India

Lady’s Rajasthan Itinerary

Today I want to share my Rajasthan itinerary with you. The Land of Kings is one of the most exciting places to visit in India, and it’s worth a special trip to see the highlights.

Rajasthan Itinerary

Rajasthan Itinerary

After my tour of the Golden Triangle and my exciting (albeit tiger-less) safari in Ranthambore National Park, I looked forward to continuing my trip to India with a visit to the Land of Kings. Here’s how my Rajasthan itinerary went.

Jaisalmer Fort, Rajasthan

Rajasthan: Jaipur

After Ranthambore, I headed back to Jaipur for a quick stop in Galta. After checking into my room at the Pearl Palace, I made my way over for a visit.

Galta is a collection of 250-year-old temples on the outskirts of Jaipur’s city center. It’s a peaceful haven away from the chaotic heart of the Pink City.

Red building in Galta, India

To get to Galta I had to climb a hill with switchbacks. Each one was home to a different kind of animal, be it dogs, pigs, cows, goats, or monkeys. When I reached the top, I found that monkeys reigned supreme.

Monkey overlooking Jaipur

From the highest point on the hill, every step of my steep descent into the ravine of Galta was flanked by the simian creatures, some fighting, some playing, and some just staring off into space.

When I got all the way down to the bottom of the rock chasm, I felt like I had found Shangri-La (or its Indian equivalent).

Hidden behind huge rocks was an enormous temple complex that looked like something straight out of an Indiana Jones movie.

There were pools, temples, winding steps, arches, carvings, and more monkeys. It was beautiful. And so peaceful. I had found my favorite place in Rajasthan. Well, so far.

Galta temple complex in India

Rajasthan: Ajmer and Pushkar

The following day my Rajasthan itinerary took me to my not-so-favorite place in the Land of Kings.

Ajmer wasn’t so bad, but I couldn’t help but take it as an unfortunate omen when I stepped out of my taxi and my flip-flop landed right in a pile of fresh cow dung.

Ajmer mosque in Rajasthan, India

Scraping along the street, I made my way to the mosque, which is Ajmer’s main attraction.

The mosque complex was a colorful one. In addition to the actual prayer spaces, it housed an entire market which seemed to specialize in beautiful flowers (used for religious purposes) as well as other everyday goods.

There were people everywhere, sitting, walking, standing, praying, bathing, and staring at the western tourist, of course.

Fruit Cart in Ajmer, India

Following my visit to the mosque, I made my way back to the taxi and headed to Pushkar, the famous city on the lake.

Cow in Pushkar, India

This part of Rajasthan is known for its lakeside temples, including one of the only temples in India dedicated to Brahma.

The lake is surrounded by ghats, or steps, that lead down to the water and allow the religious faithful (and tourists on soul-searching missions) to perform rites and ablutions.

Cows by the lake in Pushkar, Rajasthan

After a quick lunch at a hotel full of strung-out Westerners (Pushkar is equally famous for its Western hippies), including a Frenchman in a leopard-print Speedo and an English family that had just adopted a street dog, I started walking around Pushkar.

Trinkets for sale at a market in Pushkar, India

I quickly visited the Brahma temple, then meandered through the main street that winds around the lake.

The road was flanked on both sides with tourist shops selling everything from patchouli oil to scarves, elephant statues to pillowcases. The occasional camel wandered by, too.

Man with camel in Rajasthan

The ghats were more interesting, and certainly more beautiful, than the street from which they descended.

I declined the offers of enterprising priests who wanted to walk me through a ritual (before asking for money, of course), and instead enjoyed the gorgeous lake views, meandering cows, and beautiful colors of Rajasthan.

Dye cones at a Market in Pushkar, India

Rajasthan: Udaipur

Speaking of beautiful, the next stop on my Rajasthan itinerary was Udaipur. It was the prettiest city I visited in Rajasthan. I checked into my room at Hotel Mewar Haveli and started exploring as soon as I could.

Jagdish Temple in Udaipur, India

From the gorgeous white marble of the Lake Palace to the stunning interiors of the City Palace and the amazing views from the Monsoon Palace, Udaipur dazzled me with its royal charm.

Lake Palace in Udaipur, India

Despite there being many sights to see in Udaipur, I saw them all surprisingly quickly. I visited the aforementioned City and Monsoon palaces as well as another palace on Lake Pichola.

Lake Pichola in Udaipur, Rajasthan

I went to the beautiful royal cenotaphs, the intricately-carved Jagdish Temple, the city rose garden, the Garden of the Maids of Honor (which was full of bright fuchsia bougainvillea), and the sunset point.

Garden of the Maids of Honor in Udaipur, Rajasthan

I even saw the world’s largest turban in an old haveli that’s now a museum.

Colorful Buildings in Udaipur, India

I went to a local market where women were selling everything from miniature eggplants to brightly-colored spices.

Market in Rajasthan

I enjoyed German pastries and tea at Cafe Edelweiss, and I dined al fresco on the rooftop restaurant of my hotel and a few others. I relaxed. I fell in love with Udaipur.

Jagdish Temple in Udaipur

Rajasthan: Jodhpur

But alas, I had to move on. The next stop on my Rajasthan itinerary was Jodhpur, the Blue City. As soon as I arrived, I checked into my room at Ratan Vilas and got on the sightseeing trail.

Jodhpur city view in Rajasthan

Jodhpur was home to the most beautiful fort I saw in Rajasthan.

Its high walls and carefully-carved windows were stunning, and its opulent rooms (some with giant Christmas baubles hanging from the ceiling) ranged from gorgeous to a bit over-the-top (did I mention Christmas baubles?).

Jodhpur Fort in Rajasthan

Also in Jodhpur I visited the Umaid Bhawan Palace, a 20th-century Art Deco number that’s now a hotel.

I went out to the monkey garden, complete with cenotaphs and a Wall of Heroes with plaster casts of humans, gods, and everything in between.

Jodhpur Monkey Garden Temple in Rajasthan

The most stunning monument in Jodhpur was the Jaswant Thada, a memorial made of bright white marble that was reminiscent of the Taj Mahal.

Jaswant Thada memorial in Jodhpur

I liked it even more when I found a dog with eight adorable newborn puppies nearby, most of which were still wobbly when they walked. I wanted to take them all home. I took some pictures instead.

Rajasthan: Jaisalmer

Moving on from Jodhpur, I spent a rickety night in a 3rd-class carriage on a train to Jaisalmer, the last destination on my Rajasthan itinerary.

I arrived at 6am and went to my hotel, the Shahi Palace, where the staff took me up to the roof deck and gave me tea and breakfast while I read partly by candlelight and partly by the barely-there light of dawn.

French toast for breakfast in Jaisalmer

As the sun rose, it illuminated the stunning Jaisalmer Fort. The golden sandstone walls glowed in the early light and I sat staring at it until the sun came up.

Jaisalmer Fort in Rajasthan

I had two objectives in Jaisalmer: to see the fort and to ride a camel. The latter came first. That afternoon I went into the Thar Desert with a group of people from my hotel.

After visiting the royal cenotaphs and a stunning Jain temple, we drove for an hour out into the desert to meet our camels.

Jaisalmer Jain temple in Rajasthan

Safely in the Rajasthan desert and just 40 miles (65 kilometers) from Pakistan, we met our camel guides and hopped on our trusty steeds. In my case, the trusty steed was a seven-year-old camel who was four months pregnant.

Camel in the Thar Desert in Rajasthan

Our guides took us and our camels out into the sand dunes in Rajasthan, where we walked around for a while chasing beetles and waiting for the sunset. It was lovely. I never imagined there would be sand dunes in India.

Sand dunes in the Thar Desert in Rajasthan

My second goal of the last leg of my Rajasthan itinerary was accomplished when I went to Jaisalmer Fort. The only fort to be inhabited by residents (and lots of tourists), Jaisalmer Fort was different from the others I had seen.

Jaisalmer Fort in Rajasthan

I took a tour of the palace, which was built in a similar style to the one in Jodhpur Fort. From the rooftop I enjoyed the views over the Gold City, as Jaisalmer’s sandstone sprawl is affectionately named.

Jaisalmer, Rajasthan

Rajasthan Itinerary: The Verdict

Alas, nothing gold can stay. From Jaisalmer I made my way back to Delhi, where I spent a night at Le Meridien New Delhi and had a fleeting moment to visit the Purana Quila, one of Delhi’s earlier incarnations.

Purana Quila in Delhi, India

The next morning I flew back to London (in business class, compliments of a last-minute double upgrade!).

Arriving at Heathrow, I experienced reverse culture shock after being in India. I’m trying not to get too used to the UK, though, as I leave for India again this weekend.

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Rajasthan Itinerary