Fifteen days is the length we'd pick for a first proper look at Rajasthan. Shorter and you spend the trip in the car. Longer is lovely, but most people can't take three weeks off. This is the route we've driven more times than we can count, with the changes we've made after guests told us what worked and what didn't.
It starts and ends in Delhi, runs clockwise through the desert, and finishes with the Taj Mahal. You'll be in a private car with a driver the whole way.
The route at a glance
Delhi (1 night), Mandawa (1), Bikaner (1), Jaisalmer (2), Jodhpur (2), Udaipur (3, with Ranakpur on the way), Pushkar (1), Jaipur (2), Agra (1), then back to Delhi on day 15. That's 14 nights.
Total driving is around 2,300 km. That sounds like a lot. Spread over two weeks, with slower days in Udaipur and Jaipur, it's manageable.
Day 1: Arrive in Delhi
Most international flights land late at night, so day 1 is really just the airport pickup and bed. If you arrive in the morning, take it slow: Humayun's Tomb and a walk in Lodhi Garden are enough. Save Old Delhi for the end if you have a spare evening.
Day 2: Delhi to Mandawa (about 6 hours)
Leave by 8am to beat the worst of the city traffic. The road north-west into Shekhawati gets narrower and slower after the highway, and the last hour is through small towns with tractors and goats.
Mandawa is a painted town. The havelis were built by merchant families and covered in frescoes, some showing gods, some showing trains and cars that the painters had only heard about. Honestly, it's faded and a bit dusty, and that's exactly why we like it. Our guide to Mandawa and the Shekhawati havelis has more.
Day 3: Mandawa to Bikaner (about 3.5 hours)
A short drive, so walk Mandawa in the morning light first. In Bikaner, see Junagarh Fort in the afternoon. It was never conquered, and the interiors are some of the best-kept in the state.
Bikaner is also the town for bhujia (the spicy fried snack) and sweets. Your driver will know a shop.
Day 4: Bikaner to Jaisalmer via Deshnoke (about 5.5 hours)
Stop at Deshnoke, around 30 km south, for the Karni Mata temple. Yes, it's the rat temple. Thousands of them, and you go in barefoot. Some guests love it, some stay at the gate, and both are fine. Read up on it before you decide.
Then it's a long, flat drive west. You'll see camel carts, wind turbines and very little else. Arrive in Jaisalmer for sunset if you can.
Day 5: Jaisalmer and the dunes
Jaisalmer Fort is a living fort, with families still living inside the walls. Walk it before 10am, then the Patwon ki Haveli and Gadisar Lake. Take a long lunch.
In the afternoon, drive about an hour to the Sam dunes for a camel ride at sunset. Sam is crowded and a bit of a circus, with music, jeeps and stalls. If you want quiet, we'll take you to the smaller dunes near Khuri instead, and you can sleep in a desert camp. Stay in town if you like a proper bathroom. Camps range from basic to very comfortable, and prices follow.
Want a spare day anywhere on this trip? Add it here. Kuldhara, the abandoned village, and the cenotaphs at Bada Bagh at sunrise fill a slow morning nicely.
Day 6: Jaisalmer to Jodhpur (about 5 hours)
A straight desert highway with good tarmac. Not exciting. We usually stop at Pokaran for tea. Arrive in Jodhpur by early afternoon and walk up through the blue lanes below the fort, or wander the Clock Tower market.
Day 7: Jodhpur
Mehrangarh opens at 9am and you should be there then. It's the best fort museum in Rajasthan, in our view. Afterwards, Jaswant Thada is a short drive. In the afternoon, rest, then an early dinner with a view of the fort lit up.
If you're travelling in late October, check whether your dates overlap the Marwar Festival. It's worth shifting a day for.
Day 8: Jodhpur to Udaipur via Ranakpur (full day)
This is the one long day we won't cut. The drive is roughly 3 hours to Ranakpur, then another 2.5 to Udaipur through the Aravalli hills, which is the prettiest road on the whole trip.
Ranakpur's Jain temple lets non-Jain visitors in from noon until 5pm. Hundreds of carved marble pillars, and the guides will tell you no two are alike. Leather items (belts, bags, wallets) have to stay in the car. Eat lunch nearby, then carry on.
Days 9 and 10: Udaipur
Two full days here, three nights in total. The City Palace takes a morning. Take the boat on Lake Pichola in the late afternoon. Walk around Gangaur Ghat and Bagore ki Haveli, where there's a folk dance show most evenings.
On the second day, do very little. Or book a cooking class, or drive out to Monsoon Palace for sunset. Udaipur is where people slow down, and the plan lets you. Our Udaipur page has more ideas.
Day 11: Udaipur to Pushkar (about 5 hours)
The highway to Ajmer is fast. Pushkar is a small pilgrim town around a lake, with ghats, temples and a Brahma temple that's one of very few in India. It also has a lot of cafes and a slightly hippie feel.
A word on the ghats: you may be handed flowers or offered a "blessing" by someone who then asks for a big donation. Politely decline. Our drivers brief guests on this before they walk down.
Days 12 and 13: Jaipur
The drive from Pushkar is about 2.5 to 3 hours. Arrive for lunch and spend the afternoon in the old city: Hawa Mahal from the outside, the City Palace, and Jantar Mantar next door.
Day 13 is Amber Fort in the morning. Get there early, before the heat and the coach groups. We don't recommend the elephant ride up the hill. Take a jeep or walk. In the afternoon, visit Galta Ji (the monkey temple) or shop in Johari Bazaar.
More on the city is on our Jaipur page. It's also our home, so ask us anything.
Day 14: Jaipur to Agra via Abhaneri and Fatehpur Sikri
About 5 hours of driving, but budget the whole day. The Abhaneri stepwell is a short detour and takes 45 minutes. Fatehpur Sikri, the abandoned Mughal capital, needs a couple of hours and a good guide. Touts at the Fatehpur Sikri gate are persistent. Ignore them and stick with your guide.
In Agra, see the Taj from Mehtab Bagh across the river at sunset if time allows.
Day 15: The Taj Mahal and back to Delhi
Be at the gate before sunrise. The east gate queue is usually shorter. After breakfast, visit Agra Fort, then drive to Delhi (about 3.5 hours on the expressway) for an evening or night flight.
One rule to plan around: the Taj Mahal is closed on Fridays. If your day 15 lands on a Friday, we shift the Agra night earlier by a day.
Cars, drivers and costs
For two people, an Etios sedan is comfortable enough. For three or four with suitcases, we'd take an Innova Crysta, which is noticeably better on the long desert days. Six or more should use a Tempo Traveller. Details on each are on our car rental page.
As a rough guide, a private car with driver for this route usually lands somewhere between ₹45,000 and ₹90,000 (roughly €450 to €900) depending on the vehicle and season, including fuel, tolls and the driver's food and lodging. Hotels vary much more than cars do. You can do this trip on mid-range heritage hotels or on palaces, and the total can double.
If you'd rather start from a ready-made plan, our Classic Rajasthan tour follows a similar route and we can change any piece of it.
What we'd change for your season
- October to March is the best window. December and January nights in the desert get cold, so bring a warm layer.
- April to June is hot. We'd shorten the desert section and add a hill stop like Mount Abu.
- July to September is monsoon. Udaipur is green and lovely, the desert is humid, and some camps close.
Rajasthan 15 days FAQ
Is 15 days enough for Rajasthan?
For the main cities, yes. You'll miss places like Bundi, Chittorgarh and Ranthambore. If wildlife matters, swap Pushkar for two nights in Ranthambore.
Can we do this route by train?
Partly. Trains link Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur, but connections are uneven and Mandawa and Ranakpur need a car anyway. Most of our guests use a car the whole way and maybe one train for the experience.
Is the driving tiring?
A few days are long (Bikaner to Jaisalmer, Jodhpur to Udaipur). Our drivers stop every couple of hours, and the rest days are there for a reason.
Can we start in Jaipur instead of Delhi?
Yes. Jaipur has an international airport with a few flights, and we can reverse or rotate the loop.
Want this route shaped around your dates, your pace and your hotel budget? Tell us about your trip on our enquiry form and we'll send a day-by-day plan with a car, driver and hotels, and we'll be honest about which days to cut if you're short on time.
