Photo: Anupamg, CC BY-SA 4.0 on Wikimedia Commons
A week and a day through the three best-known cities of Rajasthan. Two days in Jaipur for a pink city palace, an observatory and a hill fort, a long road day to Jodhpur and its great fort above the old town, a second long road day to Udaipur and then three days around its lakes. Two to four places a day, and the road days are long.
From average weather, 2021 to 2025: days that are warm but not hot, with few rainy days, score highest. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
A first day inside the old walled city of Jaipur. A pink sandstone facade, a royal palace, a stone observatory and the old jewellery bazaar. Everything is close together, so walk where you can and sit in the shade when you need to. Nothing here needs a time.
Flattened rice cooked with onion, turmeric and peanuts, served beside a hot crisp orange spiral of jalebi. A popular morning plate in the small shops of the old city.
Local tip Poha usually comes with peanuts on top, so if you have a nut allergy, tell the cook in plain words, and do not rely on a menu line.
A five-storey facade of pink sandstone with hundreds of small latticed windows, built so the women of the royal household could watch the street without being seen. It is best known from the road outside, and the rooms behind it can be walked through.
Go when Morning, when the street is quieter and the facade is easy to take in.
Local tip Look at it from the road first, then go in for the rooms and the small windows. The street is busy with traffic, so watch your step and your bag.
The old royal residence in the middle of the walled city, with courtyards, painted gates and museum rooms of textiles, weapons and royal robes. Part of the palace is still a family home, so keep to the open areas.
Go when Midday, when the museum rooms give some shade from the sun.
Local tip The palace is still a family home in part, so keep to the open courtyards and halls. Look at the painted gates, and take your time with the textile and costume rooms.
A crisp, flaky fried pastry filled with spiced onion, eaten hot with a sweet and sour chutney. A famous snack of Jaipur, found at sweet shops and stalls near the old city.
Local tip Eat it fresh from the pan. The chilies in the filling can be strong, so taste a little first.
An observatory of huge stone instruments built in the early eighteenth century by Maharaja Jai Singh II, used to read time and the position of the sun and stars. A World Heritage site, and a good place to wander and read the signs. It is open to the sky with little shade.
Go when Afternoon, once the day has cooled a little, though there is little shade.
Local tip Read the signs beside each instrument before you walk around it. The stone is hot at midday, so take a hat and water.
A long street of the old city known for jewellery, silver, textiles and sweets. Walk it slowly in the cooler part of the day, look at the shopfronts and the carved doors, and buy only if you want to. Bargain politely.
Go when Late afternoon into the evening, when the heat has eased and the street is busy.
Local tip Bargain politely and smile if you walk away. Keep a firm hold of your bag, and drink only sealed or filtered water as you go.
The classic dish of Rajasthan: hard baked wheat balls broken open and soaked in ghee, with spiced lentils and a sweet crumbled churma on the side. Hearty, and a plate to share.
Local tip Many places serve it without meat. Tell the cook of any allergy in plain words, and do not rely on a menu line.
A day out to the hills north of Jaipur. A hill fort in the morning, a palace in a lake, a fort on the ridge in the afternoon and a museum in a garden to end the day. Start early to be ahead of the heat.
A hill fort of sandstone and white marble above a lake, with courtyards, a mirrored hall and a long ramp up to the gate. Go early, wear shoes with grip for the stone ramps, and take water. The fort is about 11 kilometres from Jaipur, so allow for the road.
Go when Early morning, before the heat and the crowds.
Local tip Walk up the ramp if you can, in shoes with grip, because the stone is slippery when polished. Hire a guide only if you want one, and agree the arrangement first.
A palace that sits in the middle of Man Sagar Lake, with its lower floors under the water. It is seen from the lakeside path and is not entered, so it is a short stop to look, take a photo and walk by the water.
Go when Midday, as a stop on the road, though there is little shade.
Local tip The palace is seen from the lakeside path and cannot be entered. A few minutes by the water is enough, and traders on the path will offer you things.
A tray of small bowls: lentils, a seasonal vegetable, a dry gram flour dish, curd, bread, rice and a sweet. It is a good way to taste a bit of everything in one meal, in a plain family restaurant.
Local tip Ask for the vegetarian version if you want it. Refills usually come round, so you do not need to order more.
A fort on the ridge above the city, built in the eighteenth century as a retreat and a lookout, with long walls and quiet courtyards. The road up is winding. Take water, and keep to the paths near the edges.
Go when Late afternoon, when the heat has dropped.
Local tip Take water, wear shoes with grip and keep away from the unfenced edges. The road up is narrow and winding, so go by car or taxi rather than on foot.
A museum in an Indo-Saracenic building in a public garden, with a collection of crafts, carpets, paintings and sculpture. A calm end to a day of forts. Check ahead on its days.
Go when Late afternoon, as a cool end to a day of forts.
Local tip Choose one or two galleries and let the rest go. Walk around the building in the garden first, and check ahead on its days.
Steamed gram flour dumplings in a tangy curd gravy with spices, a dish made for a desert kitchen without much fresh vegetable. Rich and filling, found in simple Rajasthani restaurants.
Local tip The curry is mild to medium. Ask for the chilies on the side if you want less heat.
A long day by road south-west to Jodhpur. The highway is busy and the day can take most of its hours, so keep the plan to two places. An old mosque in Ajmer on the way, then the clock tower and the market when you arrive.
The remains of a twelfth-century mosque in Ajmer, with a screen of carved arches and a forest of carved stone pillars, some of them reused from older buildings. It is the oldest mosque in Rajasthan, and a calm place to stretch your legs on a long road day.
Go when Midday, as a break from the car on the road.
Local tip Look closely at the carved pillars and the arches of the screen. It is a protected ruin and also a place of respect, so cover shoulders and knees.
Yellow lentils tempered with garlic and cumin, eaten with flatbread and onion at a roadside dhaba. Simple, hot and quick, the usual lunch for a long road day.
Local tip Choose a place that is busy with drivers and cooks to order. Drink only sealed or filtered water.
The old clock tower of Jodhpur stands in the middle of a busy market square, with narrow streets around it for spices, cloth, bangles and metalwork. A short, lively walk after the road. Bargain politely, and keep your bag close.
Go when Evening, when the market is busy and the heat has eased.
Local tip Walk a loop of the streets around the tower. Bargain politely, keep your bag in front of you, and drink only sealed or filtered water.
A dry desert dish of wild beans and berries cooked with spices and curd, with a sharp, pickled taste. A Marwar specialty that sits well beside bread and lentils.
Local tip Order it with a plain flatbread. It can be spicy, so taste a little first.
A full day in Jodhpur. A huge fort on a cliff above the old town in the morning, a white marble cenotaph, a restored stepwell among the old lanes and a palace on the hill. Wear shoes that grip, because the fort has long ramps and stone steps.
A large green chili stuffed with spiced potato, coated in gram flour batter and fried. A famous breakfast snack of Jodhpur, eaten hot in the street lanes of the old town.
Local tip The chili inside is usually milder than it looks, but taste a little first. Eat it fresh and hot.
A fifteenth-century fort on a high rock above Jodhpur, with massive walls, carved palace rooms, courtyards and a museum of royal objects. The old town below is known for its blue-painted houses. Go early, take water and give it half a day.
Go when Early morning, before the heat and the crowds.
Local tip Take the long ramps slowly in shoes with grip, and give the fort half a day. Its museum rooms are cool and worth the time, so read a few labels and let the rest go.
A cenotaph of thin, polished white marble, built in 1899 for a maharaja and set in a small garden by a lake below the fort. A quiet, cool place to sit. Take off your shoes where asked, and keep your voice low.
Go when Midday, as a cool pause out of the sun.
Local tip Take off your shoes where asked and cover shoulders and knees. Sit by the lake for a few minutes before you leave.
A curd and gram flour curry served with a thick millet flatbread, a desert staple, often with a spoon of ghee. Plain, filling and very local to Marwar.
Local tip Bajra roti is dense, so one is enough. Ask for the ghee to be left off if you prefer.
An eighteenth-century stepwell in the old town, restored, with tiers of carved stone steps going down to a square pool. Easy to miss in the lanes near the clock tower, and a pleasant place to see how the city once kept its water.
Go when Afternoon, when the light reaches the lower steps.
Local tip The steps are old and can be slippery, so wear shoes with grip and keep back from the edge. It sits in a lane near the clock tower, so ask for directions in the old town.
A large sandstone and marble palace of the twentieth century on a hill outside the old town. Part of it is a royal home, part a hotel and one wing a museum, so go to see the building and the museum wing. Check ahead on what is open to visitors.
Go when Late afternoon, once the heat has dropped.
Local tip Most of the palace is a hotel or a private home, so only the museum wing and the public areas are open to visitors. Check ahead on what you can enter.
A fiery red curry of mutton slow-cooked with red chilies, garlic and ghee, a dish of the Rajput hunting tradition. Many kitchens make a milder or vegetarian dish for guests who ask.
Local tip It is very hot in its traditional form. Say if you want it mild, and tell the cook of any allergy in plain words.
A second long road day, south to Udaipur. A garden of royal cenotaphs in the morning, then the road, then the lake in the evening. The Jain temples at Ranakpur are the classic stop on the way, but they add hours, so they sit in the extras. Keep the evening quiet.
A flatbread stuffed with spiced potato and cooked with ghee, served with cool curd and pickle. A solid breakfast before a long road day.
Local tip Ask for the pickle on the side. The curd is a cooling balance if the paratha is spicy.
The gardens of the old capital of Marwar, north of Jodhpur, with tall red sandstone cenotaphs of past rulers among shady trees. Quiet, green and easy to walk. Wild monkeys live here, so keep food out of sight.
Go when Morning, when the shade is cool and the gardens are quiet.
Local tip Keep food and bags out of sight, because the monkeys here are bold. Do not feed them or look them in the eye. The cenotaphs are best seen slowly.
A flaky fried pastry with a savory lentil filling, eaten with sweet milky tea at a stall on the highway. A quick stop that breaks the road without taking long.
Local tip Pick a stall with a steady line. Drink only sealed or filtered water, and wash your hands before eating.
A lake made in the fourteenth century, with the City Palace and old havelis on its east shore and the hills beyond. Walk along the ghats at the end of the road day and sit by the water. Nothing is needed tonight.
Go when Late afternoon, around sunset (about 5:36 PM), though cloud can hide the sky.
Local tip Walk the ghats and watch the life on the steps. Keep clear of the edge, and wear shoes you can take off easily where the steps are sacred.
A tray of dishes in the style of Mewar: lentils, a vegetable, gram flour dishes, curd, bread, rice and a sweet. A calm, filling dinner on a road day, in a family restaurant near the lake.
Local tip Ask for it with no meat if you prefer. Tell the cook of any allergy in plain words, and do not rely on a menu line.
A day in the old centre of Udaipur. A big palace above the lake, a temple up a steep stair, an island palace reached by boat and a lakeside mansion at dusk. All within a short walk or a short ride. Nothing here needs a time.
A huge palace complex on the shore of Lake Pichola, begun in the sixteenth century and added to for centuries, with courtyards, balconies, mirrored rooms and museum halls. Go early, and wear shoes you can take off and on.
Go when Morning, before the courtyards fill up.
Local tip Give it a good half day and follow the signs through the rooms. The floors are polished stone and the stairs are steep, so wear shoes with grip and carry water.
A Hindu temple of Vishnu, finished in the seventeenth century, reached by a steep flight of steps beside the palace. Take off your shoes at the stair, cover shoulders and knees and be quiet while worshippers pray.
Go when Midday, before the heat is at its worst, or in the early evening.
Local tip Take off your shoes at the foot of the steps and cover shoulders and knees. The stone is hot at midday, so a pair of socks can help. Stay behind the line while prayers are on.
A crisp fried pastry with a savory lentil filling, dunked in a tangy yellow curd and gram flour sauce. A snack that works as a light lunch, found in the lanes below the City Palace.
Local tip Eat it while the pastry is still crisp. The sauce is sour, not spicy, so it is a gentle dish.
A palace on an island in Lake Pichola, with a gateway, gardens and a long history as a royal retreat. It is reached by boat. Check ahead on which boats run and where they land, and wear shoes that are fine on stone.
Go when Afternoon, as a quiet break on the water.
Local tip Check at the jetty which boats run to the island and where they land, and keep valuables dry. Do not climb on the old walls.
An eighteenth-century mansion on the lake front at Gangaur Ghat, with many small rooms, courtyards and a collection of turbans, costumes and folk arts. Evening dance performances are held here, so check ahead.
Go when Late afternoon, before an evening show if you want one.
Local tip Choose a few rooms and read the labels rather than rushing through them. The performance is held in the courtyard, so check ahead on the evening.
A mild white curry of mutton cooked in curd, cream and spices with no red chili, a dish of the royal kitchens of Mewar. Many restaurants offer a milder or vegetarian dish too.
Local tip It is richer and milder than laal maas. Tell the cook of any nut allergy in plain words, since cashew or almond paste is common in it.
A slower day around Udaipur. A field of royal cenotaphs in the morning, a garden for the maidens at midday, a palace on a hill in the afternoon and a lakeside walk to end the day. The road up the hill is steep, so go by car.
A fried pancake of flour and milk, soaked in a light sugar syrup and eaten warm. A traditional sweet of Rajasthan, found in the lanes of the old town in the morning.
Local tip It is very sweet, so one is enough. Pair it with tea.
A field of white cenotaphs of the Maharanas of Mewar, domed pavilions on carved platforms, east of the old city. It is also a site of mourning, so go quietly. A small museum stands beside it.
Go when Morning, when the light is soft and the site is quiet.
Local tip It is a place of remembrance, so keep your voice low and cover shoulders and knees. Walk among the domed pavilions slowly, and see the small museum if it is open.
The Garden of the Maidens, laid out in the eighteenth century as a retreat for the women of the royal household, with a lotus pool, marble elephants, kiosks and fountains in lawns. Shade is scarce at midday, so walk slowly.
Go when Late morning, though shade is scarce.
Local tip Walk the lawns slowly, and stop at the lotus pool and the marble elephants. The fountains do not always run, so go for the garden and not for them.
Soft lentil fritters soaked and served in cool whipped curd, with sweet and tangy sauces. A cooling lunch for a hot day.
Local tip Ask for it with less chutney if you want less sweetness. Only eat it where the curd is kept cool and the place is busy.
A hilltop palace, also called Sajjangarh, built in the 1880s on a ridge west of the city to watch the monsoon clouds. The road up is steep and winding, and the palace itself is a simple building. Take water.
Go when Late afternoon, as the heat eases. Check ahead on when the gate closes.
Local tip Go by car, because the road is steep and winding. The palace is simple, so go for the hill and the air, and take water and a hat.
A large lake north of the old city, ringed by hills, with a long road and walkway along its shore and a garden island. A good place for a slow walk and a cup of tea at the end of the day.
Go when Late afternoon, around sunset (about 5:36 PM), though cloud can hide the sky.
Local tip Walk the promenade slowly with a cup of tea. The shore is open to the road, so mind the traffic, and keep clear of the water's edge.
A flatbread of pearl millet with ghee, eaten with a fiery red garlic chutney and a simple vegetable. A rural dish that a few restaurants serve in the lake district.
Local tip The chutney is very hot. Take a little on the side.
An easy last day beside the water. A hill memorial above the lake in the morning and a crafts village at midday, both a short ride from the old city. Nothing is far, so you can drop one and not mind.
A hot, flaky fried pastry filled with spiced potato and peas, eaten with sweet milky tea. A quick breakfast from a small shop near the lake.
Local tip Take it fresh from the pan. The chutney is spicy, so taste a little first.
A small hill beside Fateh Sagar Lake, with a memorial to the Mewar ruler Maharana Pratap and his horse and a garden below. A short, pleasant walk up, with the lake at its foot. Take water in the heat.
Go when Morning, when the climb is cool.
Local tip The path up is short but steep, so go slowly and take water. Take off your shoes where signs ask you to, and keep your voice low at the memorial.
A rural crafts village west of the city, set among rocky hills, with village-style houses from different parts of western India and stalls of weaving, pottery and embroidery. A relaxed place to browse and buy a souvenir on the last day.
Go when Afternoon, once the heat has eased, though it is spread over open ground.
Local tip Choose a few of the houses and stalls and walk slowly. Bargain politely for crafts, and carry water and a hat. Check ahead on any events.
By average weather from 2021 to 2025, January to February and November to December are the most comfortable months for walking around Jaipur. This plan is built for mid November, which is one of the best months. Crowds and prices change through the year, so check them before you book.
It covers 8 days in Jaipur, planned for mid November. Each day is built around a small number of stops, with room to rest.
It was planned for most travelers. The pace and the places reflect that, so check it fits how you travel.
No. Places marked "book ahead" need a reservation. Hours, prices and availability change, so confirm before you go.
Yes. Archie drafts a day by day plan for your dates and takes your pace, the weather and who is travelling into account. You can start one from the Archie app.
Yes. It is a starting point you can change to fit your own trip: swap a place, add a day or move the pace.
Each day has about 1.1 to 258.8 kilometers between its stops, and 504.3 kilometers in all across 8 days. A short hop is a walk and a longer one a ride. Distances are straight-line estimates, so allow extra for the streets.
Make it yours in a minute, then move days around and add what you want.
A trip idea · Updated October 2026
Want your own days planned like this? Plan your own trip on the web or get the Archie app.
5 days of Holi in Udaipur and JaipurAbout 50 km awayAn easy add-on
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