Wellness, the way a Rajasthani family understands it
What Rajasthan offers is beautifully given Ayurvedic therapies in calm spas, private yoga at sunrise in places sacred for centuries, light and good food, and the deep rest that comes from staying put. We keep sightseeing gentle and early, and never fill an afternoon that should be spent lying down.
Yoga: set down in Patanjali's Yoga Sutras long before the medieval forts of Rajasthan were built, a discipline of posture, breath and attention.
- Nights
- Ten
- Pace
- Very slow, one gentle outing a day
- Best months
- October to March, February above all
- Good for
- Rest, milestones, the yoga-curious
- Starts
- Fort Barwara, near Ranthambore
- Ends
- Udaipur
- Ayurveda, the knowledge of life: the classical Indian system of medicine, which sees health as a balance of three doshas, the bodily energies called vata, pitta and kapha.
- A quiet home in Rajasthan: both live on in temple towns, in family kitchens and in some of the best hotel spas in the country.
- Honest from the start: the great centres of intensive Ayurvedic treatment are in Kerala, in the far south.
- Panchakarma: the classical five-fold cleansing cure, given over two or three weeks or more under an Ayurvedic doctor, with a strict diet and daily treatments.
- That is medicine: it deserves a dedicated clinic, and if you want it we plan it for you there. Our journal piece on combining Rajasthan and Kerala explains how.
- The route: three nights at a spa retreat inside an old fort near Ranthambore, two in Jaipur with a palace spa, two by the holy lake of Pushkar, and three by the water in Udaipur.
- In short: ten nights, four beds and plenty of silence.
Day by day, at the pace of the sun
- Jaipur to Fort Barwara
- About three hours
- Fort Barwara to Jaipur
- About three hours
- Jaipur to Pushkar
- About three hours
- Pushkar to Udaipur
- About five hours, via Nathdwara
- Udaipur airport
- About 22 km from the city
Days 1 to 3: Six Senses Fort Barwara, a retreat in a fort
Where it is: inside a restored fourteenth-century fort in the village of Chauth ka Barwara, about an hour from Ranthambore.
Getting there: by fast train from Delhi to Sawai Madhopur on the Delhi to Mumbai line, a short drive away, or by road from Jaipur in about three hours.
- The most complete wellness address in Rajasthan: a large spa, a yoga pavilion, Ayurvedic therapies and programmes shaped by its own practitioners.
- The first day: almost nothing.
- Second and third mornings: yoga as the light comes up over the fort walls, then treatments planned by the spa team after an initial consultation.
- A tiger, if you like: one or two safaris in Ranthambore's dry forest with a naturalist, leaving early and back by late morning.
- Afternoons: the pool, a book and the sound of peacocks.
Days 4 and 5: Jaipur, the sacred spring and a palace spa
About three hours to Jaipur: after breakfast.
The Oberoi Rajvilas: a walled garden estate outside the city, with a restored eighteenth-century Shiva temple in its grounds and one of the finest spas in the city.
- First afternoon: a treatment and an early night.
- Before dawn next day: Galtaji, the valley of temples and sacred tanks in the hills east of the city.
- The legend: the sage Galav meditated here and was rewarded with the spring that still flows.
- A few minutes of stillness: in the early light, with pilgrims bathing and bells ringing.
- Late afternoon: the City Palace or the Jantar Mantar, Sawai Jai Singh II's observatory of giant stone instruments, before the evening crowds.
Days 6 and 7: Pushkar, dawn above the holy lake
About three hours west: over the Aravalli ridge beyond Ajmer.
One of Hinduism's holiest towns: built around a sacred lake with 52 bathing ghats, wholly vegetarian and free of alcohol.
- Stay on its quiet edge: among the fields, coming into the lanes at the right hours. Our guide to luxury stays in Pushkar explains the choices.
- First evening: the aarti, the lamp ceremony at dusk, on the ghats, with your guide explaining the rituals.
- Next morning before dawn: climb the stone steps of Savitri hill, thirty minutes to an hour for most people.
- Yoga on the hilltop: as the sun comes up over the lake, the town and the desert.
- Then: the Brahma Temple, one of the very few in India dedicated to the creator, and an afternoon of rest.
Day 8: through the hills to Udaipur, by way of Nathdwara
About five hours: so we break it in the Aravallis.
- Nathdwara: a stop timed for one of the darshans, the set moments when the doors of the Shrinathji temple open to worshippers.
- Afterwards: the lane of pichwai painters.
- Udaipur by late afternoon: in time for a first look at the lake.
Days 9 and 10: Udaipur, water and stillness
The Oberoi Udaivilas: on the western shore of Lake Pichola, with one of the best spas in India and many rooms with semi-private pools along the water.
Each morning: yoga facing the lake as the City Palace catches the first light.
- One outing a day: the City Palace as it opens, before the crowds.
- Or: the fountains of Saheliyon ki Bari, the garden of the maidens, in the quiet morning.
- Or: the evening lamps at the temple of Eklingji, north of the city.
- The last hour of light: a private boat on Lake Pichola, past the ghats as the palace turns from cream to amber.
- Then: a final treatment, a light dinner and the best sleep of the journey.
Day 11: home, rested
- Maharana Pratap Airport: about 22 kilometres east of the city, with direct flights to Delhi and Mumbai.
- Timed gently: so that your last morning still begins on the terrace, facing the water.
Yoga on this journey, and the teachers we use
Planned around you: not around a fixed retreat timetable.
Private teachers: they come to your hotel or meet you at the sunrise spot, and adapt each session to your body and experience.
- Fort Barwara
- The resort's own pavilion and practitioners
- Elsewhere
- Private teachers we know
- Level
- Beginners to long-time practitioners
- Mat
- Bring your own, or we provide one
- Dress
- Shoulders and knees covered in public
- Everyone welcome: complete beginners, and long-time practitioners who simply want a quiet place to keep up their practice.
- Surya namaskar first: most sessions open with the sun salutation, done facing the rising sun as it has been for centuries.
- Then the classical shape: a sequence of asanas, the postures, pranayama, the breathing practices, and a few minutes of meditation at the end.
- Something to take home: our teachers explain the Sanskrit names and the ideas behind them.
- Cold dawns: morning sessions in December and January can be cold outdoors, so pack a warm layer for the first few minutes.
- Among pilgrims: in Pushkar and at temples, our teacher chooses a spot that respects the people around you.
Ayurveda in a palace spa: what to expect
A consultation first: a therapist or Ayurvedic practitioner asks about your health, sleep and digestion and suggests treatments to suit your constitution.
Tell them everything: any medical conditions, medicines or pregnancy.
- A complement, not a replacement: a spa treatment never replaces medical care.
- The best spas in detail: our guide to spas and Ayurveda.
- A living tradition: Jaipur is home to the National Institute of Ayurveda, one of India's leading centres for teaching and research in the discipline.
Abhyanga, the oil massage
The foundation of Ayurvedic body care: a full-body massage with warm herbal oils chosen for your constitution.
- Often four hands: given by two therapists working in rhythm.
- An old habit: Indian grandmothers have given a simpler version to babies for generations.
Shirodhara, the stream of oil
What it is: warm oil, or sometimes buttermilk or a herbal liquid, poured in a steady stream across the forehead for a long, unbroken time.
- What it is for: calming the mind and helping sleep.
- The favourite: the treatment guests talk about most.
Udvartana and herbal steam
- Udvartana: a brisk massage with herbal powders rather than oil, traditionally used to invigorate.
- Herbal steam: often follows, sometimes in a wooden steam box with your head outside, to open the pores and warm the body.
What we do not promise
No cures: no detoxes with medical claims, and no weight-loss miracles.
- What a few days do: leave you rested and well cared for.
- For full panchakarma: under medical supervision, we plan a stay in Kerala before or after Rajasthan.
Eating lightly in a land of ghee
Simpler than the royal menus: the everyday food of our homes.
Khichdi: rice and yellow moong lentils cooked soft with a little ghee and cumin, what every grandmother makes for anyone tired or unwell, and in Ayurveda the classic food for rest.
Chaas: cool salted buttermilk with roasted cumin, drunk after lunch across the state to help digestion.
- Khichdi
- Rice and moong, the food for rest
- Chaas
- Salted buttermilk after lunch
- Turmeric milk
- Before bed
- Jain cooking
- No meat, eggs, onion, garlic or roots
- Pushkar
- Wholly vegetarian, no alcohol
- In winter: millet breads and seasonal greens, and turmeric milk before bed.
- Pushkar: wholly vegetarian and free of alcohol, as a holy town, and its food is better than most visitors expect.
- Jain cooking: made without meat, eggs, onion, garlic or root vegetables, and some of the best vegetarian food in India.
- Kitchens briefed in advance: vegetarian, Ayurvedic, gluten-free or simply light, so you don't have to explain it at every meal.
- Not every meal must be austere: one proper Rajasthani thali, eaten slowly in good company, does the soul as much good as a green juice.
- Learn the recipes: our Rajasthani food guide, and a private cooking class in a haveli for the gentle everyday dishes.
Where you'll stay
Six Senses Fort Barwara
A restored fourteenth-century fort: palace rooms around courtyards, a large spa with Ayurvedic therapies, a yoga pavilion and an outdoor meditation area.
- Who it suits: travellers who want a real retreat with a few safaris, rather than a pure wildlife stay.
- Tiger-first instead: our Ranthambore guide compares the camps.
The Oberoi Rajvilas, Jaipur
On 32 acres outside the city: fort-like walls, tented and villa suites around pools and fountains, and a restored Shiva temple.
- The spa: one our guests talk about long after they get home.
- A private village: the calm counterweight to Jaipur's busy bazaars.
Pushkar, on the edge of town
Why outside: the old town is tight and busy, so we stay among the fields at the foot of the hills.
- The Westin Pushkar Resort and Spa: the most polished choice, with villas and a large spa.
- Ananta Spa and Resort: quieter, in open countryside.
- Both: a short drive from the ghats.
The Oberoi Udaivilas, Udaipur
Domes and courtyards: across gardens and old royal hunting grounds on the shore of Pichola, looking back at the City Palace.
- Famously attentive staff: and one of the best spas in India.
- Hills instead of a lake: RAAS Devigarh, an eighteenth-century hill palace reimagined in pale marble about 30 kilometres north.
When to go
October to March: warm, dry days, fresh mornings and cool nights.
December and January: the coldest months, with chilly dawns that make outdoor yoga bracing, but the light superb.
February and early March: for us, the most comfortable weeks of the year.
- Season
- October to March
- Most comfortable
- February and early March
- Coldest dawns
- December and January
- Very hot
- April to June, often above 40°C
- Monsoon
- Green, quiet, Ranthambore closed
- April to June: very hot, and we only recommend the spa half of this journey then.
- The monsoon, July to September: the hills around Udaipur turn green and the hotels empty, but Ranthambore's core zones are closed and some days are humid.
- The Pushkar Camel Fair: in Kartik, usually October or November, a crowded, joyful fairground, wonderful to see but not restful.
- Diwali: in October or November, fills the lake cities with lamps.
- Holi: in February or March, exuberant, and we celebrate it privately for guests who want to stay calm.
- Month by month: our guide to the best time to visit Rajasthan.
Make it yours
Shorter, in seven nights
- The shape: three nights at Fort Barwara, then four at Udaivilas, flying from Jaipur to Udaipur to save the long drive.
- The trade: you lose Pushkar and the Jaipur days, and gain more time doing nothing at all.
Longer, with the hills of Mount Abu
Two nights in Mount Abu: Rajasthan's only hill station, three and a half to four hours from Udaipur.
- What is there: cool forest walks, the marble Dilwara temples and the world headquarters of the Brahma Kumaris, a spiritual movement that teaches meditation.
- Further still: our Mount Abu and Gujarat journey continues from there.
More sacred, less spa
- Swap a spa night: for Ajmer's Sufi shrine, Ranakpur's marble Jain temple or a dawn at Nathdwara.
- Built around pilgrim places: our Sacred Rajasthan journey, with our temple etiquette guide on visiting respectfully.
For couples and solo travellers
- Couples: often add a private dinner on Jag Mandir in Udaipur and a couples' treatment.
- Solo travellers: love it too, because every stop is calm and safe, and our planners check on you daily. Read more on Rajasthan for solo travellers.
With Kerala for the full cure
- Panchakarma first: two or three weeks in Kerala, then Rajasthan to recover slowly in the palaces.
- One of our favourite long journeys: and our wellness and slow travel page shows other ways to combine rest with discovery.
How we look after you
Private throughout: we meet you on arrival, by the train at Sawai Madhopur or at the airport.
One chauffeur: from place to place in a comfortable car, never for long without a stop.
Briefed before you arrive: each hotel's kitchen and spa, so treatments and meals are ready without a conversation at every check-in.
- Arrival
- Met at Sawai Madhopur or the airport
- Driver
- One chauffeur throughout
- Hotels
- Kitchens and spas briefed ahead
- Guides
- Only when you want them
- Prices
- Quoted after one conversation
- Local guides only when you want them: at Galtaji, on the ghats of Pushkar, at Nathdwara and in the City Palace in Udaipur.
- Paid to guide, never to sell: we never take you to commission shops.
- Yoga teachers: people we know and trust, matched to your level.
- Your planner on WhatsApp: throughout, and knows when to stay silent. Change a treatment, move a day or find a doctor with one message.
- Meet the team: on our planners and guides page.
- No published prices: the season, the rooms and the treatments all change the cost. After one conversation we send a full quote and a day-by-day plan. Start on our plan my journey page.
Who will love this journey, and who should choose another
You will love it: if you are tired, recovering from a demanding year, celebrating a milestone quietly, or curious about yoga and Ayurveda in the country that gave them to the world.
It suits: couples, friends, mothers and daughters, and solo travellers who want calm and safety.
Returning visitors: who have seen Rajasthan's great forts and want to come back at half the speed.
- Not the right journey: for a medical cure, a strict retreat with a fixed daily schedule, or a full tour of the monuments.
- For a cure: we would plan Kerala.
- For the monuments: choose The Royal Rajputana, every great city with two nights or more in each.
- Before treatments: tell your spa about any medical conditions, medicines or pregnancy.
- Drink plenty of water: Rajasthan's air is dry, especially in winter.
- Pack: modest, loose clothes for yoga in public places and temples, and a warm layer for dawn sessions between December and February.
- Temple days: leave leather behind, especially at Jain temples.
