Rajasthan Tour 7 Days — Shekhawati, Bikaner, Pushkar and Jaipur

North-east Rajasthan's open-air art gallery: towns where 19th-century merchants covered their mansions in frescoes of gods, trains, cars and Englishmen.

• Morning: Pick-up in Delhi at about 8 a.m.
• Drive: Delhi to Mandawa is about 260 km, 5–5½ hours.
• Afternoon: A walk with a local guide through Mandawa's lanes: the Chokhani, Goenka and Murmuria havelis, and the Mandawa Castle.
• Tickets: Each haveli charges a small entry, usually ₹50–200. A local guide costs about ₹500–800.
• Eat: Lunch on the road; dinner at a heritage hotel, often in a converted haveli or the castle.
• Tip: Many havelis are private homes. Your guide asks before you photograph inside.
• Overnight: Mandawa

A full day among the best painted mansions of Shekhawati, in two towns that each feel like a different century.

• 9:00 a.m.: Drive 30 km to Nawalgarh. The Poddar Haveli museum, fully restored with its original colours, and the Morarka haveli; about 2 hours.
• Midday: On to Fatehpur (about 1 hour). The Nadine Le Prince haveli, restored by a French artist, with its café and gallery; about 1½ hours.
• Afternoon: Back to Mandawa (about 45 minutes). Free time, or a walk to the stepwells on the edge of town.
• Tickets: Poddar Haveli about ₹200, Le Prince haveli about ₹200; other havelis ₹50–100 each.
• Eat: Lunch at the Le Prince haveli café in Fatehpur, or a simple thali in Nawalgarh.
• Tip: Bring a phone or camera with a good zoom: the best frescoes are high on the walls and under the eaves.
• Overnight: Mandawa

West into the desert to Bikaner, a city of camel herders and bhujia makers, with one of the most richly painted forts in India.

• Morning: Check-out at about 9 a.m.
• Drive: Mandawa to Bikaner is about 190 km, 3½ hours.
• Afternoon: Junagarh Fort, never conquered, with gold-leaf and mirror rooms like the Anup Mahal and the Phool Mahal; about 2 hours with a guide.
• Evening: The old city's merchant havelis around Rampuria street, and a bhujia shop for the famous spicy snack.
• Tickets: Junagarh Fort has a single ticket, a few hundred rupees for foreign visitors.
• Eat: Bikaneri bhujia and kachori; for dinner, a heritage hotel such as the Laxmi Niwas Palace restaurant.
• Tip: Take a guide at Junagarh: the stories behind the painted rooms are the point of the visit.
• Overnight: Bikaner

Bikaner's two most unusual sights: a temple where rats are sacred, and India's national camel research centre.

• Morning: Drive 30 km (about 40 minutes) to Deshnoke. The Karni Mata temple, with silver doors and thousands of revered rats; seeing a white one is said to bring luck. About 1 hour.
• Afternoon: The National Research Centre on Camel, 8 km from Bikaner, open in the afternoon: hundreds of camels, a museum, and camel-milk ice cream at the café.
• Evening: Free in the old city, or a sunset camel-cart ride in the countryside.
• Tickets: Karni Mata temple free (camera fee small). Camel centre about ₹100–200.
• Eat: Breakfast of kachori and jalebi in the old city. Dinner at the hotel.
• Tip: You walk barefoot inside Karni Mata. Take a pair of thick socks you can throw away afterwards.
• Overnight: Bikaner

South through the desert to the pilgrim town on its sacred lake, arriving for the evening prayers.

• Morning: Check-out at about 8:30 a.m.
• Drive: Bikaner to Pushkar is about 260 km, 4½–5 hours via Nagaur, where you can stop at the Ahhichatragarh fort if you have time.
• Evening: Walk to the main ghats for aarti, the evening ceremony of lamps, bells and chanting as the sun goes down.
• Eat: Pushkar is fully vegetarian and alcohol-free. Rooftop cafés serve good falafel and Indian food; try the malpua sweet in the bazaar.
• Tip: At the ghats, decline the 'flower blessing' offered by men who then ask for a large donation. Shoes off near the water.
• Overnight: Pushkar

An early walk in Pushkar, then the Pink City for the afternoon.

• Early morning: The Brahma temple, the bazaar, and sunrise from the Savitri temple on the hill if you are up for it (ropeway or 45 minutes on foot).
• Drive: Pushkar to Jaipur is about 145 km, 2½–3 hours. Leave at about 10:30 a.m.
• Afternoon: The City Palace and Jantar Mantar (until about 5 p.m.), then the Hawa Mahal from the rooftop café opposite.
• Evening: Johari and Bapu bazaars for textiles, block prints, silver and gems.
• Tickets: City Palace about ₹700, Jantar Mantar about ₹200, Hawa Mahal about ₹200 (approx. 2026 prices for foreign visitors; Indian citizens pay much less).
• Eat: Dinner: dal baati churma, or Laxmi Mishthan Bhandar in Johari Bazaar.
• Overnight: Jaipur

Jaipur's great hill fort first thing in the morning, then the expressway home.

• 8:00 a.m.: Amber Fort at opening, before the crowds: the Sheesh Mahal, Ganesh Pol and the zenana; about 2 hours. Then Panna Meena ka Kund stepwell and the Jal Mahal photo stop.
• Drive: Jaipur to Delhi is about 270 km, 4½–5 hours. Expect to reach Delhi at about 5–6 p.m.
• Tickets: Amber Fort about ₹500 (approx. 2026 prices for foreign visitors; Indian citizens pay much less).
• Eat: Lunch at a highway food plaza.
• Tip: Delhi airport drop works for flights leaving after about 9 p.m.; otherwise we suggest a night in Delhi.
• Overnight: Delhi, or your flight home