Multi-City Circuit
The Rajasthan Circuit
Six Rajasthan cities on their own — Jaipur's forts, a tiger safari at Ranthambore, the desert of Jaisalmer, and Udaipur's lakes, without Delhi, Agra, Khajuraho or Varanasi.
Jaipur · Ranthambore · Bikaner · Jaisalmer · Jodhpur · Udaipur
Rajasthan, Start to Finish
Most North India itineraries treat Rajasthan as the second half of a trip that begins in Delhi and Agra. This one starts and ends inside the state. You fly into Jaipur, drive a loop through six cities and fly out of Udaipur. The days other routes spend on the Delhi–Agra road go instead to a tiger reserve, a night near the desert and a slower look at each fort.
The order follows the map. First come Jaipur's hill forts. Next is Ranthambore, where the ruins of an old fort stand inside the tiger reserve. Then the road heads west into the Thar for Bikaner's Junagarh Fort, Jaisalmer's sandstone citadel and the dunes at Sam. From there it turns back east to Jodhpur's blue old town and south past the marble temple at Ranakpur, ending at Udaipur's lakes.
There is one long day to be honest about. No road runs directly from Ranthambore to Bikaner, so that leg goes back through Jaipur and takes most of the day, around 480 km. Every other leg is between 150 and 330 km on good highways, and most have somewhere worth stopping along the way.
Three safari drives at Ranthambore
The Balanced plan spends two nights at one of India's best-known tiger reserves, with an afternoon drive on arrival and two more the next day, at dawn and in the late afternoon.
Bikaner, the city most tours leave out
Junagarh Fort's gilded, mirror-lined palace rooms, and the Karni Mata temple at Deshnoke, where thousands of rats are fed and protected as sacred.
A fort people still live in
Jaisalmer's sandstone fort isn't a museum: houses, guesthouses, shops and Jain temples still fill the lanes inside its walls, with the dunes at Sam an hour's drive away.
Ranakpur on the road to Udaipur
A stop on the Jodhpur–Udaipur drive: a 15th-century Jain temple carved from white marble, with 1,444 pillars that are said to all be different.
Route
Full tolls, drive times and en-route facilities for every leg are in the route & distance atlas.
Day By Day
11 Nights · 12 Days
Arrive Jaipur
Overnight in Jaipur
Your driver meets you at Jaipur airport or the railway station and drops you at your hotel. In the evening, walk through Johari and Bapu Bazaars, the old city's jewellery and textile markets, and try some street food on the way.
Jaipur
Overnight in Jaipur
Start early at Amber Fort, before the heat and the crowds. In the afternoon, go down into the walled city for the City Palace, the latticed front of Hawa Mahal and the stone instruments of Jantar Mantar. End the day on the ridge at Nahargarh Fort as the lights come on below.
Jaipur → Ranthambore (150 km, ~2.5-3 hrs)
Overnight in Ranthambore
About three hours to Sawai Madhopur, the town at the edge of Ranthambore. Check in, have lunch, and take your first safari as the afternoon cools.
Ranthambore
Overnight in Ranthambore
Two more drives today: one at dawn and one in the late afternoon, when the animals are most active. The forest department allots the zones, so each drive can show a different side of the park — lakes, grassland, or the fort walls above the trees. Rest at the lodge in between.
Ranthambore → Jaipur → Bikaner (~480 km via Jaipur, ~8-9 hrs)
Overnight in Bikaner
The long day. With no direct road west, the route goes back through Jaipur and then north-west to Bikaner, around eight to nine hours of driving. We plan stops for meals and a stretch, and you arrive in the evening.
Bikaner → Jaisalmer (330 km, ~6 hrs)
Overnight in Jaisalmer
Bikaner gets one morning, so start early. Junagarh Fort, built by Raja Rai Singh in the late 16th century, has some of Rajasthan's richest painted and gilded rooms. Then visit the Karni Mata temple at Deshnoke before a six-hour drive west, with an evening walk among the havelis below Jaisalmer Fort.
Jaisalmer
Overnight in Jaisalmer
In the morning, visit Kuldhara, a village of roofless stone houses that, according to local legend, its Paliwal Brahmin families left in a single night. Then see the royal cenotaphs at Bada Bagh. Late in the afternoon, head out to the Sam dunes for a camel or jeep ride and stay for sunset.
Jaisalmer → Jodhpur (285 km, ~5-6 hrs)
Overnight in Jodhpur
Five to six hours east to Jodhpur. If you'd like a break, stop at Osian, where a group of early medieval Hindu and Jain temples stands at the edge of the desert. In the evening, walk the Clock Tower market for spices, textiles and the city's mirchi vada.
Jodhpur
Overnight in Jodhpur
Mehrangarh Fort stands on a cliff above the city, and its palace rooms hold one of the best museum collections in the state. From there, walk to the white marble cenotaph of Jaswant Thada. In the afternoon, either explore the blue lanes of the old town or walk the trails of Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park below the fort.
Jodhpur → Udaipur (265 km via Ranakpur, ~5-6 hrs)
Overnight in Udaipur
Drive south into the Aravalli hills, stopping at Ranakpur's marble Jain temple. You reach Udaipur in time for a boat out on Lake Pichola as the sun sets.
Udaipur
Overnight in Udaipur
The City Palace, a run of courtyards and terraces stepping down to the lake. Then Shilpgram, a crafts village outside town with traditional houses from across western India. In the evening, the Dharohar folk-dance show at Bagore ki Haveli, beside Gangaur Ghat.
Depart Udaipur (flight recommended for onward travel)
A slow breakfast by the lake, then your transfer to Udaipur airport. We suggest flying on from here, because Delhi and Mumbai are both a very long drive away.
Bikaner gets a single night, so its sights fit into the morning you leave. The Ranthambore–Bikaner leg goes back through Jaipur because there's no direct road, so expect a full day of driving with no sightseeing.
Good To Know
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does this route leave out Delhi and Agra?
- It's built for travellers who have already seen them, or who want all their time in Rajasthan. Skipping the Delhi–Agra stretch leaves room for Ranthambore, Bikaner and the desert. If you'd like the Taj Mahal too, the Grand India Circuit covers all ten cities, or we can add Agra before Jaipur.
How do I get to Jaipur and home from Udaipur?
- Both cities have airports with domestic flights from Delhi and Mumbai, and Jaipur is also well served by train. Your driver meets you on arrival and drops you off for departure. Flights are booked separately from this estimate.
Is the Ranthambore to Bikaner drive really that long?
- Yes. At around 480 km and eight to nine hours, it's the hardest day of the trip, because there's no direct road and the route has to go back through Jaipur. If that's more driving than you want, tell us when you enquire and we'll suggest a different order or drop Bikaner.
Which pace should I choose?
- If you're not sure, choose Balanced (12 days): every city gets enough time, and the Ranthambore–Bikaner day is the only very long drive. Minimum (7 days) means driving every day and missing some major sights. Maximum (17 days) adds more safari drives, a full day in Bikaner, a desert-camp night and time for side trips such as Kumbhalgarh.
When is the best time to go?
- The cool, dry months from October to March are the most comfortable, with sunny days and chilly desert nights. April to June is very hot. Ranthambore's main safari zones close for the monsoon, roughly July to September, so the safari days only work outside those months.
Are hotels included?
- No. The estimate covers your private vehicle and driver, local guides, airport and station transfers, tolls, parking and state taxes. You can book hotels yourself, or share your budget and we'll recommend places to stay along the route, from heritage havelis to desert camps.
Make It Yours
Add or drop a city, change the pace, pick your vehicle — the plan and the price update as you go.