Rajasthan Tour 10 Days — Jaipur to the Thar Desert and Back

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, or an evening in Johari and Bapu bazaars for textiles, block prints and silver.
• 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

From the city to one of India's oldest pilgrim towns: a small white town of 52 ghats around a sacred lake, with the desert just beyond.

• Drive: Jaipur to Pushkar is about 145 km, 2½–3 hours via Ajmer. Leave at about 9 a.m.
• Afternoon: Walk the ghats and the main bazaar, then the Brahma temple, one of very few in the world dedicated to the creator god.
• Sunset: The Savitri temple on the hill above town, by ropeway (5 minutes) or on foot (about 45 minutes). The view over the lake and the dunes at sunset is the best in Pushkar.
• Evening: Aarti, the evening prayer with lamps and bells, at the main ghats.
• Tickets: Brahma temple free; Savitri ropeway about ₹150–200 return.
• Eat: Pushkar is strictly vegetarian and alcohol-free. Try malpua (sweet fried pancakes) at the bazaar and a rooftop café overlooking the lake.
• Tip: At the ghats, men may offer you flowers for a 'blessing' and then ask for a large donation. Smile and say no thank you; your driver will warn you where. Shoes off and no photographs near the water.
• Overnight: Pushkar

Across the open Marwar countryside, with farmers, camel carts and village life along the road, to the city at the foot of Mehrangarh.

• Morning: A quiet early walk along the lake as the town wakes up, then breakfast and check-out at about 9:30 a.m.
• Drive: Pushkar to Jodhpur is about 190 km, about 4 hours.
• Late afternoon: A walk through the blue-painted Brahmpuri lanes below the fort, ending at the Clock Tower (Ghanta Ghar) and Sardar Market for spices and textiles.
• Eat: Makhaniya lassi at Shri Mishrilal near the Clock Tower and mirchi vada (chilli fritters) at Janta Sweet Home. Dinner on a rooftop facing the lit-up fort.
• Tip: Stay in the old city near the fort if you like atmosphere; your driver can still reach the hotel.
• Overnight: Jodhpur

A day in the city ruled from one of India's mightiest forts, standing 125 metres above the blue houses.

• 9:00 a.m.: Mehrangarh Fort at opening. The included audio guide is one of the best in India; allow 2½–3 hours for the palaces, the armoury, the howdah and palanquin galleries and the ramparts with their cannons.
• Late morning: Jaswant Thada, the white marble royal cenotaph below the fort, 5 minutes away, and the Rao Jodha desert rock park next to it for a short walk.
• Afternoon: The Umaid Bhawan Palace museum, part of one of the world's largest private residences (1943), still home to the royal family. Or a free afternoon in the old city markets.
• Evening: Sunset from a rooftop in the old city looking up at the lit-up fort.
• Tickets: Mehrangarh about ₹600 including the audio guide; Jaswant Thada and the Umaid Bhawan museum have small separate tickets (approx. 2026 prices for foreign visitors; Indian citizens pay much less).
• Eat: Lunch at the café inside Mehrangarh. Try Jodhpur's makhaniya lassi and laal maas (spicy mutton curry) for dinner.
• Tip: The fort is steep; a lift near the main gate saves the climb for a small fee.
• Overnight: Jodhpur

Into the Thar Desert. The road runs straight and empty past villages, camels and windmills to the golden fort rising out of the sand.

• Morning: Check-out at about 8:30 a.m.
• Drive: Jodhpur to Jaisalmer is about 285 km, 5–5½ hours with a tea stop at Pokaran.
• Late afternoon: Gadisar Lake, the old reservoir with its carved gateway and chhatris on the water.
• Sunset: The Bada Bagh royal cenotaphs or Vyas Chhatri, for the fort glowing gold at the end of the day.
• Eat: Dinner on a rooftop facing the lit fort; try ker sangri (desert beans and berries) and the local sweet ghotua.
• Tip: Bring a light scarf: the desert wind carries fine sand, and evenings in winter are cold.
• Overnight: Jaisalmer

Morning inside the only living fort in India, where 3,000 people still live within the walls, and afternoon into the dunes for sunset by camel and a night under the stars.

• 9:00 a.m.: Walk into Sonar Qila, the 12th-century 'golden fort': the royal palace museum and the carved Jain temples (open to visitors in the morning until about noon). About 2½ hours.
• Late morning: Patwon ki Haveli, five merchant houses of lace-like carved sandstone, and Nathmal ki Haveli.
• Afternoon: Rest, then leave at about 3 p.m. for the dunes at Sam (42 km) or the quieter dunes at Khuri (45 km), about 1 hour.
• Sunset: A camel ride of about one hour onto the dunes to watch the sun go down. A jeep ride over the dunes is optional.
• Evening: Folk music and dance by the fire at the camp, dinner, and stars like you rarely see near a city.
• Tickets: Entry to the fort itself is free; the palace museum and Patwon ki Haveli have their own modest tickets. The camel ride and camp dinner are normally included in the camp booking.
• Eat: Lunch in the fort at a rooftop café; dinner at the camp.
• Tip: Take a small overnight bag; the large suitcases stay safely in the car. Ask for a camp away from the main Sam strip if you want quiet.
• Overnight: Desert camp in the dunes

Wake up in the desert, watch the sun come up over the sand, then a long drive north through the heart of the Thar.

• 6:30 a.m.: Sunrise on the dunes with tea, then breakfast at the camp.
• Drive: Pick up your bags in Jaisalmer and drive about 330 km to Bikaner, 5½–6 hours, through Pokaran and Phalodi.
• Evening: The old city of Bikaner, its merchant havelis and a bhujia shop for the famous snack.
• Eat: Lunch on the road at Phalodi or Kolayat. Dinner at a heritage hotel.
• Tip: This is the longest drive of the tour; download a podcast or film. Your driver stops whenever you ask.
• Overnight: Bikaner

Bikaner's fort in the morning, then Shekhawati's painted mansions for the afternoon.

• 9:30 a.m.: Junagarh Fort, never conquered, with gold-leaf and mirrored rooms; about 2 hours with a guide.
• Drive: Bikaner to Mandawa is about 190 km, 3½ hours.
• Late afternoon: A guided walk through Mandawa's frescoed havelis: Chokhani, Goenka and Murmuria.
• Tickets: Junagarh Fort, a few hundred rupees; havelis ₹50–200 each.
• Eat: Dinner in Mandawa Castle or a haveli hotel.
• Overnight: Mandawa

Back to the capital after ten days across Rajasthan.

• Morning: An early walk to see the havelis in morning light, then check-out at about 9 a.m.
• Drive: Mandawa to Delhi is about 260 km, 5–5½ hours. Arrive by mid-afternoon.
• Drop: Your Delhi hotel or the airport (flights after about 7 p.m.).
• Overnight: Delhi, or your flight home