Rajasthan & Varanasi: 10 days in Delhi, Agra, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Varanasi

Overview

Two faces of India in one trip: the forts and palaces of Rajasthan — Jaipur, Jodhpur, Ranakpur and Udaipur — after Delhi and the Taj Mahal, and finally Varanasi, the holy city on the Ganges, with the Ganga Aarti at dusk and a boat ride at sunrise.

A private road trip through Rajasthan with your own car and driver and an approved local guide in every city. The Udaipur–Varanasi leg is a flight, which is not included and we can book for you.

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 Agra: Agra Fort and Baby Taj Overnight: Agra Included

   

   After breakfast, drive from Delhi to Agra (about 3.5–4 hours).

   In the afternoon, visit Agra Fort with your guide — the great red-sandstone Mughal fortress from which Shah Jahan gazed at the Taj Mahal in his last years — and Itimad-ud-Daulah, the "Baby Taj", the delicate marble tomb often called the draft of the Taj Mahal.

   Time permitting, watch the sunset over the Taj Mahal from Mehtab Bagh, across the Yamuna river.

3. 3
   Day 3 Taj Mahal at sunrise, Fatehpur Sikri and Jaipur Overnight: Jaipur Included

   

   Early in the morning, visit the Taj Mahal in the soft sunrise light, when there are fewer visitors. The white-marble mausoleum built by Emperor Shah Jahan in the 17th century in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Back to the hotel for breakfast.

   Drive to Jaipur (about 5–6 hours with the visits). On the way, see Fatehpur Sikri, the red-sandstone imperial city Emperor Akbar built and abandoned a few years later, and, time permitting, the Chand Baori stepwell at Abhaneri.

   Arrive in Jaipur, the Pink City, and check in.

4. 4
   Day 4 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.

5. 5
   Day 5 Drive to Jodhpur, the Blue City Overnight: Jodhpur Included

   

   After breakfast, drive to Jodhpur (about 6 hours).

   In the afternoon, visit Mehrangarh Fort, one of the most impressive forts in India, 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, among the blue houses of the old city.

6. 6
   Day 6 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.

7. 7
   Day 7 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).

8. 8
   Day 8 Fly to Varanasi Overnight: Varanasi Included

   

   After breakfast, transfer to Udaipur airport for your flight to Varanasi, usually via Delhi. The flight is not included — we can book it for you.

   On arrival in Varanasi, you are met at the airport and transferred to your hotel. At dusk, watch the Ganga Aarti at Dashashwamedh Ghat: hundreds of lamps, chants and bells on the banks of the Ganges.

9. 9
   Day 9 Sunrise on the Ganges and Sarnath Overnight: Varanasi Included

   

   At dawn, a boat ride on the Ganges past the ghats, where pilgrims bathe and pray as the sun rises. Then a walk through the lanes of the old city, one of the oldest living cities in the world.

   In the afternoon, an excursion to Sarnath, about 12 km away, where the Buddha gave his first sermon, with its stupas and archaeological museum.

10. Day 10 Departure from Varanasi Included

    

    Free morning in Varanasi. Your driver takes you to the airport or railway station for your onward journey; the flight or train is not included and we can book it for you.

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 → Agra → Jaipur → Jodhpur → Ranakpur → Udaipur → (flight) Varanasi

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