Rajasthan - Land of the Maharajahs
15 days - from $2110
• Discover the splendours of Rajasthan's palaces, forts & temples
• Ride camels through the Great Thar Desert
• Relax in lakeside Udaipur - the “White City”
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Nawalgarh to Jaisalmer
Arriving in Delhi we make a tour of the new city with its wide open spaces before heading to the hustle and bustle of Old Delhi to explore the bazaars of Chandni Chowk and the Jami Masjid. We then head out on to the old caravan routes. We stop at Mukundgarh and Nawalgarh, famed for their painted merchants' houses (havelis), and Bikaner - with its Jain temple and headquarters of the Camel Corps - before arriving in Jaisalmer.
Two-day Camel Safari
We begin our own camel safari from the tiny 12th century caravan city of Jaisalmer. Traversing a starkly beautiful wilderness of dunes, rock shelves and scrubland, we may catch sight of herds of chinkara antelope. Ending the safari, Jaisalmer reappears like a vision from the Arabian Nights, its curiously carved yellow stone towers rising mirage-like out of the horizon.
The 'City of Dreams'
After exploring Jodhpur's awesome fortress and Ranakpur's holy Jain temples, we drive on to Kumbalgarh with its impressive Fort and Palace, then reach Udaipur, the 'City of Dreams'. Defended by huge iron-spiked gates against charging elephants, with an island palace 'floating' on a magical lake, Udaipur is indeed surreal to behold. We have time for optional discovery walks, cycling, a visit to the Folk Art Museum, or even a sunset cruise on the lake.
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Itinerary:
Day 1 Join Delhi; city tour. 2 Train and drive Mukundgarh. 3 Visit Nawalgarh; drive Bikaner. 4 Sightseeing in Bikaner. 5 Drive Jaisalmer. 6 In Jaisalmer. 7 & 8 2-day camel safari; 1st night camping, last night in Jaisalmer. 9 Drive Jodhpur. 10 In Jodhpur; visit fort and bazaar. 11 Drive Ranakpur; visit temples, drive Ghanerao. 12 Drive Kumbalgarh; visit Fort; drive Udaipur. 13 In Udaipur; optional boat/bike tours. 14 PM fly Delhi. 15 End Delhi.
Certain Oct/Nov departures have a slightly extended itinerary to visit the annual 'Pushkar Festival'. See pricing and information supplement for full details.
Accommodation: 13nts hotel, 1nt camping - hotels graded standard except Delhi which is comfortable, in Ghanerao we stay in a Maharajah's mansion - camping graded basic; 14 breakfasts, 2 lunches & 3 dinners included.
Transport: Bus/Flight/Train/Camels.
Comment: An in-depth tour of the classic sites of Rajasthan plus a two-day camel safari. Suitable for anyone in reasonable health, you can choose to opt out of the camel safari and spend more time in Jaisalmer. We cover large distances across Rajasthan - be prepared for some long drives.
Group: Approx. 13 to 18.
Staff: Explore Tour Leader plus driver(s) and some local guides. Assisted by cook and camel tenders on camel Safari.
Trip Reference: RD
