The City Palace of Udaipur and the Mohan temple rising above the still water of Lake Pichola — Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

यात्राएँ

Private journeys through Rajasthan, planned by a Jaipur family

Every route on these pages began as a journey we planned for someone, and most began as a journey we took ourselves. Read them as starting points. When you write to us, we take the one closest to your heart and redraw it around your dates, your pace and the things you love.

Plan a journey here Ask a local planner

Signature journeys

Our six favourite routes, the ones our own families ask for. Each is a starting point we redraw around you.

15 nights राजपूताना
The Royal Rajputana, 15 nights

Our grand tour of Rajasthan in fifteen nights: Delhi, Jaipur, Ranthambore, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur, with two nights or more in every stop, palace hotels and a desert camp.
9 nights स्वर्ण त्रिभुज
Golden Triangle and Udaipur, 9 nights

The classic circuit, done properly: the Taj Mahal at sunrise, a private morning in Jaipur's City Palace, then a short flight to Udaipur so you finish by the water instead of in traffic.
10 nights महल और बाघ
Palaces and Tigers, 10 nights

Tigers among the ruins of Ranthambore, then leopards on Jawai's granite hills beside Rabari herders. Ten nights, with Jaipur's palaces at the start and Udaipur's lakes at the end.
7 nights थार के आसमान तले
Under the Thar Sky, 7 nights

The desert at the pace of a camel: Mehrangarh at dusk, a camp beyond the last village, Manganiyar songs by the fire, Jaisalmer's havelis and Bikaner's red fort, in seven nights.
6 nights मेवाड़
Mewar Lakes and Temples, 6 nights

Southern Rajasthan's marble and memory: Udaipur's lakes, Kumbhalgarh's great wall, Ranakpur's 1,444 carved pillars and Chittorgarh, whose stories every Rajput child grows up with. Six slow nights.
8 nights दो के लिए राजस्थान
Rajasthan for Two, 8 nights

A private dinner on a Jaipur rooftop, a night in the dunes with nobody else for miles, and three nights on Lake Pichola. Eight nights for honeymoons and anniversaries, with light days.

Ways to travel

The same Rajasthan, travelled the way that suits you: by private car, by palace train, by air, with children or for two.

13 nights सड़क का सफ़र
Private chauffeur journeys

The way most of Rajasthan is best seen: one trusted driver, one comfortable car, and the freedom to stop for chai, a stepwell or a herd of camels whenever the road invites you.
11 nights शाही रेल
Luxury trains of Rajasthan

The Palace on Wheels and the Maharajas' Express, explained honestly: what a week on board is like, which train suits whom, and how we add quiet nights before and after.
10 nights आसमान से
Helicopter and charter journeys

When time is precious, a private aircraft turns a day on the road into an hour in the air. We explain honestly what can be flown in Rajasthan, and what the rules allow.
10 nights परिवार के संग
Family journeys in Rajasthan

Forts to climb, tigers to look for, kites to fly and pools at the end of every day. Rajasthan with children, paced by parents who have done it with their own.
10 nights प्रेम की यात्रा
Rajasthan honeymoons

Palace suites, a dawn balloon over Amber, dinner among Jawai's granite boulders and a private boat on Lake Pichola at dusk. A Rajasthan honeymoon with the days kept light.
12 nights धीमी यात्रा
Wellness and slow travel

Fewer places, longer stays and mornings that begin with silence. Dawn yoga by a sacred lake, palace spas, village walks and four calm bases over twelve unhurried nights.

By length

Short on time or blessed with plenty? Start from the number of nights you have.

4 nights
Short escapes, 3 to 5 nights

Three to five nights, two places at most. Our sample pairs Jaipur's palaces with Ranthambore's tigers, and we offer lake, desert and painted-town escapes for a long weekend.
7 nights
One week in Rajasthan

Seven nights across three kingdoms: two in Jaipur, two beneath Mehrangarh in Jodhpur, and three by Lake Pichola, with the marble temple of Ranakpur on the road between.
14 nights
Two weeks in Rajasthan

Fourteen nights from Delhi and the Taj Mahal to Jaipur, Ranthambore's tigers, painted Bundi, three nights on Udaipur's lakes and a finale beneath Mehrangarh in Jodhpur.
21 nights
Three weeks and more in Rajasthan

Twenty-one nights in one great loop: the Taj, Jaipur, the painted towns, Bikaner, Jaisalmer and the dunes, Jodhpur, Udaipur's lakes, Bundi and Ranthambore's tigers.

More journeys, by theme and route

Routes built around a festival, a passion, a season or a neighbouring state.

3 nights
Jaipur in three nights

Two nights inside Jaipur's walls and one in the painted palace at Samode. Amber at opening, the City Palace's private rooms, the bazaars at dawn and sunset from Nahargarh.
4 nights
Udaipur romance, 4 nights

Three nights on Lake Pichola and one in a hill palace above Delwara. Private boats at sunset, dinner on an island, and afternoons with nothing planned at all.
6 nights
The classic Golden Triangle, 6 nights

Delhi, Agra and Jaipur in six nights, paced the way we'd plan it for family: the Taj at first light, Old Delhi on foot and three nights in the Pink City.
8 nights
Golden Triangle with Ranthambore, 8 nights

The classic triangle with three nights in Ranthambore between Agra and Jaipur: the Taj at first light, five open-jeep safaris among ruins and lakes, and the Pink City.
12 nights
Forts and palaces grand tour, 12 nights

Six great fortresses and four royal capitals in twelve nights: Amber, Junagarh, Jaisalmer, Mehrangarh and Kumbhalgarh, ending in a palace on Lake Pichola.
10 nights
The heritage havelis trail, 10 nights

Ten nights following the merchant families of Rajasthan: painted courtyards in Shekhawati, red stone lace in Bikaner, Jaisalmer's golden facades and a last night under Mehrangarh.
9 nights थार
The desert triangle: Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner

Nine nights through the three great desert cities: the blue lanes of Jodhpur, the golden fort of Jaisalmer, a night on the dunes, and Bikaner's gold-painted palaces and fresh bhujia.
12 nights वन्य राजस्थान
Big cats and birds: Ranthambore, Jawai, Bharatpur

Twelve nights for wildlife lovers: dawn among the winter birds of Keoladeo, tigers by the lakes of Ranthambore and leopards on the granite hills of Jawai, with lake palaces between.
14 nights कच्छ
Rajasthan and Kutch, 14 nights

Fourteen nights following the desert's crafts and herders south: Jaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, the embroidery villages of Barmer, the wild ass of the Little Rann, and moonlight on the White Rann.
12 nights काशी
Rajasthan and Varanasi, 12 nights

Twelve nights that end on the river: Udaipur's lakes, Jodhpur's blue city, three nights in our Jaipur, the Taj Mahal at sunrise, and three days of dawn boats and lamps in Varanasi.
12 nights बुंदेलखंड
Rajasthan, Orchha and Khajuraho, 12 nights

Twelve nights east from our Jaipur: tigers in Ranthambore, the Taj at sunrise, Gwalior's painted fort, Orchha's palaces on the Betwa and the great Chandela temples of Khajuraho.
4 nights
The painted towns of Shekhawati, 4 nights

Four slow nights in the open-air gallery of the Marwari merchants: Nawalgarh's haveli museums, two nights at Castle Mandawa, Fatehpur's rescued haveli and a village fort at Alsisar.
9 nights
The Pushkar Camel Fair journey

Nine nights in the month of Kartik: Jaipur first, then four nights at Pushkar for the herders, the horses and the holy lake, an evening of qawwali in Ajmer, and rest in Udaipur.
7 nights
The Jaisalmer Desert Festival journey

Seven nights built around the Desert Festival: Jodhpur's great fort, a dune camp at Manvar, three days of turbans, camels and music in Jaisalmer, and the moonlit finale at Sam.
9 nights
Holi in Rajasthan

Nine nights following the festival of colour: Lathmar Holi in Krishna's Braj from a safe rooftop, spring in Jaipur, then the royal bonfire and a gentle day of colour in Udaipur.
5 nights
Diwali in Jaipur

Five nights across the five days of Diwali: lit bazaars on Dhanteras, the palace at its most golden, lamps and a family puja on the night of the new moon, then village quiet at Samode.
10 nights
Christmas and New Year in a palace

Ten nights over the holidays in three great palaces: Christmas in Jaipur, the Rathore fort above Jodhpur, Ranakpur's marble on the road south and New Year's Eve beside Lake Pichola.
10 nights परिवार के साथ राजस्थान
Family adventure in Rajasthan, 10 nights

Ten nights built around children: ziplines over Mehrangarh, dune sunsets, leopard drives at Jawai, a night inside Kumbhalgarh's great wall and boats on Lake Pichola.
12 nights तीन पीढ़ियाँ, एक यात्रा
Multi-generation journeys

Three generations, twelve nights and only three hotel changes. Long stays in Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur, palace suites side by side, and days planned for every age at once.
12 nights रोशनी का राजस्थान
A photographer's Rajasthan

Twelve nights planned around the golden hours: pink Jaipur, painted Bundi, the ghats of Pushkar, blue Jodhpur, golden Jaisalmer and untrodden dunes at the first light of sunrise.
12 nights हाथ का हुनर
The textile and craft trail

Twelve nights in the workshops of Rajasthan: block printing in Bagru, blue pottery and gems in Jaipur, Kota Doria looms, miniature painters, pichwai at Nathdwara and Jodhpur's tie-dyers.
11 nights स्वाद का सफ़र
A food lover's Rajasthan

Eleven nights of breakfasts in the bazaars and dinners in palaces: Old Delhi, Jaipur, Bikaner, Jodhpur and Udaipur, with cooking lessons in family kitchens along the way.
11 nights पावन राजस्थान
Sacred Rajasthan: Pushkar, Ajmer, Nathdwara, Ranakpur

Eleven nights through Rajasthan's living faiths: Brahma's lake at Pushkar, the Sufi shrine at Ajmer, Shrinathji's haveli at Nathdwara and the marble forest of Ranakpur, with palace rest between.
11 nights अनदेखा राजस्थान
Offbeat Rajasthan: Bundi, Chittorgarh, Dungarpur

Eleven nights in the Rajasthan most visitors drive past: Bundi's murals and stepwells, the vast fort of Chittorgarh, a castle in the Vindhyan hills and Dungarpur's mirrored palace on the edge of Gujarat.
8 nights मेवाड़ में चौमासा
Monsoon in Mewar

Eight nights in Mewar from July to September, when the lakes fill, the Aravallis turn green, clouds drift through Kumbhalgarh's palace and every sweet shop in Udaipur fries ghevar.
13 nights राजस्थान का शीतकाल
Winter in Rajasthan

Thirteen nights through Rajasthan's golden season: Jaipur's kites, Bikaner's camels, the cranes of Khichan, Jaisalmer and a fire in the dunes, Jodhpur's fort and a slow finish on Udaipur's lakes.
13 nights
Palace on Wheels and beyond

Seven nights on Rajasthan's original royal train, with two calm nights in Delhi before you board and four slow ones after, at a village hunting lodge and among Jawai's leopards.
11 nights
Maharajas' Express and beyond

India's grandest train for the Taj, the tigers and Jaipur, then off the rails into a private week: Udaipur's lakes, a night below Kumbhalgarh and Jodhpur under Mehrangarh.
12 nights अकेले राजस्थान
Rajasthan for solo travellers

Twelve nights for travellers on their own: Old Delhi, Jaipur's bazaars, Pushkar's ghats, the blue city of Jodhpur and Udaipur's lakes, with a trusted chauffeur, local guides and hosts who look out for you.
10 nights
Yoga and Ayurveda in Rajasthan

A wellness journey with Rajasthan's soul left in. A spa retreat in a fort, dawn yoga above Pushkar's holy lake, Ayurvedic treatments in palace spas and long lakeside evenings in Udaipur.
7 nights
Mewar and Marwar, 7 nights

Two old rival kingdoms in one week. Udaipur's lakes, a night below Kumbhalgarh's great wall, Ranakpur's marble, a village rawla at Narlai and Jodhpur under Mehrangarh.
5 nights
Delhi, Jaipur and Agra in luxury, 5 nights

The Golden Triangle in five nights, timed by a Jaipur family. Old Delhi at dawn, the Taj at sunrise from a Taj-facing room, and two palace nights in the Pink City.
9 nights
Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, 9 nights

Nine nights travelling west, from the lakes of Udaipur over the Aravalli hills to blue Jodhpur, golden Jaisalmer and a last night among the dunes at Sam.
8 nights
Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur, 8 nights

The three great royal capitals of Rajasthan in eight nights: the Kachwahas' pink Jaipur, the Rathores' blue Jodhpur and the lake city of the Sisodias, palace to palace.
9 nights
Rajasthan in ten days

Ten days through the green south-east of Rajasthan: Jaipur's palaces, tigers at Ranthambore, the painted town of Bundi, Chittorgarh's fort and three nights by Udaipur's lakes.
11 nights
Rajasthan in twelve days

Our grand loop of the four great cities in twelve days: pink Jaipur, blue Jodhpur, golden Jaisalmer in the Thar, a night in a village fort, and three slow days by Udaipur's lakes.
20 nights
Rajasthan in three weeks

Twenty nights in a full circle from Delhi: painted Shekhawati, red Bikaner, the deep Thar, Jodhpur, the Godwar hills, Udaipur, Deogarh's palace, holy Pushkar and a last slow Jaipur.
7 nights दिल्ली, जयपुर, उदयपुर
Delhi, Jaipur and Udaipur, 7 nights

One night in Delhi, three in the Pink City and three by the lakes of Udaipur. Two capitals, two royal houses and a short flight that saves you a long day on the road.
9 nights उदयपुर से जैसलमेर
Honeymoon in Udaipur and Jaisalmer

Nine nights for two, from a palace on Lake Pichola to a lamplit stepwell dinner in Narlai, the blue city of Jodhpur and a tent under the stars beyond Jaisalmer.
9 nights परिवार के साथ राजस्थान
Family: Jaipur, Ranthambore and Udaipur

Nine nights built for children and grandparents alike: forts and kites in Jaipur, tigers from a private jeep in Ranthambore, and boats, puppets and palaces in Udaipur.
11 nights राजस्थान के पक्षी
Birding Rajasthan: Bharatpur and Tal Chhapar

Eleven winter nights across four habitats: Keoladeo's marsh, Sambhar's salt flats, the grassland of Tal Chhapar and the desert villages where demoiselle cranes come to breakfast.
10 nights मारवाड़ में घोड़े पर
On horseback through Marwar

Ten nights for confident riders: Jodhpur and its fort, then Marwari horses from a family stable, riding through Bishnoi villages and desert scrub to camps and country forts.
13 nights गाँव रो राजस्थान
Village Rajasthan: rawlas, forts and farms

Thirteen nights in the country houses of the old nobility, from Samode to Deogarh. Marwari horses at dawn, Bishnoi villages, stepwell dinners and two nights in almost every fort.
11 nights राजस्थान और ताजमहल
Rajasthan with the Taj Mahal, 11 nights

Eleven nights that begin by Udaipur's lakes and end at the Taj Mahal at dawn. Jodhpur's blue city, three Jaipur days and two nights in Agra, so a Friday never steals your Taj.
11 nights आबू और गुजरात
Mount Abu and Gujarat's heritage

Eleven nights from Udaipur's lakes over Rajasthan's only hill station into Gujarat. Dilwara's marble, the queen's stepwell at Patan, old Ahmedabad, wild asses in the Little Rann and the White Rann of Kutch.

How a private journey with us works

The best journeys we have planned began the old way, over a cup of chai with a map open on the table. The tools have changed. The conversation hasn't.

Pritam Niwas Chowk, the peacock courtyard inside the City Palace of Jaipur — Photo: Chainwit, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

At a glance

Every journey: Private, for you alone
Typical length: Seven to fifteen nights
Best months: October to March
Included: Chauffeur, local guides, airport meetings
Planner: On WhatsApp every day
Prices: Quoted after one conversation

It begins with a conversation

Tell us the basics: when you can come, who is travelling and what makes a holiday good for you, whether long lunches or early starts, tigers or textiles, a pool every afternoon or a village walk.

What forms never catch: we ask about stairs, sleep, spice and how you feel about crowds.
Then a route: with hotels and the reasons for each, and a quote.
No published prices: no two journeys we plan are the same. Our page on what a luxury Rajasthan journey costs explains what shapes one.

Plan my journey

A route drawn around the right hours

Every monument has its hour: Amber at opening, Hawa Mahal just after sunrise, Jaswant Thada in the late afternoon, Mehtab Bagh at sunset.

The middle of the day: for lunch and rest, which is how Rajasthan has always lived.
Drives timed well: you arrive for lunch or the evening light, never in the heat of the afternoon. Our getting around Rajasthan guide explains how.

One chauffeur, many local guides

A private chauffeur: for the whole road journey, in a comfortable car with water and cool towels.

A local guide in each place: someone who grew up there and knows the lanes, the families and the quiet entrances.
Read more: why we prefer one driver, on our page on private chauffeur journeys, and the people behind it on our planners and guides page.

Flights and trains where they save time

Roads worth driving: through the Aravallis to Ranakpur, or across Marwar to the desert.

Roads not worth it: for those we use a short flight, such as Delhi to Udaipur or Jaipur to Udaipur, or the fast train from Delhi to Agra.
The options: our guides to airports and flights and trains in Rajasthan.

Hotels chosen room by room

Same corridor, different room: a palace hotel can have a magnificent suite and a disappointing room side by side. We know which is which.

What we ask for: the lake view, the old wing or the room with a jharokha over the village.
The mix: most journeys combine grand palaces with family-run forts, havelis and desert camps.
Read more: our stays pages describe each hotel we use, and our palace hotels guide explains the styles.

A planner on WhatsApp, every day

From the airport on: we meet you, and your planner is a message away.

Change anything: a morning lost to fog, a cooking class added, a day of doing nothing at all.
What we never do: commission shops or elephant rides.
Village visits: arranged with families who welcome guests and are paid properly. Our page on travelling responsibly explains how we think about it.

Our six signature journeys, and how they differ

These are the routes our own families ask for. Each has a different heart, and the easiest way to choose is to ask which heart is yours.

The six at a glance

The Royal Rajputana: 15 nights
Golden Triangle and Udaipur: 9 nights
Palaces and Tigers: 10 nights
Under the Thar Sky: 7 nights
Mewar Lakes and Temples: 6 nights
Rajasthan for Two: 8 nights

The Royal Rajputana, 15 nights

The route: Delhi, Jaipur, Ranthambore, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur.

Our grand tour: at least two nights in every city, so you live in each rather than pass through.
The highlights: palace hotels, a tiger safari, a desert camp near Jaisalmer, then a slow finish by the lakes.
Choose it if: this is your first time and you want all of it, without rushing.

See The Royal Rajputana

Golden Triangle and Udaipur, 9 nights

The route: Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Udaipur.

The classic circuit done properly: the Taj at sunrise before the crowds, and a private morning inside Jaipur's City Palace.
Finish by the water: a short flight to Udaipur instead of traffic.
Choose it for: a first look at India in under two weeks.

See Golden Triangle and Udaipur

Palaces and Tigers, 10 nights

The route: Jaipur, Ranthambore, Jawai and Udaipur.

Big cats twice: tigers among the ruins of Ranthambore, then leopards in Jawai's granite hills, where they live alongside the Rabari herders and their temples.
Wild, then calm: each stretch ends in a palace and a long bath.
Choose it if: wildlife is the reason you travel, or you have older children.

See Palaces and Tigers

Under the Thar Sky, 7 nights

The route: Jodhpur, Manvar, Jaisalmer and Bikaner.

The desert at the pace of a camel: Mehrangarh at dusk, a luxury camp beyond the last village and Manganiyar songs by the fire.
Then: Jaisalmer's havelis, and finally Bikaner's red fort and its famous bhujia.
Choose it if: you love silence, stars and photographs.

See Under the Thar Sky

Mewar Lakes and Temples, 6 nights

The route: Udaipur, Kumbhalgarh, Ranakpur and Chittorgarh.

Marble and memory: Ranakpur's 1,444 carved pillars, no two alike, and Kumbhalgarh's great wall on the ridges.
Chittorgarh: whose stories every Rajput child grows up with.
Choose it for: a second visit, or if architecture moves you more than anything.

See Mewar Lakes and Temples

Rajasthan for Two, 8 nights

The route: Jaipur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur.

The moments: a private dinner on a Jaipur rooftop, a night in the dunes with nobody else for miles, and three nights on Lake Pichola.
Light days, memorable evenings: that is the rhythm.
Choose it for: a honeymoon, an anniversary or simply each other. Our Rajasthan honeymoons page has more ideas.

See Rajasthan for Two

If you are torn between two routes

Most guests narrow it down to two journeys and then get stuck. These are the questions we ask to settle it.

Is this your first time in India?

If the Taj matters: the choice is usually between Golden Triangle and Udaipur, Taj first and lakes last in nine nights, and Rajasthan with the Taj Mahal, which adds Jodhpur and saves the Taj for the end in eleven.
If the Taj can wait: The Royal Rajputana gives you the whole of Rajasthan, desert and tigers included, in fifteen.

Have you been before?

Start from what you loved: or from what you missed.

Architecture: Mewar Lakes and Temples or offbeat Rajasthan go deeper into the south and the Hadoti country.
People and countryside: Village Rajasthan stays almost entirely in family-run forts.
The sky: Under the Thar Sky gives the desert a week of its own.

Lakes or desert?

The oldest argument in our family: Udaipur is softer, greener and more romantic. Jaisalmer is wilder, quieter and more surprising.

With ten nights or more: you need not choose. Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer links them in one westward line.
Tell us which way you lean: and we will tell you honestly whether the other is worth the extra nights.

Choosing by the time you have

The question we hear most is how many nights Rajasthan needs. The honest answer is as many as you can give it, but every length has a right shape.

Facts to know

Three to five nights: One or two places
One week: Two or three kingdoms
Ten days to two weeks: The sweet spot
Three weeks and more: The whole state opens up

Three to five nights

Stay put: choose one or two places, such as Jaipur and Ranthambore, Udaipur alone, or Delhi, Jaipur and Agra at a sensible pace.
Built for this: our short escapes, Jaipur in three nights, Udaipur romance and Delhi, Jaipur and Agra in luxury.

One week

Two or three kingdoms: with two or three nights in each.

The classic weeks: Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur for Rajasthan, and Delhi, Agra and Jaipur for India.
Read: one week in Rajasthan, the classic Golden Triangle and Delhi, Jaipur and Udaipur.

Ten days to two weeks

The sweet spot: add the desert, the tigers or the Taj Mahal to the three royal capitals without rushing.
Read: Rajasthan with the Taj Mahal, Rajasthan in ten days, the forts and palaces grand tour and two weeks in Rajasthan.

Three weeks and more

Rajasthan opens up: the painted towns of Shekhawati, Bundi and the Hadoti country, the village forts of Marwar, or a crossing into Gujarat or Madhya Pradesh.
Start with: three weeks and more and Rajasthan in three weeks, or combine The Royal Rajputana with our Village Rajasthan route.

Choosing by season

Rajasthan has three seasons, and each one asks for a different kind of journey. Our grandmother judged them by the water in the stepwells.

The Sam sand dunes near Jaisalmer in the Thar Desert — Photo: David Brossard, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Season at a glance

October to March: The travelling season, any route
April to June: Very hot, often well above 40°C
July to September: Monsoon, green Mewar, parks closed
Festivals: Lunar dates, confirmed each year

October to March, the travelling season

Warm days and cool nights: across the whole state, the right time for any route on these pages.

October and November: Diwali and the Pushkar Camel Fair.

December and January: cold at night and festive. Our winter in Rajasthan and Christmas and New Year journeys make the most of them.
February: the Jaisalmer Desert Festival and the best light of the year.
March: Holi.

April to June, the hot months

Very hot in the desert: we plan carefully or suggest you wait.

If you must come: keep to early mornings and palace pools, go up to Mount Abu, or choose Ranthambore, where tigers are easier to find at the shrinking waterholes.
Honest advice: our month guides, such as Rajasthan in May.

July to September, the monsoon

Little rain in the desert: but Mewar turns green, the lakes of Udaipur fill and the hills around Kumbhalgarh vanish into cloud.

The quietest, most romantic time for the south: our Monsoon in Mewar journey is built for it.
Tigers wait for October: the national parks close for the rains.

Planning around a festival

Moving dates: many festivals follow the lunar calendar, so we confirm dates when we plan.

All of them: our festival calendar lists them, and journeys such as Diwali in Jaipur are timed around one.
Book festival weeks early: the best rooms go first.

Choosing by what you love

Some guests come for the palaces and go home talking about a potter in a village. Still, it helps to start with the thing you love most.

A Bengal tiger yawning in the forest of Ranthambore National Park — Photo: Rohit Sharma, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Wildlife

Where: tigers at Ranthambore, leopards at Jawai, birds at Bharatpur and blackbuck at Tal Chhapar.
Read: Palaces and Tigers, Golden Triangle with Ranthambore, big cats and birds and our birding journey.

The desert

What it offers: forts of golden and red sandstone, camps among the dunes, and some of the clearest night skies in India.
Three lines across the Thar: Under the Thar Sky, the desert triangle and Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer.

Villages, horses and country forts

Our quietest routes: they stay in the family-run forts and rawlas of the old nobility.
Read: Village Rajasthan, Mewar and Marwar and on horseback through Marwar.

Art, architecture and the less travelled

What you'll find: murals, stepwells, Jain marble and forts without queues.
Try: offbeat Rajasthan, the painted towns of Shekhawati, the heritage havelis trail and Mewar Lakes and Temples.

Faith, food, craft and the camera

Pilgrim towns: Sacred Rajasthan.

Kitchens and workshops: a food lover's Rajasthan and the textile and craft trail.
Planned around light: a photographer's Rajasthan.

Families, couples and solo travellers

Children and grandparents need different days: we plan for both on our family, family adventure and multi-generation journeys.

Couples: read Rajasthan for Two and honeymoon in Udaipur and Jaisalmer.
Travelling alone: see Rajasthan for solo travellers.

Beyond Rajasthan

History runs into the neighbours: pair Rajasthan with Kutch, or with Mount Abu and Gujarat's heritage.
East: the ghats of Varanasi, or the Bundela temples and palaces of Orchha and Khajuraho.

By road, by rail or by air

Most of our guests travel by car, because the road is where Rajasthan happens. It isn't the only way.

The great wall of Kumbhalgarh Fort running along the Aravalli ridges — Photo: VAIRAGEE ABHILASH, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

By road, with a private chauffeur: stop for a stepwell, a roadside chai or a camel fair you didn't know was on, with your luggage and driver always where you need them.

Drive times: between the main cities they run from about four to six hours, and we break the longer ones at places like Ranakpur, Abhaneri or a village fort.

By luxury train: the Palace on Wheels and the Maharajas' Express carry guests through the royal cities in a week of cabins, dining cars and guided days ashore.

Facts to know

By road: Private chauffeur, our usual way
City to city: About four to six hours
Luxury trains: Palace on Wheels, Maharajas' Express
By air: Short flights from Delhi
Charters: Where permissions allow

The trade-off: you see a great deal without packing and unpacking, but on the train's timetable rather than your own.
Check what is running: departures change from season to season, so ask us to confirm.
Quiet days before or after: our luxury trains, Palace on Wheels and beyond and Maharajas' Express and beyond pages explain how we add them.
By air: short scheduled flights link Delhi with Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur and other cities, and save the dullest roads.
Very short of time: private charters and helicopter transfers where permissions allow. Our helicopter and charter journeys page explains what is possible.
Rather stay still: our wellness and slow travel page is for you.

The rules we plan by

Journey after journey, these are the habits we would never give up.

Two nights at least in every main stop: one night is a hotel, not a place.

One long drive at a time: never two in a row, and never a long drive on the morning after a late arrival.

The right hour: monuments at their best hour, lunch and rest in the middle of the day.
A quiet day after two busy cities: a village fort or a free day. Our guide to first time in Rajasthan explains why.
Never a Taj Mahal morning on a Friday: the monument is closed to visitors.
One free afternoon in every journey: to sleep, swim or simply sit by a lake.
Honest advice: even when it means suggesting fewer places or a different month. Our Rajasthan travel guide and best time to visit pages are a good start.

Questions about Journeys

These are the questions our guests ask before they come. If yours isn't here, a planner in Jaipur will answer it within a day.

How many days do I need for Rajasthan?

Ten to fourteen nights lets you see three or four regions without rushing, for example Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur. A week is enough for two or three cities. Three weeks lets you add Shekhawati, Bundi, wildlife or the village forts of Marwar.

Are your journeys group tours?

No. Every journey is private, for you and the people you choose to travel with. You have your own chauffeur, your own guides and your own pace, and nothing is shared with other travellers unless you ask for it.

Can you change a signature journey?

Always. The signature journeys are starting points. We add or remove nights, swap hotels, move a stop or join two routes together after one conversation about what you want.

Why don't you publish prices?

Because the same route can cost very different amounts depending on season, hotels, rooms and guides. We would rather quote accurately after one conversation than show a misleading starting price. Our page on what a luxury journey costs explains what shapes the number.

What is the best time to take a journey in Rajasthan?

October to March, when days are warm and nights cool across the state. February is our favourite month. April to June is very hot, and the monsoon from July to September is beautiful in Mewar but the national parks close.

Should I travel by car, train or plane?

Most of our guests travel by private car with one chauffeur, using a short flight for the longest legs, such as Delhi to Udaipur. Luxury trains suit travellers who want to unpack once. We often combine all three.

Can you combine Rajasthan with the Taj Mahal or Gujarat?

Yes. Agra fits easily at the start or end of a Rajasthan journey, and our Rajasthan with the Taj Mahal route saves it for last. Mount Abu and Udaipur lead naturally into Ahmedabad and Kutch.

Do you plan journeys for families and older travellers?

Yes, often. We choose hotels with gardens and pools for children, keep drives short, avoid steep palaces where mobility is limited and build rest into every day. Tell us who is travelling and we will plan around them.

Written and checked by our Jaipur team, last updated 2026-10-16.

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Private journeys through Rajasthan, planned by a Jaipur family