Camels and Castles in Rajasthan

Travel time - Jaipur to Pushkar: approx 3 hours

Today, you’ll leave Jaipur and head for Pushkar, the first stop on this independent Rajasthan tour, built around a beautiful holy lake. You’ll spend the night in a palace style hotel where almost all of the rooms have great views over the glassy lake. On the ghats around the lake, you’ll see pilgrims bathing and making blessings, if you listen carefully, you’ll hear them singing.

Pushkar is a picturesque holy town in the desert, with pastel-coloured buildings lining narrow streets. There are plenty of rooftop cafes looking out over the city towards the lake - perfect places to linger over drink or lunch, but not a beer as this is a dry city. Wander through the twisting alleys of the old centre on your Rajasthan tours, and take a look at the Ghats (stone staircases that lead into the water) where the pilgrims perform ritual bathing. During the famous Camel Fair, usually held in October/November, over 25,000 camels will plod into the town and huge crowds of pilgrims in a rainbow of colours will arrive. During Camel Fair you'll stay just on the edge of town.

Travel time - Pushkar to Udaipur: approx 6 hours

Today, you’ll travel to Udaipur, one of the most romantic towns in India. Elegant Udaipur is surrounded by green hills, a brilliant contrast to the sparkling white palaces and the blue waters of Lake Pichola. The legendary Lake Palace floats on an island in the centre of the lake, giving the town a fairy-tale feel. This palace was the winter residence of the Maharaja and featured in the James Bond film Octopussy.

You'll spend two nights in Udaipur during your independent Rajasthan tour, staying in a traditional haveli with a charming roof terrace which looks out across Lake Pichola and the old city.

You’ll spend the third day of your independent Rajasthan tour exploring Udaipur. In the morning, you’ll take a guided city tour, visiting the City Palace with its impressive murals and mosaics and its collection of Delft Blue ware. Next on your independent Rajasthan tour, you’ll visit the Jagdish Temple, where you can admire the famous Lake Palace from a distance. Once the city tour has finished, you’ll be free to explore Udaipur on your own. Wander through the old town, packed with tiny shops of fabrics and handicrafts, and try your hand at haggling in the market. Take a peek into one of the many mysterious little temples and havelis. In the evening, Udaipur has a magical atmosphere, so try some delicious local food in a rooftop restaurant and gaze upon the lake.
 

Travel time - Udaipur to Jodhpur: approx 6 hours

Today, you’ll set off in the direction of Jodhpur, The Blue City, and the next city on your independent Rajasthan agenda, a journey of about 6 hours. On the way, your driver can stop off so that you can visit the striking Jain temple of Ranakpur, situated in a beautiful green valley. The enormous temple complex has 1444 pillars, with beautiful and elaborate decorations carved from stone. Incredibly, none of the pillars are the same. Each has been decorated in its own unique way. Jainism is a religion that originated in North East India about the same time as Buddhism (around 400BC) and it is still popular across the country today.

In the afternoon, you’ll continue on to Jodhpur, home of Mehrangarh Fort, one of the most dramatic Moghal forts in India perched high above the 'blue city'. Here, you can wander through the narrow alleyways of the city, where rope-makers colour their warps, spice-sellers display their aromatic wares, and tiny barbers shops and stall line the roadside. The shopping hotspots are the Sojati Gate, the Tripolia Bazaar, the Mochi-ki-Gali and the Lakhara Bazaar. If you’re looking for hand-woven material, head for Rajasthan Khadi Sangh. The central bell tower is a good orientation point, as you’ll always manage to find your way back. You’ll stay in the old part of Jodhpur at the foot of the mighty fort during this section of your independent Rajasthan tour.
 

Travel time - Jodhpur to Jaisalmer: approx 5-6 hours

After breakfast on Day 5 of your independent Rajasthan adventure, you’ll climb up above the city to Meherangarh Fort and enjoy the views over the town. The houses here are all painted Brahmin blue, giving Jodhpur its nickname of The Blue City. Initially, the colour was used to signify the homes of the Brahmin caste, but now it is a trademark of the town. When the golden sunlight falls obliquely over the houses, they’ll take on an enchanting indigo glow.

After visiting Meherangarh Fort on your Rajasthan tours, you’ll cross the desert to reach the remote desert town of Jaisalmer. The journey will take around 5 hours. As you approach the town, its contours will begin to appear on the desert horizon like an amazing mirage - a real highlight of this independent Rajasthan tour. The sense of magic will continue to grow as you are dropped at the gates of the old fortress town, with its dozens of castellated towers. The Fort is built from sandstone, almost blending into its surrounding landscape and giving it a bewitching haziness. From the uppermost walls of the fort, you’ll have a magnificent view over the vast Thar Desert. In the distance, you’ll see Sahara-style sand dunes. You can take spectacular camel safaris to the dunes, guided by a local camel driver.

In the evenings, you can eat in one of the small restaurants in the fort or in one of the many rooftop restaurants outside the castle walls. You’ll sleep in style, staying in an authentic haveli.
 

After breakfast on the last day of your independent Rajasthan tour, you’ll take a guided walk into the old town of Jaisalmer, which lies entirely within the walls of the fort. The narrow streets are quite remarkable, with half-hidden havelis, three beautifully carved Jain temples, and five interconnected palaces. This module ends after the walking tour.

If you have time to spare, you can explore enchanting Jaisalmer at your own pace, wandering around the havelis, Lake Gadi Sagar, or Jaisalmer Fort. The fort has four entrances: Akhaiya Pol, Ganesh Pol, Suraj Pol and Hava Pol. You might even bump into a camel or two on your way or hear the sound of a sitar playing from inside a haveli.

After this trip, you can choose to stay in the area for our Jaisalmer camel safari or perhaps begin the nearby Desert forts and clay huts module. Alternatively, at the end of the day, you could take the night train to Jaipur or all the way back to Delhi.