Rajasthan Small Group Tour

Route: Jaipur airport → Jaipur hotel

Your tour leader meets you at arrivals with a name board and takes you to the hotel. Sealed bottled water is in the car. If you are coming from Delhi, the leader can meet you off the flight or at the Jaipur station, and the Delhi to Jaipur leg is not included.

In the early evening the group meets for dinner and a short briefing. It covers water and food, cash and cards, how to set up a local SIM or eSIM, and the plan for the next fifteen days. The leader answers questions and explains how the free days work.

Experience of the Day

–  Airport meeting with your tour leader

–  Group welcome dinner and briefing

Food

Recommended:

–  A simple group dinner at the hotel, with bottled water

Activities to Do

–  Meet the other guests

–  Save the leader’s number and the 24-hour contact number in your phone

Route: Jaipur hotel → Amber Fort → Hawa Mahal → City Palace → Jantar Mantar

Amber Fort comes first, built in the late 1500s on a ridge above Maota Lake. The group goes up by private jeep. Elephant rides here have drawn well-documented welfare criticism, including a PETA India campaign and a government committee’s recommendation to use electric vehicles. Inside, the Sheesh Mahal has a ceiling set with tiny mirrors.

Hawa Mahal follows, built in 1799 with 953 small windows, so the women of the court could watch the street below without being seen. After lunch the group visits the City Palace and Jantar Mantar, a UNESCO World Heritage observatory built between 1728 and 1734, whose Samrat Yantra sundial tells time to within about two seconds.

Experience of the Day

–  Amber Fort by private jeep

–  Hawa Mahal

–  City Palace courtyards and museum

–  Jantar Mantar instruments

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a local restaurant near the City Palace

Must-Try:

–  Pyaaz kachori

–  Dal baati churma

–  Ghewar, the honeycomb sweet of Rajasthan

Activities to Do

–  Find the mirrored ceiling in the Sheesh Mahal

–  Count the windows of Hawa Mahal

–  Rest at the hotel pool in the afternoon

Route: Jaipur hotel → Sanganer workshop → family kitchen → bazaar

Sanganer is a town south of Jaipur where cloth has been block-printed by hand for generations. At a family workshop you watch a printer press a carved wooden block into dye, then print your own cloth. You take the cloth with you.

In the afternoon the group cooks lunch in a family kitchen in Jaipur. A woman of the house teaches you dal, chapati and a vegetable dish, and you eat what you cook. The host family is confirmed by the ground team. The evening is free, with an optional walk through Johari Bazaar with the leader.

Experience of the Day

–  Block printing at a family workshop

–  Cooking lunch in a family kitchen

–  Free evening in the old city

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch that the group cooks in the family kitchen

–  Dinner at a vetted restaurant of the group’s choice

Must-Try:

–  Dal with chapati, made by you

–  Masala chai at the workshop

Shopping — Where & What to Buy

–  Hand-printed cloth and scarves from Sanganer

–  Silver and gem jewellery in Johari Bazaar, for browsing

Activities to Do

–  Print a pattern on your own length of cloth

–  Roll a chapati with the family

–  Browse a bazaar with the leader beside you

Route: Jaipur → Abhaneri (~95 km) → Jaipur

Abhaneri is a small village on the Jaipur–Agra road with Chand Baori, a stepwell of about 3,500 steps in 13 tiers, around 30 metres deep, built around 800 to 900 CE. The Harshat Mata temple stands beside it. The group walks around the rim and looks down at the steps, then has tea in the village.

The group is back in Jaipur by early afternoon. The rest of the day is free, for the pool, a rest, or an optional drive to Nahargarh Fort for sunset over the city.

Experience of the Day

–  Chand Baori stepwell at Abhaneri

–  Village tea stop

–  Free afternoon in Jaipur

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a vetted restaurant on the way back

–  Dinner at the hotel

Must-Try:

–  Fresh lime soda made with bottled water, on request

Activities to Do

–  Look down the 13 tiers from the rim

–  Swim or rest at the hotel

–  Watch sunset from Nahargarh, if you wish

Optional Nearby Excursions

–  Nahargarh Fort at sunset, with a view over the city

Route: Jaipur → Pushkar (~145 km / ~3 hrs)

The road runs south-west through Ajmer and over a low pass to Pushkar, a small town beside a holy lake with 52 bathing ghats and one of the few temples in India dedicated to Brahma. Pushkar is a vegetarian town. Alcohol and meat are not sold near the lake.

You reach the hotel by lunchtime. In the late afternoon the group walks to the ghats. Everyone covers shoulders and knees, shoes come off at the water’s edge, and no photographs are taken of people bathing. The leader explains the informal ‘puja’ offers, where a man hands you flowers and then asks for money, and shows how to say no politely.

Note on Pushkar etiquette: The ghats are holy ground. Shoes come off, shoulders and knees are covered, and photographs of people bathing are not taken. If someone offers you flowers, the leader handles it.

Experience of the Day

–  Drive to Pushkar

–  Walk along the lake ghats

–  Sunset ceremony by the water

Food

Recommended:

–  Dinner at a rooftop café with a lake view, vegetarian

Must-Try:

–  Malpua, a fried sweet pancake, a local treat

–  Rose lassi

Shopping — Where & What to Buy

–  Silver jewellery and cotton clothes in the main bazaar

Activities to Do

–  Light a small lamp at the ghat at dusk

–  Watch pilgrims at prayer from the steps

–  Browse the bazaar with the group

Route: Pushkar hotel → Savitri Temple hill → free day

The group goes up to Savitri Temple on the hill above the town for sunrise, by the steps or the ropeway. The climb takes about 40 to 60 minutes. From the top you see the lake, the town and the desert beyond.

The rest of the day is free. Many guests rest by the pool, shop, read in a rooftop café, or take a short camel ride at the edge of town. The group meets again for dinner.

Experience of the Day

–  Sunrise at Savitri Temple

–  Free day in Pushkar

–  Optional camel ride at the edge of town

Food

Recommended:

–  Breakfast at a rooftop café after the sunrise visit

–  Dinner together, vegetarian

Must-Try:

–  Fresh fruit lassi

–  A thali at a rooftop café, freshly made

Shopping — Where & What to Buy

–  Handmade notebooks and cotton clothes in the bazaar

Activities to Do

–  Take the ropeway or climb the steps at dawn

–  Read in a rooftop café

–  Rest by the pool

Route: Pushkar → Jodhpur (~200 km / 3.5–4 hrs)

The drive west leaves the Aravalli hills for flatter, drier land. The leader picks a rest stop for lunch and a toilet break. You reach Jodhpur in the afternoon, and the first view of Mehrangarh Fort comes at the edge of the city, standing on a rock high above the old town.

In the evening the group walks to a rooftop restaurant in the old city, with the fort lit up overhead.

Experience of the Day

–  Drive to Jodhpur

–  First view of Mehrangarh Fort

–  Rooftop dinner under the lit fort

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a vetted highway restaurant

–  Dinner at a rooftop restaurant with a fort view

Must-Try:

–  Mirchi bada, a fried chilli fritter, mild on request

–  Mawa kachori

Activities to Do

–  Rest in the afternoon

–  Look up at the fort at night

Route: Jodhpur hotel → Mehrangarh Fort → Jaswant Thada → blue lanes → Sardar Market

Mehrangarh Fort stands on a rock about 125 metres above the city. Rao Jodha founded it in 1459. The audio guide leads you through the palace rooms, which hold painted ceilings, howdahs and palanquins. Jaswant Thada, a white marble memorial built in 1899, is a short walk away.

In the afternoon the group walks the blue-painted lanes of the old city below the fort and ends in Sardar Market by the clock tower, where the spice sellers and sari shops stay busy until dusk.

Experience of the Day

–  Mehrangarh Fort and its palace rooms

–  Jaswant Thada

–  Blue lanes of the old city

–  Sardar Market at dusk

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a vetted rooftop café near the fort

Must-Try:

–  Makhaniya lassi, thick and sweet

–  Gulab jamun at the market

Shopping — Where & What to Buy

–  Lac bangles, tie-dye scarves and spices in Sardar Market

Activities to Do

–  Listen to the audio guide in the palace rooms

–  Photograph the blue doors in the old lanes

–  Rest at the hotel pool

Optional Nearby Excursions

–  The zip-line across Mehrangarh’s walls, an optional extra with its own ticket

Route: Jodhpur hotel → Khejarli → Bishnoi villages → hotel

Khejarli is a village about 25 km from Jodhpur where, in 1730, a woman named Amrita Devi held a khejri tree when the Maharaja’s men came to cut trees for a new palace. She and her daughters, and about 363 Bishnois in all, died protecting them. The community’s faith still forbids harming trees and wildlife, and today you see blackbuck and chinkara beside the villages.

A jeep takes the group through several villages. A Bishnoi family hosts you for tea in a courtyard, and a guide explains the community’s way of life, including weaving and pottery. You do not take part in any staged ceremony. The afternoon is free.

Experience of the Day

–  Khejarli memorial

–  Jeep safari through Bishnoi villages

–  Tea with a Bishnoi family

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at the hotel or a vetted restaurant

Must-Try:

–  Bajra roti with garlic chutney, a village staple

–  Masala chai in the courtyard

Shopping — Where & What to Buy

–  Hand-woven dhurries and block-printed cloth from a village cooperative, only if you want them

Activities to Do

–  Place a hand on a khejri tree and read the story of Amrita Devi

–  Look for blackbuck in the fields

–  Rest, swim or explore the old town

Route: Jodhpur → Ranakpur (~165 km / ~3.5 hrs)

The drive south-east passes through the Aravalli hills to Ranakpur, a quiet valley near Sadri with a Jain temple built in the 14th and 15th centuries. Visitors who are not Jain are admitted from about noon to 5 p.m., so the group leaves Jodhpur early and reaches Ranakpur around lunchtime. Hours can change, and the leader confirms them on the day.

After lunch the group walks through the temple. Its marble halls are carved with about 1,444 pillars, and no two are alike. Women and men cover shoulders and knees, and the temple has its own dress and photography rules, which the leader explains at the gate. The evening is quiet, in a hotel in the forest valley.

Experience of the Day

–  Drive through the Aravalli hills

–  Ranakpur Jain temple

–  Quiet evening in a forest valley

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a vetted vegetarian restaurant near the temple

–  Dinner at the hotel

Must-Try:

–  Dal bati churma

–  Fresh lime soda made with bottled water, on request

Activities to Do

–  Count the carved pillars with the group

–  Walk in the forest valley before dinner

Route: Ranakpur → Kumbhalgarh (~50 km) → Udaipur (~85 km); about 3 hrs of driving plus the fort

Kumbhalgarh Fort was built in the 15th century by Rana Kumbha, and its wall runs for about 36 km around the hills. The group walks part of the wall and the fort’s courtyards. The fort is on a hill, with steps, and the leader keeps a steady pace.

After lunch the road continues to Udaipur, with Lake Pichola coming into view at the end of the day. You reach the hotel by early evening for an easy dinner.

Experience of the Day

–  Kumbhalgarh Fort and its long wall

–  Drive to Udaipur

–  Evening arrival at the lake city

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a vetted restaurant near Kumbhalgarh

–  Dinner at the hotel

Must-Try:

–  Dal baati churma with ghee

–  Hot masala chai on the fort wall

Activities to Do

–  Walk a section of the fort wall

–  Look for langurs and birds in the hills

–  Settle into the lake-view room

Route: Udaipur hotel → City Palace → Jagdish Temple → Lake Pichola cruise

The City Palace complex on the lake’s eastern shore was begun in 1553 by Maharana Udai Singh II, and later rulers added to it for nearly 400 years. The group walks through the courtyards, peacock mosaics and balconies with a guide, and the leader keeps a steady pace for the stairs.

Jagdish Temple, built in 1651, stands near the palace gate. Late in the afternoon the group boards a boat on Lake Pichola for the sunset, passing the island palaces.

Experience of the Day

–  City Palace courtyards and museum

–  Jagdish Temple

–  Sunset boat ride on Lake Pichola

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a vetted lakeside restaurant, picked by the leader

Must-Try:

–  Dal bati churma with ghee

–  Mawa kachori

Shopping — Where & What to Buy

–  Miniature paintings in the old-city lanes, from studios the leader knows, only if you want them

Activities to Do

–  Climb to a City Palace balcony for the lake view

–  Watch the sunset from the boat

–  Try a spot of miniature painting in a studio

Route: Udaipur → Eklingji (~22 km) → Nathdwara (~48 km) → Haldighati (~40 km from Udaipur) → Udaipur

The day trip starts at Eklingji, a temple complex about 22 km north of Udaipur, dedicated to Shiva. Temple tradition dates it to 734 CE, and it has long been the family temple of the Mewar rulers. Nathdwara, about 48 km from Udaipur, is home to the Shrinathji temple, a major Krishna shrine, and to artists who paint Pichwai cloth pictures for the temple. A short stop at a painter’s workshop shows how the work is done.

Haldighati, about 40 km from Udaipur, is the pass where Maharana Pratap fought a Mughal army in 1576. A white marble memorial stands there to him and to his horse Chetak. The group is back in Udaipur by late afternoon.

Note on Temples: Temples have strict rules on dress, shoes, leather items, mobile phones and photography. The leader explains them at each gate, and all guests cover shoulders and knees.

Experience of the Day

–  Eklingji temple complex

–  Nathdwara and a Pichwai painter’s workshop

–  Haldighati battlefield and the Chetak memorial

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a vetted restaurant on the road

Must-Try:

–  Fresh lassi in a clay cup

–  Prasad sweets offered at the temples, if you wish

Shopping — Where & What to Buy

–  Pichwai paintings on cloth, direct from the painter, only if you want them

Activities to Do

–  Watch a painter draw a Pichwai cow in fine lines

–  Read the story of Chetak at the memorial

–  Rest at the hotel in the evening

Route: Udaipur hotel → Saheliyon-ki-Bari → Shilpgram → hotel

Saheliyon-ki-Bari, the Garden of the Maidens, was laid out in the early 18th century as a garden for the women of the royal court, with fountains, marble pavilions and lotus pools. The group walks it slowly and sits in the shade.

Shilpgram, a craft village on the edge of town, shows the textiles, pottery and wood carving of western India, and the stalls are staffed by artisans. The afternoon is free, for a spa treatment, shopping or a rest. In the evening the group meets for a farewell dinner.

Experience of the Day

–  Garden of the Maidens

–  Shilpgram craft village

–  Free afternoon

–  Group farewell dinner

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a vetted garden restaurant

–  Farewell dinner at the hotel or a lake-view restaurant

Must-Try:

–  Thali with local vegetables and fresh chapati

–  Kulfi after dinner

Shopping — Where & What to Buy

–  Handwoven shawls and carved wooden toys at Shilpgram, from the artisans

Activities to Do

–  Sit by a lotus pool in the garden

–  Browse the craft stalls at Shilpgram

–  Exchange contact details with the group

Route: Udaipur hotel → Udaipur airport (~25 km / ~45 min)

Check out after breakfast and transfer to Udaipur airport with your leader and driver. Udaipur has direct flights to Delhi and Mumbai. Please book your onward or international flight from Udaipur or Delhi with enough connection time, and share your flight details with us early.

Experience of the Day

–  Private transfer to the airport

Food

Recommended:

–  Breakfast at the hotel before check-out

Activities to Do

–  Say goodbye to your leader, driver and group