Rajasthan Itinerary: 7, 10 and 14 Days of Forts, Deserts and Lakes

Short answer: With 7 days, do Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur with a stop at Ranakpur between the last two. With 10 days, add Jaisalmer and a night in the desert. With 14 days, add Pushkar at the start and Chittorgarh, Bundi and a Ranthambore tiger safari on the way back to Jaipur. Travel by private car with a driver; the longest single drive on these routes is about 5–6 hours, and the season is October to March.

How many days do you need in Rajasthan?

Rajasthan is India’s largest state by area, and the four cities most visitors want – Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur – sit in a rough loop that is about 1,300 km of driving. Seven days covers three of them without rushing. Ten days adds the desert at Jaisalmer, which is the piece most people regret skipping. Fourteen days lets you slow down and add the smaller places: Pushkar, Bundi, Chittorgarh and a tiger safari at Ranthambore.

The rule we use when planning: no more than one long drive every second day, and never arrive after dark. Rajasthan’s highways are mostly good two- or four-lane roads, but towns between cities are slow, and cattle and camel carts share the road after sunset. Our drivers plan every leg so you reach the hotel by late afternoon.

Dollar figures in this guide use roughly ₹95 to the US dollar (October 2026). Treat them as approximate.

Which route should you take around Rajasthan?

Most international visitors enter from Delhi or the Golden Triangle and leave by flight from Udaipur or Jaipur. Both cities have airports with several daily flights to Delhi and Mumbai. That gives two sensible directions:

• Clockwise (Jaipur → Jodhpur → Jaisalmer → Udaipur): you finish in the gentlest city, with lake views and a good airport. This is the order we use below.
• Anticlockwise (Jaipur → Udaipur → Jodhpur → Jaisalmer → Bikaner → Delhi): works if you want to end with the desert and return to Delhi overland via Bikaner and the Shekhawati painted towns.

Distances that matter, as our drivers measure them door to door:

Distances are rounded from our own trip sheets and standard road maps; road works around Jodhpur and Udaipur can add 30–45 minutes. Our Jaipur to Udaipur, Udaipur to Jodhpur and Jodhpur to Jaisalmer guides cover each leg in detail, with the train alternatives.

Rajasthan itinerary: 7 days

This is the classic first-timer’s route. It assumes you arrive in Jaipur on day 1, either by the morning Shatabdi from Delhi (our Delhi to Jaipur guide compares the options) or by car after Agra.

• Day 1 – Jaipur: arrive by late morning. Afternoon at the City Palace and Jantar Mantar, sunset from the bazaars of the walled city.
• Day 2 – Jaipur: Amer Fort at opening, then Panna Meena stepwell, Jaigarh or Nahargarh, and the Albert Hall if you have energy left. Our things to do in Jaipur list ranks the rest.
• Day 3 – Jaipur → Jodhpur: 6 hours by car with lunch at Pushkar, or the daytime train. Evening walk in the old blue city below the fort.
• Day 4 – Jodhpur: Mehrangarh Fort (foreign ticket ₹600, about US$6.30; open 9:00–17:00, per fee listings checked 30 Oct 2026), Jaswant Thada, the Toorji stepwell and the Clock Tower market.
• Day 5 – Jodhpur → Ranakpur → Udaipur: leave by 8:00, 2.5 hours to the Ranakpur Jain temple (non-Jain visitors are admitted from about midday – check the time locally), then 2.5 hours on to Udaipur through the Aravalli hills.
• Day 6 – Udaipur: City Palace in the morning (foreign ticket about ₹700, roughly US$7.40), Jagdish Temple, afternoon boat on Lake Pichola, dance show at Bagore ki Haveli at 19:00.
• Day 7 – Udaipur: Sajjangarh (Monsoon Palace) at sunrise or a half-day to Eklingji and Nagda, then fly out.

If you only have five or six days, cut Jodhpur rather than Udaipur, and take the direct Jaipur → Udaipur road (about 400 km, 7 hours) or the overnight train.

Rajasthan itinerary: 10 days

Ten days is the length we recommend most often, because it fits Jaisalmer. The desert city is 285 km west of Jodhpur, and a night in a tented camp near the Sam or Khuri dunes is the single most memorable thing in the state for most of our guests.

• Days 1–2 – Jaipur: as above.
• Day 3 – Jaipur → Jodhpur via Pushkar.
• Day 4 – Jodhpur: Mehrangarh and the old city.
• Day 5 – Jodhpur → Jaisalmer: 5 hours by car, stopping at the 8th–11th century temples at Osian. Afternoon inside Jaisalmer Fort, sunset from the fort walls or Gadisar Lake.
• Day 6 – Jaisalmer → desert camp: morning at Patwon ki Haveli and the other merchant mansions, then 40 km to Sam for a camel ride at sunset and a night under canvas. Note the 2026 rule that the Sam dunes close to vehicles after sunset; camps are unaffected but late jeep safaris are not allowed.
• Day 7 – Jaisalmer → Jodhpur: return drive. Spend the evening at the Toorji stepwell cafes or the Umaid Bhawan museum.
• Day 8 – Jodhpur → Ranakpur → Udaipur.
• Days 9–10 – Udaipur: add Kumbhalgarh (85 km, open 9:00–18:00; its wall runs about 36 km) or the Monsoon Palace at sunset.

Our guide to choosing a Jaisalmer desert camp explains the difference between the Sam strip and the quieter Khuri dunes, and Jaisalmer in December covers the cold-night packing list.

Rajasthan itinerary: 14 days

Two weeks lets you add places that most tour companies skip, and it ends with tigers.

Ranthambore safari seats are sold through the Rajasthan forest department portal and the better zones sell out weeks ahead in peak season; our tiger safari guide explains zones and booking. If Agra is still on your list, Ranthambore → Bharatpur → Agra is about 5 hours and lets you finish at the Taj Mahal, which is closed on Fridays.

When is the best time for a Rajasthan itinerary?

October to March is the season. October and November are warm (30°C days) and clear, and November brings the Pushkar Camel Fair; see our Pushkar Mela 2026 guide for this year’s dates. December and January have pleasant days of 20–25°C but desert nights that drop to around 5°C, so a desert camp needs a proper jacket. February and early March are ideal, with Holi on 22 March 2027 as a reason to be in Jaipur or Udaipur.

April to June is very hot, with afternoons above 40°C in Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. Hotels discount heavily, but sightseeing is limited to early morning and after 17:00. July to September is monsoon: Udaipur’s lakes fill and the Aravallis turn green, while the western desert stays mostly dry. Our best time to visit India guide has the month-by-month picture.

How should you get around, and what does it cost?

A private car with an English-speaking driver is how almost all of our international guests travel in Rajasthan. The driver stays with you for the whole loop, handles parking and hotel gates, and waits during sightseeing. For two people a mid-size sedan is enough; for a family or lots of luggage an SUV such as an Innova Crysta is better.

Trains work well on specific legs: Jaipur–Jodhpur and Jodhpur–Jaisalmer have good daytime and overnight services, and Jaipur–Udaipur has an overnight train. Udaipur–Jodhpur by rail is slow and indirect, which is why the Ranakpur road is better. Our guide to Indian train classes explains which carriages to book.

Monument tickets add up for foreign visitors. From 1 January 2026, Jaipur’s state-run monuments charge foreigners ₹1,000 at Amer Fort and ₹600 each at Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Nahargarh and the Albert Hall (Zee News report on the Rajasthan archaeology department order, checked 30 Oct 2026); the composite ticket is now valid for 10 days. Mehrangarh is ₹600, Udaipur City Palace about ₹700, Jaisalmer Fort about ₹500 and Patwon ki Haveli ₹150. Budget roughly ₹5,000–6,000 (US$55–65) per person for entry fees over 10 days, and confirm at each counter.

For a quoted price covering car, driver, hotels and breakfasts, see our Rajasthan packages for international travellers or ask us for a quote on the Royal Rajasthan tour. Our Rajasthan packages page lists the shorter options.

Which cities should you skip if time is short?

Skip in this order: Bundi first (lovely but small), then Chittorgarh (a long day for one fort), then Pushkar (unless the fair is on), then Jodhpur. Never skip Udaipur if you are flying out of Rajasthan, and never skip Jaisalmer if you have 10 days – the drive is long, but it is the only place where the itinerary stops feeling like a sequence of palaces. Our city guides to Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur will help you decide.

Frequently asked questions

Is 7 days enough for Rajasthan?

Seven days covers Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur comfortably with a stop at Ranakpur, and that is a satisfying first trip. It is not enough to add Jaisalmer, because the desert city is a 5-hour drive each way from Jodhpur. If the desert matters to you, plan 10 days.

What is the best order to visit Rajasthan cities?

Jaipur → Jodhpur → Jaisalmer → Jodhpur → Ranakpur → Udaipur is the order we use most. It keeps every drive under about 6 hours, puts the desert in the middle and finishes in Udaipur, which has a good airport with flights to Delhi and Mumbai. The reverse works if you want to end with the desert.

Can you do Rajasthan by train instead of car?

Partly. Jaipur–Jodhpur and Jodhpur–Jaisalmer have good trains, and Jaipur–Udaipur has an overnight service. The Jodhpur–Udaipur leg is slow by rail and better by road through Ranakpur. Most international visitors combine a car and driver for the loop with one or two train legs for the experience.

How much do Rajasthan monument tickets cost for foreigners?

From 1 January 2026, Jaipur charges foreign visitors ₹1,000 at Amer Fort and ₹600 at each of Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Nahargarh and the Albert Hall. Mehrangarh in Jodhpur is ₹600, Udaipur City Palace about ₹700 and Jaisalmer Fort about ₹500. Allow roughly ₹5,000–6,000 (US$55–65) per person for 10 days and check at each counter.

Which month is best for a Rajasthan itinerary?

November, February and early March have the most comfortable days, 25–30°C and dry. December and January are cooler with cold desert nights, and November adds the Pushkar Camel Fair. Avoid April to June, when afternoons pass 40°C in Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. The monsoon from July to September is green and quiet but humid.

Can you combine Rajasthan with the Taj Mahal?

Yes, easily. Agra is about 240 km from Jaipur, roughly 4 hours by car, and Fatehpur Sikri and the Abhaneri stepwell sit on the way. Many visitors do Delhi → Agra → Jaipur first, then continue into Rajasthan. Remember the Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays and opens 30 minutes before sunrise on other days.