Ultimate Classic Rajasthan Tour – 13 Days

Duration

13 days / 12 nights

Starts from

Delhi

Group size

Private, up to 15

Guide

Licensed local guide

Best time to visit

October to March — daytime temperatures across the desert and the Aravalli hill towns stay comfortable for sightseeing. April to June regularly passes 40°C (104°F) in Bikaner and Jaisalmer.

Overview

Thirteen days is enough to cross Rajasthan properly rather than skim it — Delhi and Agra at the start, then west into the desert through Bikaner and Jaisalmer, the blue lanes of Jodhpur, the lake palaces of Udaipur, and the forts and bazaars of Jaipur along the way. This is the full classic circuit that shorter Golden Triangle trips only gesture at.

Two things a 5 or 8-day tour can't fit are both here: a night at a tented camp beyond Jaisalmer, under a sky with none of a city's light pollution, and the long drive between Jaipur and Jodhpur through genuinely rural Rajasthan — mustard fields, camel carts and small highway towns that never make it onto a shorter itinerary.

Every day is in the same private air-conditioned car with the same English-speaking driver, and a local guide joins at each city — no switching vehicles mid-route and no joining a shared coach group.

Hotels come in three tiers — heritage 3-star, boutique 4-star and palace 5-star properties in Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur — so the pricing below reflects an actual difference in where you sleep each night, not a vague "luxury upgrade" line.

The route

10 stops

The route

Open in Google Maps

Itinerary

  1. Delhi

    Day 1: Arrive in Delhi

    Private airport pickup and transfer to your hotel. The rest of the day is free to rest after the flight — a trip briefing with your documents and the final itinerary happens that evening or the next morning.

  2. Delhi

    Day 2: Old and New Delhi

    A full day across both halves of the capital: Jama Masjid and a cycle-rickshaw ride through the lanes of Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi, then Humayun's Tomb and Qutub Minar in New Delhi, with a drive past India Gate and the government buildings of Lutyens' Delhi.

    Jama Masjid · Chandni Chowk · Humayun's Tomb · Qutub Minar · India Gate

  3. Agra Fort

    Day 3: Delhi to Agra

    About 3.5 hours on the Yamuna Expressway to Agra. After checking in, an afternoon visit to Agra Fort, then sunset views of the Taj Mahal from across the river at Mehtab Bagh.

    Agra Fort · Mehtab Bagh

  4. taj mahal

    Day 4: Taj Mahal Sunrise, Then On to Jaipur

    At the Taj Mahal for sunrise, ahead of the heat and the midday crowds. Afterwards, the drive to Jaipur (around 5 hours) with a stop at Fatehpur Sikri, the abandoned Mughal capital built entirely of red sandstone.

    Taj Mahal · Fatehpur Sikri

  5. jaipur

    Day 5: Jaipur, the Pink City

    Amber Fort by jeep up the hillside, the City Palace, the Jantar Mantar observatory, a photo stop at Hawa Mahal, and free time in the old city's bazaars for block-printed textiles and gemstone jewellery.

    Amber Fort · City Palace, Jaipur · Jantar Mantar · Hawa Mahal

  6. Bikaner

    Day 6: Jaipur to Bikaner

    A long drive west into the Thar Desert, around 6 hours, arriving in Bikaner by evening with the rest of the day free.

  7. Jaisalmer

    Day 7: Bikaner, Then Into the Desert

    Morning at Junagarh Fort and the National Research Centre on Camel, then the drive to Jaisalmer (about 5.5 hours), arriving as the fort begins to glow gold in the evening light.

    Junagarh Fort · Camel Research & Breeding Farm

  8. Bikaner

    Day 8: Jaisalmer Fort and a Night in the Thar Desert

    Morning inside the still-inhabited fort of Jaisalmer (the "Golden Fort"), the carved havelis of Patwon Ki Haveli, and Gadisar Lake. In the afternoon, a camel ride out to the Sam sand dunes for sunset and an overnight stay at a desert camp, with dinner and folk music under the stars.

    Jaisalmer Fort · Patwon Ki Haveli · Gadisar Lake · Sam Sand Dunes

  9. jodhpur

    Day 9: Into the Blue City

    From the desert camp to Jodhpur, about 5 hours, with the afternoon free to explore the blue-washed lanes of the old city beneath the fort walls.

  10. jodhpur

    Day 10: Mehrangarh Fort and the Blue City

    Mehrangarh Fort — one of India's best-preserved and most dramatic forts — Jaswant Thada's white marble cenotaph, and a walk through Jodhpur's blue-painted old town.

    Mehrangarh Fort · Jaswant Thada

  11. Ranakpur

    Day 11: Ranakpur's Marble Temples, Then Udaipur

    En route to Udaipur, a stop at the 15th-century Jain temple complex at Ranakpur, famous for 1,444 individually carved marble pillars, before continuing on (around 6 hours total driving).

    Ranakpur Jain Temple

  12. udaipur

    Day 12: Udaipur, City of Lakes

    The City Palace overlooking Lake Pichola, a boat ride past the Lake Palace and Jag Mandir, Jagdish Temple, and the garden courtyards of Saheliyon Ki Bari.

    City Palace, Udaipur · Lake Pichola · Jagdish Temple · Saheliyon Ki Bari

  13. 13

    Day 13: Udaipur to Delhi

    A morning at leisure or for last-minute shopping, then a short flight back to Delhi to connect with onward or international departures.

Frequently asked questions

Is 13 days enough to see all of Rajasthan?

It covers the full classic circuit — Jaipur, Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur and Udaipur — plus Delhi and Agra at the start. Rajasthan alone could fill three weeks, but 13 days is the standard length for seeing every major city without the trip turning into one long drive.

What is the best time of year for this tour?

October to March. Daytime temperatures are comfortable for sightseeing, and the desert nights near Jaisalmer are genuinely cold rather than just cool, which is part of what makes the camp worthwhile. April to June regularly passes 40°C (104°F) in Bikaner and Jaisalmer.

Is the desert camp comfortable, or is it actual camping?

It's a fixed tented camp with proper beds, attached bathrooms and electricity — not backpacking-style camping. Dinner is a buffet with live folk music and dance, and "roughing it" is limited to no wifi and an early, chilly start for sunrise over the dunes.

Do we fly anywhere, or is the whole trip by road?

The whole route from Delhi to Udaipur is by private car. The only flight is the short one back from Udaipur to Delhi on the last day, to connect with onward travel — booked separately, since flight schedules and fares change too often to fix into a tour price.

Is this itinerary suitable for older travellers or people with limited mobility?

Most of it, yes — the forts and palaces involve walking on uneven stone and some stairs, and both Amber Fort and Mehrangarh Fort sit on hills (a jeep covers the climb at Amber). The desert camp and camel ride are the two parts worth discussing with us directly if mobility is a serious concern, since the dunes aren't wheelchair-accessible.

How is this different from a Golden Triangle tour?

A Golden Triangle tour is Delhi, Agra and Jaipur — three cities, usually 3 to 6 days. This tour includes those same three plus five more Rajasthan cities (Bikaner, Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur and the desert in between), which is why it runs more than twice as long.

Can the hotel category or itinerary be changed?

Yes. The three pricing tiers below cover the most common hotel categories, and the day-by-day order can be adjusted — extra nights in Udaipur or Jaisalmer are the two most frequent requests. Tell us what you'd like changed when you enquire.

Is a visa required?

Most nationalities need an Indian e-Visa, applied for online before arrival. It isn't included in the tour price and isn't something we can apply for on a traveller's behalf — check the official Indian government e-Visa site for your nationality's requirements well before departure.

Included

  • Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver for all 13 days
  • Local English-speaking guide at each city's major sightseeing
  • 12 nights' hotel accommodation (tier selected at booking)
  • Daily breakfast
  • Camel ride, dinner and overnight stay at the desert camp near Jaisalmer
  • All monument entry tickets listed in the itinerary
  • Airport and railway station transfers
  • All toll, parking and driver allowances

Not included

  • International and domestic flights, including the Udaipur–Delhi flight on day 13
  • Lunch and dinner, except the included desert camp dinner
  • Personal expenses, tips and travel insurance
  • Camera or video fees charged separately at some monuments
  • Visa fees

You might also like

More Cultural & Thematic Tours tours.

Travel guides for this trip

Golden Triangle vs Royal Rajasthan: Which Tour Fits You?Taj Mahal Ultimate Travel Guide — Weather, Timings, Tickets

Know more about this tour

Rajasthan is India's largest state by area, and the cities on this route were each built by a different Rajput or Mughal-era dynasty — which is why Jaipur's palaces, Jodhpur's fort and Udaipur's lake palaces look so different from one another despite being a few hundred kilometres apart. Jaisalmer, the westernmost stop, sits close enough to the Pakistan border that the desert around it is part of the Thar Desert's active dune field rather than semi-arid scrubland.

This 13-day route is commonly sold as the "Classic Rajasthan" circuit by Indian tour operators, distinct from the shorter "Golden Triangle" (Delhi-Agra-Jaipur) tours that cover only the first three stops. It runs as a private tour throughout — the vehicle, driver and schedule are exclusive to one travelling party rather than shared with a coach group.