Private journeys in seven lands · a planner replies within one working day
Try "Udaipur", "tiger", "honeymoon", "Ladakh in July"
Eleven nights through the great palace hotels of Rajasthan: a painted palace at Samode, Rambagh in Jaipur, Umaid Bhawan in Jodhpur, a night in the hills at Kumbhalgarh and four nights on Lake Pichola. A slow, private journey with a car, driver and expert guides throughout.
This is our classic palace journey, built for travellers who want to sleep in Rajasthan's royal buildings and see the forts that made them. It begins quietly at Samode, an hour from Jaipur, then spends three nights at Rambagh Palace for Amber, the City Palace and the bazaars. Jodhpur follows, with Mehrangarh from the gardens of Umaid Bhawan.
From Jodhpur the road climbs into the Aravalli by way of the Ranakpur temple to Kumbhalgarh, where the fort walls run over the hills. The last four nights are in Udaipur, split between the Taj Lake Palace and The Oberoi Udaivilas, with time to rest. Every transfer is broken by something worth seeing.
Highlights
Day by day
Your driver meets you at Jaipur airport and takes you north into the Aravalli hills to Samode Palace. After lunch and a rest, a member of the palace team shows you the Durbar Hall and the Sheesh Mahal in the late afternoon light. Climb the steps to the small fort above the palace for sunset, or watch it from the terraces, then dinner in the courtyard.
An early walk through Samode village, then breakfast and a slow morning by the pool. Drive to Jaipur after lunch and check in at Rambagh Palace, the former royal residence. In the late afternoon, your guide takes you through the old city bazaars on foot, from Hawa Mahal through Johari Bazaar, with stops for street food from stalls we trust. Drinks at the Polo Bar.
Leave at 7.30 am to reach Amber Fort as it opens. Walk the courtyards, the Sheesh Mahal and the Zenana with your guide, then visit the Panna Meena ka Kund stepwell. After lunch and a rest, visit Jantar Mantar and the City Palace, where the royal family still lives in the Chandra Mahal. End at Nahargarh Fort for sunset over the city.
Drive to Bagru, 30 km west, to spend the morning with a Chhipa family who print cloth by hand with wooden blocks and natural dyes. Print a piece yourself. Return for lunch and a free afternoon in the gardens of Rambagh, or with your guide at the Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing. Dinner at Suvarna Mahal, the palace's former banquet hall.
Drive west, stopping in Pushkar for lunch and a walk on the ghats of the sacred lake and to the Brahma temple. Continue across the plains of Marwar to Jodhpur, arriving at Umaid Bhawan Palace in the late afternoon. The Art Deco palace, completed in 1943, is still home to the royal family. Dinner on the terrace with Mehrangarh lit on the far hill.
Reach Mehrangarh Fort at opening and spend the morning in its palaces and museum galleries, among the finest in India. Walk down through the blue lanes of Brahmpuri to the Toorji ka Jhalra stepwell and the clock tower market, with a makhaniya lassi on the way. Afternoon at the palace, then Jaswant Thada in the late light.
Drive south into the Aravalli to the Jain temple at Ranakpur, arriving around midday when it opens to visitors. Walk among its marble pillars with an audio guide. Continue to Kumbhalgarh and check in at The Aodhi below the fort. In the late afternoon climb to the Badal Mahal and walk a section of the great wall as the sun sets.
A slow breakfast in the hills, then drive to Udaipur and cross Lake Pichola by boat to the Taj Lake Palace, built in the 1740s as a royal summer retreat. Lunch, rest and a walk round the palace's courtyards. At sunset, a private boat takes you past the ghats and Jag Mandir before stopping off the City Palace as it turns gold.
Cross to the City Palace at opening with a Mewar historian and spend the morning in its courtyards, mirrored rooms and the peacock mosaics of Mor Chowk. Walk through the old city to the Jagdish temple and Bagore ki Haveli. Afternoon at leisure on the lake. Evening free, or a rooftop dinner facing the palace.
Move across the lake to The Oberoi Udaivilas for your last two nights. In the afternoon, a private session with a miniature painter in his studio in the old city: grinding pigments, fine brushes and a small piece of your own. Drive up to the Monsoon Palace for sunset over the lakes and the Aravalli.
A day kept free. Many guests spend it at the spa and by the pool at Udaivilas. Others take an excursion to the temples of Eklingji and Nagda, 22 km north, or to Nathdwara for the pichhwai painters. In the evening, a farewell dinner on the lake shore, arranged by the hotel.
Breakfast by the lake, then your driver takes you to Udaipur airport for your onward flight, or on to the next part of your journey in India. If your flight is late, the hotel can usually arrange a later check-out on request. Check current status before you travel.
Included
Not included
Where you sleep
A family-owned palace hotel in a village in the Aravalli hills, about 42 km northwest of Jaipur. Its painted Durbar Hall and mirrored Sheesh Mahal are …
The former home of the Maharajas of Jaipur, run by Taj, set in large Mughal-style gardens about 15 minutes from the old city. It is the …
A golden sandstone Art Deco palace on Chittar Hill above Jodhpur, completed in 1943 and still home to the royal family of Marwar in one wing. …
An 18th-century white marble palace that covers its own island in Lake Pichola, reached only by boat. Built as a royal summer retreat and run by …
A palace-style resort on the eastern shore of Lake Pichola, with domed pavilions, courtyards, gardens and rooms opening onto shared or semi-private pools. It faces the …
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Questions travellers ask
Eleven nights covers Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur at a calm pace, with Samode and Kumbhalgarh between. It does not include Jaisalmer or Ranthambore. For those, add three nights each, or see our 15-night grand tour. The route runs from Samode to Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kumbhalgarh and four nights in Udaipur, with Pushkar and Ranakpur seen on the drives.
The Taj Lake Palace and The Oberoi Udaivilas give two very different views of Lake Pichola. The first is an island palace, the second a resort on the shore with pools and space. Splitting four nights between them is the best way to see Udaipur.
About 800 km in total. The longest day is Jaipur to Jodhpur, about 6.5 hours with a stop in Pushkar. The others are 1–4.5 hours. Every long day includes a visit on the way. Every transfer is by private air-conditioned car with an experienced driver. If you prefer, day 5 can be replaced with a flight via Delhi, though it rarely saves time.
Yes. Add three nights at Ranthambore after Jaipur, then return to Jaipur and continue as planned, or reshape the route. Ranthambore is 3.5 hours from Jaipur by road or about 2 hours by train. Ranthambore's main zones close from 1 July to 30 September, and safaris depend on permits; check current status before you travel.
October to March. November, February and early March are especially good, avoiding the cold of January mornings and the peak prices of Christmas. August and September are possible for guests who like the monsoon, with green hills and full lakes.
Yes. The pace is unhurried, with three or four nights in the main cities and rest built into most afternoons. Forts involve ramps and steps; tell us about mobility and we will adjust, use lifts where available and plan shorter walks.
Yes. We price this journey in good room categories, and suites at Rambagh, Umaid Bhawan and the Lake Palace can be added. Historical suites at each palace are memorable but limited, so book early. You can take a suite at one palace only, and we price each upgrade separately. Rooms at the Taj Lake Palace and Rambagh book out 6 to 9 months ahead for peak season.
A private guide accompanies you for sightseeing in Jaipur, Jodhpur, Kumbhalgarh, Ranakpur and Udaipur. Free afternoons and the last day are kept without a guide unless you ask for one. Your guide in Udaipur is a Mewar historian, and inside the Ranakpur temple you use an audio guide. The Bagru visit and the miniature painting session are included.
Yes. The price is per person, twin sharing, from the figure shown. It varies with dates, room categories and hotel availability. Single travellers pay a supplement. We give a firm quote once your dates are fixed. Prices rise over Christmas, New Year and Diwali, and flights are not included.
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