, usually October or November, it makes Pushkar one of the busiest places in India, so we plan a slow stay there either side of it.
- The monsoon, July to September: a wonderful time for a slow journey in Mewar, with full lakes, green hills, soft air and quieter hotels. Our monsoon in Mewar journey is built around it.
- April to June: very hot, best kept for short stays with long hours by the pool.
- Gentle festivals: Gangaur, in March or April, sees women carrying images of the goddess to the lakes in Udaipur and Jaipur.
- Teej: in the monsoon, fills the cities with swings and green saris.
- Every month: our best time to visit Rajasthan guide.
Make the slow journey yours
The beauty of slow travel is that it bends easily. Here is how we change it for different travellers.
A shorter version
- A week, two bases: three nights near Jaipur and four in Udaipur, with a short flight between them.
- The trade: you lose Pushkar and Deogarh, but keep the rhythm. Our short escapes page has more ideas.
A longer version
- Three weeks: add a few nights at a family fort near Jodhpur, such as Rohet Garh, and a night at Rawla Narlai or Kumbhalgarh on the way to Udaipur.
- Or the hills: end with a slow stay at Mount Abu, with forest walks and the marble Dilwara temples.
For couples
- After a wedding or a hard year: slow travel suits couples beautifully.
- Add: spa days, private dinners and a boat on Pichola. Our Rajasthan honeymoons page has more ideas.
For solo travellers
- Many slow-travel guests come alone: Rajasthan's heritage hotels are warm places for a solo traveller.
- Family tables: family-run stays often invite you to join them at dinner. Our page for solo travellers has advice.
For repeat visitors
- Know Rajasthan more deeply: spend a week in one region, such as Mewar, and get to know its villages, crafts and families.
- A good place to start: our village Rajasthan journey.
Travelling gently
Slow travel is kinder to places as well as to people. It is the way we would like everyone to see Rajasthan.
More money where it matters: stay longer in fewer places and you spend more in each, with local guides, cooks, craftsmen and families.
Less driving: better for the air and the roads.
Facts to know
- Temples
- Dress modestly, shoes off
- Photographs
- Ask before photographing prayer
- Pushkar
- No meat or alcohol
- Villages
- Accept tea, no sweets for children
- Time to learn: a little of the language, a few names and the customs of a place, which changes how you are received.
- At temples and sacred places: dress modestly, remove your shoes and ask before photographing people at prayer.
- At Pushkar: respect the town's rules on food and alcohol.
- In villages: accept tea if it is offered, and do not hand out sweets or money to children.
- Read more: our guides to temple etiquette and travelling responsibly, and our story on sustainable travel in Rajasthan.
Local tip
Say khamma ghani, the Marwari greeting, with your hands joined. It is always returned with a smile.
How we look after you
A slow journey still needs careful planning. It just should not feel planned.
A private car and driver: throughout, with short drives at gentle hours and stops whenever you like.
Arranged in advance: private yoga teachers, spa bookings and walks, at the times that suit you.
Facts to know
- Driver
- Private car throughout
- Arranged ahead
- Yoga teachers, spa bookings, walks
- Guides
- Licensed, for the quiet hours
- Kitchens
- Briefed before you arrive
- Prices
- Quoted after one conversation
- Licensed local guides: at the monuments, booked for the quiet hours, and only when you want them.
- Kitchens briefed: on your food preferences before you arrive.
- Airport meetings: and a short flight between cities if it saves you a long day.
- Your own planner on WhatsApp: who will move tomorrow's plan to the day after without fuss.
- No prices on this page: every slow journey is different, so we quote after one conversation. Start with plan my journey.
Who will love it, and who might choose differently
This is a journey for people who would rather know a few places well than see many quickly.
Rest as much as discovery: for anyone who likes walking, yoga, reading and long lunches.
After a busy year, a loss or a celebration: this is the journey we plan.
- Returning visitors: who want to see Rajasthan more quietly.
- It suits: couples, solo travellers and friends travelling together.
- All the great cities on a first visit: choose a classic route such as our Royal Rajputana journey, and ask us to slow it down.
- Daily treatments: a dedicated wellness retreat may suit you better.
- Energy rather than rest: our private chauffeur journeys cover more ground at an easy pace.
