How to plan, in the order we would
Our grandfather planned every family journey the same way: first the season, then the number of nights, then the places, and only at the very end the hotels.
Season first: it decides what you will see and how comfortable you will be.
Then nights: they decide how many places you can enjoy without hurrying.
Then places: they decide how you travel between them.
The order we plan in
- First
- The season
- Second
- The number of nights
- Third
- The places
- Last
- Hotels, experiences and practicalities
- Hotels come last: with experiences and the small practical matters, because they fit around everything else.
- New to Rajasthan: begin with our Rajasthan travel guide, which introduces the state, its regions and its cities in one sitting.
- Choosing dates: read the best time to visit Rajasthan, then the month that interests you.
- Quick answers: our frequently asked questions cover the short, practical things people ask us most.
- Finding the shape: our journeys show routes that work, and our destinations describe the places themselves.
- Then talk to us: one conversation with a planner usually answers more than a week of reading. Begin on our plan my journey page.
Rajasthan month by month
There is no single best month in Rajasthan, only the best month for you. Each one has its own light, its own festivals and its own kind of quiet.
October to March: warm days and cool nights, the main season.
April to June: hot and quiet, with the best tiger sightings in April and May.
Seasons at a glance
- Main season
- October to March
- Hot months
- April to June
- Monsoon
- July to September, green and quiet
- Festivals
- Follow the lunar calendar, so dates move
- Our favourite
- February
- July to September: the monsoon, when the land turns green.
- Moving dates: festivals follow the lunar calendar and change from year to year, so we confirm the dates for your journey.
- In detail: our weather and climate guide explains the seasons.
January: cool, bright and festive
Weather: cold mornings, close to 8°C in Jaipur, and bright, clear days.
- Kites: on Makar Sankranti, usually 14 January, the walled city climbs onto its roofs to fly kites.
- Festivals: Bikaner holds its camel festival and the Jaipur Literature Festival fills the city.
- Pack: a shawl for sunrise at Amber.
February: our favourite month
Weather: warm days, cool nights and the best light of the year.
- Desert festival: the Jaisalmer Desert Festival falls on the full moon of Magh.
- Mustard season: the fields of Shekhawati turn the painted towns yellow.
- Good for: long drives and photographs.
March: Holi and the first warmth
Holi: it comes with the spring full moon, with colour in every lane. Book early for Holi week.
- Gangaur: it begins the morning after Holi and runs for eighteen days.
- Rajasthan Day: since 2025 it is celebrated on Chaitra Shukla Pratipada, so the date varies and can fall in March or April. The historic union of the state was on 30 March 1949.
- Weather: days reach the low thirties.
April: Gangaur and the shrinking waterholes
- Gangaur ends: with Jaipur's procession from the City Palace, women in their finest leheriya walking behind the goddess.
- Tigers: the heat builds, and Ranthambore's tigers come to the last waterholes. Sightings are at their best.
May: hot, quiet and full of tigers
Weather: the Thar touches 45°C and the cities slow to a siesta rhythm.
- Our rhythm: early safaris, afternoons in palace pools and evenings on rooftops.
- Rates: palace hotels offer their best of the year.
- Cool escape: Mount Abu, Rajasthan's only hill station, stays mild.
June: before the rain
Weather: the hottest, stillest month.
- Ranthambore: the core zones close at the end of June for the monsoon.
- Who it suits: we rarely suggest a first visit now, but seasoned travellers love the empty forts.
- The first rain: the smell of rain on dry earth, which we call mitti ki khushboo.
July: the monsoon arrives
Green overnight: Udaipur's lakes fill and the Aravallis turn green.
- Hariyali Teej: women swing from neem trees.
- Seasonal sweet: ghevar, a honeycomb of fried batter soaked in syrup that we only eat in this season.
- Mood: quiet, lush and very romantic.
August: Teej processions and green hills
Teej in Jaipur: the procession carries the goddess out of Tripolia Gate in a palanquin.
- Weather: showers in afternoon bursts, and the Monsoon Palace above Udaipur sits in cloud.
- Where to go: Bundi and Mewar, when the stepwells hold water again.
September: the land at its greenest
Weather: the rains taper off, humid early in the month and pleasant by the end.
- The view: the countryside is greener than visitors imagine Rajasthan can be.
- Rates: gentle, with empty palaces.
- Good for: crafts, food and long lunches in havelis.
October: the season opens
Ranthambore: reopens on 1 October.
- Folk festival: the Rajasthan International Folk Festival fills Mehrangarh around the Sharad Purnima full moon.
- Dussehra: Kota's fair burns effigies taller than houses.
- Weather: the light turns golden and the days settle.
November: Diwali lamps and the camel fair
Diwali: lamps light Jaipur's bazaars end to end.
- Pushkar: around the Kartik full moon, camels and herders gather for the fair.
- Book ahead: the weather is perfect, so palace rooms go months in advance.
December: peak season, polo and fireside dinners
Weather: clear skies and cool nights, with the Jaipur polo season under way.
- Christmas and New Year: magical in a palace, but the best suites go nine to twelve months ahead.
- On the road: morning fog sometimes slows the drive between Delhi and Agra.
Planning by the time you have
The second question we always ask, after when, is how long. The answer changes the whole shape of a journey.
Nights to allow
- Short escape
- Three to five nights, one city and one escape
- One week
- Two or three places
- Two weeks
- Ten to fourteen nights, the sweet spot
- Three weeks+
- Add the parks, Shekhawati, Kutch or Varanasi
Three to five nights
- One city, one escape: Jaipur with Samode or Ranthambore, or Udaipur with Kumbhalgarh.
- See how: our short escapes.
One week
Two or three places: such as Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur.
- Resist the desert: it is tempting to add it, but a week is better without.
- The model: our one week in Rajasthan.
Ten days to two weeks
- The sweet spot for a first visit: the great cities, a night or two in the Thar near Jaisalmer, and a smaller place such as Bundi or a fort hotel in the countryside.
- A route that breathes: our two weeks in Rajasthan has two nights or more everywhere.
Three weeks or more
Room to add: the tiger parks, the painted towns of Shekhawati, Kutch or Varanasi.
- Room to rest: and still have days with nothing planned at all.
- How we use the time: our three weeks and more.
Before you fly: the practical essentials
The dull parts of planning take an evening, and doing them early means you will never think of them again on the road.
Facts to know
- Visa
- Most visitors need one
- Official portal
- indianvisaonline.gov.in
- Insurance
- We ask every guest to travel insured
- Cash
- Small notes for bazaars, temples and tips
- Prices
- We quote after one conversation
Visa and e-Visa
- Who needs one: most visitors need a visa for India, and many nationalities can apply online for an e-Visa.
- Where to apply: rules change, so always check the official portal at indianvisaonline.gov.in and apply through it directly.
Health and safety
Generally safe: Rajasthan is safe and welcoming.
- Before you go: speak to your own doctor or a travel health clinic, and follow official travel health advice.
- On the road: our calm guide explains how to stay well and safe.
Travel insurance
- Always insured: we ask every guest to travel with insurance.
- What to look for: what a good policy for India should cover, from medical care and evacuation to safaris and valuables. We don't recommend any product.
Packing
- The basics: layers for winter mornings, light cotton for the heat, a scarf for temples and shoes you can slip off.
- By season: our packing guide covers each one.
Money and tipping
Cards: in hotels and good shops.
- Cash: small notes for bazaars, temples and tips.
- Tipping: our guide explains how much to tip guides, drivers and hotel staff, and when.
SIM cards and internet
Your options: roaming, Indian SIM cards and eSIMs.
- Signal: hotel Wi-Fi in thick-walled palaces, and signal in the desert.
- Check first: the rules for buying a SIM change, so check before you travel.
What a journey costs
- No published prices: the cost depends on your dates, hotels, rooms and pace.
- What shapes it: our guide explains exactly what drives the cost, and how we quote.
Getting around a very large state
Rajasthan is about the size of Germany, and the drive from Udaipur to Jaisalmer takes most of a day. Distances shape every good plan.
By private car: most of our journeys travel with an experienced chauffeur.
Facts to know
- Size
- About the size of Germany
- Udaipur to Jaisalmer
- Most of a day by road
- Busiest airports
- Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur
- Connections
- Mostly through Delhi and Mumbai
- Bridging the long stretches: a flight or a fast train.
- Timing the drives: long legs fall after breakfast or after lunch, so the best light is never spent in the car.
Getting around Rajasthan
- What it covers: how we combine cars, flights and trains, and how long each leg really takes.
- Why two nights: two nights in every place makes the whole journey calmer.
Airports and flights
- The airports: Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur are the busiest, mostly connected through Delhi and Mumbai.
- Worth flying: which flights save time and which don't.
Trains
Day trains: fast trains between Delhi and Jaipur.
- Night trains: overnight trains across the desert.
- Luxury trains: the ones that tour the state, explained simply.
Road distances and drive times
- The drives you'll make: a table of the most likely legs.
- Honest times: they allow for the villages, the camels and a stop for chai.
Understanding Rajasthan before you arrive
A fort is a pile of stones until you know who held it and why. A little reading before you come turns every sight into a story.
A short history of Rajasthan
- The sweep: from the Rajput kingdoms to the Mughal alliances and British treaties, told in one sitting.
- The union: how the princely states joined to form modern Rajasthan. The historic union was on 30 March 1949.
The Rajput dynasties
- Who ruled where: the Sisodias of Mewar, the Rathores of Marwar, the Kachwahas of Jaipur, the Bhatis of Jaisalmer and the Hadas of Bundi and Kota.
- What they built: the forts and palaces you'll visit.
Reading Rajasthani architecture
- The words: what a jharokha, a chhatri, a baori and a haveli are.
- Reading a palace: from its gate to its zenana.
Faith and temples
- Traditions: Hindu, Jain, Sufi and Sikh.
- Places: the great pilgrim towns and the folk deities of the villages.
Rajasthani words and phrases
- Start with two: khamma ghani and padharo.
- Then a handful more: the words that make people smile when a visitor uses them.
Dress and textiles
Turbans: they change every few villages.
- Cloth for the moment: leheriya for the monsoon, bandhani for brides and block prints from Bagru.
- For you: what you might wear yourself.
Customs, courtesies and the pleasures of the table
People in Rajasthan forgive visitors almost anything, but they remember the ones who took their shoes off without being asked.
Etiquette and dress
- The basics: greetings, modest dress and visiting homes.
- At the table: eat with your right hand, and learn the small courtesies that open doors.
Temple etiquette
- What to know: shoes, leather, photography, prasad and offerings.
- Particular customs: at Ranakpur, Nathdwara, Pushkar and Ajmer.
Alcohol and dry days
- Not a dry state: but dry days, holy towns and Gujarat's permit rules can catch visitors out.
- We check: laws vary and change, so we confirm them for your dates.
The Rajasthani food guide
- The dishes: dal baati churma, laal maas, ker sangri and the sweets of every season.
- Eating well: and eating safely.
Shopping
- What to buy: block prints, blue pottery, gems, silver, rugs and mojaris.
- The real thing: how to tell it, and why we never take guests to commission shops.
Photography
- The right hour: for each fort, and where cameras are not allowed.
- People: how to photograph them with consent and grace.
Guides for particular travellers
A woman travelling alone, a family with toddlers and a grandfather who uses a wheelchair all need slightly different plans. All of them can have a wonderful Rajasthan.
Women travellers
- Honest advice: on dress, safety and comfort.
- The welcome: the warm one women receive in Rajasthan's homes and villages.
Travelling with children
- What they'll love: forts, kites, camels and tigers.
- What they need: the right pace, food and rest.
Accessible travel
- Getting in: which forts and palaces have lifts or gentle routes.
- Where to stay: which hotels suit limited mobility, and how we plan around steep ramps.
The rules we plan by
After many years of planning journeys through our own state, we have learned a few things the hard way. These are the rules we give every guest.
Two nights or more in every place: one-night stops cost more and give you less.
See each sight at its own hour: Amber at opening time, Mehrangarh at sunset, Pichola at dawn.
- Fewer places, more time: most first-time visitors try to see too much.
- Book peak dates early: Christmas, New Year, Diwali and the great festivals fill months ahead.
- Don't fight the season: plan around pools in May and around lakes in August, not around long drives.
- Never: no elephant rides, no captive-animal shows and no commission shopping, ever.
- Respect: for the temples, the villages and the families who welcome you. They are the reason Rajasthan feels the way it does.
When you are ready, talk to us
Reading takes you a long way. A conversation with someone who grew up here takes you the rest.
Who you'll talk to: our planners were born and raised in Rajasthan, and they travel the routes they plan.
What to tell us: when you would like to come, who is travelling and what you love.
How we plan
- Step 1
- Tell us how you travel
- Step 2
- We draw your Rajasthan, within a day
- Step 3
- Shape it together
- Step 4
- Travel with us beside you
- What you get: a route, the hotels and the reasons for each, then a written day-by-day plan and a clear quote.
- Before you book: you can change anything.
- Our promises: no payment until you approve the plan, a reply within one working day, and a private journey with no fixed departures.
- Inspiration first: our six signature journeys and the rest of our journeys show how we combine places.
- Filling the days: our experiences and our festival calendar.
- Where you'll sleep: our stays introduce the palaces, havelis and camps we know best.