Grand Rajasthan Tour 9 Nights / 10 Days from Delhi – Grand Rajasthan – Jaipur, Pushkar, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer & Bikaner

Pickup from Delhi airport, railway station or your hotel and drive to Jaipur on the Delhi – Jaipur highway, with a tea break near Neemrana. Check in, and in the evening visit the Birla Mandir and the old-city bazaars:

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  Neemrana · On the Delhi – Jaipur highway
  Small town with the 15th-century Neemrana fort-palace – tea break on the way.
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  Birla Mandir Jaipur · Laxmi Narayan Temple
  White marble temple at the foot of Moti Dungri, lovely in the evening lights.
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  Johari & Bapu Bazaar · Pink City markets
  Old-city bazaars for jewellery, block-print textiles, mojari shoes and handicrafts.

🌙 Overnight stay at hotel in Jaipur

A full day in the Pink City. Start with the Amber Fort above Maota lake, photo stop at the Jal Mahal and the Hawa Mahal, then the City Palace and the Jantar Mantar observatory. Watch the sunset from Nahargarh Fort and end the day with a Rajasthani village evening and dinner at Chokhi Dhani (ticket at your own cost):

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  Amber Fort · UNESCO · Amer
  Hill-top fort-palace of the Kachhwaha kings with the Sheesh Mahal (mirror palace) above Maota lake.
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  Jal Mahal · Water Palace · Man Sagar Lake
  Palace standing in the middle of Man Sagar lake – photo stop on the Amer road.
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  Hawa Mahal · Palace of Winds
  Pink honeycomb façade with 953 small windows, built so royal ladies could watch the street below.
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  City Palace Jaipur · Royal residence
  Palace complex of the Jaipur royal family with museums, the Peacock Gate and Mubarak Mahal.
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  Jantar Mantar · UNESCO · observatory
  Giant stone astronomical instruments of 1734, including the world’s largest sundial.
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  Albert Hall Museum · Ram Niwas Garden
  Indo-Saracenic museum building, beautifully lit in the evening.
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  Nahargarh Fort · Sunset over Jaipur
  Fort on the Aravalli ridge with the best sunset view over the Pink City.
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  Chokhi Dhani · Rajasthani village resort · Tonk Road
  Ethnic village with folk dance, puppet show, camel & bullock-cart rides, mehndi, magic and a traditional Rajasthani dinner served on the floor – evening entry ticket includes dinner (own cost).

🌙 Overnight stay at hotel in Jaipur

After breakfast, drive to Ajmer and visit the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti and the Ana Sagar lake. Continue over the Nag Pahar hills to Pushkar and attend the evening aarti at the holy lake:

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  Ajmer Sharif Dargah · Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti
  Sufi shrine visited by people of all faiths – one of the holiest places in India.
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  Ana Sagar Lake · Ajmer
  Artificial lake of the 12th century with marble pavilions built by Shah Jahan.
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  Pushkar Lake & Ghats · 52 ghats · holy lake
  Sacred lake surrounded by ghats and temples – evening aarti at sunset.

🌙 Overnight stay at hotel in Pushkar

After breakfast, drive south to Chittorgarh and explore the biggest fort of India – the Vijay Stambh, Rani Padmini’s palace and the Meera temple. Continue to Udaipur in the evening:

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  Chittorgarh Fort · UNESCO · largest fort of India
  Fort of Rani Padmini and Meera Bai with the Vijay Stambh (Victory Tower) and palaces.

🌙 Overnight stay at hotel in Udaipur

A full day in the City of Lakes – the City Palace on Lake Pichola, the Jagdish Temple, a boat ride to Jag Mandir (own cost), the gardens of Saheliyon ki Bari and the Fateh Sagar lake. In the evening, the folk dance show at Bagore ki Haveli:

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  City Palace Udaipur · On Lake Pichola
  Largest palace complex of Rajasthan, with courtyards, balconies and views over the lake.
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  Jagdish Temple · Udaipur old city
  Carved Indo-Aryan temple of Lord Vishnu of 1651, near the City Palace.
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  Lake Pichola Boat Ride · Lake Palace · Jag Mandir
  Boat ride past the Lake Palace and Jag Mandir island (own cost).
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  Saheliyon ki Bari · Garden of the Maidens
  Royal garden with fountains, lotus pools and marble elephants.
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  Fateh Sagar Lake · Udaipur
  Lake with the Nehru island park, boating and the evening promenade.
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  Bagore ki Haveli · Dharohar dance show
  Old haveli on Gangaur Ghat with the evening Rajasthani folk dance show (own cost).

🌙 Overnight stay at hotel in Udaipur

After breakfast, drive through the Aravalli hills to the marble Jain temple of Ranakpur with its 1,444 carved pillars, and continue to Jodhpur. Evening at the Clock Tower market:

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  Ranakpur Jain Temple · 1,444 carved pillars
  White marble Jain temple of the 15th century in the Aravalli forest – no two pillars are alike.
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  Clock Tower Market · Sardar Market
  Busy old market around the Ghanta Ghar – spices, textiles and bandhej.

🌙 Overnight stay at hotel in Jodhpur

Morning visit to the Mehrangarh Fort, Jaswant Thada and the Umaid Bhawan Palace museum. Then drive across the Thar desert via Pokaran to Jaisalmer, the Golden City:

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  Mehrangarh Fort · Jodhpur · Blue City view
  One of India’s largest forts, 120 m above the blue houses of Jodhpur, with a fine museum.
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  Jaswant Thada · Marble cenotaph
  White marble memorial of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, near Mehrangarh.
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  Umaid Bhawan Palace · Palace & museum
  Art-deco palace of 1943 – part royal residence, part hotel and part museum.
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  Pokaran · On the Jaisalmer road
  Desert town with a red sandstone fort – tea stop between Jodhpur / Bikaner and Jaisalmer.

🌙 Overnight stay at hotel in Jaisalmer

Morning in the living Jaisalmer Fort, the carved Patwon ki Haveli and the Gadisar lake. After lunch, drive to the Sam sand dunes via the abandoned village of Kuldhara, ride a camel or a jeep over the dunes at sunset and spend the night in a Swiss tent with folk music, dance and dinner:

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  Jaisalmer Fort · Sonar Qila · living fort
  Golden sandstone fort where people still live, with Jain temples, havelis and shops inside.
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  Patwon ki Haveli · Five carved havelis
  Cluster of finely carved merchant havelis of the 19th century.
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  Gadisar Lake · Jaisalmer
  Old water reservoir with temples, ghats and a carved gateway – lovely in the morning.
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  Kuldhara · Abandoned village
  Mysterious village of the Paliwal Brahmins, deserted overnight about 200 years ago.
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  Camel Safari · ₹500 per person · about 1 hour
  Sunset camel ride on the dunes – add it in the price calculator.
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  Jeep Safari · ₹2,500 per jeep (up to 6)
  Thrilling dune-bashing ride in an open jeep – add it in the price calculator.
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  Desert Camp & Folk Dance · Swiss tent · bonfire
  Rajasthani folk music and Kalbelia dance by the bonfire, with dinner under the stars.

🌙 Overnight stay in a Swiss tent at the desert camp, Sam sand dunes (dinner with folk music & dance)

Watch the sunrise over the dunes, then drive back through Jaisalmer and across the desert via Pokaran and Phalodi to Bikaner:

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  Pokaran · On the Jaisalmer road
  Desert town with a red sandstone fort – tea stop between Jodhpur / Bikaner and Jaisalmer.

🌙 Overnight stay at hotel in Bikaner

Morning visit to the Junagarh Fort (and the Karni Mata temple at Deshnoke if time permits), then drive back to Delhi through the Shekhawati region for your drop:

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  Junagarh Fort · Bikaner
  Fort never conquered by an enemy, with richly painted palaces and a big armoury.
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  Karni Mata Temple · Deshnoke · rat temple
  Famous temple where thousands of holy rats (kabbas) are fed and protected.

Tour ends with happy memories.