Planning a Rajasthan trip: which cities to pick for 5, 7 or 10 days
By Ganesh ·
How to choose between Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Pushkar and Ranthambore, how long each needs, the routes that work for 5, 7 and 10 days, how to get between them, and rough costs in rupees.
Rajasthan is big, and the cities people want to see are far apart. Jaisalmer is about 550 km from Jaipur. The usual mistake is trying to fit in all four big names in a week and spending half of it in a car. Pick by how many days you have: Jaipur and Udaipur for 5 days, add Jodhpur for 7, and add Jaisalmer for 10.
How long each place needs
| Place | Nights | Why go |
|---|---|---|
| Jaipur | 2 | Amer Fort, City Palace, Hawa Mahal, bazaars. Easy to reach. |
| Udaipur | 2 | Lakes, City Palace, the most relaxed of the big cities. |
| Jodhpur | 1-2 | Mehrangarh Fort, the blue old town. |
| Jaisalmer | 2 | Living fort, havelis, a night in the dunes. |
| Pushkar | 1 | Lake and ghats, small and laid-back. Close to Jaipur. |
| Ranthambore | 2 | Tiger safaris (the park closes in the monsoon). |
| Bundi, Chittorgarh, Bikaner | 1 each | Fewer crowds, if you've seen the big ones. |
Routes that work
Five days
Two nights in Jaipur, then fly or take the train to Udaipur for two nights, and fly home from Udaipur. If you'd rather avoid flying, do Jaipur, Pushkar and Jodhpur instead. They're closer together by road and rail.
Seven days
Jaipur (2 nights), Jodhpur (2) and Udaipur (2). Go from Jodhpur to Udaipur by road and stop at the Ranakpur Jain temple on the way. It's about 5 to 6 hours with the stop, and Ranakpur is one of the most beautiful buildings in the state. Fly into Jaipur and out of Udaipur.
Ten days
Jaipur (2), Jaisalmer (2, one of them in a desert camp), Jodhpur (2), Udaipur (2), with a night in Pushkar or two in Ranthambore at the start. The Jaipur to Jaisalmer leg is long, so take the overnight train or a flight and then come back east by road through Jodhpur.
Getting around
- Trains link Jaipur, Ajmer (for Pushkar), Jodhpur and Jaisalmer well. Jodhpur to Jaisalmer is about 5 to 6 hours.
- Udaipur is less well connected by train to the west. Drive from Jodhpur.
- Many travellers hire a car with a driver for the whole trip. You pay per kilometre with a daily minimum, plus the driver's allowance. It's the most flexible way to see places like Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh that are hard to reach otherwise.
- Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Jaisalmer all have airports, but flights between them are limited. Check before you build the route around one.
Rough cost per person for 7 days
| Item | Budget (₹, approx.) | Mid-range (₹, approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| Flights into Jaipur, out of Udaipur | 7,000-12,000 | 10,000-16,000 |
| Car and driver, Jaipur to Udaipur via Jodhpur (split by two) | 9,000-12,000 | 11,000-15,000 |
| Stays, sharing a room, 6 nights | 7,000-12,000 | 20,000-45,000 |
| Forts, palaces, guides | 2,500-4,000 | 4,000-6,000 |
| Food | 3,500-6,000 | 6,000-10,000 |
| Total | 29,000-46,000 | 51,000-92,000 |
Heritage hotels in old havelis and palaces are what Rajasthan does best. They push the mid-range number up but are often worth one or two nights.
When to go
October to March. December and January nights are cold in the desert, close to freezing in Jaisalmer. April to June is very hot. The monsoon (July to September) is green around Udaipur and quiet elsewhere, but Ranthambore's core zones close. The Pushkar fair falls in October or November, around Kartik Purnima, and the Jaisalmer Desert Festival is in February; book early for both.
Questions people ask
Is Jaisalmer worth the distance?
If you have ten days, yes. It's the only big fort in India that people still live inside, and the dunes are the real desert. On a seven-day trip, skip it rather than rush it.
Udaipur or Jodhpur if I can only pick one?
Udaipur for lakes, a slower pace and nicer hotels. Jodhpur for the fort, which is the most impressive in the state.
Do I need a guide?
At Mehrangarh, the audio guide is good. At Amer and Udaipur's City Palace, a licensed guide from the official counter makes the visit much better. Avoid people who approach you at the gate.
Photo: Jaisalmer Fort, India by Clément Bardot, CC BY-SA 4.0 (Wikimedia Commons)
Read in: राजस्थान ट्रिप की योजना: 5, 7 या 10 दिन में कौन से शहर चुनें