1Days 1 and 2: Jaipur
Start in Jaipur, which has the best flight and train connections in the state. Spend day one on Amber Fort and the old city, with the City Palace, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal. Use day two for the bazaars, Albert Hall and sunset at Nahargarh Fort. Your driver picks you up from the airport or station and stays with you for the whole trip, so there's no hunting for a new car in each city.
2Day 3: Ajmer and Pushkar
Drive 150 km west to Pushkar, about 3 hours, stopping at the Ajmer Sharif Dargah on the way. Pushkar is a small, peaceful town built around a holy lake, with 52 ghats and one of the very few Brahma temples in India. Walk the ghats at sunset when the aarti bells ring, and stay overnight. Pushkar is vegetarian and alcohol-free, which keeps it calm.
3Days 4 and 5: Udaipur via Chittorgarh
Day four is the longest drive, about 280 km to Udaipur. Break it at Chittorgarh, the largest fort in India, where Rani Padmini's palace and the Tower of Victory deserve two or three hours. In Udaipur, spend day five at the City Palace, Jagdish Temple and on a boat on Lake Pichola, then watch sunset from Ambrai Ghat or the Karni Mata ropeway. Bagore ki Haveli has a folk dance show every evening.
4Days 6 and 7: Ranakpur and Jodhpur
On day six, drive north through the Aravalli hills to Jodhpur, about 250 km. Stop at the Ranakpur Jain temple, carved from white marble with 1,444 pillars, no two alike. Kumbhalgarh Fort, with the second-longest wall in the world, is a short detour. Spend day seven in Jodhpur at Mehrangarh Fort, Jaswant Thada and the blue lanes around the Clock Tower. Fly home from Jodhpur, or drive the 337 km back to Jaipur.
5The 10-day version, with Jaisalmer
With ten days, add Jaisalmer after Jodhpur. It's about 285 km, or 5 hours, into the Thar Desert. Spend one day on the living fort and the carved havelis, and one night at a desert camp on the Sam dunes with a camel ride and folk music. Then drive back to Jodhpur or Jaipur, or take the overnight train. Our Rajasthan sightseeing tour can book the hotels and car for any version of this route.
