RAJASTHAN & RISHIKESH TOUR21 days with private car & driver – a route proposal

Route: Delhi – Mandawa – Bikaner – Jaisalmer – Jodhpur – Ranakpur – Udaipur (via Kumbhalgarh) – Chittorgarh – Bundi – Ranthambore NP – Pushkar – Jaipur – Agra (via Fatehpur Sikri) – Delhi – Rishikesh – Haridwar – Delhi

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Desert, palaces – and the holy Ganges

This three-week route proposal combines a large Rajasthan round trip with a completely different side of India: after the desert cities, Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Bundi, Ranthambore and the Taj Mahal, you travel north to Rishikesh and Haridwar – two holy towns where the Ganges leaves the Himalaya. A calm, spiritual finale for your journey.

A proposal – not a package

Like all our tours, this route is meant as inspiration. After your booking enquiry we send you a day-by-day proposal by e-mail. You decide where you would like to stay longer, what you want to leave out and which places you want to add – we revise the proposal until it suits you. Even during the tour you can change your plans in consultation with us. The price is calculated as soon as your route is fixed – see our prices.

Highlights along the route

• Delhi – start and end point of the tour: Old Delhi with Jama Masjid and Red Fort, Humayun's Tomb, Qutb Minar and India Gate – on request with a day of Delhi sightseeing.
• Mandawa – small town in the Shekhawati region, famous for its richly painted havelis, the mansions of former merchant families.
• Bikaner – the mighty Junagarh Fort, the old town with its havelis, a camel farm and nearby the Karni Mata temple in Deshnok with its thousands of rats.
• Jaisalmer – the "Golden City" in the Thar Desert: a living fort of yellow sandstone, finely carved havelis and sunset in the desert.
• Jodhpur – the "Blue City" at the foot of the massive Mehrangarh Fort.
• Ranakpur – one of the most important Jain temples in India, built of white marble with a forest of intricately carved pillars.
• Kumbhalgarh – on the way to Udaipur: a mighty mountain fortress whose wall is one of the longest in the world.
• Udaipur – the "City of Lakes" with its City Palace on the shore of Lake Pichola.
• Chittorgarh – one of the largest forts in India and a symbol of Rajput courage, with the Tower of Victory (Vijay Stambh).
• Bundi – a quiet little town with old stepwells, the hilltop Taragarh Fort and a palace famous for its wall paintings.
• Ranthambore National Park – one of the best places in India to see wild tigers on a jeep safari, with the ruins of an old fort inside the park.
• Pushkar – holy town around a sacred lake with bathing ghats and one of the few Brahma temples in India; in autumn venue of the famous camel fair.
• Jaipur – the "Pink City": Amber Fort, Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds), City Palace and the Jantar Mantar observatory. Between Jaipur and Agra the Chand Baori stepwell in Abhaneri is worth a stop.
• Fatehpur Sikri & Agra – the deserted Mughal capital of Emperor Akbar, then the Taj Mahal (closed on Fridays), Agra Fort and the "Baby Taj" Itimad-ud-Daulah.
• Rishikesh & Haridwar – two holy towns on the Ganges at the foot of the Himalaya: the evening Ganga Aarti at Har Ki Pauri in Haridwar, and Rishikesh, the "yoga capital of the world", with its ashrams and temples on the river.

Good to know

• The best time to travel Rajasthan is from October to March. From April to June it gets very hot.
• The core zones of Ranthambore National Park are closed during the monsoon season (roughly July to September).
• Distances in North India are long – have a look at our map with distances & driving times. For your safety we only drive in daylight.
• Prefer more Rajasthan instead? The 21-day Rajasthan tour includes Mount Abu. Want to go further into the mountains? Have a look at our 30-day tour with the Himalaya.

What our guests say

• Three women: nine days Golden Triangle, Haridwar and Rishikesh
• Seven days: Agra, Haridwar and Rishikesh
• Delhi, Agra, Jaipur and Haridwar with driver Rinku