Please comment 13 night itinerary for Rajasthan
 

Thanks to the forums, I have revised our itinerary to slow down our trip and see fewer "sights" while enjoying the experience more by limiting the daily driving time. We are 3 adults traveling together in February 2016 and I would like your feedback on the following:

Begin in Udaipur, 2 nights there

One night in Leopard Camp (Bera)

Ranakpur, Kumbhalgarh Fort enroute to:

Jodhpur 2 nights ?? I have read so many posts that say to drop Jodhpur completely that I am open to other ideas about a better place to stop or where to stay (general location)in Jodhpur to appreciate the city.

Lakshman Sagar, 2 nights (for rest)

Pushkar 1 night, another city that has very mixed reviews. Id it worth stopping for the night? Other suggestions?

Jaipur 2 nights

Agra 1 night

Dehli 2 nights, fly out on the evening of the third day

I should add that we are interested in history and different cultures, nature and wildlife, museums and architecture, and having a variety of experiences.

I very much appreciate your feedback, the Forums have been a great help to me!

I liked Jodhpur when I was there in 2012. The Meherangarth Fort above the city is cool. You can arrange to have a tour of the local people that live on the outskirt of the city. I do recommend having a dust mask handy though. Many people drive motocycles there, and they kicked dirt like crazy, especially in the evening. I would pick one of the old havali in the old city around the base of the fort to stay in.

Pushkar is a small city. You literally walk the entire city in one loop that takes about 45 minutes or so. I stayed there only for the Pushkar Camel Festival. I don't think there's any "must see" sight in the city itself. There is the lake, but I would rather go to Varanasi to see life around the lake. I think you can skip Pushkar if time is tight or you want an extra day elsewhere.

Thank you, that is very helpful. I have decided to forego Pushkar. I would love to see the Fort and visit local people in Jodhpur but am concerned about the dust due to respiratory issues. May I ask how the dust compares to other cities in Rajasthan (February) and whether it would be better to stay outside the city and travel in to the see the Fort?

Thank you in advance!

I was in India in October and visited Delhi, Jodphur, Jaipur, Pushkar and Agra. My main dust issue was when I was in Jodphur. (I did so wish I had a dust mask in Pushkar though, but that was at the camel fair where I was trying to photograph camels running down a hill of sands). If you're not on the streets where the motorcycles can run then you should be ok, and it was mainly in late afternoons and evenings that the motorcycles were out in large number.


I'm not sure what the new city in Jodhpur is like. I just preferred the old city for the blue houses, the old architecture, and ease of walking around for exploring. Plus my hotel had a view of the fort and I could climb up to the fort by foot.

I stayed at Shahi Guest House. There are reviews of it on TripAdvisor. I loved the room I stayed in; It was big and beautifully decorated.

Udaipur, Kumbhalgarh, Jodhpur, Pushkar and Jaipur are most famous in Rajasthan...

When I visited Rajasthan in 2014 I visited almost all the places you mentioned except Leopard Camp, and I must say it was a great experience, if we just ignore all the dust as it is in the land of deserts, but apart from that, overall a great feel though. Of all the places, except Pushkar where nothing much to see is great and rather spending a day in Pushkar I would suggest you should visit Jaislermer or Jaipur where you would find it more interestingto spend a day or two. And also find some local guy to travel or as a guide.

We have visited Castle Bera for two nights each time on two separate trips. So, obviously, I recommend it.

I second the recommendation for Jaisalmer because it and its setting are so unique. We have spent about six weeks in Rajasthan, and Pushkar was way, way down on the bottom of the list of places we would ever suggest to anyone.

Two years ago we visited Samad Sadar Palace which I had a recommendation for as a place for people to relax. We were absolutely bonkers with the isolation and boredom after only one night. So, I have a suggestion for you instead of Lakshman Sagar. Check out Chanoud Gahr where you can rest and also get a very interesting taste of life in an authentic Indian village from the perspective of the highly ranked family that owns the place.

Our trips were end of February, early March. I didn't see dust as a huge issue anywhere.

We are not Delhi fans and felt we were fine seeing it in small half day doses fit in around other arrivals and departures.

The Meheranghar Fort in Jodhpur is the most magnificent of all the Rajput forts! Do not miss it! Ossian, about ten miles outside Jodhpur, is also excellent - ancient Hindu temples as well as one more modern coupled with a Jain temple makek Ossian an excellent destination.

Come back with good memories!!!!
Reading your experience, I decide, I should also go.

Your itinerary seems fine, Just the following comments:

1) I think your are talking about Jawai leopard camp. Its just awsome. But I feel 2 nights should be good as it allows you more opportunity for leopard sightings

2) Jodhpur is must visit place and you should keep it in your itinerary. However as you are driving from Jawai which is around 150 Kms (approx) from Jodhpur, you should keep only one night in Jodhpur. One day is enough to cover Jodhpur tourist sites.

3) I will suggest Chhatrasagar instead of Laksmansagar. It has better activities and also the location is just great. But there is no pool in chhatrasagar.

4) Pushkar is not interesting unless its the occasion of Pushkar fair. So if want you can avoid it. You can add Bikaner instead. Slightly off route but worth it.

5) Last but not the least, if you can reverse the whole itinerary. Udaipur is just the perfect destination to finish off the tour. Yeah, but if you have any flight issues than the routing is fine.

Delete Pushkar & add Nagaur. Pushkar is best done during the Pushkar cattle Fair, held in the month of October/November. The Fair itself is very interesting, if you have a good local guide who can quickly translate the wit and banter that go during the haggling for sale purchase of cattle...some of the protagonists, I have heard, say very funny things!Apart from the cattle fair, if you have an interest in the exotic ethnic dresses which are available in those market shops, Pushkar is a fair choice.
The Ranvas in Achattragarh Fort will give you taste of staying in a unique medieval fort...great ambiance especially during the festival dates of Nagaur fair, mid-February!
Happy Travels!

I'm traveling to India on Nov 29th until 12/23. I'm a women traveling alone on a budget.
I will arrive in Mumbai then on to Aurangabad, then Pune until Dec 14.
I am considering canceling my return flight to the US 12/23 from Mumbai because I want to spend the remainder of my time (9 days) from 12/14-12/23, spending a few days in Udaipur, Jaipur and 4 days in Rishikesh at Omkarananda Ashram.
I think it's possible to hire a car or bus from Rishikesh to Delhi for my return flight from Delhi on 12/23.
I'm trying to create accounts with IRCTC and Cleartrip, as per advice from others, so I can book a train if that's another option. Connection, travel and delays appear to make for a slow commute. Any ideas???
Saving time and money on making my way back from Delhi to Mumbai and then having to return to Delhi as it's a 2 hr.layover on the way home seems silly.

What would you suggest?

Hiring a car (private) will be expensive. You can book a day train from Haridwar to Delhi. Haridwar is around 20 Kms from Rishikesh. I will not suggest bus as train journey is much more comfortable. Also the difference in fare is not much.

Thanks for your advice. I have finally received my pin to purchase a ticket on IRCTC. Train travel sounds best.