Why Rajasthan is made for two
Many of our honeymoon guests tell us the thing they loved most was not any single monument, but the feeling of being looked after so well that they could think only about each other. After the stress of a wedding, that matters.
Courts that loved love: the painters of Kishangarh made the famous Bani Thani portrait, often called India's Mona Lisa, of a court singer adored by her prince.
Radha and Krishna: in Mewar and Bundi, artists painted them meeting in groves and pavilions.
- Nights
- Ten: Jaipur 3, Jodhpur 2, Jawai 2, Udaipur 3
- Pace
- Four bases, late starts, one planned moment a day
- Best months
- October to March, or the monsoon for Udaipur
- Good for
- Honeymooners and anniversary couples
- Starts
- Jaipur, by air, road or fast train
- Ends
- Udaipur, with flights to Delhi and Mumbai
- Monsoon messengers: the court poets wrote of monsoon clouds carrying word between separated lovers.
- Palaces built for the mood: rooms of mirrors that glitter in candlelight, terraces open to the night sky, and gardens of fountains made for slow evening walks.
- A heritage you can live in: sleep in a white marble palace in the middle of a lake, or dine on the ramparts of a fort with nobody else there.
- The wild side: wake in a tent among granite boulders while a leopard calls from the hill above.
- On the water and in the air: drift on Lake Pichola as the City Palace turns gold, or take a hot-air balloon over the villages near Amber at sunrise.
- Quiet luxury: the best hotels are generous with space and privacy, and service is warm and attentive without being intrusive.
- How we plan it differently: fewer bases, late breakfasts, protected afternoons, and every day built around one beautiful moment rather than a list of sights.
- The monuments: still there at their quiet hours, but never the point. The point is the two of you.
How we plan a honeymoon
- Bases
- Three or four in ten nights
- Minimum stay
- Two nights, three at the end
- Drives
- A few hours at most
- Each day
- One moment planned with care
- Sightseeing
- Private, never in groups
Fewer bases, longer stays
The enemy of romance: packing and unpacking every morning.
- Our shape: three or four bases for ten nights, with at least two nights in each and three in the last, so you finish slowly.
- Short drives: a few hours, and we never ask you to leave a beautiful hotel at dawn unless it is for something worth waking up for.
One moment a day
Planned with care: a private dinner in a fort courtyard, a balloon at sunrise, a boat at dusk, a candlelit stepwell, or a leopard drive at first light.
- Around it: the day is yours.
- Ideas: our page on private dinners in a palace.
The right room
- It matters more than ever: we know which rooms face the lake, which have the best terraces, and which are quietest.
- We ask for it by name: and we tell hotels you are on your honeymoon. Most will do something lovely to welcome you.
Privacy, always
Discreet people: your guides and drivers are briefed to give you space.
- Never in groups: all sightseeing is private.
- A day alone: if you want one, without a guide at all, we arrange it with the car on call.
Our sample honeymoon, day by day
- Jaipur to Jodhpur
- About 340 km, five to six hours
- Jodhpur to Jawai
- About three hours
- Jawai to Udaipur
- About three hours
- Jaipur to Samode
- About 40 km, an hour
- Jodhpur to Rohet
- About 40 km
Days 1-3: Jaipur, the Pink City
Arrive: fly into Jaipur, or come by road or fast train from Delhi.
Rambagh Palace: settle into Rambagh Palace, once the home of the Jaipur royal family.
Or Rajvilas: The Oberoi Rajvilas, whose villas and tented suites sit in thirty-two acres of gardens.
- The first afternoon: do nothing at all.
- Amber at opening time: visit Amber Fort as the gates open, so the mirrored Sheesh Mahal is almost yours alone.
- Or a balloon: in the cool months, a hot-air balloon at dawn over the villages near Amer.
- The bazaars: an afternoon in the walled city with a guide who knows the family jewellers.
- Nahargarh at sunset: climb to Nahargarh Fort as the whole grid of the city turns from pink to gold below you.
- The last evening: a private dinner on a terrace or in a palace courtyard.
Days 4-5: Jodhpur, the blue city
The drive west: to Jodhpur, about five to six hours through farmland and small towns, with a long lunch on the way.
Umaid Bhawan Palace: stay at Umaid Bhawan Palace, the great Art Deco palace finished in 1943, where the former royal family still lives in one wing.
- Or under the fort: at RAAS Jodhpur, the floodlit walls of Mehrangarh fill your window at night.
- Mehrangarh at opening: be at Mehrangarh before the tour groups, and look out over the blue houses from the ramparts.
- Toorji ka Jhalra: in the late afternoon, wander the lanes around the clock tower and sit beside the stepwell as the evening light falls on its carved steps.
- The evening everyone remembers: dinner on a rooftop facing the lit fort.
Days 6-7: Jawai, the leopard hills
Through Pali district: about three hours to Jawai, a landscape of granite hills, fields and a great reservoir.
Who lives here: leopards in the caves, and Rabari herders grazing their flocks below.
- SUJAN JAWAI: a camp of luxurious tents among the rocks. Stay at SUJAN JAWAI.
- First and last light: go out with a naturalist when the leopards are most active and the granite glows orange.
- In between: rest, read and swim.
- Among the boulders: meals are often served out on the rocks, and evenings by the fire under bright stars are among the most romantic in Rajasthan.
- Ethical guides: our page on tiger and leopard safaris explains how we choose them.
Days 8-10: Udaipur, the city of lakes
To the lakes: about three hours to Udaipur, stopping at the marble Jain temple of Ranakpur for its 1,444 carved pillars if you like.
On the water: the Taj Lake Palace, a white marble palace on its own island, reached only by the hotel's boats.
- On the shore: The Oberoi Udaivilas, where many rooms have semi-private pools along the water.
- Three slow nights: the City Palace in the morning, the old city's lanes and ghats in the late afternoon.
- Pichola at the last light: a private boat on Lake Pichola, drifting past Jag Mandir as the City Palace turns gold.
- The Monsoon Palace: one evening, go up an hour before sunset for the widest view of the lakes.
- The last night: dinner by the water.
Where you'll stay
In Jaipur
Rambagh Palace: grand and full of history, with peacocks on the lawns and gilded dining rooms.
- Rajvilas: quieter, outside the city, with a spa guests talk about for years.
- Inside the walls: Samode Haveli is a nobleman's townhouse with painted rooms and a garden pool.
- In the hills: a night at Samode Palace, an hour north in the Aravallis, adds a Sheesh Mahal of its own.
In Jodhpur
The grand choice: Umaid Bhawan Palace, with its dome, Art Deco interiors and gardens.
- Younger in spirit: RAAS Jodhpur, right under the fort.
- A slower Marwar night: Rohet Garh, a family fort by a lake about forty kilometres south.
In Jawai
- Our first choice for couples: SUJAN JAWAI, with spacious tents, outdoor dinners and a firm line on ethical safaris.
- A heritage building instead: Rawla Narlai, an old hunting lodge about an hour away, famous for candlelit dinners in a stepwell.
In Udaipur
The Lake Palace: for many of our guests the most romantic hotel in India, with the strange, lovely silence of sleeping on the water.
- Udaivilas: space, gardens and the lake view back across to the City Palace.
- Complete peace: Raffles Udaipur, on its own island in Udai Sagar east of the city.
- Compare them all: our guide to palace hotels.
Moments we love to arrange for couples
Dawn over Amber in a balloon
When: in the cool months, at sunrise.
- What you see: villages, fields and the hills around Amber.
- How it feels: calm and silent, over in about an hour, and you are back for a late breakfast.
Dinner on the ramparts
- Opened for you: several forts and palaces can host a private dinner, with candles, musicians and a table on a terrace or in a courtyard.
- With people we know: we arrange these with hotels and families we trust, and the setting changes with the city.
A night in the dunes
Add the desert: two nights near Jaisalmer.
- Where: The Serai, or a private camp near the dunes of Sam or Khuri.
- The evening: dine alone by firelight while Manganiyar musicians sing in the distance, and sleep under more stars than you have ever seen.
- More: our stargazing in the Thar page.
The last hour of light on Pichola
The moment we never leave out: a private boat on Lake Pichola an hour before sunset.
- The route: past the ghats, the island palaces and the City Palace.
- Timing it: our page on a boat on Lake Pichola.
A blessing or vow renewal
A simple blessing: by a priest at a lakeside temple.
- On an anniversary: a vow renewal in a palace courtyard with marigolds and music.
- What's possible: our page on vow renewals in a palace.
Eating well, together
A desert cuisine: made to last and full of flavour.
Laal maas: the fiery red mutton curry of the Rajput hunting tradition.
Ker sangri: desert berries and beans that taste of the Thar itself.
- Dal baati churma: baked wheat balls with lentils and sweet crumbled wheat, the dish every Rajasthani family makes for celebrations.
- Ghevar: in the Teej season, around the monsoon, Jaipur's sweet shops sell this lacy disc of fried batter soaked in syrup.
- Royal versions: the palace hotels serve these dishes beautifully, often from recipes handed down in their own kitchens.
- A simple thali: at a good local restaurant, a dozen small bowls refilled until you beg them to stop.
- Learn together: a cooking class in a haveli is a lovely morning for two, and you take the recipes home.
- Wine and cocktails: good hotels serve them, and many have fine bars.
- Dry places and days: some towns, such as Pushkar, are vegetarian and alcohol-free, and there are dry days across India on certain national and religious holidays.
- Read more: our guide to alcohol and dry days and our Rajasthani food guide.
Keepsakes worth bringing home
Jewellery from Jaipur
A gem city: Jaipur is one of the world's great centres for cutting coloured gemstones, and its jewellers have served royal families for generations.
- Family jewellers: we take couples to ones we have known for decades, never to commission showrooms.
- What to look for: our page on gems and jewellery of Jaipur.
Textiles for your home
- Built to last: block-printed bedcovers, light Jaipuri quilts, and leheriya and bandhani scarves in the colours of the wedding season.
- Where to find the best: our guide to textile shopping in Rajasthan.
A miniature painting
The old courtly style: Udaipur's painters still work with brushes of squirrel hair and colours ground from stone.
- A fitting subject: two lovers on a palace terrace.
- Read more: our miniature painting page.
Mehndi before you leave
Married in India? You may already know the patterns.
- If not: an evening with a mehndi artist at your hotel, drawing henna on the hands, is a gentle, joyful ritual of every Rajasthani wedding.
- The tradition: our page on mehndi.
The best time for a Rajasthan honeymoon
The classic season: October to March, with warm days, cool evenings and clear skies.
The loveliest months: November, February and early March.
December and January: cooler, sometimes cold at night in the desert and at Jawai, so bring warm layers for early drives.
- Classic season
- October to March
- Loveliest
- November, February, early March
- Wedding season
- November to February
- Udaipur's secret
- The monsoon, July to September
- Very hot
- April to June
- Book far ahead: Christmas and New Year are the busiest weeks, and the best rooms go many months ahead.
- India's wedding season: many palace hotels host grand weddings between November and February, and a large celebration can take over a hotel for days.
- The monsoon: July to September is Udaipur's secret season. The lakes fill, the Aravallis turn green and the Monsoon Palace finally makes sense.
- Rain-tolerant couples: a slower honeymoon in Mewar then can be wonderful, though some camps close and wildlife parks have their own seasons.
- April to June: very hot, so we suggest few moves and plenty of pool time.
- Every month: our best time to visit Rajasthan guide.
A few words on etiquette for couples
Holding hands: fine almost everywhere.
Kissing in public: kissing and close embraces are not part of local custom, particularly in temples, old cities and villages. Save them for your terrace.
- Temples and ghats: at the temples and the ghats of Pushkar, dress modestly, with shoulders and knees covered, and remove your shoes.
- Outside the cities: women travellers are often more comfortable in loose cotton that covers the arms, and a scarf is useful everywhere.
- Every couple welcome: couples of all kinds travel with us. Rajasthan's luxury hotels are discreet and professional, and we choose guides and hotels that welcome every couple.
- Tell us in confidence: if you have any concerns, and we will plan accordingly.
- Read more: our guides to etiquette and dress and Rajasthan for women travellers.
Arriving, leaving and the road between
Most couples fly into Delhi: if you land late at night, spend a first night near the airport or in central Delhi.
Then a short hop: a short flight or the fast train to Jaipur the next day, rather than a long drive straight after a long-haul flight.
- Jaipur direct: its airport has good domestic connections and some international ones, so you may be able to fly straight in.
- The longest drive: Jaipur to Jodhpur, about five to six hours, broken with lunch and perhaps a short stop.
- The prettiest drives: Jodhpur to Jawai and Jawai to Udaipur, each about three hours, through some of the loveliest farm country and hills in Rajasthan.
- Flying home: Udaipur's airport at Dabok has flights to Delhi and Mumbai for your connection.
- The options explained: our guide to getting around Rajasthan.
Make it yours
A shorter honeymoon
With a week: drop Jaipur or Jodhpur and keep Jawai and Udaipur.
- Or Udaipur alone: four nights, with a night at a hill palace nearby.
- A lovely short shape: our Udaipur romance in four nights.
With the desert
- Sand instead of leopards: swap Jawai for Jaisalmer and a night in the dunes.
- Ready-made: our signature Rajasthan for Two and our honeymoon in Udaipur and Jaisalmer.
With the Taj Mahal
The monument built for love: many couples want to see it.
- The shape: start in Delhi, spend a night in Agra at The Oberoi Amarvilas, where every room looks towards the Taj, then continue to Jaipur.
- Remember: the Taj is closed to sightseers on Fridays.
With wellness
Rest above all: after a wedding, some couples want nothing else.
- How: spa days at Rajvilas or Udaivilas, or a few slow days of yoga and walking.
- Ideas: our wellness and slow travel page.
How we look after you
A private car and driver: throughout, discreet and briefed to give you space.
Private, licensed guides: at the monuments, at the quiet hours, only when you want them.
- Smooth arrivals: airport meetings, easy transfers and the right room requested and confirmed at every hotel.
- Flights or fast trains: where they save a long day, so the evenings stay yours.
- The special moments: private dinners, boats and balloon flights arranged with people we trust.
- Your own planner on WhatsApp: quietly checking that every day goes as planned.
- No prices on this page: every honeymoon is different, so we quote after one conversation. Start with plan my journey.
Who will love it, and who might choose differently
Whatever you choose, tell us a little about yourselves in the first conversation: how you like to spend an evening, whether you are early risers, what made you choose Rajasthan. The best honeymoons we plan begin with those details, not with a list of sights.
Palaces, lakes and the wild: you will love it if you want romance with some wild country in between.
- Love it
- Palaces, lakes and wild country
- Also
- Anniversaries, anyone travelling as two
- Want a beach?
- Add a few days by the sea
- Only rest?
- A single base such as Udaipur
- Leopard, then lazy afternoon: if you like the idea of a leopard on a rock at dawn followed by a long, slow afternoon.
- Four places well: if you would rather see four places well than eight in a hurry.
- Who it suits: honeymooners, couples celebrating an anniversary, and anyone travelling as two.
- Dreaming of a beach? Combine a shorter Rajasthan journey with a few days by the sea elsewhere in India, and ask us how.
- Only rest: choose a single base such as Udaipur and add day trips.
- As much as possible: our private chauffeur journeys cover more ground at an easy pace.
