5 days in Rajasthan: Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. 1
   MorningWorth the time

   Amber Fort

   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.

   

   About 19 min by car or transit7.3 km
2. 2
   MorningWorth a short visit

   Hawa Mahal

   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.

   

3. Lunch

   Pyaaz kachori

   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.

   

   About 12 min by car or transit3.8 km
4. 3
   MiddayWorth a short stop

   Jal Mahal

   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.

   

5. Dinner

   Dal baati churma

   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.

   

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. Travel from Jal MahalAbout 12 min by car or transit3.8 km

   Where Day 1 ended.
2. 1
   MiddayWorth the time

   City Palace, Jaipur

   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.

   

   About 3 h 53 min by car286.6 km
3. 2
   MiddayWorth a short visit

   Jaswant Thada

   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.

   

4. Lunch

   Kadhi and bajra roti

   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.

   

   About 3 h 53 min by car286.7 km
5. 3
   AfternoonWorth a short visit

   Jantar Mantar, Jaipur

   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.

   

6. Dinner

   Gatte ki sabzi

   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.

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. Drive from Jantar Mantar, JaipurAbout 3 h 53 min by car287.1 km

   Where Day 2 ended.
2. 1
   AfternoonWorth a short visit

   Toorji Ka Jhalra

   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.

   

   About 11 min by car or transit3.0 km
3. 2
   AfternoonWorth a short visit

   Umaid Bhawan Palace

   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.

   

   About 10 min by car or transit2.8 km
4. 3
   EveningA place to wander

   Ghanta Ghar and Sardar Market

   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.

5. Dinner

   Ker sangri

   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.

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. 1
   MorningWorth the time

   Mehrangarh

   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.

   

   About 2 h 50 min by car202.4 km
2. 2
   MiddayWorth a short visit

   Jagdish Temple

   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.

   

3. Lunch

   Kadhi kachori

   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.

   About 10 min by car or transit2.6 km
4. 3
   MiddayWorth a short visit

   Saheliyon-ki-Bari

   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.

   

5. Dinner

   A Mewari thali

   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.

Built from the plan’s must-sees, grouped so each day stays close together and ordered by time of day.

1. 1
   MorningWorth the time

   City Palace, Udaipur

   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.

   

   About 7 min walk0.6 km
2. 2
   EveningA place to sit

   Lake Pichola

   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.

   

3. Lunch

   Dahi vada

   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.

   

   About 11 min walk0.9 km
4. 3
   EveningPick your rooms

   Bagore Ki Haveli

   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.

5. Dinner

   Safed maas

   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.