15N · 16DRoyal Rajasthan
Mandawa → Jaisalmer → Udaipur → Agra
The grand tour — sixteen days through desert citadels, lake palaces and painted havelis, with time to live in each city rather than pass through it.
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Any conversation about the west of India is incomplete without Rajasthan. This desert state carries an extraordinary richness of culture and history, and its palaces, forts and desert safaris make it India's most visited region after the Golden Triangle tour packages — of which Jaipur is itself the third corner.
A Rajasthan tour typically takes in Mandawa, Bikaner, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Udaipur, Pushkar, Ranakpur, Bharatpur and Ranthambore. Bikaner, Jaipur and Jaisalmer are known for heritage havelis, fresco art, palaces and forts; Pushkar and Udaipur for their lakes and ancient Jain and Hindu temples. Ranthambore adds the jeep safari — also the highlight of our Golden Triangle with Ranthambore tour.
Distances between these cities are long, and the roads are the reason to come rather than something to endure — which is why Rajasthan is best seen with your own car and driver rather than by train. Stop at the stepwell you spot from the highway, linger over lunch in Bundi, change tomorrow's plan tonight. Choose your vehicle on our online car rental page — most families take an Innova, larger groups the Tempo Traveller or Force Urbania.
When to go: keep at least a week — with several cities to visit, each needs one or two days. The best season runs through the winter months, October to February, when days are clear and comfortable. Summer is not recommended.