Rajasthan – a land of colors and traditions and immense beauty. A popular tourist destination in India, part of the Golden Triangle with lots of history and culture. And this is the reason for my absence over the last few days. đŸ™‚
Rajasthan had been on my travel list for a while and finally, I managed to do a complete tour of this amazing destination this year. Traveling through Rajasthan has been quite an experience and I covered the same through a road trip along with family and friends. Based on the same, here are my 10 guidelines or travel tips that you must consider when setting out to experience Rajasthan Tourism.
Contents
1) Duration of Stay
Rajasthan is the largest state of India. There are at least 4 major cities that are recommended in Rajasthan – Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. Consider staying at least for 2 nights at these places as the city requires that much time for you to explore the same. If you are planning a road trip between these cities, add a day more as there are a few sights along the way that you would want to stop by.
Jaisalmer is the city that is furthest off. It takes around 10 hours from Jaipur, 5 from Jodhpur and 9 hours from Udaipur by road to reach here. Hence, account for the distance, if you are planning a stay in Jaisalmer. Take a look at some of my suggested itineraries for Rajasthan here.
2) Places to Stay
All the major cities mentioned above have a range of hotels to suit every budget. You can choose the ultra-luxury chains like Taj, especially in Udaipur and Jodhpur as these are heritage properties – palaces converted into hotels. Alternatively, you can pick smaller Havelis converted to hotels and home-stays for a comfortable and budget stay.
We had opted for the latter and no regrets on the same. The smaller havelis are well done and offer lovely, traditional accommodation. They give you a glimpse into the Rajasthani culture as well by way of their decor and food. Also, consider that if you are an avid traveler like me, you will probably return only in the evening to have dinner and sleep. I would definitely recommend the same in places like Jaisalmer for they are really comfortable and well done.
For some more contemporary budget stays, you could even look up Zo Rooms – something we tried in Jaipur and found very comfortable. Remember to check various Rajasthan tour packages for the kind of room they offer. You can always negotiate the rate of a package based on these stay options.
Check out my guide on where to stay in Jaipur
3) Road Trip Vs. Other options
If time is short and you are keen on spending more time in a city, then I would recommend Railways for a point to point connectivity. However, my personal favorite way of exploring is a road trip. In Rajasthan, you will find several smaller towns along the way and that makes your road trip more colorful and fun.
Take for instance, the route between Jodhpur and Udaipur. You can do Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur en-route. Or from Jaipur to Jodhpur, where you can stop by at Pushkar and Ajmer en-route.
The roads in Rajasthan are fairly decent, though the ones between cities like Jodhpur and Udaipur or Jaisalmer are single-lane roads. There are plenty of vehicles, including trucks on the road and thus, driving during daylight is advisable.
One important note here is if you are planning the 4 major cities, it is recommended taking the following circuit – Jaipur- Udaipur-Jodhpur- Jaisalmer- Jaipur. The stretch between Jaisalmer to Jaipur is a long one and you can choose to break your journey at Bikaner.
Getting a cab to take you through these cities and bring you back to one is not difficult. Most hotels have a tie-up with various cab companies who offer these services. Keep in mind the fare ranges between INR 12 – 15 per km with a minimum of 250 km per day. The fare is dependent on the vehicle that you take.
4) Local transport
There are plenty of options for local transport – from tuk-tuks to battery-operated autos , regular auto-rickshaws, tourist buses and cabs. There are no fixed rates for the autos. Some of them offer you a point-to-point drop while there are some who agree to a complete day package where they will take you from one sight-seeing point to another. For the best rates, refer to your hotels as they give you a good indication of the rates going within the city from that point.
5) Where to eat in Rajasthan?
Whether you are on a road trip or within the city, Rajasthan has plenty of eating options to offer. The Rajasthani cuisine is unusual and definitely worth a try. Adding to the traditional food that is readily available, you will find plenty of restaurants that serve other Indian cuisines as well – Gujarati, South Indian etc.
Read about the various Rajasthani dishes that you can enjoy while in the state.
The bigger cities have multi-cuisine restaurants, which serve not just Indian but international cuisine like Pastas, Pizzas, Sandwiches etc. Most of the hotels offer both Indian and Continental breakfast. On the whole, vegetarian food is definitely not an issue in Rajasthan. Non-Vegetarian options are limited but not rare.
6) Sight-Seeing at Forts and Museums
Rajasthan is historically very rich. Every city and town here has a history and some really impressive architecture in the form of Forts and Palaces. Most of the places are well-maintained and tourist-friendly, with enough signage and audio guides to take you through the rich culture and heritage of that place. The museums are well cataloged and a pleasure to visit.
Typical of every tourist place, you will find a lot of guides to the attractions. If you are traveling in a group as I was, it is recommended that you appoint one guide to take you through the attraction and explain the various facets of history behind the exhibits. However, make sure that the guide is authorized personnel with an ID from the State Government and Tourism Board. A lot of these attractions have specified guide rates at the ticketing counter and these can serve as a benchmark when appointing one.
In Jaisalmer, particularly, I found a lot of fake guides. Every person in the city claimed to know the history and offered to be a guide. In the end, we approached the ticketing counter at Jaisalmer Fort to find an authorized one.
Another tip is ensuring that the guide covers the attraction well. Remember to ask a lot of questions and insist on going into areas which he may not be covering. A lot of guides mark a tour by the hour and tend to skip out a few nooks and corners as they would want to latch onto the next client.
A caveat with the authorized guides – some of them insist on taking you to shops saying that this is the only authentic shop selling XYZ. This is not always the case. The guides are sometimes, commissioned to get clients to the store and hence,if you are not keen on shopping or find the same fishy, a polite refusal is a way out.
If you are a solo traveler, go ahead and take an audio guide from the ticketing counter as the same will work out well for you.
7) Shopping in Rajasthan
Shopping in Rajasthan is a pleasure. From colorful traditional Rajasthani dresses to traditional Indian artifacts like decor pieces, lamps, bags, traditional shoes etc. You will find a lot of street shopping around the key sight-seeing points. If you are buying from the street vendors, remember to bargain to at least 30-40% price.
There are several Government-authorized handlooms and shops, which are recommended for costlier items like Pashmina shawls, Rajasthani bed-spreads, white metal artifacts etc. The stuff that you get here is genuine and will last you longer. A lot of these are found within the main city as in the case of Jodhpur and Jaipur and have a Government-authorized sign-board displayed up-front. Take the help of your hotel authorities to spot the same.
8) Cultural hotspots
There are plenty of cultural shows and hotspots in Rajasthan. To cite a few – the Choki Dhani cultural village in Jaipur, the Desert Safari camps in Jaisalmer, Bagore ki Haveli in Udaipur. Puppet shows and Rajasthani folk dances and songs are the key performances at these centers. These are either a part of a package or require separate tickets. The performances are quite similar and hence, if you have seen one, you can avoid the others, thus, freeing up some time on your itinerary.
9) Best time to Visit
The best season to visit Rajasthan would be between October to February. The weather here tends to cool down considerably and makes your sightseeing more enjoyable. Visiting in the Summer months is not advisable as the heat here tends to really sap you .
10) Clothing for Rajasthan
During the peak tourist season, carry some cotton wear, especially for the day. The evening gets a little nippy in October and November and quite cold in December and January. Hence, do carry some warm clothes accordingly. Flat and comfortable shoes are recommended throughout your travel to Rajasthan as there is plenty of walking around to do.
Overall, Rajasthan tour is a charming, ethnic experience of India and you are definitely headed for a colorful and memorable experience with a holiday in Rajasthan.
Thanks Ami for the tips. We were planning to go here from past 2 years but unable to do do it. Hopefully next year we will go here.
Wow! Well compiled.
I did the tour in 2008 and these tips are most perfect.
Very well done. This is definitely a good reference before visiting Rajasthan. In fact , I find lot of the points valid for other places in India.
Thanks Arun. I am sure you will have a blast.
Thanks Indrani. đŸ™‚ Rajasthan is such a lovely place
Thanks VJ. Yep, a lot of points are valid for a other places in India, especially the ones on the guides and shopping
Those are some awesome tips đŸ™‚
Thanks Archana đŸ˜€
I love the colors of Rajasthan. Your pictures caught them so well. Handy tips too.
Rajasthan is my favourite place in the world! And I also did a road trip across the triangle đŸ˜€
Hi , I would like to to make a short trip to Rajasthan due to time constrain. Let me know 4 days – 4 night are enough and which all main places we can cover.
Thanks Mridula. Stay tuned for more snaps đŸ™‚ I went beserk trying to capture it all.
Am sure you had a great time Richa. Thanks for stopping by
Thanks for dropping by. Assuming you are flying into Jaipur, keep around 2 nights in Jaipur. You can add Jodhpur as a possible option. If you are picking Jodhpur, you can stop by at Pushkar and Ajmer on the way and cover the same too.
Option two – keeping Jaipur as a base, you can do Ranthambore and some nearby smaller towns like the famed Ghost town Bhangarh from Jaipur.
Option three – Udaipur is a little further and it takes around 7 hours by road from Jaipur. You could then drop the other places and keep only Jaipur and Udaipur on your itinerary. Hope this helps.
Awesome photos. loved thhe first one. Well composed travel post.
Thanks a ton đŸ˜€
Thanks a lot for the useful tips..and yes, that food platter looks yummy đŸ˜‰
Thanks Hargun. Glad you found them useful.
A wonderfully complete guide I would love to have the opportunity to use.
Plan a trip soon đŸ™‚ you definitely will enjoy India
Wonderful overview of what to expect in Rajasthan, I always find these concise guides by bloggers who’ve really been there so helpful when planning my own travels
Thank you Keri. I hope it helps you plan your travel.
Ami, I find Rajasthan so magical, so wonderful. I loved this post.
Thank you.
I haven’t had India high on my list of places to visit next, but seeing some of these pictures makes me want to reconsider. So much history to explore and so many wonderful people to meet.
I definitely think it is worthwhile one trip. After that, I won’t be surprised if you are back for more.
I feel so strongly that India requires train travel… but then I haven’t been yet. I do love a good road trip, so maybe when we go, that’d be a great option for us. I really can’t wait to explore, so the road trip is probably the better option.
India does have a very good network of rail. I personally prefer a road trip though sometimes, with time as a constraint, railways does work better.
I really hope to visit Rajasthan one day.
đŸ™‚ Not just Rajasthan, but more of India đŸ˜€
Everytime I read your India posts, I keep saying that’s the one place we will start with when we head to India later this year, and then I see another post and that becomes priority đŸ™‚ Rajasthan is a personal favourite for both Ashique and I, loved looking at your images, so colourful and vibrant!
Thanks Semiya. That happens to me too đŸ™‚
I would love to see those Museums in person!
They are so worth it
I love to explore on motorbike do you think this would be a suitable way to explore?
A lot of people I have heard of have done it… Just remember that the routes are long and the weather warm đŸ™‚
What a thorough guide! Looks like you covered all the bases.
Thank you.
Oooooh I love those colors… and that food… and… well, pretty much everything! I so have to go to India!! đŸ™‚
Thanks. Hope you are booking your tickets đŸ˜€
I really loved Jaipur, it’s without a doubt one of the most beautiful cities I’ve ever visited. When I visited with my parents, we stayed at the Taj there and it is seriously awesome+luxurious! And the breakfast was a mix of Western+Indian which meant that my brother and I would eat chocolate cereal followed by fried Indian food, much to the horror of my mother and amusement of my father.
I can imagine any mom rolling her eyes for that. Fond memories… Thanks for stopping by
This is the heritage itinerary.You may want to talk about wildlife/birding – Ranthambore and Bera would be exciting for wildlife enthusiasts, while Bharatpur and Sambhar Lake would work well for birders.
Of course Ajay. A separate post on that. đŸ™‚ This one is on more of general planning for Rajasthan
I have only been to Jaipur until now, but I’d like to enjoy Pushkar Fair and Kolayat saddhu festival one day…
And am sure you will love it
Very useful tips Ami. I was initially planning a family trip to Rajasthan covering jaipur->Bikaner->Jaishalmer->Jodhpur->Udaipur->Jaipur. But the time we had at hand (10 days). So we settled for just jaipur and udaipur. we would also cover some smaller places near to these cities.Rest of the places we would cover later on in a separate trip. Stay tuned for my account of the journey
Awesome. Have a great time
Wonderful Rajasthan travel guide. Rajasthan Holidays are a journey into a rich, colorful, mystical and traditional past of the Rajputs
Thank you Surender. It sure is a lovely cultural journey
Your photos of Rajasthan are gorgeous! The food looks great. Wondering if gluten free would be easy in Rajasthan.
Thank you Alexa. Gluten Free might just be difficult. Rajasthani food is quite rich đŸ˜›
Nice Picture, I Really Like and Thank you for sharing this Picture…
Thanks
this is a great guide for Rajasthan. Unfortunately, knowing that the best time to visit is during the winters/autumn ; we had no choice but to go during the summers. It was uncomfortable to be honest, but that was the only time available for us and we decided to go for it rather than give it a miss. I visited Chouki Dhani and it was an absolute pleasure.
Thanks Subhadrika. Summers does suck a bit of comfort out of you. Hope you get to go again and this time in a slightly cooler weather. Glad you enjoyed Chowki Dhani. Personally I felt it was a little overhyped. I am told there are better places than that in Jaipur. I am keeping those for my next time đŸ˜€
Rajasthan is perfect place for every tourist. In Rajasthan you can explore heritage, wild, and dessert tour. Palace and dessert is main attraction of Rajasthan. Ajmer is my favorite city in Rajasthan state.
Thanks Suraj. Mine is Udaipur đŸ˜€
Hi Ami.. I was planning a trip to Rajasthan in December and stumbled upon this. Thanks for sharing such useful information. I would like to include Ranthambore into the plan. Do you have any recommendations?
Hey Anusha, Coincidence. I have a post coming up tomorrow which should help you. Stay tuned.
such a amazing place is Rajasthan for tourism, and thankx for sharing is lovely post wit us , a part from that To experience the beauty of Jaisalmer Camel Safari, Enjoy some of the most amazing royal desert camp jaisalmer activities arranged by Joggan
Thanks Harish
m planning a 6 day trip ,.and would like to cover tajmahal , jaipur , ajmer and udaipur ..and back to mumbai ,i would be starting from delhi ,would be travelling alone. if anyone can help me with transport medium and places to stay at night, that would be helpfull..???
Hi Vipin. Take a look at this post. It should help you. https://thrillingtravel.in/2016/10/road-trips-rajasthan-tourism.html
Thank you.
Rajasthan is an amazing place. Either you see their rich heritage properties or their unique culture. when i was at Rajasthan i stayed at WelcomHeritage Koolwal Kothi . This hotel is an amazing hotel and in Nawalgarh, Nawalgarh is a beautiful heritage place in Rajasthan.
Thanks Parmeet. The Heritage properties are definitely an experience that I recommend.
Really nice article. Makes for a good read.
Thanks Nikhil.
Rajasthan is beautiful place for travelling. Rajasthan is a land of tempting and delectable food items.
Yes indeed. Rajasthan is amazing.
Hi, Finally going to Rajasthan for a 6 day trip, were are four of us besides a 4 month old kiddo, pls suggest some good itinerary as tickets are booked from 25th Jan Jodhpur to be first & Udaipur to be the last destination.
Hello Rakesh, You can find a lot of the suggested itineraries in this archive. These should help you plan. https://thrillingtravel.in/2016/10/road-trips-rajasthan-tourism.html
Hi Ami,
Wonderful travel tips i must say. I would like to add few more Rajasthan travel tips in this list.
– Don’t visit Jaipur during peak holidays season like Christmas and New Year. Jaipur has huge rush during this time and you won’t able to reach any destination in time as well as you won’t find parking space and tourist guide.
– It will take more than hour to enter in any tourist place like Amer fort because of heavy rush.
– Spend Night in Thar Desert Sand Dunes in cold night (It will be memorable experience)
– Visit Kuldhara Village in late evening for some thrilling experience.
– I have done road trip from Ahmedabad to Udaipur & Kumbhalgarh (Full your petrol tank in the route of Udaipur to Kumbhalgarh) – Reach before sunset
Rajasthan trip is really memorable trip for me and soon visit Ranthambhore & Keoladeo national park in my next visit.
Thank you Niraj.
I truly admire your knowledge, but you can also consider few points while travelling Rajasthan. Like, Dress appropriately, Transact in cash, For economically stay options, ask locals for dharamshala, Bargain for auto-rides, and food is spicy and greasy – carry antacid with you.
Thanks Jhon. I think you must dress appropriately no matter where you travel. With auto rides, best to figure out the price prior from your hotel or guide.
Hello! I love your blog! We are also providing the Rajasthan Tour Packages at Great Cost.
Thanks
Handy tips thanks, I am in Jodhpur right now and heading to Jaisalmer by train tomorrow đŸ™‚
Glad to be of help Andrew. Have a good trip.
THANKS AMI FOR SHARE SUCH A GREAT INFORMATION ABOUT RAJASTHAN. I AM GOING RAJASTHAN IN NEXT MONTH AND YOUR BLOG HELP ME TO MAKE MY TRAVELLING LIST IN RAJASTHAN, THANK YOU SO MUCH
Thank you. And I hope you have a wonderful trip.
Rajasthan is also known as pink city of india. your blog help me to travel in rajasthan. thanks for share your experience with us.
Glad to help. Thank you for stopping by
Great information. Includes every thing in it.
Thank you
Thank you.
Thanks for sach a information about Rajasthan whenever go there for Trip. Jaipur is really best place in Rajasthan.
It sure is. I hope you do get to visit the other places too.
very nice blog..you have shared very useful information related to rajasthan.. after reading this blog i am more intrested to know more about rajasthan and thier culture..thanks for sharing such nice blog.
Thank you Surbhi
I must say you have an amazing blog. Even I am a traveler and travel blogger and would like to invite you to read my blog.
Hope you like it.
Thank you Urvesh. I shall definitely drop by.
Rajasthan is totally different tourist destination from any other places in India. It is a place of Mystery and History. Once I went there for some official purpose but the experience was everlasting. Big palaces and forts have enough story to give you thrill. Thanks for sharing about Rajasthan.
I agree, there is so much of history and tradition here. Quite mesmerizing. Thanks for stopping by
Landscape of Rajasthan takes you through the glorious and grandeur past of Indian royalty!
It sure does.
That is a wonderfull traveling blog i like it blog. thanks for give rajasthan travel info.
Thank you
really praise worthy. Each and every minute details are very effectively explained. Will help a Lott in learning Rajasthan more in the trip. And most importantly this blog tips will definitely reduce our time and search efforts.
Thank you so much for the appreciation
Thanks. Very useful for first time visitor. Rajasthan is colourful city and one of best places of Tourist interest in India. I am going to visit in Rajasthan in November last week.
THank you Diya and I hope you have a wonderful time. Cheers
The places in Rajasthan are really very exciting. Many of the tourists can have some exciting moments here.
Thanks Gaurav
That’s a great and amazing article about Rajasthan thanks for sharing this Ami Bhat, I have travelled to many places in India, but only in groups, and I always want to travel alone. After coming across through your article I got an idea for a solo bike ride to Rajasthan for next summer. Hope everything goes well as planned.
Good luck with that.Am sure you will have fun
Rajasthan is my Favourite place and i have decided to spend summer vacation on this place.I hope your tips will be helpful for me , when i visit there.
You sure will have a good time. Cheers
Taking road trips in Rajasthan is our favorite type of family holiday!! Have done shekhawati and Mewar regions and now planning the other ones!!
And I have to still do Shekhawati. Hoping to do that soon.
Hi i am laura i read your blog it was good and giving information about rajasthan, the largest state of india is one of the most popular tourism destination in the country .thank you for bringing rajasthan to the attention of traveller thanks for sharing
Thank you Laura. Happy you liked it.
Great Content. Thanks for Sharing
Glad you liked it.
Rajasthan is a lovely place to visit, i have memories of visiting the Jaisalmer, Johdpur and Ranthabhore park, lookforward to visit again, thanks for your article.
Glad you enjoyed it. Cheers
Working for a hotel industry, your content are very useful for our foreign guests who likes to visit Rajasthan. I hope one day i will also visit some places of Rajasthan and look forward to stay one of the small haveli as my budget is not high, may be have some feel of royal culture of kings.
Thank you and am glad you find the content useful
Thanks for providing such an interesting travel tips on Rajastan.I will surely follow this tips when I will visit Rajastan
Thanks Manish. Glad you found them useful
Thanks for this detailed info
You are welcome
Thanks for sharing these valuable tips with us! Rajasthan is a must-visit place and this guide is indeed helpful.
Thank you Pooja. Glad you found it useful
Your efforts in every post are incredible! You have described everything about Rajasthan so well. Great tips!
Thank you Ashwin. That is a high praise.
nice article interesting in reading and awesome pictures informative post thanks for sharing with us…..!
Thank you
Rajasthan is a remarkable royal state and it is among the few states that have reserved its unique charm, heritage and beauty.The history of Rajasthan and the lifestyle of ancestors are idle for today’s generation and are meant to be experienced.
Very well said. The state is meant to be experienced/
Rajasthan is really a fascinating place for those who love to explore historical places. Thanks for sharing this informative article.
Indeed. It is a lovely place for heritage buffs.
I heard about Rajasthan through one of my friend who words in ICICI and always travels here and there for work purpose. I am not sure where this is the right time to visit the place or not because this is the summer season but after this, i will not get the time for such plannings. I am planning to visit, Gujrath, Rajasthan and some of the other places as well in this summer season.
Summer will be a little hot. Wait for a few months and am sure you will enjoy Rajasthan better.
Nice Blog! such an informative blog about the places of Rajasthan and the best time to visit Rajasthan.
Thank you. Glad you liked it.
Nice Blog! such an informative blog about the places of Rajasthan.
Thank you.
Nice and informative blog. These are just awesome tips for visiting Rajasthan.
Thank you. Glad you like it.
The best part of the blog is covered all the important aspect of the journey, So I liked this blog very much.
Thank you. Glad you like it
Rajasthan is good place for holiday. I found this much useful information on this blog. You share the tips are very helpful for Rajasthan travelling. Thanks!
Glad you found this helpful. Thank you.
Rajasthan is one of the most beautiful place in world to visit and enjoy holiday.
Thank you. Glad you also, think so.
Thanks to you, my work is cut down by half as i already have a travel itinerary in front of me.
Thank you. Glad that you found the post useful
Hello,
It is a blog content is beautiful.
thank you for share us
Thank you. Glad you liked it.
I have one doubt..Can we stay in thar dessert one night excluding the package?.Is an individual allowed to stay in Thar dessert with tents?.Please let me know
There is no restriction as such but it is best to have a guide with you as you could meander off.
Hi, I like your post this is really interesting.
Thank you Shrishti.
November to March is the best season to visit Rajasthan.
It sure is .
This information is wonderful about Rajasthan thanks for sharing this information with us.
Glad you found it useful
Well given tips. Last time, when I visited Rajasthan. I forgot to double-check the hotel stay. After it, I realized that many things I had to plan before. In morning, I was just scrolling randomly post about the best travel tips if I visit Rajasthan. I found this blog and extremely beneficial for my future trip to Rajasthan.
Glad to be of help
wonderful overview of Rajasthan .from best hotels to stay to food to shopping very informative and helpful content
Glad you found it useful. Thanks
Interesting blog. Nice places with nice pictures. Thank you for sharing this interesting blog
Glad you like the effort
It’s a wonderful post and very helpful, thanks for all this information. Really helpful Info! that’s all i can say about your Posts.
Thank you so much