Three weeks in Rajasthan, India: Itinerary and Guide
- margauxgathy6
- 5 days ago
- 10 min read
Travelling India was no walk in the park, but I saw some incredible sights and had some of the best meals of my life. Here is a guide to spending three weeks in Rajasthan, India, seeing some of the best that India has to offer, plus some of my top tips to make travelling in India easier and more enjoyable. I did most of India as part of a tour, but some was solo, so this is based on both experiences.
Contents
Arriving in Delhi
New Delhi airport is very impressive, modern, and clean. It didn’t take long at all to get through it. You will need to take cash out in the airport as pretty much everything in India is cash-only. I would highly recommend getting an Uber when you arrive. They are very cheap and it saves you haggling down the price of a taxi as one of the first things you do. I paid around 400 rupees (approx. £4) for a 45 minute journey. Either follow the signs for Ubers, or ask people where to go, because it is slightly difficult to find the pickup place. It’s not on the same floor as arrivals!
Sawai Madhopur
I started my trip in Sawai Madhopur where I spent 3 nights right outside Ranthambore National Park where the highest concentration of tigers in India are. Seeing a tiger in the wild was a huge bucket list thing for me!
Getting There
I booked a train from Delhi Nizamuddin to Sawai Madhopur on 12Go Asia. You will need to book this at least a week in advance because it takes time to confirm the ticket. I learnt this the hard way, because without an Indian phone number, it is very difficult to book a train on their official website. The train was 5 hours long and I highly recommend booking AC class - it is so worth it when it’s over 38 degrees outside!
When you arrive, you will need to get a taxi or tuk tuk, there is no Uber. You’ll be swarmed by taxi drivers who you will need to haggle with to get the price down to a reasonable number. I got a taxi for 300 rupees (approx. £3) - down from 700 - but the going rate for locals is 150-200, just to give you an idea.
Things to Do
Tiger Safari
I booked a tiger safari through my hostel, but all accommodations will offer a booking. If not, there are so many agencies in the town. You can choose between a canter or a jeep and will need a passport to book (no other form of ID is accepted). Canters sit 20 people and are therefore cheaper, and Jeeps sit 6 people and are a bit more expensive. I paid £25 for a safari. Safaris run in the morning and evening, and mornings are supposed to be better sightings. Because of availability, I could only get onto afternoon safaris, and saw one tiger on my second attempt!
I was there in the low season, so the core zones of the National Park, where most of the tigers live, were closed, making the chances of sightings pretty low. The high season is from October to April.
The safari experience in India is chaotic: loud, busy, and a lot of people. The tigers were always swarmed with at least 20-30 vehicles, people were watching football matches on full volume in the vehicles, and shouting was very common. I was honestly surprised I got to see a tiger with all the commotion! This is something to keep in mind, but I feel so lucky to have got to see one.
Ranthambore Fort
Ranthambore Fort is one of the only attractions in Sawai Madhopur aside from the tiger safari. You can get a car or motorbike up there to explore, and it gives you great views over the national park. It’s also a very cool fort complex to explore. I would recommend going early as the crowds get pretty big later in the day. Because of these people, it also takes forever to get out of the parking lot, so if you are comfortable taking a bike, I would recommend that!
Jaisalmer
I spent another 3 nights in Jaisalmer, which was one of my favourite stops on this trip.
Things to Do
Desert Camping
Jaisalmer is right in the Thar Desert, and overnight camping is a huge activity here. You can book with agencies in the city, or through your accommodation. You can choose to sleep under the stars or in tents, but I would highly recommend under the stars if you have the choice! It was one of the most incredible experiences.
You’ll get driven out and have dinner cooked for you while you watch the sunset over the sand dunes. It stayed really warm all night, but we were given heavy blankets anyway. They set up a campfire for us and then we stargazed in the beautiful clear sky which was unreal. You’ll wake up with the sunrise, and be treated to breakfast before you go. You might be offered a camel ride - don’t do this! The camels are not treated well enough to warrant it.
Sunset Viewpoint
The sunset viewpoint in Jaisalmer is beautiful. You have to pay 100 rupees (approx. £1) to enter, but it is so worth it. It gives you a great view of the city and is so golden in the evenings.
Visit the Lake and City
There is some incredible architecture in the city, especially in the Havelis, and around the lake. It’s great to walk around and there is also some good shopping.
Jodhpur
I spent one night in Jodhpur, which is plenty, as you only need around a day here.
Things to Do
Mehrangarh Fort
Mehrangarh Fort is absolutely stunning to walk around. The architecture and decor is beautiful and it also provides great views over the city.
Jaswant Thada
Slightly out of the city centre sits Jaswant Thada, which is magical to explore.
Blue City
Near the Mehrangarh Fort is a very high concentration of blue painted buildings in the blue city. It’s an ideal spot for photography and fun to get lost in the little streets.
Udaipur
Udaipur is known as the city of lakes for a reason. I’d recommend 2 or 3 nights here to get the most out of it.
Things to Do
City Palace
City Palace is the main landmark in Udaipur and is absolutely stunning. The decor is so intricate and the building has so much history. It’s really worth visiting.
Lake Pichola
Lake Pichola is the large lake in the centre of the city. You can take a boat ride from the City palace to the island in the middle, called Jagamandir Island Palace. It’s a beautiful palace to explore and relax on a nice day. It gives you great views of the lake and the city buildings surrounding the lake.
Jagdish Temple
Right in the city is Jagdish Temple, an iconic Hindu temple. I’d highly recommend going to look at the carving in the stones on the outside, as well as the inside of it. It’s very impressive.
Cooking Class
We did a cooking class in Udaipur and it was so much fun. It was led by Women Skills Handicraft & Cooking class, so was female-run, which I love supporting. She was so knowledgeable and gave us so many instructions to make the best Indian food I’ve ever made! It was a small setting which made it much more interactive, and I would highly recommend it. She also gave us Henna at the end, which was beautiful.
Clothes Tailoring
There are plenty of places to get clothes tailored in Udaipur, for relatively cheap pricing compared to Europe! A few places employ only women to do the tailoring, which again I loved. And I was so happy with my trousers!
Pushkar
You again only need one night and day to explore Pushkar. It’s a small city but has a really peaceful atmosphere.
Things to Do
Sunset
Watching the sunset by the lake is an absolute must in Pushkar. Everyone heads down there and you will see people swimming, playing music, and enjoying the atmosphere.
Savitri Temple at Sunrise
If you are up for a short hike to the top of a hill for sunrise, going to Savitri Temple is very worth it. There are a lot of steps to get up there but it’s a great view from the top.
Shopping
The city of Pushkar has some really good shopping. There are loads of markets all over the town and you’ll find a huge variety of things to buy.
Jaipur
I spent two nights in Jaipur, which was great, but easily could have added another.
Things to Do
Hawa Mahal
The Hawa Mahal is probably the most famous landmark in the city of Jaipur. It is stunning by day and by night, so I’d recommend doing both.
Amber Fort
The Amber Fort is incredible, and I would highly recommend a guide to talk you through everything that you are seeing. There is some stunning architecture and decor and it has a fascinating history. Please don’t ride the elephants here though! Being made to walk up and down the hill in the blazing sun all day is cruel, and it’s a very short walk up to the Fort entrance.
Jaipur by Night Jeep Tour
The Jaipur by night Jeep tour was one of my highlights of Jaipur as well. We drove up to a sunset viewpoint over the city in an open top Jeep, then drove around looking at all the sights, including the Hawa Mahal, which were beautifully lit up. It was so much fun.
Bollywood Film at Raj Mandir
Raj Mandir is a very elaborate cinema in Jaipur that shows Bollywood movies. While we didn’t really understand what was happening in the movie, it was one of the highlights of my India trip. It was such a great experience and something I am very glad I saw.
Spice Markets
The main road of Jaipur has spice shops the whole way down it, which makes for a fun walk.
Agra
Agra will be a highlight! I spent 1 nights here which is enough, but if you can do 2 nights, that would be ideal so you can visit the Agra Fort, which I unfortunately did not get to see.
Things to Do
Taj Mahal
Obviously the best thing to do in Agra is visit the Taj Mahal, one of the Wonders of the World. Nothing could prepare me for how incredible this place was. I went twice: once for sunset and once for sunrise. Take minimal things in with you as they are very strict and it will only slow you down through security. You can find my full guide on how to visit the Taj Mahal at sunrise here.
Delhi
Delhi was exactly how you’d expect: busy and chaotic. I wouldn’t spend more than one night in Delhi.
Things to Do
Old Delhi
Old Delhi is probably the most authentic part of the city. It was really polluted (my lungs were stinging), but there was a little charm in the chaos.
Jama Masjid
The Jama Masjid mosque is very impressive. You will be given clothes to cover up with, and then you can walk inside to explore. It is beautiful and definitely worth seeing.
Red Fort
Unfortunately I did not see the Red Fort, but if you have extra time, definitely get over to it.
Budget
My daily average in India was £48, which did include the group tour for 16 days (at £35 a day before extra expenses). The tour price included all transport, accommodation in hotels, a lot of activities, and some meals. Without a tour, you could easily get this to under £30 per day, staying in hostels or cheap hotels. Meals cost £2-£5, but if you want to find cheaper, you definitely can! India runs off cash - you will need it to pay for everything.
General tips for India
As I mentioned, travelling India is not a straightforward and relaxing experience, but it is worth it if you are well prepared. Here are some of my top tips to make it a bit easier:
I would not recommend going completely solo, especially if you are a female traveller. The parts I did on my group trip were ten times better than the parts I did solo, just because it was well organised and I had a local guide who could speak the language and knew what she was doing.
I would not say India is unsafe, just uncomfortable, again especially if you are a solo female traveller. Obviously, keep your wits about you, but in general people are very kind. You will get stared at constantly, and everyone will ask you for a photo, but this is normal.
If you are booking trains, do it well in advance on 12Go Asia. If you don’t do it in advance, they can sell out and you won’t get a ticket easily without an Indian phone number. Take it from me - it’s a nightmare.
Haggle for everything: salespeople will massively inflate the price of everything. Some locals said they literally add a zero or two onto the end of prices for tourists
The food is amazing, honestly the best I’ve ever had. Just don’t eat fresh, uncooked food, as it is often washed in tap water which is not clean and can make you very sick. This goes for sauces too, like coriander dips. Avoid meat and dairy if you can, as this is where most of the issues are. It’s perfect for vegetarians and vegans!
Only drink bottled water obviously, and brush your teeth with it too.
Take and use lots of hand sanitizer, wet wipes and tissues, especially if you’re using public toilets. I was sanitising my hands after washing them too because of the water quality.
It’s ok to say no to photos, just be polite but firm about it. Honestly, if you say yes to one person you’ll get absolutely bombarded, especially by men, and it can get uncomfortable very fast.
I hope this provides a good overview of Rajasthan and gives you an idea of how to spend two to three weeks there. It’s a very rewarding experience if you are prepared, and I am still thinking about the food! Seeing how some people treat the environment and animals in India is heartbreaking, so please lead by example and take care of the places you visit, leaving only your footprints behind.
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