The choice in one minute
Choose Rajasthan if: you want history you can walk through, palace hotels that were once royal homes, bazaars, crafts and a desert night under the stars.
Choose Kerala if: you want water and green, a houseboat, a beach, a spa, and days where the only decision is lunch.
- Landscape
- Desert and dry hills, or lagoons and palms
- Climate
- Dry with cold winter nights, or warm and humid
- Stays
- Palaces and forts, or houseboats and beach hotels
- Days
- Sightseeing, or slowing down
- Gateway
- Delhi for Rajasthan, Kochi for Kerala
- Choose both if: you have twelve nights or more and want to see how different one country can be. Read our Rajasthan and Kerala together piece.
- For a first visit to India: Rajasthan, usually with Delhi and the Taj Mahal. It shows you the India most people have dreamed about.
- For a second visit: Kerala, if you have already seen the north and want something gentler.
- The deciding question: do you want to be amazed, or do you want to rest? Rajasthan amazes. Kerala rests.
Two landscapes at opposite ends of India
Rajasthan, the land of kings
Size: India's largest state by area, from the Thar Desert in the west to the Aravalli hills and forests in the east.
The look: sand, scrub and stone, with lakes made by kings and forts on every ridge.
- The old kingdoms: Mewar, Marwar, Dhundhar, Maad, Hadoti and more, each with its own palace city. See our destinations for all of them.
- The colours: saffron turbans, pink and red odhnis, the women's head-cloths, and mirror-work against the sand.
- The air: dry, with sharp sun and cold winter nights in the desert.
Kerala, the green coast
Where: a long, narrow state on India's south-western coast, between the Arabian Sea and the Western Ghats.
The look: coconut palms, paddy fields, lagoons and canals behind the coast, and tea and spice estates on the hills inland.
- The history: centuries of sea trade in pepper and spices with Arab, Chinese and later European merchants.
- The colours: cream and gold handloom cotton, white dhotis and endless green.
- The air: warm and humid day and night, with showers possible even in the dry season.
What a day feels like in each
A day in Rajasthan
Morning: a fort at opening time, such as Amber or Mehrangarh, with a guide whose family has lived below it for generations.
Midday: a long lunch and a rest behind palace walls, out of the sun.
- Afternoon: a bazaar, a block-printing village or a drive to the next city, timed for the evening light.
- Evening: sunset from a rampart or a boat on Lake Pichola, then dinner in a courtyard with folk musicians.
- The rhythm: full, varied and sometimes tiring. Most guests move every two or three nights.
A day in Kerala
Morning: mist on the water, herons, the sound of paddles and a slow breakfast.
Midday: a boat drifting between villages and paddy fields, or a long lunch on a banana leaf.
- Afternoon: a spa, a swim, a walk through a spice garden or simply a book.
- Evening: sunset over the sea or the lagoon, and perhaps a Kathakali dance-drama.
- The rhythm: slow and soft. Distances look short but roads are slow, so two or three bases are plenty.
When each is at its best
October: Rajasthan's season is starting, with Dussehra and often Diwali. Kerala is green but still showery.
November: golden light in Rajasthan and the Pushkar Camel Fair. Kerala dries out through the month.
- Best overlap
- November to February
- Rajasthan hot season
- April to June, often above 40°C
- Rajasthan monsoon
- July to September, green and quiet
- Kerala main monsoon
- From about June to September
- Kerala showers
- A second, lighter rainy spell around October
- December and January: the peak for both. Cold desert nights in Rajasthan, warm dry days in Kerala, and the best rooms booked months ahead.
- February and March: Rajasthan bright and pleasant, with Holi. Kerala hotter and more humid each week.
- April to June: too hot for most sightseeing in Rajasthan, and humid in Kerala until the rains arrive.
- July to September: Udaipur and Mewar turn green and quiet, a season we love. Kerala's main monsoon is heavy and dramatic.
- Month by month: our guide to the best time to visit Rajasthan.
Where you stay
In Rajasthan
Palace hotels: real royal residences, from Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur to Taj Lake Palace on its island in Udaipur. See palace hotels.
- Forts and havelis: family forts and merchants' mansions, many still run by the families who built them. See heritage havelis.
- Desert camps: tents in the dunes near Jaisalmer and Manvar. Read a night in a desert camp.
- Wildlife lodges: tented camps beside Ranthambore and Jawai. See wildlife lodges.
In Kerala
Houseboats: rice boats converted for guests, drifting on the backwaters. Quality varies widely, so choose carefully.
- Lagoon and beach resorts: low buildings among palms, often with fine spas.
- Heritage homes: old tiled-roof houses with carved wooden ceilings, in the port towns and villages.
- Hill retreats: cool, misty bungalows among the tea and spice estates.
Two of India's great kitchens
Rajasthan's staples: ghee, millet, wheat, gram flour, lentils and dried desert beans. Read our Rajasthani food guide.
Rajasthan's dishes: dal baati churma, ker sangri, gatte, the fiery laal maas and a great vegetarian thali. See our Rajasthani thali guide.
- Rajasthan's sweets: ghevar in the rains, mawa kachori in Jodhpur and malpua in Pushkar. Our Rajasthani sweets guide has the rest.
- Kerala's staples: rice, coconut, curry leaves, tamarind, black pepper and fresh fish.
- Kerala's way of eating: often on a banana leaf, with many small dishes, and seafood along the coast.
- For vegetarians: both are excellent. Rajasthan's Jain and Marwari traditions are among the finest vegetarian cooking in India.
- Cook it yourself: in Rajasthan, a cooking class in a haveli with a family who measure in handfuls.
History, faith and the arts
In Rajasthan
Royal history: Rajput dynasties, Mughal alliances and sieges, told at every fort. Our best forts of Rajasthan is a good start.
- Faith: Hindu, Jain and Muslim shrines side by side, from Ranakpur to Ajmer.
- Music: the Manganiyar singers of the desert and the Kalbelia dancers. See folk music and dance.
- Crafts: block printing, blue pottery, miniature painting, gems and textiles. See crafts.
In Kerala
Trading history: old port towns with churches, synagogues and spice warehouses.
- Faith: Hindu temples alongside some of the oldest Christian communities in the world. Many temples admit only Hindus.
- Performing arts: Kathakali, with painted faces and great costumes, and the martial art of Kalaripayattu.
- Crafts: handloom cotton, coir and woodwork.
Wildlife and nature
Tigers in Rajasthan: Ranthambore is one of India's best places to see a wild tiger, below a fort on a hill.
Leopards in Rajasthan: Jawai, where leopards live on granite hills among Rabari herders.
- Birds in Rajasthan: the Keoladeo wetland at Bharatpur in winter, and the demoiselle cranes of Khichan.
- Kerala's forests: reserves in the Western Ghats shelter elephants, gaur and many birds, best explored on foot or by boat.
- Kerala's water: herons, kingfishers and cormorants along every backwater canal.
- Our rule in both: no elephant rides and no captive-animal shows. Our ethical animal encounters page explains why.
Rest, spas and Ayurveda
Kerala's strength: a long tradition of Ayurvedic treatment, with resorts and centres built around it.
Know the difference: a resort massage suits anyone. A full traditional course usually needs two weeks or more and a doctor's assessment.
- Speak to your own doctor first: especially with a health condition. We don't give medical advice.
- Rajasthan's calm: palace spas, garden pools and long afternoons. See spas and Ayurveda.
- A slow Rajasthan: our wellness and slow travel journey keeps two or three nights in every place and the mornings unhurried.
Getting there and getting around
In Rajasthan: a private car with your own chauffeur, with drives timed so the best light is never spent in the car. Read getting around Rajasthan.
Fly the long legs: Jaipur to Udaipur takes about an hour by air against about six hours by road.
- Rajasthan gateway
- Delhi, about four to five hours from Jaipur by road
- Rajasthan airports
- Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur
- Typical Rajasthan drive
- Four to six hours between cities
- Kerala gateway
- Kochi
- Getting around Kerala
- Slow roads, short distances, boats
- Trains in Rajasthan: fast trains link Delhi and Jaipur, and the luxury trains offer a different way to see the state. See luxury trains.
- In Kerala: distances look short, but roads through towns and hills are slow, so two or three bases are plenty.
- On the water: in Kerala, the boat is often the best way to travel a few miles, and the journey is the point.
- Between the two: always by air, with a connection. A train takes well over a day.
What you will carry home
From Rajasthan: hand block prints from Sanganer and Bagru, blue pottery, silver and gemstones, rugs, mojari slippers and leheriya scarves. Our shopping guide explains how to buy well.
Buy from makers: our artisans we work with piece introduces the families we take guests to.
- Rajasthan's textiles: the state is one of India's great centres of hand printing and tie-dye. See textile shopping.
- From Kerala: spices such as pepper and cardamom, tea from the hills, handloom cotton and coir.
- In both: never follow a driver or stranger to a showroom. Commission shopping is the oldest trap in Indian travel.
What people get wrong about each
Rajasthan is not all desert: the east is green Aravalli hills, forests and lakes. Udaipur is a city of water.
Rajasthan is not always hot: December and January nights in the Thar can fall close to freezing. Pack a warm layer.
- Rajasthan is not only forts: there are tigers, leopards, wetlands, painted towns and some of India's finest crafts.
- Kerala is not only beaches: the backwaters, tea hills and old port towns are as much the point as the sea.
- Kerala is not dry in the dry season: it is warm and humid all year, and a shower can come at any time.
- One week is not enough for both: you would spend too much of it in airports. Choose one, and go deeper.
- A palace hotel is not a theme: in Rajasthan, many were real royal homes, and some families still live in part of them. Read royal families today.
Which one suits you
First-time visitors to India
- Our pick: Rajasthan, with Delhi and Agra. See our Rajasthan with the Taj Mahal journey.
- Why not Kerala first: it is beautiful, but without the north many first-timers feel they have missed the forts and the Taj.
Honeymooners
- Our pick: both, if you have the time. Palaces first, then quiet water. With less time, Udaipur gives you romance and lakes in one place. See Rajasthan honeymoons.
- Why it works: a palace night, a desert camp and a boat at sunset give you three different kinds of romance in one country.
Families with children
- Our pick: Rajasthan, for forts, camels, kites and puppets. Children love the variety. Read Rajasthan with children.
- Add Kerala for: beaches and boats at the end, when everyone is ready to slow down.
History, architecture and craft lovers
- Our pick: Rajasthan, without question. Nowhere in India has more forts, palaces and living crafts in one state.
- Start with: our short history of Rajasthan and reading Rajasthani architecture.
Travellers who need a rest
- Our pick: Kerala, or a slow Rajasthan built around Udaipur and a hill palace or two.
- A slow north: our Udaipur romance in four nights is about as restful as Rajasthan gets.
Beach lovers
- Our pick: Kerala. Rajasthan has lakes and dunes, but no sea.
- Rajasthan's answer: the lakes of Udaipur and the silence of the dunes at dusk, which some guests come to love just as much.
Doing both on one journey
Rajasthan first: do the forts and early starts while your energy is high, and end on the water.
Fly south once: don't zigzag back north for one more sight. It costs a full day.
- Minimum
- Twelve nights
- Balance we like
- Sixteen nights, about ten north and six south
- Order
- Rajasthan first, Kerala last
- The link
- A flight, usually via Delhi, Mumbai or Bengaluru
- Best months
- November to February
- Plan a rest day around the flight: never a sunrise fort and an afternoon flight on the same day.
- Under twelve nights: choose one region. Our one week and two weeks in Rajasthan pages show what a single region gives you.
- The full plan: our Rajasthan and Kerala together piece covers nights, flights and packing.
Before you decide
Distance matters: the two are at opposite ends of India. You can't pop from one to the other.
Rajasthan is our home: we plan every hotel, guide and drive there ourselves, and we are best placed to help you there.
- Winter books early: palace hotels in Rajasthan and the best rooms in the south both fill months ahead for Christmas and New Year.
- Pack for the climate: layers for cold desert nights, or light cotton for humid southern days. Our packing guide has the list.
- Dress for temples: shoulders and knees covered in both regions. Our temple etiquette guide explains the rules.
- No published prices: season, hotels and rooms change everything. Our page on what a luxury journey costs explains how we quote.