The rhythm of a Pushkar day
Twice a day: Pushkar is at its best at dawn, when pilgrims fill the ghats, bells ring across the lake and winter mist lifts off the water.
And at dusk: the evening aarti lights the shore with lamps.
In between: the town is busy, hot for much of the year and, frankly, at its least lovely.
- Morning
- Ghats, temples, Savitri hill, breakfast
- Midday
- Lunch, pool, spa, sleep
- Late afternoon
- Dunes or a rooftop
- Dusk
- The evening aarti
- Temples rest
- Early afternoon
- Morning, the sacred sights: the ghats, the temples, the climb to Savitri hill, then breakfast in the bazaar.
- Midday, rest: lunch, a swim, a spa treatment or simply a long sleep in a cool room.
- Evening, the dunes and the lamps: the dunes or a rooftop, then the aarti, then a quiet dinner.
- It works: guests who follow this pattern always see more than those who try to fill every hour.
- Walk the last stretch: cars cannot reach the ghats, so each trip into town ends with a short walk.
- Temple rest: temples close in the early afternoon, so there is no point visiting them then.
- Every experience: our guide to things to do in Pushkar lists all of them.
Arriving in Pushkar
The road from Jaipur: the highway runs south-west past Kishangarh, with its marble yards stacked along the roadside, then through Ajmer.
Over the snake mountain: from Ajmer the road twists up over Nag Pahar and down into Pushkar's valley.
- From Jaipur
- About three hours by road
- Via
- Kishangarh and Ajmer
- Nearest airport
- Kishangarh, about an hour
- Arrive by
- Early afternoon
- The first view: ask your driver to stop at the top of the pass if it is safe, for the town with the hills behind it and the sand beyond.
- Arrive by early afternoon: time to check in, eat and rest before a late-afternoon walk on the ghats, without arriving tired in the dark.
- From Jodhpur or Udaipur: the drive is longer, and a lunch stop on the way makes it easier.
- Our rule: we time every transfer so you never see the lake for the first time in the heat of midday.
- Flying in: Kishangarh Airport is about an hour away. Our guide to getting around Rajasthan explains how our drivers and guides work together.
One day, or a single night
If you truly have only a few hours, coming from Ajmer or on a long drive between Jaipur and Jodhpur, aim to be at the lake for the last two hours of daylight. Walk the ghats, see the Brahma temple and stay for the aarti.
Afternoon, arrive and rest
- Arrive: from Jaipur, Ajmer or Kishangarh airport by early afternoon, then check in and rest.
- Resist the rush: do not hurry into town in the heat. A light lunch and a cool drink in the garden instead.
Late afternoon, the lake and the Brahma temple
Into town: about two hours before sunset.
- The ghats: walk them with your guide.
- The temple: climb to the Brahma temple as it reopens after its afternoon rest, and see the silver turtle and the coin-set floor.
Evening, the aarti
A quiet step: on Gandhi Ghat or the far shore for the evening aarti.
- After the lamps: walk back through the emptying bazaar.
- Dinner: a simple Rajasthani thali at your hotel.
Next morning, sunrise and departure
Before dawn: climb to the Savitri temple for sunrise over the lake and hills.
- Malpua: come down for it hot in the bazaar, then breakfast at your hotel.
- Leave by late morning: or drive on to Ajmer for the dargah on your way.
Two days, our favourite length
Day one, arrival and the evening lamps
Morning: travel from Jaipur, about three hours, or fly into Kishangarh.
- Afternoon: check in, lunch and rest.
- Late afternoon: a first walk along the ghats with your guide, who explains the lake's legend and the royal names on the steps.
- Evening: the aarti from a quiet ghat, then dinner at your hotel, with folk musicians if you like.
Day two, the hill, the temple and the dunes
Dawn: climb to Savitri for sunrise, with tea at the top.
Morning: down to the Brahma temple and the cave of Shiva beside it, then malpua and lassi in the bazaar.
- Late morning: the Varaha and Rangji temples, and a slow walk through the main bazaar for rose water and gulkand.
- Afternoon: lunch, a swim and a long rest.
- Late afternoon: a gentle camel cart or jeep ride into the dunes for sunset, with tea on the sand.
- Evening: dinner under the stars.
Day three, a last dawn and onwards
Dawn: a final walk on the ghats, perhaps with a short ritual arranged with a family priest our guide trusts.
- Then: breakfast, and on to Ajmer, Jodhpur or Udaipur.
- Ideas for the last hour: our guide to Pushkar Lake and its ghats.
Three days, with Ajmer
Days one and two, as above
- Follow the two-day plan: the evening aarti on arrival, Savitri at dawn, the Brahma temple, the bazaar, a midday rest and the dunes at sunset.
Day three, morning at the dargah
Leave early: for Ajmer, about fifteen kilometres over the Nag Pahar ridge.
- The dargah: visit Ajmer Sharif Dargah soon after it opens, when crowds are thin and you may see the great cauldrons being prepared.
- What to bring: head covered, shoes off, roses in hand.
- Up the lane: Adhai Din ka Jhonpra, one of India's oldest mosques, while the morning sun lights its arches.
Day three, midday in the city
Akbar's fort: its museum keeps inscriptions from the Chauhan college.
- Soniji ki Nasiyan: the gilded hall of the Jain temple.
- On the way out: buy sohan halwa, then return to Pushkar for lunch and a rest.
Day three, evening choice
Ajmer at dusk: sunset at Ana Sagar, then the evening lamp ritual and qawwali at the dargah.
- Or Pushkar: a second aarti on the ghats. Both are wonderful.
- More detail: our Ajmer itinerary.
Day four, departure
- A last dawn: on the lake, then onwards.
- Onward drives: Jodhpur and Udaipur are both a comfortable day's drive, and Jaipur is about three hours.
Four days, slow and deep
Day one, arrival and the aarti
- Afternoon: arrive, rest and walk the ghats in the late afternoon.
- Evening: the aarti from a quiet step, and an early night.
Day two, sacred Pushkar
Morning: Savitri at dawn, the Brahma temple, the cave of Shiva, malpua in the bazaar, the Varaha and Rangji temples.
- Afternoon: rest.
- Late afternoon: walk up the lower hill to the Gayatri temple for the view back across the lake.
- Dusk: a rooftop tea as the aarti bells ring below.
Day three, Ajmer
Morning: the dargah at dawn, Adhai Din ka Jhonpra, the museum and Soniji ki Nasiyan.
- Afternoon: lunch and rest.
- Evening: return for the qawwali, or stay in Pushkar for a quiet dinner.
Day four, the countryside or Kishangarh
Choose your morning: ride a Marwari horse through the fields, visit a herders' hamlet with a guide who knows the families, or see the rose fields if they are in flower.
- Or Kishangarh: drive an hour to Kishangarh, home of the Bani Thani miniature paintings, for a palace lunch beside its lake.
- Afternoon: the spa.
- Evening: sunset in the dunes and a night of folk music and stars.
Day five, onwards
- Morning: one last dawn on the ghats, or a lie-in at last.
- Then: continue your journey, rested in a way few stops in Rajasthan allow.
Our perfect Pushkar day, hour by hour
Five in the morning, tea and torches
The hour: in winter, earlier in summer.
- Getting ready: a pot of ginger tea in your room, warm layers and a small torch. Your driver is waiting.
- Outside: empty streets, except for a few pilgrims walking towards the lake.
Half past five, the climb
- Up the steps to Savitri: slowly, stopping to look back at the town lights.
- Birdsong: the first birds start calling from the scrub on the hillside.
Sunrise, the summit
- The sky: pink over the Aravallis, then gold, as the lake catches the light and the ghats appear one by one.
- At the top: tea, a few quiet minutes at the shrine, then down.
Eight o'clock, the Brahma temple
- Barefoot: up the marble steps to greet the creator.
- Inside: read a few names on the silver coins, touch the turtle, then go down into the cave of Shiva beside the temple.
Nine o'clock, malpua
- Breakfast: hot malpua with rabri at a busy sweet shop, and lassi in a clay cup or a glass of chai.
- Standing up: the most important meal of a Pushkar day.
Half past ten, the bazaar
A slow walk: along the main bazaar, with stops at the Varaha and Rangji temples.
- Shopping: rose water, gulkand and perhaps a silver bangle.
- Back before the heat: return to the car before it builds.
One o'clock, the long rest
- Lunch, then rest: at your hotel, then the pool, the spa or simply sleep.
- Not wasted time: it is how the town itself lives, and it gives you energy for the evening.
Four o'clock, the dunes
- The last two hours of light: out to the sand west of town by camel cart or jeep.
- Tea on a dune: as the hills turn violet and the town lights come on behind you.
Sunset, the aarti
- Back to the lake: as the lamps rise on the ghats.
- Where: a quiet step, or a rooftop. Bells, conches, flames on the water, then silence.
Eight o'clock, dinner and music
- Dinner: a Rajasthani thali at your hotel, with folk musicians playing softly in the garden.
- An early night: tomorrow begins before dawn again.
Three days at the camel fair
Stay close: traffic into town is restricted on the busiest days, and walking is often faster than driving.
- Stay
- Close to the fairground
- Go out
- Dawn and late afternoon
- Wear
- A scarf over nose and mouth
- Choose
- The herders or the pilgrims
- Rest in between: the dust and noise are tiring, so go out at dawn and in the late afternoon only.
- Windy days: keep a scarf over your nose and mouth.
- Pick a half: the dates rarely let you see the best of both the herders and the pilgrims in only three days.
Day one, settle in
Arrive: at your camp or resort by early afternoon.
- Late afternoon: walk the edge of the fairground with your guide as the herders bring their animals in and the cooking fires are lit.
- Evening: the lake, if the crowds allow, or music at your camp.
Day two, the herders at dawn
Before sunrise: on the fairground, as the camels are fed and watered, smoke drifts over the dunes and trading begins over tea.
- Why then: the best light and the most authentic hour of the fair.
- Midday: rest.
- Afternoon: the competitions and races in the fair's arena, then the dunes at sunset.
Day three, the pilgrims
The last days: if your dates fall between Ekadashi and the full moon, watch the bathing from a quiet rooftop before dawn, when the lake fills with pilgrims.
- The Brahma temple: only if the crowds are manageable.
- Timing in detail: our page on the Pushkar Camel Fair, our fair guide and the Pushkar Camel Fair journey.
Adjusting the plan to the season
In winter
December to February: dawns are cold and sunrise comes later, so the pre-dawn start is a little more civilised.
- Layers: carry warm ones for the climb and the dunes.
- The pleasures: lunch outdoors in the sun, and evenings by a fire at your hotel.
In the hot months
April to June: start even earlier, finish the morning by ten and stay indoors until about five.
- At dusk: swap the camel cart for a short jeep drive.
- Water: drink far more than you think you need. One or two nights is plenty.
In the monsoon
July to September: keep plans flexible around the storms. Mornings are often clear.
- Slippery steps: take the Savitri ropeway if it has rained.
- At dusk: the full lake and green hills make the ghats especially lovely.
On a full moon or festival
Expect: crowds, closed roads and longer walks.
- How to cope: start earlier still, watch the busiest rituals from a rooftop and keep the Brahma temple for a quieter hour.
- The busy days: our guide to the best time to visit Pushkar flags them.
Where Pushkar fits in a longer journey
The common route: Jaipur, Pushkar, then Jodhpur or Udaipur, all on good highways.
A better transfer: two nights here turn the long drive from Jaipur to the west or south into one of the highlights of the trip. Our guide to road distances in Rajasthan has the details.
- Jaipur
- About three hours
- Jodhpur
- Roughly four hours west
- Udaipur
- Around five hours south
- Kishangarh Airport
- About an hour
- Ajmer Junction
- Fifteen kilometres
- A pilgrim route: our sacred Rajasthan journey links Pushkar with Ajmer, the Krishna shrine at Nathdwara and the Jain temples of Ranakpur.
- Classic first journeys: it fits neatly into our Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur route and into a week in Rajasthan.
- Flights: Kishangarh Airport has flights from some major cities, and Jaipur's airport, with many more, is about three hours away.
- Trains: Ajmer Junction has fast trains to Jaipur and Delhi. Our guides to airports and flights and trains in Rajasthan explain the options.
Eating through the itinerary
Breakfast: the great street meal of malpua, kachori, poha and lassi in the bazaar after your dawn walk.
Lunch: best at your hotel, light and early, before the afternoon rest.
- Tea: in the late afternoon, ideally on a rooftop above the ghats.
- Dinner: back at your hotel, where the kitchen can cook a proper thali or dal baati churma.
- In Ajmer: the lanes around the dargah serve rich meat dishes, kebabs and biryani, which you will not find in Pushkar.
- To take home: sohan halwa from Ajmer.
- Read more: our food of Pushkar guide explains the dishes, and our Rajasthani thali guide explains each little bowl.
Variations for different travellers
Families with children
Pace: keep ghat visits short and early, and take the ropeway to Savitri rather than the stairs.
- Afternoons: plan them around the pool, at a resort with lawns.
- What children love: the dunes, a short camel cart ride and music at night. Our family journeys show how we pace days for younger travellers.
Couples
Together: climb Savitri in the dark, with tea at the top.
- Private moments: a sunset in the dunes, dinner under the stars and a villa with its own plunge pool.
- Discretion: keep affection for the hotel, not the ghats. Our Rajasthan for two journey has more ideas.
Repeat visitors
- Go deeper: the circuit of the three Pushkar lakes, the Gayatri temple and a priest's family register.
- More ideas: a morning with herders, a night on the lake for the full moon, or the quiet weeks after the fair.
Pilgrims and the spiritually curious
Add: a proper puja at the lake with a family priest, the three-lake circuit, the Gayatri temple and a day at the dargah in Ajmer.
- Timing: a full moon, or Pitru Paksha if you wish to honour ancestors.
- The rites: our guide to faith and sacred sites explains them.
Photographers
The hours: build every day around dawn and the last hour of light.
- Where to sleep: one night on the lake for easy access.
- When: the early fair or misty December mornings. Never photograph bathers. Our photography journey is designed around these hours.
Guests with limited mobility
Room and ropeway: a ground-floor room at a resort, and the ropeway up the hill.
- The lake: enjoy it from a rooftop and the upper steps of the ghats, with our guide planning the shortest walks.
- Read more: our page on accessible travel.
Solo travellers
A welcome: Pushkar has long welcomed travellers on their own, and its rooftops and music make it easy to meet people.
- Safety: stay at a resort with good security, go to the ghats at dawn and dusk with a guide, and keep a driver on call for the evenings.
- Read more: our solo traveller journey.
What we tell our own cousins
First sight at dusk: arrive in the afternoon and see the lake first in the evening. It is the best introduction.
Book the dawn climb: with your hotel the night before, so tea is ready at five.
- Every day: carry a scarf and wear slip-on sandals. Shoes come off many times.
- Meat in Ajmer: Pushkar is vegetarian and alcohol-free. Our food of Pushkar guide explains what to eat.
- Check the moon: a full moon in any month brings crowds, so plan around it or embrace it. Our guide to the best time to visit Pushkar explains.
- Stay for the setting: our comparison of luxury hotels in Pushkar helps you choose.
