Classic cities of Rajasthan

When you arrive in Delhi on your Rajasthan holiday, you’ll be collected by your private driver and taken to your hotel. You can choose from either a hotel situated about half an hour’s drive from the airport or a charming hotel in Central Delhi, and ideal base to explore both the spice markets of Chandi Chowk and the modern bars of Connaught Place. Here, you can catch your breath and rest after your flight. In both hotels, you’ll have a comfortable room with a private en-suite bathroom.
 

On day two of your Rajasthan holiday you'll be transferred to Jaipur by air-conditioned car, a trip which takes around 5 hours. The Pink City is a fantastic place to kick off a trip in India and during your two nights here you can relax, acclimatise, and explore. There is so much to see on this Rajasthan holiday in this elegant and astonishing city that you could spend weeks here without getting bored. Jaipur centre is a colourful mix of saris, saddhus, holy cows, spice markets, street vendors, camel carts, elephants, beggars, traffic, temples, forts and palaces.

In Jaipur, you’ll stay in a friendly family hotel for a firsthand experience of typical Indian hospitality. Breakfast is served in the peaceful courtyard/garden and the family will go out of their way to make your stay as enjoyable as possible. The rooms here are tastefully furnished in traditional Indian-style and some have four-poster beds.
 

On day three of your Rajasthan holiday, you’ll take a guided tour of Jaipur, visiting the City Palace, the Observatory and the fairy-tale Palace of the Winds (Hawa Mahal). In the afternoon, you’ll visit the imposing Amber Fort that lies just outside the city limits. From the battlements of the Amber Fort, you’ll have a wonderful view of the rocky hills and the forts constructed by the Rajputs and the Mughals in the area.

The City Palace and the Palace of the Winds both stand in the ancient quarter of the city. If you see the flag flying, it means that the Maharaja is in residence. The Palace of the Winds is a world-famous, pyramid-shaped building with dozens of windows. This is where the women of the royal harem could watch the processions in the street below, unseen by the masses. You'll have plenty of time to explore at your own pace during your Rajasthan holiday.

 

Today, you’ll leave Jaipur as you continue travelling on your Rajasthan holiday to the attractive town of Pushkar. You’ll spend tonight in a palace where almost all of the rooms have lake views. The palace has a completely unique atmosphere. On the opposite bank of the lake, you’ll see pilgrims bathing and, 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 dozens of rooftop cafes looking out over the city towards the lake - perfect places to linger over coffee or lunch on your Rajasthan holiday. Wander through the twisting alleys of the old centre 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 November, over 25,000 camels will plod into the town to be traded by their owners, and huge crowds of pilgrims arrive.

On day five of your Rajasthan holiday, you’ll travel to Udaipur, the most romantic town in Rajasthan. 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 today in Udaipur - after all, you’ve come a long way to get here on your Rajasthan holiday. In the morning, you’ll take a city tour, visiting the City Palace with its impressive murals and mosaics and its collection of Delft Blue ware. After this, 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 watch the lake shimmer in the darkness.
 

Today, you’ll set off in the direction of Jodhpur, a journey of about 6 hours and the next stop on your Rajasthan holiday. On the way, you'll visit the striking Jain temple of Ranakpur, situated in a beautiful green valley. The enormous temple complex has 1444 pillars, with stunning 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- the next city on your Rajasthan holiday. This city is the home of Mehrangarh Fort, one of the most dramatic Moghal forts in India. Here, you can wander through the narrow alleyways of the city, where rope-makers colour their warps, spice-sellers display their aromatic wares, and hairdressing salons barely stretch to the size of one square metre. 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.

 

After breakfast on day eight of your Rajasthan holiday, you’ll climb up above the city to Meherangarh Fort and enjoy the views from the massive walls over the town. The houses 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 Mehrangarh Fort on your Rajasthan holiday, 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. This 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 desolate Thar Desert that spreads dramatically from the foot of the castle. In the distance, you’ll see Sahara-style sand dunes. You can take spectacular camel safaris to the dunes, guided by a member of the camel drivers’ caste.

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 on your Rajasthan holiday, staying in an authentic haveli.


 

You'll have most of today free to make the most of your remaining time in Jaisalmer on this Rajasthan holiday. Then, in the late afternoon, you'll take the overnight train back to Jaipur, another adventure to add to your Indian experience.

On day twelve of your Rajasthan holiday, you'll leave Jaipur and head east towards Galta, a secluded mystical spot that will leave a lasting impression on you. The Monkey Temple here is a pilgrimage site that attracts flocks of brightly-robed devotees every day. The stream that trickles out of the rocks here is reputed to be water from the holy River Ganges, although this is geographically impossible. People bathe and sing on the steps (ghats) that lead down into the pools. Their voices echo through the rocky gorge, which opens into a wider valley dotted with temples that have been overrun with monkeys. This is an optional stop so just ask your driver.

After Galta, you’ll drive for another three hours before arriving in Bharatpur. This is one of the most peaceful places you can visit during your Rajasthan holiday, a fascinating waterworld, crossed with many pathways that your cycle-rickshaw driver can take you along. Maharajas of the historic Singh family used this region as their hunting grounds, and the scenery is breathtaking. If you like, you can stop off here too to stretch your legs.

 

This morning, your train leaves Agra Central Station at about 8am on its way to Jhansi. We'll arrange the transfer to the railway station from your hotel. After about 2½ hours (give or take a little in India), you’ll arrive in Jhansi. You’ll be collected at the station by a your driver, who will take you to Orchha (about 16 km away). Orchha is a charming small town of only 9000 residents and it is one of the few places in India that you can easily wander about without being approached by beggars or touts. This makes it a great opportunity to kick back and relax during your Rajasthan holiday. The town is renowned for its breathtaking Ram Raja Temple, Chaturbhuj Temple and Lakshmi Narayan Temple. In the afternoon, you’ll have free time to explore the town at your own pace. At the end of the day, you’ll tumble into bed in your hotel and drift off to sleep.

 

This morning, you’ll drive on to the tranquil town of Khajuraho. In the afternoon, you’ll visit the western temples of Khajuraho, principally known for their erotic images from the Kama Sutra. The temples are about 1000 years old and they are still in incredibly good condition, even though there are only 22 of the original 85 temples still left. You'll stay in a very comfortable hotel, set in four acres of quiet grounds.

Today you’ll be taken to the little town of Satna to catch the train to the city of Varanasi on the River Ganges. The train leaves about 8.15am, so it’s a pretty early start, but you’ll arrive in Varanasi a little after 4pm. The journey takes about 8 hours. When you arrive in Varanasi, you’ll be greeted and transferred to a charming guesthouse. The Ganges is flanked by a series of ‘ghats’ – broad stone staircases leading down to the water – that stretch into the horizon. Each ghat has its own significance. The guesthouse stands close to the Assi Ghat, towards the south of the town, which is used by pilgrims during a special pilgrimage route called 'Panchatirthi Yatra'. Varanasi can be intense and sometimes a little shocking, but it really will be one of the highlights of your Rajasthan holiday.


 

On day seventeen of your Rajasthan holiday, you’ll make a very early start to take a boat trip on the Ganges at dawn. This is an extremely special experience and you cannot help but soak up the intensely spiritual atmosphere. You’ll drift past pilgrims of all ages and classes as they perform their ritual bathing just before sunrise. After the boat trip, there's a guided walk through the old centre of Varanasi. Watch out for the holy cows in the narrow alleyways.

In the afternoon, you’ll head for the small town of Sarnath, which is not far from Varanasi. Sarnath is another place of pilgrimage, this time for the Buddhists. It was here that Buddha gave his first lecture. After you’ve spent a while exploring Sarnath, you’ll be taken back to Varanasi, where you’ll have all afternoon to wander through the city. You’ll spend another night in your hotel overlooking the Ganges.

This morning you’ll head for the small town of Sarnath, which is not far from Varanasi. Sarnath is another place of pilgrimage, this time for the Buddhists. It was here that Buddha gave his first lecture. After his enlightenment in Bodhgaya, Buddha came to Sarnath to preach about the Middle Way of reaching Nirvana. After this, the religious ruler Ashoka built an enormous stupa (temple) and several Buddhist monasteries to commemorate the teaching. After you’ve spent a while exploring Sarnath on your Rajasthan holiday, you’ll be taken back to Varanasi, where you’ll have all afternoon to wander through the city. Then, in the evening, you'll head for the train station for your overnight journey to Delhi.
 

After a unique, if bumpy, night on the train, you’ll arrive in Delhi, the finishing point of your Rajasthan holiday, early in the morning. You can use today to see the many sights of Delhi- the crowded, narrow lanes of Chandi Chowk, the stately Humayan’s Tomb, the greenery of Lodi Gardens, and the moving and informative Gandhi Museum. 

You'll stay in a charming hotel in Central Delhi on your Rajasthan holiday, with comfortable rooms and modern facilities. The hotel is near to both the alleyways and spice bazaars of Old Delhi and the spacious shopping emporiums of Connaught Place.
 

Your Rajasthan holiday ends after breakfast this morning. When the time comes you'll head for the airport to check in for your flight back to the UK, or if you are staying in India, you'll begin your next adventure.