Fodorites,
Need your help/advice!
I am going to Northern India/Rajastan late December from Dec.22 to Jan 1 for 9-10 days.

I will be doing a rather touristy route of:

Delhi-Jaisalmer-Jodhpur-Jaipur-Agra-Varanasi-Delhi.

Several questions to all of you:
1) I am planning to stay 2 nights at either Jaisalmer OR Jodhpur (currently the itin provided by travel agent Castle and King entails only 1 night each. Please advice whether I should spend the extra time at Jaisalmer or Jodhpur? Also, I am planning for this extra day to fall in tandem with my parents' 30 years anniversary. So, I would like to get some advice from all of you if there are any special places in either Jaisalmer or Jodhpur where I should arrange for us to stay or dine?

2) Are there any "on the beaten path" interesting places where I can add in to the circuit above?

Thanks in advance!

just tell arvind that you want to stay an extra nite, it should not be a problem....he is doing my trip also in early november

Personally, I think that 6 places in 10 days in way too much to try to see, it will all be a blur of long car rides, train rides or waits in airports. I would actually cut out either Jaisalmer or Jodhpur entirely or maybe Jaipur even. Try to slow down and really see one place rather than trying to say you have been to all these places but not really having experienced any of them, IMO. I could spend the 10 days just in Delhi, Varanasi and Jodhpur and I have been to all of them before. I could spend the 10 days just in the area around Jodhpur in fact, and would love to have the luxury of time to be able to do so. ...

If you really have to stick to this itinerary, I would spend the “extra” night in Jodhpur, as you can get to the Bishnoi tribe areas and also just go into the desert. But my main recco for staying in the Jodhpur area is because for you parents anniversary you will find more actual options for a dinner, which are much more limited in Jaisalmer. I would recco either the Indian restaurant in the Umaid Bhawan hotel (tajhotels.com) or the Mehran Terrace in the fort which as a great rooftop with wonderful views. On the Rocks next to the Ajit Bhawan hotel is nice too.

I agree with Cicerone, If I had to chose between the two, I would cut jaisalmer, purely because of the time it takes to get to Jaisalmer. We drove to jaisalmer from Jodhpur a couple of years ago. We left Jodhpur around 9:00 AM and got to jaisalmer around 5:00 PM. It is a long drive.

Agree with Cicerone and Celeste. It would be better if you could cut out Jaisalmer altogether, because of the distance. And spend the extra time in Jodhpur.

Also agree with cutting Jaisalmer, although I hate to say so. It was my favorite Rajasthan town, but that was more for the atmosphere than any particular sight. And, it is a long way. I took the night train both ways, which saves two travel days, but the best class is 3AC, which is a bit crowded.

"Off the beaten path" would be the painted towns of Shekhawati, which you could visit from Jaipur. I remember stopping for coffee at the Samode Palace (see www.samode.com), which would be a great place to stay.

The drive to Jaisalmer can be a bit long (though it took us less than it sounds like it did others), but it is interesting to see life in the desert. With limited time, however, it just would not be worth it. The other thing to mention would be accommodations -- the hotel options in Jaisalmer are much more limited/quality much more basic than in Jodhpur.

Where will you stay in Jodhpur? We were there for a night on our way to/from Jaisalmer and stayed in the Umaid Bahwan Palace on the way and the Taj Hari Mahal on the way back. We found the Taj Hari Mahal more comfortable. Would suggest staying there but arranging a meal at the Palace -- worth seeing, but not staying.