Rajasthan is one of the most colourful and vibrant states of India. Known as the ‘Land of Kings, this state is rich in magnificent Forts and Royal Places. This is the only Indian state that boasts of having the desert. That's why, it's also known as the Desert State of India.
To explore this Royal state, you will need a minimum of 11 days ( If you start from Jaipur) as I made it covering most of the major cities of the state.
The trip starts off Jaipur, the Capital City of Rajasthan. You can fly into the city through Jaipur International Airport or can arrive at Jaipur Junction Railway Station by train. I was traveling with a group and reached Jaipur by train. The cabs were waiting outside the station.
Day 1: Get around the Pink City Jaipur
Pink denotes the colour of hospitality, so Maharaja Ram Singh of Jaipur painted the whole city with pink colour to welcome the Prince of wales and queen Victoria in 1876 and hence the name given. It's the largest city of Rajasthan.
Start your day with a grand visit in Amber Fort
Get ready early and drove down to the architectural marvel and one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites -the Amber Fort. The magnificent fort is only 12 km away from the city center. Situated on the bank of Maota Lake, this huge fort houses the several courtyards like Diwan-e-Aam (Hall of Public Audience), Diwan-e-Khas (Hall of Private Audiences) Jas mandir, and the Sheesh Mahal (Hall of Mirrors). The splendor of these courtyards mesmerizes you.
Then, headed towards the heart of the city stopping by Jal Mahal- the Water Palace in the middle of Man Sagar Lake. It is just 5 minutes away from the Fort.
Take a tour to the old walled city
Coming back to the city, we covered the following places back to back. Birla Mandir, another UNESCO world heritage site - the Jantar Mantar, City Palace and Hawa Mahal
The soul of the city, the Hawa Mahal or the 'Palace of Wind' or the 'Palace of Breeze' is a five-storied building. It has many multi-colored Jharokhas that allowed the royal ladies to see the daily life of the streets without being seen. In the evening, after enjoying the night view of lighted up Hawa Mahal, we stepped into the bustling market of Jaipur known as Pink City Bazaars.
These markets are shoppers paradise. Variety of Jaipuri Kundan’s Jewellery, precious gems stone, wooden artifacts, Razai, pottery, you will get everything. The colourful turbans, women’s bangles, sarees, handicrafts will fascinate every tourist traveling here.
Day 2: Take a spiritual tour to Ajmer
The next morning, while heading towards Ajmer, we dropped at Khwaja Moinuddin Chisti Darga- the second most important Muslim pilgrimage after Mecca and Madina all over the world. The place was crammed with devotees. So, we just offered prayers and came out. Then continued our journey to another pilgrimage spot Pushkar. It’s just half an hour journey from Darga. After lunch, we set out to roam around Pushkar.
Visit the temples of Pushkar
Brahma Temple
It is the only temple of Lord Brahma in the world. The bags and electronics are not allowed inside, so you have to take a locker to store your belongings.
Savitri Temple
Then we went up to the Savitri temple. The temple of Goddess Savitri, the wife of Brahma is situated atop a hill and it offers an amazing view of the Pushkar town.
Pushkar Lake
Coming down from the hilltop, we went to the ghats of serene, sacred Pushkar Lake. It's surrounded by numerous white temples.
Take a stroll in the Market
If you love shopping, don’t forget to take a peep into the market while coming back from the ghat. Pushkar market offers a wide range of beautiful handicrafts, razai, colourful sarees, lehenga, and Jaipuri quilts too.
Pushkar is famous for the Camel Fair. So, If you are here during October -November, don’t miss your chance to watch the Pushkar Camel Fair which happens in the month of Kartik every year.
Day 3: Experience the grandeur of Chittorgarh
Waking up early in the morning, we left for Chittorgarh, one of the major cities of Rajasthan. It took almost five long hours to reach there. The city houses the magnificent Chittorgarh Fort. It’s one of the largest forts in India and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. To explore this Fort, you have to take a local shared rickshaw from Bus terminus. The fort houses many palaces like the Rana Kumbha Palace, the Fateh Prakash Palace, the Rani Padmini's Palace, temples like Samadhisvar Temple, Meera Temple, and Kalika Mata temple and the Tower of Victory Vijay Stambha and Kirti Stambha.
After spending a good time in this massive fort, we continued our journey towards Udaipur. On the way, we took a stop to visit Eklingji Temple. This temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva and considered one of the oldest temples in Udaipur. Photography is not allowed inside the temple. After darshan, we continued and reached Udaipur by the evening.
Day 4: Soak in the beauty of Lake City Udaipur
Udaipur is also known as the White City of Rajasthan. It is famous for Royal Palaces, museums, lakes and rich Rajput history.
The things to do in Udaipur
Visit the Rana Pratap Memorial
In the morning, we first dropped at Rana Pratap Memorial. This memorial is situated at the hilltop and overlooks the Fateh Sagar Lake. It’s a beautiful place to unwind and photography.
Do a guided tour of City Palace
The City Palace is located on the bank of serene Lake Pichola. The architecture and mirror works of various courtyards like Amar Vilas (Garden Palace), Mor Chok’ ‘Manek Mahal’ Sheesh Mahal and Moti Mahal are worth admiring. There is a beautiful temple near City Place called Jagdish Temple. It's splendid architecture is worth seeing.
Take a stroll in the serene and tranquil Saheliyon-ki-Bari
The 'Garden of the Maidens' is a beautiful place to unwind amidst lots of fountains, pool, greenery and wide range of flowers.
Enjoy the puppet show at Bharatiya Lok Kala Museum
The museum houses an exciting range of local handicrafts and artistic things, pictures, puppets, and musical instruments. One hour folk dance and puppet shows are held here in the evening, if you are interested you can attend. It's amazing.
Day 5: Head towards Mount Abu
Udaipur to Mount Abu is only 165 km and it should not take more than 3 hours. So, in the morning, we first set out to visit Maharana Pratap Art Museum, Haldighat. It's a beautiful place and museum offers a vivid account of Maharana Pratap.
And then took a stroll at Chetak Samadhi. A few walks away from Museum, there is a spot where Rana Pratap's horse Chetak died. A memorial has been built there and known as Chetak Smarak or Chetak Samadhi. Post Lunch, we started for Mount Abu and reached by the afternoon.
Day 6: Take a refreshing tour of Mount Abu
Mount Abu is the only hill station of the 'land of desert' and also known as the Oasis of the Rajasthan. Situated in the Aravalli Hill, it's the only place in Rajasthan where mountain and a bit of cool air greets you.
The places you should visit when you are in Mount Abu
It is one of the most important pilgrimage sites for Jain across the world. The stunning architecture and intricate marble carvings made this pilgrimage place a popular Tourist attraction. Photography is prohibited here.
The highest point of Aravalli range located at an altitude of almost 6000 feet. It is named Guru-Shikhar or 'the peak of the guru' after Dattatreya, an incarnation of Vishnu. There is a shrine of Lord Dattatreya inside a cave on the summit and it provides a birds-eye view of the Mount Abu region.
Achaleswar Mahadev temple is an ancient Shiv temple.
Nakki Lake - the beautiful lake is situated amidst the Aravalli range and a boating in this picturesque lake is really enjoyable.
Sunset Point- another popular tourist spot of Mount Abu. The tourists get thronged this viewpoint during the golden hour.
Day 7: Visit the Blue City Jodhpur
Jodhpur is 265 km away from Mount Abut and It took almost 6 odd hours to reach there. Post lunch we went to explore the gigantic Mehrangarh Fort. It’s one of the largest Fort in India. The beautiful architecture and mirror works of palaces like the Phool Mahal, Moti Mahal, Sheesh Mahal are the main attractions. Don't forget to peep into the museum in the Fort. It houses several galleries like palanquins, elephant howdahs etc. It’s a must-visit place. The Fort offers an exquisite view of the Blue City .
Jaswant Thada – Don't miss to have a look of this Royal Cenotaph made up of white marble. It lies to the left of the Mehrangarh Fort complex.
Day 8: Spend a night at Desert Safari Camp
The next morning, before heading towards Jaisalmer, we dropped in Umaid Bhavan. Another Architectural marvel of Jodhpur. The front garden is beautifully decorated and you can find the peacocks roaming there. There is a vintage Car gallery that takes you dates back to that era.
It took more than 6 odd hours again to reach Jaisalmer. After having a little late lunch, we drove down to Sam Sand Dunes. This is the destination the most travelers are waiting for. We took a joy ride on a camel, enjoyed the evening with Rajasthani music and dance performance, experienced Rajasthani cuisine while staying at the Desert Safari Camp.
Day 9: Explore the Golden City Jaisalmer
The next morning, after breakfast, we got back to Jaisalmer – the Golden City of Rajasthan. Each and every architecture of the city is made up of yellow sandstone that provides the city with a golden yellow look.
Places to see in the Golden city
Post lunch, we headed towards Jaisalmer Fort, famously known as Golden Fort of Rajasthan. The massive yellow fort reminded me of a popular Bengali movie ‘ Sonarkella’ by renowned filmmaker Satyajit Ray, that I have seen several times since my childhood. This fort houses temples, hotels, residential accommodation, shops, restaurants and also offers incredible views of the Golden City. This is the only living fort of Rajasthan as people still live in this Fort.
Then we moved to Patown-ki-Haveli. It’s a cluster of five Havelies. The arches and architectures of the haveli's takes your breath away.
Next, we drove down to picturesque Gadisar Lake. We saw their lots of catfish were being fed. Some of us also tried their hands.
Day 1o: Peep into the Temple of Rats
Jaisalmer to Bikaner is also six to seven hours drive. We reached there during lunchtime. In the afternoon, we paid a visit to Karni Mata Temple, Deshnok. Thousands of black rats roam freely within the temple precincts. They are revered and are regularly fed by the priest and devotees. That’s why this temple is also known as the Temple of Rats. There is a belief that seeing a white rat here brings you good luck.
Day 11: Explore the Desert City Bikaner
That was the last day of our trip. After having breakfast we stepped out to roam around the vibrant Desert City and cover the following places.
It's the most famous Fort in Bikaner. The marvelous structure made of red sandstone stands stall by the main road. Intricate floral motif and architectural grandeur of the palaces like Karan Mahal, Anup Mahal, Phool Mahal, Badal Mahal takes your breath away.
National Research center for Camel – It’s a must-visit place. You will get to know the different breeds of camel. A wide variety of camel milk products are also available here.
Post lunch, it’s the time to head back. The Bikaner Railway Station is well connected to other cities around the country. The nearest airport is Bikaner Nal airport which is 13 km away from the city.
I hope everyone enjoys the Rajasthan trip as much as we enjoyed it.
Best time to visit :
The winter season mainly November to February is the ideal time to visit this state.