Rajasthan Motorbike Royal Enfield Tour

Route: Jaipur airport → Jaipur hotel

The lead rider meets you at arrivals with a name board and takes you to the hotel. Sealed bottled water is in the vehicle. Check in and rest after the flight.

In the evening the group meets for dinner and a first briefing. It covers the route, the daily distances, the riding rules and the paperwork you need on Day 2. The lead rider answers questions on the roads, the heat and the gear.

Experience of the Day

–  Airport meeting with the lead rider

–  Group dinner and route briefing

Food

Recommended:

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

Activities to Do

–  Meet the other riders and the crew

–  Lay out your riding gear for the handover

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

Route: Jaipur hotel → Amber Fort → City Palace → bike handover

The morning is for Jaipur. 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, so the plan does not include them. The City Palace follows, with its courtyards and museum.

At about 3 p.m. the bikes are handed over. The mechanic walks you round your Royal Enfield, shows the controls and the luggage fixings, and you sign the rental agreement. The lead rider checks your licence, International Driving Permit, passport and travel insurance. You then ride a test loop of about 20 km on quiet roads, with the mechanic making any change you ask for. The final briefing covers formation, hand signals, stops and what to do if the bike breaks down.

Experience of the Day

–  Amber Fort by private jeep

–  City Palace

–  Bike handover, documents check and test ride

–  Final riding briefing

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a local restaurant near the City Palace

–  Dinner at the hotel, with an early night

Must-Try:

–  Pyaaz kachori

–  Dal baati churma

Activities to Do

–  Adjust the mirrors and levers to your size

–  Ask the mechanic about anything that feels wrong

–  Practise the hand signals with the group

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

The first day is short and easy, to settle the group. The route leaves Jaipur on the highway toward Ajmer, with a tea stop about an hour in. Near Ajmer the road climbs a low pass, and then drops into the valley that holds Pushkar. You reach the hotel by lunchtime.

In the late afternoon the group walks to the ghats for the evening aarti, with the bikes parked at the hotel. Pushkar is a holy town: shoes come off near the lake, shoulders and knees are covered, and people bathing are not photographed. Meat and alcohol are not sold near the lake.

Note on Pushkar etiquette: Shoes come off near the lake, shoulders and knees are covered, and people bathing are not photographed. If a stranger offers you flowers, the lead rider handles it.

Experience of the Day

–  First ride of about 145 km

–  Walk along the lake ghats

–  Evening aarti at the lake

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at the hotel

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

Must-Try:

–  Malpua, a fried sweet pancake, a local treat

–  Rose lassi

Activities to Do

–  Check your bike’s tyre pressure with the mechanic after the first ride

–  Light a small lamp at the ghat at dusk

Route: Pushkar → Jodhpur (~190 km / ~4 hrs)

The road runs south-west, through Ajmer and onto the highway to Jodhpur, with a tea stop and a lunch stop on the way. Truck traffic is heavy on the highway, and the lead rider keeps the group staggered and spaced. The first view of Mehrangarh Fort comes at the edge of the city, standing on a rock high above the old town.

You reach the hotel by mid-afternoon, and the bikes are parked in a secure yard. The luggage stays in the support vehicle for Days 5 to 7, and you take a small bag for Jaisalmer. In the evening the group walks to a rooftop restaurant in the old city, with the fort lit up overhead.

Experience of the Day

–  Highway ride of about 190 km

–  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

–  Pack a small bag for the Jaisalmer leg

–  Look up at the fort at night

Route: Jodhpur → Jaisalmer (~285 km / ~5.5–6 hrs)

This is the longest day. The road to Jaisalmer is two lanes and runs through dry scrub and low dunes, with long straights, heat from late morning and crosswinds. Fuel stops are spaced out, and the lead rider fills every tank at each one. Cattle, camels and trucks share the road, and the group stays alert and spaced.

The group reaches Jaisalmer by mid-afternoon, and the first view of the sandstone fort is at sunset from a viewpoint on the edge of the city. The route stays within Jaisalmer’s exempt areas, and the lead rider has the paperwork. Dinner is at the hotel.

Experience of the Day

–  The longest ride of the tour, about 285 km

–  Fuel and tea stops in desert villages

–  Sunset view of Jaisalmer Fort

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a vetted highway restaurant

–  Dinner at the hotel

Must-Try:

–  Ker sangri, a desert bean and berry dish

–  Bajra roti with garlic chutney

Activities to Do

–  Drink water at every stop

–  Wear a scarf over your face against dust and sun

–  Rest at the hotel in the evening

Route: Jaisalmer hotel → Jaisalmer Fort → Patwon ki Haveli → Kuldhara → Sam dunes

Jaisalmer Fort was founded in 1156 and is a living fort, with people still living and working inside its walls. The group walks the lanes with a guide, visits the Jain temples and the palace museum, and sees Patwon ki Haveli, a group of merchant mansions built in the early 19th century. The bikes are parked.

In the afternoon the group rides about 20 km to Kuldhara, the ruins of a village abandoned around 1825. The reasons are debated, from a legend of a curse to heavy taxation. The group returns before dusk, and the bikes are parked. In the late afternoon the support vehicle takes the group to the dunes at Sam, about 40 km from the city, for a camel ride and the sunset. No riding is done after dark.

Experience of the Day

–  Jaisalmer Fort and its lanes

–  Patwon ki Haveli

–  Ride to Kuldhara

–  Camel ride and sunset at Sam dunes

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a vetted rooftop café with a fort view

–  Dinner at the hotel

Must-Try:

–  Gatte ki sabzi

–  Fresh lassi in a clay cup

Shopping — Where & What to Buy

–  Embroidered textiles and mirror-work, bargained with the guide beside you

Activities to Do

–  Walk the fort ramparts at golden hour

–  Ride to Kuldhara in your riding gear

–  Watch the dunes change colour at sunset

Route: Jaisalmer → Jodhpur (~285 km / ~5.5–6 hrs) → Mehrangarh Fort

The group rides the desert road back to Jodhpur, with a start in the mild light after sunrise and the same fuel, tea and lunch stops as Day 5. Riders who have had enough can take a seat in the support vehicle at any stop, and their bike travels with the lead rider or the mechanic.

You reach Jodhpur by mid-afternoon. Mehrangarh Fort, founded in 1459, stands on a rock about 125 metres above the city, and the group visits in the late afternoon with an audio guide. The evening is free for Sardar Market and the clock tower.

Experience of the Day

–  Desert ride back to Jodhpur

–  Mehrangarh Fort in the late afternoon

–  Sardar Market and the clock tower

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a vetted highway restaurant

–  Dinner at the hotel or a rooftop restaurant

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

–  Rest your arms and back in the evening

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

The road south-east leaves the desert and climbs into the Aravalli hills. The last 40 km have bends and short climbs, which the lead rider takes at a steady pace. Ranakpur sits in a quiet forest valley, and the group arrives around lunchtime.

Ranakpur’s Jain temple was built in the 14th and 15th centuries. Visitors who are not Jain are admitted from about noon to 5 p.m., and the group visits after lunch. Its marble halls are carved with about 1,444 pillars, and no two are alike. The temple has its own rules for dress and photography, which the lead rider explains at the gate, and hours can change. The evening is quiet in the valley.

Experience of the Day

–  Hill roads into the Aravallis

–  Ranakpur Jain temple after lunch

–  Quiet evening in a forest valley

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a vetted vegetarian restaurant near the temple

–  Dinner at the hotel

Must-Try:

–  Dal baati 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 riding plus the fort

The ride to Kumbhalgarh is on hill roads with bends and climbs. The 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 courtyards, with the bikes parked at the gate.

After lunch the road drops to the highway and runs into Udaipur, with Lake Pichola coming into view at the end of the day. The bikes are parked at the hotel, and the evening is free.

Experience of the Day

–  Hill roads to Kumbhalgarh

–  Kumbhalgarh Fort and its long wall

–  Ride into Udaipur

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.

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. The mechanic services the bikes today, and any rider can ask for a check or a change.

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 lead rider

Must-Try:

–  Dal baati churma with ghee

–  Mawa kachori

Shopping — Where & What to Buy

–  Miniature paintings in the old-city lanes, from studios the guide 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

Route: Udaipur → Eklingji (~22 km) → Nathdwara (~48 km) → Udaipur; optional ride of about 130 km

The last riding day is optional. The group rides to Eklingji, a temple complex about 22 km north of Udaipur dedicated to Shiva, and on to Nathdwara, about 48 km from Udaipur, home to the Shrinathji temple, a major Krishna shrine. The ride is about 130 km in all and is back by mid-afternoon. Riders who prefer a rest stay at the hotel or tour the old city by car.

In the evening the bikes are handed back, with a final check, and the group meets for a farewell dinner. Temples have strict rules on dress, shoes, leather items, mobile phones and photography, and the lead rider explains them at each gate.

Experience of the Day

–  Optional ride to Eklingji and Nathdwara

–  Bike return and final check

–  Group farewell dinner

Food

Recommended:

–  Lunch at a vetted restaurant on the road

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

Must-Try:

–  Fresh lassi in a clay cup

–  Kulfi after dinner

Activities to Do

–  Choose between the optional ride and a free day

–  Exchange contact details with the group

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

Check out after breakfast and transfer to Udaipur airport. 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 the lead rider, the crew and the group