Classic Cities of Rajasthan

All of our Rajasthan trips start when you arrive in Delhi, we will have a driver waiting for you at the airport and you will be taken to your Delhi 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 the second day of our Rajasthan trips you will have a private car to Jaipur, this journey takes around 5 hours. The Pink City is a fantastic place to kick off a trip in Rajasthan and during your two nights here you can relax, acclimatise, and explore. There is so much to see in this elegant and astonishing city that you could spend weeks here without getting bored. Jaipur centre is a lively mass of saris, saddhus, holy cows, spice markets, street vendors, camel carts, elephants, beggars, rickshaws, temples, forts and palaces.

In Jaipur, your accommodation in a cosy family hotel for a firsthand experience of typical Indian hospitality. Breakfast is served in the romantic English tea 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 several have four-poster beds.

This morning our Rajasthan trips continues with a guided tour of this remarkable city of Jaipur visiting the City Palace, the Observatory and the fairy-tale Palace of the Winds (Hawa Mahal). In the afternoon, you will be able to 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 smaller walls and 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. The City Palace has several beautiful museums with fascinating collections. 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.

 

On day four of our Rajasthan trips you continue onto the unique town of Pushkar, standing sleepily on the banks of a beautiful lake. In Pushkar you are able to spend tonight in a grand palace where almost all of the rooms have stunning lake views. The palace is fantastic with a completely unique atmosphere. It has an exotic inner garden and a palm terrace providing magnificent views over the glassy lake. 

Pushkar is a picturesque holy town in the desert, with pastel-coloured buildings lining narrow streets. You can 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. You can take part in this ceremony too, but watch out for saddhus (priests) offering to become your spiritual guide in return for hefty sums of money. 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 in a rainbow of colours will arrive.

Your journey continues with your driver taking you to Udaipur, the most romantic town on our Rajasthan trips. 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 and its a highlight on all of our Rajasthan trips. In the morning your journey begins with a city tour, visiting the City Palace with its impressive murals and mosaics and its collection of Delft Blue ware. After this we continue over to visit the Jagdish Temple, where you can admire the famous Lake Palace from a distance. Once the city tour has finished the remainder of the day is free to explore Udaipur on your own. You could wander through the old town, packed with tiny shops of fabrics and handicrafts, and try your hand at haggling in the market. Or 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.

On day 7 of your Rajasthan trips your driver will take you in the direction of Jodhpur, a journey of about 6 hours. On the way you are able to witness 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 northeast India about the same time as Buddhism (around 400BC) and it is still popular across the country today.




 

In the afternoon your Rajasthan trips continues on to Jodhpur. 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 accommodation we have selected is in the old part of Jodhpur and at the foot of the mighty fort.
 

After breakfast you have the opportunity to 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 your Rajasthan trips continues with your driver taking you across 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 will have a magnificent view over the desolate Thar Desert that spreads dramatically from the foot of the castle. In the distance you will be able to see Sahara-style sand dunes. 

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. The accommodation we have selected in Jaisalmer is an authentic haveli gilded in gold.

 

On day 10 you have most of today free to make the most of your remaining time in Jaisalmer before saying goodbye to your driver and continuing with a overnight train to Jaipur. The trains in India are exciting and authentic experience, this is an essential part of your Rajasthan trips. 


 

This morning your driver will collect you from your hotel to continue on your Rajasthan trips to 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 exhilarating sight.

After Galta your driver will take you on another three hour drive to the city of Bharatpur. This is a fascinating waterworld with many levees and makes a stunning picture. Maharajas of the historic Singh family used this region as their hunting grounds and the scenery is breathtaking. If you like you can pedal through Bharatpur on a ‘sturdy’ Indian bike (cycle hire costs around $4).



 

There are hundreds of rare birds in the Bharatpur wetlands such as the rare Siberian crane. Currently there are several tigers here originally from Ranthambore National Park. It’s hard to spot them but keep your eyes peeled all the same.

A few kilometres further on the next stop is the stunning Fatehpur Sikri. The great ruler Akbar set up his capital here and built a grand city, but after only 40 years the water supply became too difficult to maintain in this dry area so all of the inhabitants packed up and moved on. They left behind a phenomenal collection of grand temples and palaces with the ruins of old houses standing between them. Now it is an atmospheric ghost city full of green parrots and monkeys.After visiting Fatehpur Sikri your Rajasthan trips continues with your driver taking you to the city of Agra. The accommodation we have selected is a clean and comfortable hotel near the centre of town. Or you can opt for our Agra home stay option or even our upgrade hotel. 
 

This morning you begin your next phase of your Rajasthan trips as 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 will arrive in arrive in Jhansi. Upon your arrival into Jhansi you will be met by your new 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. The town is renowned for its breathtaking Ram Raja Temple, Chaturbhuj Temple and Lakshmi Narayan Temple. In the afternoon you have free time to explore the town at your own pace. The accommodation we have selected in Orchha is a quite and authentic hotel full of character. 
 

This morning your driver will then take you onto the tranquil town of Khajuraho. In the afternoon you will be able to see the western temples of Khajuraho which are 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. On this part of your Rajasthan trips your accommodation in Khajuraho is a very comfortable hotel set in four acres of quiet grounds.



 

On day 16 your driver will take you to a little town of Satna so you can 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 into Varanasi train station you will be met on arrival and transferred to a charming guesthouse that lies right on the banks of the river. 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 and its a great experience to any of the Rajasthan trips we offer. The hotel we use in Varanasi 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'.

 

Today you have a exciting day exploring Varanasi which is a highlight to any of our Rajasthan trips. You start your experience with early morning 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 boat will drift past pilgrims of all ages and classes as they perform their ritual bathing just before sunrise. After the boat trip we h ave included a guided walk through the old centre of Varanasi. Watch out for the holy cows in the narrow alleyways.

In the afternoon your tour continues to 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. Each Buddhist country in the world now has its own temple which often makes the place seems like a World Expo is being held. In contrast, the village itself is small with a feeling of tranquillity. After you’ve spent a while exploring Sarnath, your driver will take you back to Varanasi where the afternoon is free to your to explore Varanasi. 
 

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. Each Buddhist country in the world now has its own temple, which often makes the place seems like a World Expo is being held. In contrast, the village itself is small, with a feeling of tranquillity. 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. Then, in the evening, you'll head for the train station for your overnight journey to Delhi.

After a unique and possibly bumpy night on the train you arrive into Delhi in the early hours of 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. 

We have only included one night of your Rajasthan trips in Delhi staying in a charming hotel in the centre of town 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.

This independent Rajasthan trips ends after breakfast this morning. Where you can fly back to Australia if you have seen enough of India, or if you are staying in India, you'll begin your next adventure, possibly down the South for a memorable experience.