"Forts, deserts and lake palaces"
Overview
Rajasthan is India's largest state and its most concentrated run of forts and palaces. Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur each grew around a hilltop fort and a working old city; west of them the Thar Desert opens out to Jaisalmer, a fort still lived in by several thousand people. Ranthambore in the east is one of the country's most reliable places to see a wild tiger. Distances between cities are long but the roads are good, and most itineraries move every one to two nights.
Ready to go packages
Where to go
Jaipur
Rajasthan's capital and the busiest of its cities. The walled Pink City holds the City Palace, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal within a few streets of each other; Amber Fort sits 11 km north on a ridge above Maota Lake.
Jodhpur
The Blue City, named for the indigo-washed houses packed below Mehrangarh Fort. The fort rises around 120 m off its rock and is among the best preserved in India.
Udaipur
Built around Lake Pichola and a chain of connected lakes, with the City Palace running along the eastern shore. The most temperate of the Rajasthan cities and the usual choice for a slower two nights.
Jaisalmer
A living fort of yellow sandstone in the middle of the Thar Desert, still home to several thousand residents. Sam Sand Dunes, around 40 km west, is where the camel and jeep safaris run.
Pushkar
A small temple town around a sacred lake, holding one of the very few Brahma temples anywhere. Vegetarian and alcohol-free by local rule, and the site of the annual camel fair.
Bikaner
A desert city grown on the old caravan routes, with Junagarh Fort at its centre — unusual in Rajasthan for never having been taken. The Karni Mata temple at Deshnok lies 30 km south.
Ranthambore
A former royal hunting reserve and now one of the more reliable tiger parks in India. Safaris run in fixed zones on morning and afternoon permits, and the park closes for the monsoon.
Mount Abu
Rajasthan's only hill station, at 1,220 m in the Aravalli range, and the state's one dependable escape from summer heat. The Dilwara Jain temples nearby are carved entirely in white marble.
Must-see experiences
Ajmer Sharif Dargah
Sufi shrine in Ajmer holding the tomb of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, run by a government Dargah Committee and open to people of all faiths.
Amber Fort
A 16th-century Rajput hill fort and palace complex above Maota Lake at Amer, 11 km from Jaipur, part of the UNESCO Hill Forts of Rajasthan.
Brahma Temple, Pushkar
One of very few active temples in the world dedicated to Brahma, set on a high plinth above marble steps close to Pushkar Lake.
City Palace, Jaipur
A working royal palace complex in Jaipur's walled city housing the Maharaja Sawai Man Singh II Museum; the Chandra Mahal is still the royal residence.
City Palace, Udaipur
A 16th-century Mewar palace complex on the east bank of Lake Pichola, part of which houses the City Palace Museum run by the MMCF.
Dilwara Temples
A walled complex of five Svetambara Jain marble temples at Delwara, about 2.5 km from Mount Abu town, built between the 11th and 16th centuries.
Gadisar Lake
A man-made rainwater reservoir on the south-eastern edge of Jaisalmer, edged with sandstone ghats, chhatris and small temples, with boats for hire.
Guru Shikhar
The highest peak of the Aravalli Range at 1,722 m, topped by a Dattatreya cave temple and reached by road from Mount Abu plus about 300 steps.
Hawa Mahal
A five-storey palace of 1799 whose latticed sandstone facade let royal women watch street processions unseen; part of the City Palace complex.
Jaisalmer Fort
A 12th-century yellow-sandstone hill fort above Jaisalmer that is still a working town, with roughly a quarter of the old city living inside its walls.
Jantar Mantar, Jaipur
A UNESCO-listed 18th-century open-air observatory of 19 masonry astronomical instruments, including the world's largest stone sundial.
Jaswant Thada
Marble royal cenotaph built in memory of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, completed in 1906 and managed by the Mehrangarh Museum Trust.
Jodhpur Blue City Walk
Self-guided or guided walk through the indigo-painted lanes of Jodhpur's old city below Mehrangarh Fort.
Johari Bazaar
A jewellery, gemstone and textile market street in Jaipur's walled Pink City; the street is public and free, with each shop keeping its own hours.
Junagarh Fort
A 16th-century fort complex in Bikaner with its original palaces and a museum, visited on a ticketed circuit.
Karni Mata Temple, Deshnok
Hindu temple at Deshnok where thousands of rats live inside the shrine and are protected; entry is free and barefoot.
Lake Pichola
An artificial freshwater lake in Udaipur, created in 1362, with the City Palace along its east bank and four islands including Jag Mandir.
Mehrangarh Fort
Hilltop fort begun in 1459, run by the Mehrangarh Museum Trust as a museum of Marwar palaces, paintings, arms and courtly objects.
Nakki Lake
A lake in the centre of Mount Abu, ringed by walking paths, granite outcrops, temples and boat jetties.
Patwon Ki Haveli
A cluster of five linked 19th-century merchant mansions in yellow sandstone, one run as a government museum and the others privately ticketed.
Pushkar Lake
Sacred man-made lake at the centre of Pushkar, ringed by 52 bathing ghats and several hundred temples.
Ranthambore National Park Safari
Permit-based jeep or canter safari in a Rajasthan tiger reserve, run in fixed morning and afternoon slots across ten zones.
Saheliyon Ki Bari
An 18th-century walled garden in northern Udaipur near Fateh Sagar Lake, with fountains, marble elephants, kiosks and a lotus pool.
Sam Sand Dunes
An open stretch of Thar Desert dunes about 40 km west of Jaisalmer, used for camel and jeep safaris, sunset viewing and overnight tented camps.
Weather & best time to visit
Seasons at a glance
Winter
November–February
The season the state is built around. Days run 20–28°C and clear, nights are cool. Forts, desert camps and lake palaces are all at their best, and so are the prices.
Spring
March–April
Comfortable in March, heating up fast through April. Good for Ranthambore — thinning cover pushes wildlife towards the waterholes and improves sightings.
Summer
May–June
Daytime highs of 42–47°C across the desert districts. Sightseeing works only early morning and late evening. Mount Abu, at 1,220 m, is the one cool exception.
Monsoon
July–September
Rain is light by Indian standards and the landscape briefly turns green. Ranthambore closes for the monsoon, roughly 1 July to 30 September.
Festivals & events
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