Hidden Rajasthan — 10 Days of Bundi, Chittorgarh and Kumbhalgarh

An easy first day on the new expressway, arriving in Jaipur in time for lunch and a gentle start to Rajasthan.

• Morning: Pick-up from your Delhi hotel or the airport at about 8 a.m.
• Drive: Delhi to Jaipur is about 270 km, 4½–5 hours with a tea stop.
• Afternoon: Check in and rest. At about 4:30 p.m. drive up to Nahargarh Fort on the ridge for sunset over the Pink City; stay for a drink at the fort café as the city lights come on.
• Tickets: Nahargarh Fort about ₹200 (approx. 2026 prices for foreign visitors; Indian citizens pay much less). City Palace about ₹700 if visited today.
• Eat: Lunch at Laxmi Mishthan Bhandar (LMB) in Johari Bazaar, a Jaipur institution for generations, or Rawat for the famous pyaaz kachori.
• Tip: Jaipur's old city is walled and pink by law. Your driver knows where to park, so you never have to walk far in the heat.
• Overnight: Jaipur

A full day in the Pink City, planned to beat the heat and the queues: the hill fort first thing, the old city in the middle of the day, and the bazaars when the light softens.

• 8:00 a.m.: Amber Fort as the gates open, before the tour buses. Allow 2–2½ hours for the Sheesh Mahal (mirror palace), the Ganesh Pol gate and the zenana courtyards. A licensed guide is worth hiring here.
• On the way down: Panna Meena ka Kund, a geometric stepwell 5 minutes from the fort, and a photo stop at Jal Mahal, the palace in the lake.
• Midday: The City Palace (still home to the royal family) and next door Jantar Mantar, the 18th-century astronomical observatory, now a UNESCO site. About 2½ hours for both.
• Afternoon: The Hawa Mahal, the 'Palace of the Winds', best seen from the cafés on the rooftop opposite; go inside if you want to look out through the latticed windows.
• Evening: Sunset at Nahargarh Fort on the ridge above the city.
• Tickets: Amber Fort about ₹500, City Palace about ₹700, Jantar Mantar about ₹200, Hawa Mahal about ₹200 (approx. 2026 prices for foreign visitors; Indian citizens pay much less). A composite ticket covers several state monuments for two days.
• Eat: Lunch: dal baati churma or a Rajasthani thali near the City Palace. Evening: lassi at Lassiwala on MI Road, or a full village-style dinner at Chokhi Dhani outside the city.
• Tip: Please avoid the elephant ride at Amber; your driver takes you up by car or jeep. In the shops, prices are always negotiable, and your driver earns no commission from us: shop only where you want.
• Overnight: Jaipur

Off the main tourist trail to Bundi, the small town Kipling loved, with a palace that seems to grow out of the hill.

• Morning: Check-out at about 9 a.m.
• Drive: Jaipur to Bundi is about 210 km, 3½–4 hours.
• Late afternoon: A walk through the blue-washed old town to Nawal Sagar lake and the clock tower bazaar.
• Eat: Rooftop dinner with a view of the floodlit palace.
• Tip: Bundi is quiet and slow, with few cars. Stay in a haveli guesthouse in the old town for the full feel.
• Overnight: Bundi

A full day in one of Rajasthan's best-kept secrets.

• 9:00 a.m.: The Garh Palace and the Chitrashala, rooms painted with blue-green murals of Krishna, court life and hunting scenes; about 2 hours.
• Late morning: Up to Taragarh Fort above the palace, a steep 20-minute walk, wild and atmospheric, with views over the whole town.
• Afternoon: Raniji ki Baori, a 46-metre stepwell with carved arches, and Nagar Sagar Kund twin stepwells. Then Sukh Mahal by the lake, where Kipling stayed.
• Evening: Sunset at the Jait Sagar lake or from a rooftop.
• Tickets: Garh Palace with Chitrashala about ₹500; Taragarh and Raniji ki Baori have small tickets.
• Eat: Lunch in a café in the old town.
• Tip: Monkeys live at Taragarh. Do not carry food in your hands; a walking stick is useful and your guesthouse will lend one.
• Overnight: Bundi

India's largest fort on the way to the city of lakes.

• Morning: Check-out at 8 a.m.
• Drive: Bundi to Chittorgarh is about 160 km, 3 hours. Chittorgarh to Udaipur is about 115 km, 2 hours.
• Chittorgarh Fort: India's largest fort, 700 acres on a high plateau, with a 13 km road inside. Your driver drives you between the sights: the Vijay Stambh (Victory Tower, 37 m, 1448), Rana Kumbha's palace, Padmini's palace on its lake, the Kirti Stambh and the Meera temple. Allow 2½–3 hours.
• Evening: Arrive in Udaipur around 6 p.m. Dinner by the lake.
• Tickets: Chittorgarh Fort about ₹600 (approx. 2026 prices for foreign visitors; Indian citizens pay much less).
• Tip: A local guide at the fort gate brings the three sieges and the story of Rani Padmini to life.
• Overnight: Udaipur

The most romantic city in India, planned so you see the palace in the cool of the morning and the lake at its golden best.

• 9:30 a.m.: The City Palace, the largest palace complex in Rajasthan, built over four centuries; allow 2½–3 hours. Do not miss the Mor Chowk peacock courtyard and the crystal gallery (separate ticket).
• Late morning: Jagdish Temple (1651), a few minutes' walk away, then the old city lanes for miniature painting studios and silver.
• Afternoon: Rest at the hotel in the heat of the day, or visit Saheliyon ki Bari, the garden of the maidens, with its fountains.
• Sunset: A boat on Lake Pichola from the City Palace jetty, with a stop at Jag Mandir island, about one hour. Book the 5 p.m. boat in winter.
• Evening: The Dharohar folk dance show at Bagore ki Haveli, 7 p.m., about one hour: puppets, and the famous dance with pots balanced on the head.
• Tickets: City Palace, crystal gallery, the boat and the dance show each have their own ticket, bought on the spot; together expect roughly ₹2,000–3,000 per person. Your driver points you to the right counters.
• Eat: Lunch with a lake view at Ambrai or Upre. Try gatte ki sabzi and ker sangri, Mewari specialities.
• Tip: Arrive at Bagore ki Haveli by 6:15 p.m. for a good seat.
• Overnight: Udaipur

Into the hills to the fort with 36 km of walls, the second-longest in the world, and a night in the quiet of the Aravallis.

• Morning: A slow morning in Udaipur, check-out at about 11 a.m.
• Drive: Udaipur to Kumbhalgarh is about 85 km, 2–2½ hours on hill roads.
• 3:00 p.m.: Walk up to Badal Mahal, the 'cloud palace' at the top, and along the ramparts as the light turns golden; about 2½ hours.
• Evening: The light-and-sound show at the fort at dusk (about 45 minutes, in Hindi and English on alternate days).
• Tickets: Kumbhalgarh about ₹600, light-and-sound show about ₹200 (approx. 2026 prices for foreign visitors; Indian citizens pay much less).
• Eat: Dinner at your hill lodge.
• Tip: Wear good shoes; the ramparts are uneven stone. Evenings in the hills are cool from November to February.
• Overnight: Kumbhalgarh

A short drive to Ranakpur's 15th-century Jain temple with 1,444 carved pillars, then an evening in the hills.

• Morning: Free, or a nature walk in the Kumbhalgarh wildlife sanctuary.
• Drive: Kumbhalgarh to Ranakpur is about 50 km, 1½ hours.
• 12:00 p.m.: Ranakpur temple opens to non-Jain visitors; allow 1½ hours with the audio guide.
• Afternoon: Quiet time at a lodge in the hills near Ranakpur or at Narlai, with its giant rock. Leopards live in the area; some lodges run evening drives.
• Tickets: Ranakpur about ₹200 including audio guide.
• Eat: Lunch at the temple canteen (simple vegetarian thali).
• Tip: No leather inside the temple; leave belts and wallets in the car. Shoulders and knees covered.
• Overnight: Ranakpur or Narlai

Out of the hills and onto the Marwar plain to the blue city.

• Morning: Check-out at about 9 a.m.
• Drive: Ranakpur to Jodhpur is about 165 km, 3–3½ hours.
• 2:00 p.m.: Mehrangarh Fort with its excellent audio guide, about 2½ hours, then Jaswant Thada.
• Evening: The Clock Tower and Sardar Market, and a rooftop dinner facing the lit fort.
• Tickets: Mehrangarh about ₹600 including audio guide (approx. 2026 prices for foreign visitors; Indian citizens pay much less).
• Eat: Makhaniya lassi at Shri Mishrilal and mirchi vada at Janta Sweet Home.
• Overnight: Jodhpur

A last morning in the blue city, then the airport.

• Morning: Umaid Bhawan Palace museum or a walk in the old city.
• Drop: Jodhpur airport is about 5 km from the centre. Daily flights to Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru.
• Extra option: Continue to Jaisalmer for the desert (add 2–3 days) or drive back to Delhi with a stop in Pushkar.
• Overnight: Your onward flight