Forts, Palaces & Deserts of Rajasthan: 12 days with the Taj Mahal

Overview

The great Rajasthan circuit in 12 days, all by road and back to Delhi: the painted havelis of Mandawa, Junagarh Fort in Bikaner, the Golden City of Jaisalmer and the Sam dunes, the Blue City of Jodhpur, the temples of Ranakpur, Udaipur and its lakes, Jaipur and, to finish, the Taj Mahal in Agra.

A private tour with your own car and driver for the whole route and an approved local guide in every city. No internal flights: it starts and ends in Delhi.

Day-by-day plan by road. Driving times are approximate and the order can be adapted to your dates.

1. Day 1 Arrive in Delhi and city tour Overnight: Delhi Included

   

   Arrive at Delhi International Airport, where your driver waits with a name board, and transfer to your hotel.

   Depending on your arrival time, tour Delhi with your approved guide: Old Delhi, with Jama Masjid — India's largest mosque — and a rickshaw ride through the Chandni Chowk bazaar; then British-built New Delhi, with India Gate, the President's House and Parliament (outside). We finish at Humayun's Tomb, the Mughal garden tomb that inspired the Taj Mahal.

   If your flight lands at night or early morning, the Delhi tour is done the next day before driving to Agra.

2. 2
   Day 2 Drive to Mandawa in Shekhawati Overnight: Mandawa Included

   

   After breakfast, drive to Mandawa (about 5–6 hours) in the Shekhawati region, known as Rajasthan's "open-air art gallery".

   In the afternoon, walk through the town to see its havelis, the mansions of old merchant families covered in painted murals.

3. 3
   Day 3 Drive to Bikaner Overnight: Bikaner Included

   

   After breakfast, drive to Bikaner (about 3.5–4 hours), a desert city founded in the 15th century.

   Visit Junagarh Fort, which was never conquered, with palaces decorated with mirrors and paintings. If you like, visit the camel breeding farm outside the city.

4. 4
   Day 4 Drive to Jaisalmer, the Golden City Overnight: Jaisalmer Included

   

   After breakfast, drive through the Thar Desert to Jaisalmer (about 5–6 hours). On the way, you can stop at the Karni Mata temple in Deshnok, famous for its sacred rats.

   Arrive in Jaisalmer, the golden-sandstone city in the middle of the desert, and check in.

5. 5
   Day 5 Jaisalmer and sunset on the Sam dunes Overnight: Jaisalmer Included

   

   In the morning, visit Jaisalmer Fort, a living fort where families still live among Jain temples and sandstone houses, and the Patwon and Salim Singh havelis, merchant mansions with façades carved like lace. Walk by Gadisar Lake.

   In the afternoon, head to the Sam sand dunes (about 40 km) for a camel ride and the sunset over the desert. If you like, have dinner with desert music and dance at a camp.

6. 6
   Day 6 Drive to Jodhpur, the Blue City Overnight: Jodhpur Included

   

   After breakfast, drive to Jodhpur (about 5 hours).

   In the afternoon, visit Mehrangarh Fort, with its palaces and museum, and Jaswant Thada, the white-marble cenotaph of the maharajas. In the evening, stroll through Sardar Market by the Clock Tower.

7. 7
   Day 7 Ranakpur and drive to Udaipur Overnight: Udaipur Included

   

   After breakfast, drive to Udaipur (about 6–7 hours with the visit). On the way, see the 15th-century Jain temples of Ranakpur in a valley of the Aravalli hills: the main temple has 1,444 carved marble pillars, no two alike. Non-Jain visitors are usually allowed in from midday.

   Arrive in Udaipur, the City of Lakes, and check in.

8. 8
   Day 8 Udaipur, the City of Lakes Overnight: Udaipur Included

   

   In the morning, visit Udaipur's royal palace complex, the largest palace in Rajasthan, on Lake Pichola; Jagdish Temple; and Saheliyon ki Bari, the "Garden of the Maidens".

   In the afternoon, a boat ride on Lake Pichola with views of the palaces and islands.

   In the evening you can watch the traditional dance show at Bagore ki Haveli (optional).

9. 9
   Day 9 Drive to Jaipur, the Pink City Overnight: Jaipur Included

   

   After breakfast, drive to Jaipur (about 7 hours). Check in; the rest of the day is free.

10. 10
    Day 10 Jaipur, the Pink City Overnight: Jaipur Included

    

    In the morning, Amber Fort, the hilltop fort-palace of the maharajas in the Aravalli hills; you go up by jeep. Photo stop at Jal Mahal, the palace in the middle of Man Sagar Lake.

    In the afternoon, the City Palace, still home to the royal family; the Jantar Mantar observatory, a UNESCO World Heritage Site; and the façade of Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Winds.

    End the day in the old-city bazaars, famous for textiles, jewellery and crafts.

11. 11
    Day 11 Fatehpur Sikri and drive to Agra Overnight: Agra Included

    

    After breakfast, drive to Agra (about 5 hours with the visits). On the way, see the Chand Baori stepwell at Abhaneri and Fatehpur Sikri, the red-sandstone imperial city Emperor Akbar built and abandoned a few years later.

    Arrive in Agra. Time permitting, watch the sunset over the Taj Mahal from Mehtab Bagh, across the Yamuna.

12. Day 12 Taj Mahal at sunrise, Agra Fort and back to Delhi Included

    

    Early in the morning, visit the Taj Mahal at sunrise, when there are fewer visitors. The white-marble mausoleum Shah Jahan built in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Back to the hotel for breakfast.

    Then Agra Fort, the great red-sandstone Mughal fortress, and the Baby Taj (Itimad-ud-Daulah).

    In the afternoon, drive back to Delhi on the Yamuna Expressway (about 3.5–4 hours) to your hotel or, if you fly out that night, to the airport.

What's included

Choose your package

All packages include a private AC vehicle with a professional driver for the whole route, bottled water, tolls and taxes. Flights are not included.

Included & not included

Pick-up & drop-off

Route: Delhi → Mandawa → Bikaner → Jaisalmer → Jodhpur → Ranakpur → Udaipur → Jaipur → Agra → Delhi

Your private car & guide

Choose the car that fits your group. Every vehicle is private, fully air-conditioned and driven by a professional, English-speaking driver.

Sedan 4 photos

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Toyota Etios

AC sedan · Couples & solo travellers

• Up to 3 guests
• 2 large bags
• Full AC

Premium SUV 4 photos

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Toyota Innova Crysta

Spacious 3-row SUV · Families & small groups

• Up to 6 guests
• 4 large bags
• Full AC

Luxury van 4 photos

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Force Urbania

Spacious group van · Groups & large families

• Up to 13 guests
• 9, 12 or 13-seater versions
• Large luggage space
• Full AC

These photos show the car models we use. Every car is cleaned before your trip, well maintained and driven by a professional, uniformed driver. You get the model you book (for example, an Innova Crysta), though the exact vehicle — colour or number plate — may differ. See all our vehicles

Travel with confidence

• Fully air-conditionedEvery car, every trip
• Clean, new-condition carsWell-maintained, spotless cabs
• Uniformed, professional driverSmartly dressed & courteous
• English-speaking driverEasy communication all day
• Free bottled waterAlways available in the car
• Private tourOnly you and your group

Good to know & policies

• Carry your passport

  Keep a valid ID or passport with you — it may be checked at the monuments.

• Not allowed at the Taj

  Food, tobacco, tripods, drones and large bags are not allowed inside. Your bags can stay in the car.

• What to wear

  Comfortable shoes and modest clothing (shoulders and knees covered) are best for monuments and temples.

• Best time

  October to March is ideal. Desert nights (Jaisalmer, Bikaner) are cold in December and January; April to June is very hot.

• Accessibility

  Wheelchair accessible on request — please tell us when you enquire.

• Travelling with kids

  Children are welcome — tell us their ages when you enquire.

Frequently asked questions