The Marigold Trail
Queen's Quarters Tour
A Women-Only Rajasthan Journey Told Through Its Queens and Princesses
- Suggested Length
- 12 days
- Cities
- 5
- Best Time
- October – March
- Route
- Delhi · Jaisalmer · Jodhpur · Udaipur · Jaipur
Rajasthan's palaces were built with their women in mind, though rarely by them. Royal women lived in the zenana, a separate wing of each fort, behind carved stone screens that let them look out without being seen. This journey takes you into those rooms: the latticed apartments at Mehrangarh, the queens' palace inside Udaipur's City Palace, a garden laid out for a royal bride and her companions, and Jaipur's Hawa Mahal, a whole façade built so the women of the court could watch the street. Along the way, your guides tell you about the women who ran these households, paid for stepwells and temples, and in some reigns governed as regents. There's time between visits to shop for textiles and jewellery, and if you'd like to sleep in a former palace, we'll suggest one in each city.
Why This Trip
What You'll Love
The zenana at Mehrangarh
Go up into the women's apartments of Jodhpur's great fort, where carved sandstone screens let the queens follow life in the courtyards below without being seen.
A stepwell built by a queen
Toorji ka Jhalra, the deep, carved stepwell in Jodhpur's old city, was commissioned in the 1740s by a queen of Maharaja Abhay Singh, and has been restored and filled with water again.
Udaipur's Garden of the Maidens
Saheliyon ki Bari's fountains, lotus pools and marble elephants were laid out for a royal bride and the maids who came with her.
Hawa Mahal from both sides
See Jaipur's Palace of Winds from the street, then go up inside to look out through the small windows the court's women used to watch processions pass.
The Route
Day By Day
- 01
Arrival in Delhi
Delhi
A driver meets you as you come out of arrivals at Delhi airport and takes you to your hotel. Nothing is planned for the rest of the day, so you can sleep off the flight before heading west.
- 02
Fly to the Golden City
Jaisalmer
A short morning flight west to Jaisalmer, where your driver is waiting. Spend the afternoon settling in, then find a rooftop café for your first view of the fort in the late sun.
- 03
Inside the Fort, Out to the Dunes
Jaisalmer
Families still live and trade inside Jaisalmer Fort. Your guide takes you to the royal palace at its heart and the merchants' havelis below, then to Gadisar Lake, whose ornate gateway is said to have been paid for by a courtesan named Tilon. In the evening, ride a camel out onto the dunes and stay for folk music and dinner under the stars.
- 04
Across the Desert to Jodhpur
Jodhpur
Five to six hours east by road. The afternoon is yours; if you'd like company, a local guide can walk you through the old-town bazaars.
- 05
Mehrangarh & the Queen's Stepwell
Jodhpur
Start at Mehrangarh, high on its rock above the blue city, where the zenana's carved screens show how the royal women watched court life unseen. Later, visit Mandore Gardens and Toorji ka Jhalra, the stepwell a queen commissioned in the 1740s, then the museum wing of Umaid Bhawan Palace and the bazaar around the Clock Tower.
- 06
Jaswant Thada, Then the Aravallis
Udaipur
Jaswant Thada, the marble cenotaph of Maharaja Jaswant Singh II on the slope beneath Mehrangarh, is at its quietest in the morning. Afterwards the road climbs south into the green Aravalli hills, reaching Udaipur in time for an evening by the water.
- 07
The Queens' Palace & the Maidens' Garden
Udaipur
At the City Palace, your guide leads you through the Zenana Mahal, the queens' part of the complex, before Jagdish Temple and the fountains of Saheliyon ki Bari. In the afternoon, head out on Lake Pichola by boat, passing Gangaur Ghat, named for the festival when Udaipur's women carry images of the goddess Gauri to the water, and the island palace of Jag Mandir.
- 08
Sajjangarh & the Crystal Gallery
Udaipur
Sajjangarh, the Monsoon Palace, crowns a hill above the city with views over the lakes and out into the countryside. Spend the afternoon in the City Palace's Crystal Gallery, a royal collection of cut-glass furniture and ornaments ordered from England in the late 19th century.
- 09
Flight to Jaipur
Jaipur
A slow morning by the lake, then a short flight to Jaipur and a free evening to settle in.
- 10
Amer Fort & the Palace of Winds
Jaipur
At Amer Fort, see the mirrored Sheesh Mahal and the queens' apartments around the zenana courtyard. Stop for a view of Jal Mahal on the way to the City Palace, part of which is still the royal family's home. In the afternoon, go inside Hawa Mahal, built in 1799 so the women of the court could watch processions in the street, and end at the Jantar Mantar observatory.
- 11
Jhalana & the Jewellers' Bazaar
Jaipur
An early jeep safari in Jhalana, a compact forest reserve inside Jaipur's city limits, known for its leopards. In the afternoon, shop with your guide in Johri Bazaar for gemstones, silver and block-printed cloth, and finish at sunset outside the Albert Hall Museum.
- 12
Hill Forts, Then Home
Jaipur
Go up early to Nahargarh and Jaigarh, the forts on the ridge above Jaipur. At Nahargarh, the Madhavendra Bhawan has nine matching apartments built for a maharaja's nine queens. Then it's about five hours by road to Delhi and the airport.
In Pictures
Gallery
Good To Know
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this a group tour?
- No. It runs privately for your own party, whether you're travelling alone, with friends, or as mothers, daughters and sisters together. You never share a vehicle or a guide with other travellers. "Women-only" describes who the trip is planned for and how we choose its guides and drivers.
Do I have to stay in palace hotels?
- No. The estimate covers transport, guides and transfers, and hotels are booked separately. If you'd like a night or two in a former royal residence, such as Jodhpur's Umaid Bhawan or Udaipur's Taj Lake Palace, tell us your budget and we'll suggest options in each city.
How is this different from your other Rajasthan tours?
- The route matches The Royal Circuit and the Maharaja's Legacy Tour, but the focus is different. Here your guides concentrate on the women's side of each palace: the zenana apartments, the stepwell and gardens built by or for queens, and the festivals the cities' women still celebrate. The Maharaja's Legacy Tour is built around palace-hotel stays instead.
Can we add hands-on experiences?
- Yes. Popular additions are a henna session, a block-printing workshop near Jaipur, a home cooking class, or dressing in a sari or lehenga for photographs. Tell us what interests you and we'll fit it into the free afternoons.
Is it suitable for older travellers or a first visit to India?
- Yes. Flights on days 2 and 9 replace the longest drives, most days have some free time, and we can slow the pace further. Rajasthan is also one of the easiest regions of India for a first trip, with good roads and long experience of looking after visitors.
Is it safe for women travelling on their own?
- Your vehicle and driver are yours alone for the whole trip, a local guide meets you in each city, and our team is reachable by phone throughout. Tell us about any concerns when you enquire and we'll plan around them.
When is the best time to go?
- October to March, when days are warm and nights are cool. Pack a warm layer for desert evenings in December and January. If you can travel in March or April, look out for Gangaur, the spring festival when women in Udaipur and Jaipur process through the streets with images of the goddess Gauri.
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