Rajasthan Tour for Young Travelers

Route: Delhi airport → Delhi hotel

Your trip leader meets you at arrivals with a name board and takes you to the hotel. Sealed bottled water is in the car. If your flight lands late at night, the leader still meets you, and the briefing moves to the next morning.

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 how to say no to a street seller without a fuss. The leader shares the plan for the next sixteen days and answers questions.

Experience of the Day

–  Airport meeting with your trip leader

–  Group dinner and briefing

Food

Recommended:

–  A simple group dinner at the hotel or a nearby vetted restaurant

Activities to Do

–  Meet your roommate and the rest of the group

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

Route: Delhi hotel → Humayun’s Tomb → Old Delhi → Jama Masjid → hotel

The day starts late, since many guests are still adjusting to the time zone. Humayun’s Tomb comes first. It was begun in 1565 and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a red sandstone and white marble tomb in the middle of a four-part garden. The Taj Mahal later followed its plan.

In the afternoon the group takes cycle rickshaws into Chandni Chowk for a guided street-food walk. Stops are at busy, well-chosen stalls where the food is cooked fresh and hot. The leader orders and explains each dish, so everyone eats well and safely. The walk ends at Jama Masjid, built between 1650 and 1656, where you cover your shoulders and knees and carry a scarf.

Note on air quality: From November to January Delhi’s air quality can be poor and mornings are often foggy. If the air is bad on your day, the leader moves outdoor stops to the afternoon.

Experience of the Day

–  Humayun’s Tomb and its gardens

–  Street-food walk and rickshaws in Chandni Chowk

–  Jama Masjid

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a vetted restaurant near the hotel

Must-Try:

–  Parathas and chai in the morning

–  Chaat, kebabs and jalebi on the food walk, freshly made

Activities to Do

–  Run the garden paths at Humayun’s Tomb

–  Try a new street dish at each stall

–  Take a photograph from the steps of Jama Masjid

Optional Nearby Excursions

–  Qutub Minar, a 73-metre victory tower begun in 1193

Route: Delhi → Jaipur (~280 km / 5–6 hrs)

The drive south-west is on the Delhi–Jaipur highway, with a halt at a clean rest stop for tea and lunch. The leader picks the stop. You reach Jaipur in the late afternoon, in time for a rooftop view of the city.

Dinner is on a rooftop with the lit-up old city around you. The Pink City earned its colour in 1876, when the old city was painted terracotta to welcome the Prince of Wales.

Experience of the Day

–  Highway drive with a rest-stop halt

–  Evening arrival and rooftop dinner

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a vetted highway restaurant, with simple hot dishes

Must-Try:

–  Fresh lime soda made with bottled water, on request

Activities to Do

–  Play road-trip cards or a playlist swap with the group

–  Watch the old city light up from a rooftop

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

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, seen from across the street. It was 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.

The day ends at Nahargarh Fort, on the hill above the city, for sunset.

Experience of the Day

–  Amber Fort by private jeep

–  Hawa Mahal from the street

–  City Palace and Jantar Mantar

–  Sunset over Jaipur from Nahargarh Fort

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a local restaurant near the City Palace

–  Dinner at a rooftop restaurant

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

–  Take a group photograph at sunset from Nahargarh

Route: Jaipur hotel → Sanganer workshop → Johari and Bapu bazaars → hotel

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.

The afternoon is free. Johari Bazaar and Bapu Bazaar are the busiest lanes in the old city, with silver, textiles, leather shoes and spices. The leader gives a short briefing on bargaining first. The evening is free, with an optional film at Raj Mandir Cinema, a 1970s picture palace.

Experience of the Day

–  Block printing at a family workshop

–  Bazaar walk with a bargaining briefing

–  Free afternoon and evening

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a local café

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

Must-Try:

–  Lassi in a clay cup

–  Masala chai at the workshop

Shopping — Where & What to Buy

–  Hand-printed cloth and scarves from Sanganer

–  Leather jutti shoes and silver from Johari and Bapu bazaars, bargained for

Activities to Do

–  Print a pattern on your own length of cloth

–  Haggle for a scarf with the leader’s tips

–  Rest or catch up on laundry

Optional Nearby Excursions

–  A film at Raj Mandir Cinema

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.

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. At sunset the ghats fill with lamps and chanting.

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, cotton clothes and leather bags 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 in town

The group climbs up the steps to Savitri Temple on the hill above the town for sunrise. The climb takes about 40 to 60 minutes, and the ropeway is there for anyone who prefers it. From the top you see the lake, the town and the desert beyond.

The rest of the day is free. Many guests rest, shop, read in a rooftop café, or take a short camel ride at the edge of town. The group meets again for dinner, and the leader is around if anyone wants company.

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 hike

–  Dinner together, vegetarian

Must-Try:

–  Fresh fruit lassi

–  Falafel or a thali at a rooftop café, freshly made

Shopping — Where & What to Buy

–  Handmade notebooks and cotton clothes in the bazaar

Activities to Do

–  Climb the steps to Savitri Temple at dawn

–  Read or write in a rooftop café

–  Take a short camel ride

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 → Toorji Ka Jhalra → 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, a collection of howdahs and palanquins. Jaswant Thada, a white marble memorial built in 1899, is a short walk away.

For anyone who wants a thrill, the fort also has a series of zip-lines across its walls and moat. The ride is an optional extra with its own ticket, with safety checks and a briefing on the spot. The rest of the group can watch from the walls.

In the afternoon the group walks the blue-painted lanes of the old city and stops at Toorji Ka Jhalra, an 18th-century stepwell that was cleared and restored in recent years. The day ends in Sardar Market by the clock tower.

Experience of the Day

–  Mehrangarh Fort and its palace rooms

–  Optional zip-line across the fort walls

–  Blue lanes of the old city and Toorji Ka Jhalra stepwell

–  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, bargained for

Activities to Do

–  Listen to the audio guide in the palace rooms

–  Photograph the blue doors in the old lanes

–  Climb the steps down into the stepwell

Optional Nearby Excursions

–  The Mehrangarh zip-line, an 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 → Osian (~65 km) → Jaisalmer (~300 km in all / 6–7 hrs plus stop)

Osian is a small town in the desert with a group of temples dating from about the 8th to 12th centuries, among the oldest in western Rajasthan. The group walks through the Sachiya Mata temple and the Jain temple, then rides camels over the dunes at the edge of town for about an hour.

After lunch the road continues west into the Thar Desert, across a flat, dry plain with wind turbines and thorn bushes. You reach Jaisalmer in the early evening, with its fort glowing gold on a low hill.

Experience of the Day

–  Osian temples

–  Camel ride over the dunes

–  Drive into the Thar Desert

–  Evening arrival in Jaisalmer

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a vetted restaurant near Osian

Must-Try:

–  Ker sangri, a desert bean dish, if offered

–  Bajra roti with ghee

Activities to Do

–  Ride a camel on the Osian dunes

–  Take a group photograph with a temple behind you

–  Watch the fort turn gold at sunset

Route: Jaisalmer hotel → Jaisalmer Fort → Patwon Ki Haveli → Gadisar Lake → Bada Bagh

Jaisalmer Fort was founded in 1156 by Rawal Jaisal and is built of yellow sandstone. It is a living fort, and families still live inside its walls. The group walks the lanes, past Jain temples, shops and cafés on the ramparts.

Patwon Ki Haveli, one of the grandest merchant mansions in the city, shows carved balconies and painted rooms. Gadisar Lake, a rainwater tank built in the 14th century, is a calm stop in the afternoon. The day ends at Bada Bagh, a garden of royal cenotaphs, where the domes glow at sunset.

Experience of the Day

–  Jaisalmer Fort ramparts and lanes

–  Patwon Ki Haveli

–  Gadisar Lake

–  Sunset at the Bada Bagh cenotaphs

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a rooftop café inside the fort walls

Must-Try:

–  Gatte ki sabzi, gram-flour dumplings in curry

–  Sweet lassi

–  Ghotua laddoo, a local sweet

Shopping — Where & What to Buy

–  Mirror-work textiles, camel-leather goods and silver in the fort lanes, bargained for

Activities to Do

–  Climb the fort ramparts for the view

–  Hire a pedal boat at Gadisar Lake

–  Watch the cenotaph domes at sunset

Route: Jaisalmer → Kuldhara → Sam dunes camp (~40 km)

The morning starts at Kuldhara, a village about 18 km west of Jaisalmer that was abandoned in the early 19th century. Its stone houses and lanes still stand. After lunch, the group drives on to the camp near the Sam dunes, about 40 km from Jaisalmer.

In the late afternoon you ride camels across the dunes to watch the sun go down over the sand. Back at camp there is a fire, dinner and an evening of Rajasthani folk music. Sleep is in a twin tent, and the sky is dark enough for the Milky Way.

The desert is cold at night from November to February, and warm clothes and a sleeping layer are needed. The camp provides bedding.

Note on Camp nights: Nights at the camp can fall close to freezing from December to January. Bring a fleece, a hat and thick socks. A toilet block is shared at Premium and attached at Luxury and Ultra-Luxury.

Experience of the Day

–  Kuldhara village

–  Sunset camel ride on the dunes

–  Campfire, dinner and folk music

–  Night under the stars

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a vetted restaurant on the way to the camp

–  Dinner at the camp by the fire

Must-Try:

–  Dal baati churma at the camp

–  Hot chai by the fire

Activities to Do

–  Ride a camel to the top of a dune

–  Join the folk music circle

–  Lie back and count shooting stars

Optional Nearby Excursions

–  A 4x4 dune ride, which is an optional extra and has an impact on the desert, so the leader asks first

Route: Sam dunes camp → Jaisalmer (~40 km)

The day starts early with sunrise over the dunes, when the sand turns from grey to gold and the camp is quiet. After a hot breakfast, the group walks the dunes for photographs and heads back to Jaisalmer by late morning.

The afternoon is free, for laundry, a long lunch or last shopping in the fort lanes. In the evening the group meets for a farewell dinner at a rooftop restaurant, with the lit fort above.

Experience of the Day

–  Sunrise on the dunes

–  Late-morning return to Jaisalmer

–  Free afternoon

–  Group farewell dinner

Food

Recommended:

–  Breakfast at the camp

–  Farewell dinner at a rooftop restaurant with a fort view

Must-Try:

–  Fresh paratha and omelette or curd at breakfast

–  Kulfi after dinner

Shopping — Where & What to Buy

–  Camel-leather bags and mirror-work cushion covers, bargained for

Activities to Do

–  Walk the dunes before the sun gets hot

–  Swap photographs and contact details with the group

–  Write postcards from a fort café

Route: Jaisalmer → Jodhpur (~285 km / ~5 hrs)

The drive east is the same road you took out, now a straight line back across the desert. The group stops for lunch and a toilet break halfway. You reach Jodhpur in the late afternoon, and the evening is free for a last rooftop dinner or shopping in Sardar Market.

Experience of the Day

–  Drive back across the Thar

–  Last evening in Jodhpur

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a vetted highway restaurant

–  Dinner at a rooftop restaurant, the group’s choice

Activities to Do

–  Pack and repack for the flight home

–  Share the best moments of the trip with the group

Route: Jodhpur hotel → Jodhpur airport (~10 km / ~30 min)

Check out after breakfast and transfer to Jodhpur airport with your leader and driver. Jodhpur has direct flights to Delhi and Mumbai. Please book your onward or international flight 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