An honest picture before you book
Hills and stone: most of the great forts sit on hills, and the approaches are cobbled or paved in polished stone.
Gates and stairs: the gates turn at sharp angles, and the palace rooms at the top are reached by narrow stairs with high risers.
Inside the palaces: doorways have raised thresholds, floors change level every few rooms, and there are very few handrails.
- Forts
- Hilltop, cobbled, sharp-angled gates
- Palace rooms
- Narrow stairs, high risers
- Inside
- Raised thresholds, few handrails
- Old city lanes
- Narrow, shared, broken pavements
- Highway stops
- Rarely a usable toilet
- The old city lanes: in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer you share narrow streets with scooters, cows and handcarts, and the pavement, where there is one, is often broken or blocked.
- Slowly improving: some major monuments now have ramps at the entrance, accessible toilets and wheelchairs to borrow, and newer airports are far better than the old ones.
- Still uneven: the standard varies, and a ramp at the gate does not mean the whole site is step-free.
- On the highway: restaurants and fuel stops rarely have a toilet you would want to use, accessible or not.
- The good news: luxury travel here is built on private help, and private help is exactly what makes Rajasthan possible for people who move differently.
- Your chauffeur: drops you at the nearest gate rather than the car park.
- Your guide: chooses the flat route and skips the climb to the top terrace.
- A helper: pushes a chair over cobbles, carries a cushion and fetches the car while you rest in the shade.
- Space to recover: palace hotels and resorts, many spread over gardens on one or two levels, give you calm space between outings.
- Ground-level Rajasthan: a boat on Lake Pichola, a jeep in Ranthambore, music in a haveli courtyard, a block printer at work, dinner under the stars.
How we plan an accessible journey
No standard itinerary: a wheelchair user who transfers independently needs different things from someone who walks on the flat but cannot manage steps.
Other needs differ again: someone with a heart or lung condition who tires in the heat, or a family travelling with a grandparent who uses a walking stick.
What we ask: how far you can walk, how many steps you can manage, whether a handrail helps, how you transfer and what bathroom set-up you need.
- Nights per place
- Usually two or three
- Daily rhythm
- Morning outing, long rest, gentle evening
- Drive breaks
- A hotel we know, not a dhaba
- Before arrival
- Photos and measurements of rooms
- Throughout
- Your planner on WhatsApp
- And more: whether you travel with a carer, how heat and long drives affect you, and how much rest you need in a day.
- Hotels first: the room is where you spend the most time, and a good room makes a hard day easy.
- Few hotel changes: usually two or three nights in each place rather than one.
- Shape of a day: one main outing in the morning, a long lunch and rest, and something gentle in the late afternoon or evening.
- Long drives: broken with a stop at a hotel we know rather than a roadside dhaba, so you have a clean, step-free toilet and a quiet place to stretch.
- We check what we cannot be sure of: hotels change rooms, monuments add ramps, and a lift that worked last season may be closed for repair.
- Photographs and measurements: we ask hotels for pictures and sizes of bathrooms, doorways and shower areas, and pass them to you to judge for yourself.
- Uncertain sites: one of our guides walks it the week before and reports back.
- Your team on the ground: a private chauffeur and a local guide in each city, both briefed on your needs before they meet you.
- A dedicated helper: where it helps, someone strong, patient and used to pushing a chair over Rajasthani stone stays with you for the whole journey.
- Carers: if you travel with one, we make sure they have their own room and their own rest.
- One message away: your planner is on WhatsApp throughout, so a sore day can become a day by the pool. Our guide to getting around Rajasthan explains how we combine car, trains and flights.
Choosing hotels and rooms that work
- Route
- Step-free car to room to restaurant?
- Bathroom door
- How wide?
- Shower
- Walk-in, grab rail, seat?
- Toilet and bed
- Raised toilet, sensible bed height?
- Lift
- Big enough for your chair?
- Dining
- A table on the level?
Heritage palaces
Worth it: heritage hotels are the soul of a Rajasthan journey, and we do not want anyone to miss them.
Not built for wheels: even grand palaces can have steps between lobby and dining room, raised thresholds on every door, and bathrooms carved into thick old walls.
- Mixed picture: some have added lifts and ground-floor rooms; others have not, and could not without damaging the building.
- So we ask: specific questions and photographs, rather than relying on a website's description.
- Rambagh Palace: in Jaipur, Rambagh Palace has wide lawns and arcades, though as an old palace its rooms vary a great deal.
- Character and detail: our guide to palace hotels describes each property, and we fill in the practical detail for your needs.
Modern luxury resorts
Often easier: many were built low and wide across gardens, with ramps, paths and rooms on one level.
- The trade-off is distance: a resort spread over many acres can mean long paths, so we ask for a room close to the main building, or a buggy if the hotel runs one.
- The Oberoi Rajvilas: in Jaipur, The Oberoi Rajvilas is laid out as a low garden estate outside the city.
- The Oberoi Udaivilas: in Udaipur, The Oberoi Udaivilas is spread along the lake shore, and we discuss room location carefully before booking.
Island hotels and desert camps
Taj Lake Palace: the Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur is reached only by boat, stepping down from a jetty into a launch and up again at the palace.
- The boatmen help: many guests manage it easily with help from the boatmen, who do it all day, but it is worth knowing before you fall in love with the idea.
- Desert camps vary more: some luxury camps have tents on raised platforms with a step or two.
- Sand paths: the paths between tents are sand, which is very hard going for a chair.
The great sights, from easiest to hardest
- Easiest
- Jantar Mantar, City Palace courtyards
- Easy from a seat
- Lake Pichola by boat
- With help
- Amber, Mehrangarh (lift), Taj gardens
- Car across the top
- Chittorgarh
- Hardest
- Jaisalmer Fort, Kumbhalgarh summit
Jantar Mantar, Jaipur
One of the easiest: Sawai Jai Singh II's observatory is an open, mostly level garden of giant stone instruments.
- Paths: flat, though some are gravel, and you need not climb the instruments to understand them.
- From the ground: a good guide explains the great sundial while its shadow moves across the scale in front of you.
- When: in the morning or near midday in winter, because there is little shade.
The City Palace, Jaipur
Level courtyards: the great courtyards, including the painted gates of Pritam Niwas Chowk, are largely on the level.
- Galleries: the museum galleries around them are easy to move between with help over a few thresholds.
- Upper floors: the Chandra Mahal, where the royal family lives, is reached by stairs, so the private tour may not suit everyone.
- Our way: courtyards and galleries at a slow pace, then tea in the palace café.
Hawa Mahal, Jaipur
Ramps, not staircases: the floors are linked by ramps, which were easier for the women of the court in their heavy skirts.
- But steep: the ramps are steep and narrow, and the top floors are small galleries.
- The best view anyway: many guests are happiest seeing the famous facade from a rooftop café across the street.
Amber Fort, Amer
No elephants, no climb: we do not book elephant rides, and the walk up the ramparts is steep.
Drive to the top: your chauffeur can drive up to the upper gate near Jaleb Chowk, the great courtyard, saving the whole climb.
- Manageable with help: the Diwan-i-Aam and the first courts.
- Harder: the Sheesh Mahal and upper palaces mean steps, ramps and uneven floors, so we plan a route through the most beautiful courts and skip the hardest stairs.
- When: at opening time, before the crowds and the heat.
Mehrangarh, Jodhpur
A lift: the trust that runs Mehrangarh has installed a lift for the upper part of the climb from the main gate.
- What it opens up: the museum courtyards and palace rooms, for many guests who could never manage the full ramp.
- Still some steps: between rooms and in narrow passages, so we pick a route with the guide in advance.
- Worth every effort: the views from the ramparts over the blue city.
The Taj Mahal, Agra
Electric carts: petrol vehicles are not allowed close to the Taj, so carts carry visitors between parking areas and gates.
Level gardens: the gardens and main paths are broad and largely level.
- The plinth: the mausoleum stands on a high plinth reached by stairs, so many visitors enjoy it from the gardens and the platform near the great gate.
- Honest on the day: our guide will tell you what is possible.
- Calm and easy: a sunset view from Mehtab Bagh across the river.
Lake Pichola by boat, Udaipur
The City Palace is hard work: a maze of stairs and narrow passages, so we often suggest seeing it from the water.
- At sunset: a private boat shows you the whole length of the palace, the Lake Palace and Jag Mandir.
- Getting aboard: the boatmen are skilled at helping guests on and off, and we choose the jetty with the fewest steps.
Jaisalmer Fort
One of the hardest: the approach is a steep, polished stone ramp through four gates.
- Inside: the lanes are narrow, sloping and crowded, and many carved havelis below the fort have steep internal stairs.
- If you are determined: a guide finds the shortest route to a rooftop café with a view.
- The alternative: watch the fort glow gold from the lakeside at Gadisar or from your hotel terrace.
Chittorgarh and Kumbhalgarh
Chittorgarh is easier than it looks: a road runs across the plateau inside the fort, so your car takes you from monument to monument.
- Without climbing: you see the Tower of Victory and Padmini's palace from close by.
- Kumbhalgarh is harder: the walls are spectacular from the car park and the gate, but the climb to the Badal Mahal at the top is long and steep.
- Our suggestion: the evening view from below and a quiet night nearby.
The Rajasthan that happens at ground level
Wildlife from the vehicle
All from a seat: safaris suit travellers who cannot walk far, because the whole experience happens in the vehicle.
Ranthambore jeeps: in Ranthambore the open jeeps have a high step up, so we ask the lodge for help and a mounting step.
- The front seat: we request the seat beside the driver, which is easier to reach and smoother over the bumps.
- Rough tracks: a three-hour drive can tire backs and hips, so bring a cushion and tell us if one safari a day is enough.
- Keoladeo, Bharatpur: the main track is flat and closed to cars, and cycle rickshaws with experienced naturalist drivers carry visitors slowly along it.
Crafts you can touch
Bagru: in the printing village of Bagru, families work in open courtyards, and you can sit beside a printer at his table and press your own pattern onto cloth.
- At your hotel: blue pottery, miniature painting and turban tying can be arranged so the artist comes to you.
- For blind and low-vision guests: hands-on visits are often the highlight: the weight of a brass block, the cool smoothness of glazed quartz, the rough grain of a carved jharokha.
Music, food and the open road
Private music: folk music by Manganiyar and Langa musicians in hotel courtyards, with no crowded venue and no steps.
- Dinner on the level: a private palace dinner can be set on a level lawn or in a courtyard rather than on a rooftop.
- Cooking lessons: with a family cook, at a table in the shade.
- A slow country drive: window down, a guide pointing out villages, herders and temples, is one of the best ways to understand Rajasthan at all.
Getting around without strain
- Jaipur to Udaipur
- About six hours by road
- Jodhpur to Jaisalmer
- About five hours by road
- Airports
- Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur
- Airport help
- Wheelchair assistance on request
- Adapted vehicles
- Rare; ask early
By car
The usual way: a private car with a chauffeur who stays with you throughout. Our private chauffeur journeys page explains how our drivers work.
- The right vehicle: a sensible floor height and space for a folding wheelchair or walker in the back.
- Ramp or lift vehicles: if you stay seated in your wheelchair, tell us early; adapted vehicles are rare, and we will be honest about what we can source for your dates.
- Long distances: road surfaces vary, and the drives between cities are long.
By air
An hour instead of a day: a short domestic flight suits travellers who find long drives hard.
Routes: Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur have regular flights to Delhi and Mumbai and some direct routes between them, though schedules change each season.
- Wheelchair assistance: Indian airports usually provide it from check-in to the aircraft if you request it when booking.
- Ambulifts: some airports have them for aircraft parked away from the terminal. Ask your airline in advance, and tell us so we are at the door on arrival.
- More detail: our guide to airports and flights covers the main routes.
By train
Possible, but harder: platforms can be high or low, gaps between platform and carriage vary, and stations are crowded.
- Who it suits: some newer trains are better designed, but we only recommend rail for travellers who can manage a few steps with help.
- Always a helper: we send one to the platform. Our page on trains in Rajasthan has more detail.
In the cities
Close to the door: your chauffeur drops you as close to each entrance as the rules allow and waits nearby.
- Cycle rickshaws: in walled cities where cars cannot reach, often easier than walking, and you see the bazaars at a gentle pace from a seat.
- What we avoid: electric rickshaws and auto-rickshaws for anyone with back or balance problems, because the ride is rough.
Wheelchairs, equipment and staying well
Bring your own chair: ideally a sturdy folding manual chair with good tyres, because the ground in forts and old cities is rough.
Power chairs: work well in hotels and resorts but are heavy to lift into cars and over steps, and airlines have strict battery rules, so check long before you fly.
Hired chairs: we can arrange one as a back-up or for a carer on difficult ground, but quality varies, so treat it as a spare, not a plan.
- Wheelchair
- Your own sturdy folding manual chair
- To rest anywhere
- Folding stool or stick seat
- Bathroom aids
- Travel shower seat, suction grab rail
- Medicines
- Extra, in hand luggage, doctor's letter
- Winter mornings
- Layers and a safari blanket
- Small aids, big difference: a portable stool lets you rest anywhere; a shower seat and suction grab rail can make a difficult bathroom usable, though we always check the room first.
- Medicines: bring more than you need, in your hand luggage, with a letter from your doctor.
- Irreplaceable spares: carry spares of anything you could not easily replace, from catheters to hearing-aid batteries. Big-city pharmacies are good, but brands differ.
- Heat is the hidden challenge: even in the cool season the midday sun is strong, and many medicines and conditions make it harder to manage.
- How we manage it: outdoor sights in early morning and late afternoon, cool water and towels in the car, and shade or an indoor space always close by.
- Cold, too: in December and January early mornings in the desert and at Amer can be cold.
- See your doctor: before you travel, about your condition, your medicines and any vaccinations.
- Insurance: make sure it covers pre-existing conditions and medical evacuation. See our guides to health and safety and travel insurance.
- Hospitals: Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur have large private hospitals, and our team knows how to reach them quickly.
Sight, hearing, sensory and other needs
Travellers who are blind or have low vision
A country of the senses: temple bells at dawn, the call to prayer, cardamom in the chai, the cool of marble underfoot in a Jain temple.
- Guides who describe: we brief them to describe what they see in detail, and we plan hands-on time with artisans, musicians and cooks.
- Main hazards: traffic and broken pavements, so a guide or helper stays at your side in the old cities.
- Guide dogs: tell us early; rules for animals at hotels, monuments and temples vary, and some sacred sites do not allow them.
Travellers who are deaf or hard of hearing
In writing: itineraries, maps and notes on every sight, shared in advance.
- Guides: asked to face you when speaking and to write down names and dates.
- Sign language: Indian Sign Language differs from British or American, and interpreters are rare outside the big cities, so ask early.
- For a careful eye: Rajasthan's visual richness, from painted havelis to festival processions.
Autistic travellers and sensory sensitivity
Indian cities are loud: horns, crowds, music and smells arrive all at once, especially in bazaars and at festivals.
- How we soften it: quiet hours at the sights, calm hotels with gardens, and the busiest festival days avoided unless you want them.
- Predictability: a daily rhythm shared in advance with photographs of each place helps many families, with plenty of time to decompress.
- Pack: noise-cancelling headphones.
Older travellers and multi-generation families
Common for us: many guests are in their seventies and eighties, often travelling with children and grandchildren.
- Split the day: the energetic climb the fort while the others take tea in the courtyard below, and everyone meets for lunch.
- Practical touches: rooms close together, buggies where hotels have them, and a pace that leaves no one exhausted.
- Read more: our multi-generation journey is designed this way, and our guide to travelling with children covers the younger end of the family.
Dietary needs and chronic conditions
Easy for vegetarians: Rajasthan is one of the easiest places in the world to eat vegetarian.
- Special diets: hotel kitchens cook without onion, garlic, gluten or dairy if asked clearly.
- Allergies: tell us in writing, and we pass them to every hotel and restaurant.
- Chronic conditions: for diabetes, heart disease or chronic fatigue, the pace matters most, so we plan generous rest around every outing.
When to come, and when not to
The gentlest time: November to February, when days are warm and sunny and the midday sun is bearable.
Cold mornings: in December and January, especially in the desert and on safari, so we start a little later and carry blankets.
- November to February
- Gentlest: warm days, cool nights
- October and March
- Good, warmer afternoons
- April to June
- Fierce heat, often above 40°C
- July to September
- Monsoon: green, but slippery stone
- Festivals
- Colour, and crowds
- Also good: October and March, though the afternoons are warmer.
- Not for heat-sensitive conditions: April to June, when the heat is fierce.
- The monsoon: roughly July to September brings green hills and cool lakes in Udaipur and Mewar, but stone floors and ramps turn slippery, and some roads and safari parks close.
- Festivals: Diwali, Holi and the Pushkar fair are unforgettable but much harder to move through, so we plan quiet vantage points such as a hotel rooftop or private courtyard.
- Month by month: our best time to visit guide and weather and climate page explain each month.
A gentle week in Rajasthan
- Days 1 to 3
- Jaipur at an easy pace
- Day 4
- Fly to Udaipur
- Days 5 to 7
- Udaipur from the water
- Flights
- One
- To extend
- Jodhpur or Ranthambore
Days 1 to 3: Jaipur at an easy pace
Day 1: arrive and rest in a garden hotel.
- Day 2 morning: the City Palace courtyards and the Jantar Mantar, both largely level, then lunch and a long rest.
- Day 2 evening: chai on a rooftop opposite Hawa Mahal as the facade turns gold.
- Day 3: drive up to the upper gate of Amber Fort at opening time for the main courts, then an afternoon with a block printer who comes to your hotel, and folk music in the courtyard.
Day 4: Fly to Udaipur
- A short flight: replaces a six-hour drive, and your chauffeur meets you at the aircraft door if you need it.
- Lunch by the lake: you reach your lakeside hotel in time, then rest and take tea on a terrace as the light changes over the water.
Days 5 to 7: Udaipur from the water
Sunset boat: a private boat on Lake Pichola, past the City Palace, the Lake Palace and Jag Mandir.
- Level gardens: Saheliyon ki Bari, then an evening drive along the lake roads of Fateh Sagar.
- Last day, your choice: a spa morning, a cooking lesson or a drive into the Aravalli hills to see village life from the car, then fly home or on to Delhi.
With more time
Add Jodhpur: for the lift at Mehrangarh.
- Or Ranthambore: for safaris that happen entirely from a seat.
- Start here: the Plan my journey form is the easiest way to begin, and we will call you to talk it through.
What we tell our own family
See part of a fort rather than none of it: the first great courtyard of almost every palace is worth the trip on its own.
Go early: the ramps are coolest, the stone is driest and the crowds are thinnest in the first hour after opening.
- Ask for help without embarrassment: Rajasthani hospitality takes caring for elders very seriously, and people will rush to lift a chair or offer a seat.
- Carry a cushion and a folding stool: stone benches are hard and not always where you need them.
- Plan toilets as carefully as sights: we know which hotels and cafés near each monument have clean, accessible facilities.
- Never feel you must do the full day: a morning outing and an afternoon by the pool is a perfect day in Rajasthan.
- Tell us everything: even things that feel small. The more we know, the more we can quietly arrange before you notice.