Mandawa, the “open art gallery”
Painted havelis, desert forts, Jain temples and the lakes of Udaipur across seven cities.
Highlights
Mandawa, the “open art gallery”
Mehrangarh Fort in the Blue City
Boat ride on Lake Pichola, Udaipur
Day by day
On arrival in Delhi, our representative meets and greets you at the airport and transfers you to your hotel. Overnight in Delhi.

After breakfast, drive to Mandawa (260 km · about 5.5 hrs), known as an “open art gallery”. Visit Mandawa Fort and the havelis, whose wall paintings and frescoes delight visitors; many Bollywood films are shot here. Dinner and overnight in Mandawa.

After breakfast, drive to Jaipur (170 km · about 3 hrs). Visit Amber Fort, with a photo stop at Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Winds. See the City Palace Museum, founded with the city by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727, then Jal Mahal and a walk through Johri Bazaar. Dinner and overnight in Jaipur.

After breakfast, drive to Ajmer (130 km · about 2.5 hrs) and visit Taragarh Fort, reputed to be the oldest hill fort in India at 2,855 ft. Later, visit Pushkar for the sacred lake and the 14th-century Brahma Temple, regarded as the only major shrine to Lord Brahma. Dinner and overnight in Ajmer.

After breakfast, drive to Jodhpur (200 km · about 3.5 hrs), the “Blue City” of indigo-painted houses. In the afternoon, visit Mehrangarh Fort and Jaswant Thada, and see Umaid Bhawan Palace. The evening is free for the bustling bazaars. Dinner and overnight in Jodhpur.

After breakfast, drive to Mount Abu (260 km · about 4.5 hrs) and visit the Dilwara Jain Temples, celebrated worldwide for their marble carving. In the evening, go boating on Nakki Lake in the centre of town. Dinner and overnight in Mount Abu.

After breakfast, drive through the peaceful Aravalli valleys to Ranakpur (160 km · about 3 hrs) and its Jain temples, hidden in the forest and one of the five holy Jain pilgrimages. Continue to Udaipur (95 km · about 2 hrs), the romantic city on Lake Pichola, and visit Saheliyon Ki Bari. Dinner and overnight in Udaipur.

After breakfast, visit the Jagdish Temple and the City Palace, a complex of eleven palaces built over three centuries after Udaipur’s founding in 1559, with its Crystal Gallery and Durbar Hall. Enjoy a boat ride on Lake Pichola, about 4 km long, past Jag Niwas and Jag Mandir. Dinner and overnight in Udaipur.

After breakfast, fly to Delhi. Visit the Lotus Temple and Qutub Minar. After lunch, see India Gate, drive past the President’s House and Parliament House, and visit the Red Fort. Then transfer to the airport for your onward flight.

Important information
Basic Hindi
Taste of the region
Lentils, baked wheat balls with ghee and sweet crushed wheat.
Fiery mutton curry, a speciality of Jodhpur.
Gram-flour dumplings in a spiced yogurt curry.
Desert berries and beans cooked with spices, in Mandawa and Jodhpur.
Stuffed green chillies fried in gram flour, Jodhpur’s street snack.
Sweet pancakes with creamy rabri by Lake Pichola.
Did you know
Mandawa’s painted havelis have made it a favourite Bollywood film location.
Hawa Mahal has 953 windows, designed so royal women could watch street life unseen.
Pushkar’s Brahma Temple is one of the only major temples dedicated to Lord Brahma.
Jag Niwas on Lake Pichola appeared in the James Bond film Octopussy.
Let us know how we can help
Tell us your dates and group size. We’ll tailor this 9-day route and send you a quote.