When to go to Rajasthan?
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Best time: October to March
At a glance
Why go to Rajasthan?
Rajasthan is India's largest state, 342,000 km², about two-thirds the size of France, and until 1949 it was a patchwork of rival Rajput princely states. Each one left its fortress and its palace: Amber above Jaipur, Mehrangarh on its 120-metre cliff in Jodhpur, Chittorgarh on its 280-hectare plateau, Jaisalmer rising out of the sand. Six of these hill forts have been listed together as a World Heritage Site since 2013.
Each city has its own colour and its own logic. Jaipur, laid out on a grid in 1727 according to a Hindu treatise on architecture, had its centre painted pink in 1876 for the arrival of the Prince of Wales. Jodhpur washes its houses indigo blue at the foot of the fort. Udaipur is built around artificial lakes dug in the 14th century and palaces that plunge into the water. Jaisalmer is carved whole from yellow sandstone. Travelling from one to the next by night train is still the simplest way to take in the contrasts.
The Thar Desert covers the west of the state and remains the most densely populated desert in the world: villages every ten kilometres, herds of goats, women in red odhnis on sandy tracks. To the east, the dry forest of Ranthambore shelters around a hundred Bengal tigers on former royal hunting grounds. In between, the Aravalli Range, one of the oldest mountain chains on the planet, carries marble Jain temples and reservoir lakes ringed by hills.
Map of Rajasthan: what is where?
The map shows the 6 places covered in this guide, to picture the distances and plan your route.
- Jaipur
- Jodhpur
- Udaipur
- Jaisalmer
- Pushkar
- Ranthambore
How much does a trip to Rajasthan cost?
Rajasthan remains very affordable once the flight is paid for: a decent room for €25, a full meal for €4 and a night train for €15. The item that really makes the bill vary is transport, between a train at a few euros and a car with driver at €60 a day.
| Style | Per day | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| Backpacker | €20-35/day | Old-town guesthouse, local canteens, sleeper trains, negotiated rickshaws |
| Comfort | €60-110/day | Heritage haveli, car with driver shared between two, fort entry fees, a desert camp |
| Premium | €300+/day | Palace hotel, private driver, a private guide in each city, private jeep safaris in Ranthambore |
The Indian rupee cannot be obtained outside the country: withdraw from cash machines at airports and in the big cities, often capped at 10,000 rupees per transaction. Mobile payment is everywhere, cards are accepted in hotels and large shops, but keep cash for rickshaws, temples and markets.
Is Rajasthan safe?
Rajasthan is one of the safest Indian states for travellers, and the welcome is generally direct and curious. The real difficulties are scams and traffic. Rickshaw touts who drop you at a cousin's shop, fake tourist offices at stations, gemstones in Jaipur supposedly resellable in Europe: refuse firmly and pay by the meter or at a price agreed in advance. The road remains the main objective danger, including on foot, and driving yourself is not advisable. Women travelling alone report persistent stares and unwanted touching in crowds, which leads many to cover shoulders and legs and avoid travelling at night. Add the heat from April to June, undrinkable water, aggressive monkeys around temples and stray dogs, which justify a preventive rabies vaccination.
What to see and do in Rajasthan
- Amber Fort
- Hawa Mahal
- Mehrangarh Fort
- Lake Pichola and Udaipur City Palace
- Jaisalmer Fort
- Sam Sand Dunes
- Ranakpur temples
- Ranthambore Tiger Reserve
Jaipur, the Pink City
Founded in 1727 by Jai Singh II, Jaipur was the first Indian city built to a plan, on a grid, with nine districts and avenues 33 metres wide. The City Palace, the Hawa Mahal and the Jantar Mantar observatory, a World Heritage Site for its nineteen stone astronomical instruments including the world's largest sundial, all fit within a one-kilometre square. Johari Bazaar sells silver and cut stones, Bapu Bazaar textiles and slippers.
Jodhpur and Mehrangarh Fort
The Blue City spreads out below a sandstone cliff crowned by Mehrangarh, a fort never taken since 1459. The indigo blue of the houses comes from a lime pigment used against termites and heat, long associated with Brahmin families. Down below, the Clock Tower square and Sardar spice market open from 7am. The white marble cenotaph of Jaswant Thada, ten minutes' walk from the fort, offers the best view of its walls.
Udaipur and Lake Pichola
Capital of Mewar since 1559, Udaipur is arranged around four artificial lakes linked by 14th-century canals and dams. The City Palace stretches 250 metres of façade above the water, with eleven interlocking palaces and courtyards decorated with glass mosaics. Ambrai and Gangaur ghats serve as a washing place in the morning and as a terrace at sunset. The Saheliyon ki Bari garden and its marble fountains, two kilometres away, take an hour to visit.
Jaisalmer and the Thar Desert
The last big town before the Pakistani border, 100 km from it, Jaisalmer lives from the yellow sandstone from which its inhabited fort and merchants' havelis are carved. Patwon ki Haveli, five houses built between 1805 and 1860 by a family of opium and brocade traders, shows balconies chiselled like lace. All around, the Thar unrolls stony plains, ridges of dunes at Sam and Khuri, and abandoned villages such as Kuldhara.
Pushkar and its sacred lake
A small town of 20,000 people packed around a pilgrimage lake lined with 52 ghats, with one of the very few temples in the world dedicated to Brahma. The town is strictly vegetarian and alcohol is banned. In November, the camel fair gathers thousands of animals, races and traders from all over western India for a week. The rest of the year, the crowds leave the lake and it returns to the pace of a village.
Ranthambore and its tigers
Four hours' drive from Jaipur, the former hunting ground of the maharajas became one of the first reserves of the national Project Tiger programme in 1973. Some sixty Bengal tigers live here across 1,411 km² of dry forest, ravines and lakes, beneath a 10th-century fort listed as a World Heritage Site. Safaris are booked by zones allocated by lottery, with two departures a day, and the chances of a sighting rise markedly in April and May, when the animals come down to drink.
How many days, and which itinerary?
A week is enough for a Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur triangle by train or car. Twelve days add Jaisalmer and the desert without spending every night in transit, and three weeks leave room for Bundi, Pushkar, Bikaner and two days of safari in Ranthambore.
📓 Free printable Rajasthan guide (PDF) · 🌍 All of India
The Rajput triangle (8 days)
Delhi, then Jaipur by morning train, three nights for Amber, the City Palace, Jantar Mantar and the bazaars. Drive to Pushkar for a night by the lake, then Jodhpur for two nights: Mehrangarh, Jaswant Thada and Sardar market. Head down to Udaipur with a stop at the Ranakpur temples, two nights on Lake Pichola and back by domestic flight. A car with driver makes the countryside stages simpler.
The grand tour (15 days)
The triangle, extended west and east. After Jodhpur, five hours' drive to Jaisalmer for two nights in town and a night camping in the Thar, near Khuri rather than Sam. Back towards Udaipur via Ranakpur, then two nights in Ranthambore with four safaris, before Jaipur. Overnight trains save two whole days on this route, in an air-conditioned sleeper.
Rajasthan and the Taj Mahal (3 weeks)
The grand tour, extended east to Bundi and its murals, Chittorgarh and its 280-hectare fortified plateau, then Agra for the Taj Mahal at sunrise and the Red Fort. Add Bikaner, its Junagarh Fort and the rat temple at Deshnoke, two hours away. Three weeks also leave time to stay two nights in the same place, which changes the feel of the trip a great deal and lets you absorb a train delay without reorganising everything else.
Getting there and getting around
The train is still the best way to get around: Delhi to Jaipur in four and a half hours, Jaipur to Jodhpur in five hours, Jodhpur to Jaisalmer in six. Tickets are sold on the Indian Railways platform up to sixty days ahead, and air-conditioned sleepers sell out fast in winter.
A car with driver costs €45-70 a day all in and remains the most popular option for a tour. It allows countryside stops, such as Ranakpur or Kuldhara, that the train does not serve. Count on a real average of 50 km/h on the state's roads.
Domestic flights link Delhi with Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer in one to one and a half hours, for €40-90 booked a few weeks ahead. They are useful to avoid a long empty return at the end of a tour, less so for the intermediate stages.
In town, agree the auto-rickshaw fare before getting in, €1-3 a ride depending on distance. Ride-hailing apps work in Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur and spare you the haggling. The old towns are best explored on foot, as the lanes are too narrow for cars.
Where to stay in Rajasthan?
Family guesthouses and small havelis: €12-30 a night, often in the old town with a rooftop terrace for breakfast. This is the most widespread category and the one where you get the best advice on routes and drivers.
Restored heritage havelis: €60-130 a night, in 18th- and 19th-century merchants' mansions with inner courtyards and frescoes. Many sit at the foot of the forts, in Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Bundi, and are booked well ahead for December.
Palaces turned into hotels: €300-900 a night in Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaipur, in buildings still owned by the royal families. Some open their restaurant or bar to passing visitors, a way to see inside without staying the night.
Desert camps around Jaisalmer: €25 a night in a simple tent with dinner and musicians, up to €150 for luxury camps with a double bed and bathroom. December and January nights drop to 8°C, so a sleeping bag or a thick blanket is essential.
What to eat in Rajasthan?
Dal baati churma is the state's signature dish: balls of dough baked in embers, crushed with ghee, served with a five-lentil dal and a sweet dessert of cracked wheat. Allow €2-4 in a canteen, and plan a siesta afterwards.
Laal maas, mutton simmered with dried Mathania chillies, remains the benchmark meat dish, and a fiery one. Gatte ki sabzi, gram-flour dumplings in yoghurt, and ker sangri, dried desert berries and beans, show a cuisine built to do without fresh vegetables.
Jodhpur is a morning city for food: pyaaz kachori filled with spiced onion, chilli-fried mirchi bada, and saffron makhaniya lassi served in clay cups around the Clock Tower. A few dozen cents apiece, and a queue of locals as the only guide to quality.
Most restaurants are strictly vegetarian, and Pushkar is entirely so. Alcohol is taxed, sold in dedicated shops and banned on certain public holidays. Tap water is not drinkable: sealed bottles, a filter bottle and care with ice cubes outside reputable places.
Entry requirements
An e-visa is required and must be applied for online before departure, with a passport valid six months, for EU, UK, US, Canadian and Australian citizens.
Rules change: check your own government's travel advice before you go.
Frequently asked questions about Rajasthan
How many days should I allow?
A week covers Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur with two nights in each city. Twelve days add Jaisalmer and a night in the Thar Desert. Three weeks let you fit in Ranthambore, Bundi, Pushkar and Bikaner, and above all slow down: journeys almost always take longer than planned.
When is the best time to go?
From October to March, with 25 to 30°C by day and cool nights, down to 5°C in December in the desert. November and February are the most pleasant months. From April to June, temperatures exceed 45°C and make sightseeing hard, even if it is the best season to see tigers in Ranthambore.
Train or car with driver?
The train links the big cities very well, costs a few euros and can be booked online, but it serves neither Ranakpur nor Kuldhara nor most of the countryside forts. A car with driver, €45-70 a day, brings that flexibility. Many travellers combine the two depending on the stage.
Is it safe for a woman travelling alone?
Yes, with precautions many women travellers follow: shoulders and legs covered, no travelling alone after dark, the women-only carriage on trains, accommodation booked in advance. Persistent stares and requests for photos are common, serious incidents rare in the state.
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