Taj Mahal, Jaipur, and a Rural Camel Fair
Royal Rajasthan & Villages of India
Overview
Traditional desert tribes, camels painted with henna, airy Mughal palaces of marble and onyx, rural villages dating to the 15th century—they’re all on our Rajasthan adventure, a wonderfully colorful experience of India. We’ll visit the Taj Mahal, take a camel ride and sunset dune walk amid herders’ camps at the Pushkar or Nagaur fairs (or attend a village Holi Festival on spring departures), and enjoy a stay at the atmospheric Rambagh Palace, once the home of the Maharaja of Jaipur. In the heritage village of Narlai we visit cave temples and take a Jeep safari in search of leopards, and we finish in romantic Udaipur, exploring whitewashed havelis (mansions), parks, and temples on the shores of Lake Pichola.
Arrive: Delhi
Depart: Delhi
Highlights
- Mingle among camel traders at the Pushkar or Nagaur fairs
- Explore the markets of Jaipur and Udaipur, see sunset and sunrise at the Taj Mahal
- Take a Jeep safari in search of leopards at Narlai
- Special spring departure includes India's famous Holi Festival
- Enjoy hotels that bring Rajasthan's princely heritage to life
Itinerary
We recommend arriving a day early to allow time to recover from jet lag. We are happy to arrange hotel nights (an "on your own" expense).
We start out with a bang, making both a sunset and sunrise pilgrimage to the ethereal Taj, “a poem in stone.” Departing Agra, we explore the haunting desert ruins of Fatehpur Sikri, once the capital of Mughal Emperor Akbar. In the desert city of Jaipur, we’ll discover the walled quarter, a showcase for Rajasthani craftsmanship.
Rajasthan’s flamboyant camel and cattle fairs are a whirlwind of color, song, and dance. Families attend from far and wide, dressed in Rajasthani festival attire—it’s a dazzling experience of the vibrancy of India. Overnights are at a hotel.
We roam Jodhpur’s spice and textile markets, and at Mehrangarh Fort, experience the heritage of Rajasthan on a princely scale. From Jodhpur, we head to Ranakpur, famous for its marvelous complex of finely ornamented Jain temples in the Aravalli Hills. In the rural village of Narlai, we enjoy local walks, temple visits, and one evening, we take a Jeep safari to look for the leopards who roam the countryside.
Udaipur captures India at its most quintessentially romantic, with its craggy green hills and bathing ghats clustered around idyllic Lake Pichola. We’ll visit the city’s grand palace, the largest royal complex in Rajasthan. Depart on Day 13 via Delhi.
Our March departure of Royal Rajasthan is timed for India’s colorful Holi Festival, which symbolizes the beginning of spring, the victory of good over evil, and hope for a good harvest. Holi is a boisterous occasion in which families gather outside in the streets, douse each other with brilliantly colored powders and splash each other with water pistols to make the color stick! It’s a bit messy, so we’ll provide you with a set of traditional Indian clothes for this day, but it’s all in fun, with sunset bonfires, special festival food, and traditional dances. The festival is sometimes said to be a reenactment of a game the Hindu god Lord Krishna played with his consort Radha and the gopis, or milkmaids.
Please Download Itinerary for more information.
Accommodations
Scroll through our signature accommodations for this trip below. Although it is highly unlikely, we may make substitutions when necessary.
What the Trip is Like
This trip is Level 1+, Easy. It is a comfortable, vehicle-based sightseeing trip. Accommodations include comfortable, modern hotels reflecting the traditional architecture of Rajasthan as well as former palaces and royal residences that have been converted into luxurious heritage hotels. There are some long days of driving on rough, bumpy roads.
Please remember that travel in India is an intense experience. The essential requirements are flexibility, a sense of humor, curiosity, enthusiasm about new peoples and places, and an openness to the unexpected.
Like the rest of India, Rajasthan has four seasons. In winter (January to March),? temperatures vary widely around the state of Rajasthan but this is an ideal season for travel. January is the coolest month of the year. April to June is pre-monsoon, the hottest season, particularly in May and June. June to September is the monsoon season, when 90 percent of the annual rains come. October to December, the post-monsoon season, is a very comfortable season for travel.
Accommodations include comfortable, modern hotels reflecting the traditional architecture of Rajasthan as well as former palaces and royal residences that have been converted into luxurious heritage hotels.
An optional camel ride is offered at the Pushkar or Nagaur fair for an "above the crowd" view of the activities around the fairgrounds as the day begins. Anyone participating in this optional activity must acknowledge the inherent dangers in riding and agree to accept any and all risks.
Wilderness Travel is proud to be a member of Travel Operators for Tigers (TOFT), a voluntary initiative that supports and funds responsible wildlife tourism practices across the Indian and Nepali park networks. Responsible wildlife and nature tourism can provide an invaluable platform to support and sustain parks, wildlife conservancies, and buffer zones, and can play an important role in poverty eradication in nearby communities. At a time when the magnificent tiger is increasingly under threat, we believe that supporting organizations like TOFT and promoting responsible travel practices can help in efforts to save the tiger and provide sustainable employment for local populations.
Client Testimonials
"Exciting, amazing, insightful, historical, educational, and fun."
Abbe L.
Melbourne Beach, FL
"WOW! This was an extraordinary trip. It was meticulously planned, but allowed for many spontaneous interactions and delightful surprises. Another WT success story."
Bonnie B.
Bakersfield, CA
"I absolutely loved this trip. It was such a busy and astonishing one; every day there was at least one thing that just blew us away. The palaces and forts are remarkable, the stepwells breathtaking, and the traffic bewildering! I know people who are afraid to go to India but this trip is the one they should take. It is very comfortable but so much fun. And the food is fabulous! "
Cindy H.
Bend, OR
"The camel fair went beyond anyone's expectations. It was an incredible experience!"
Donna B.
Sacramento, CA
"It was a splendid experience all around. I did not want to come home."
Elizabeth P.
Santa Fe, NM
"Our Trip Leader shared his enthusiasm for the history and beauty, was sensitive to the needs of each individual, and had an unfailing sense of humor along with tremendous knowledge. It was a splendid experience all around. I did not want to come home!"
Elizabeth P.
Santa Fe, NM
"This trip was a magical mystery tour filled with beauty, knowledge, and a surprise around every corner."
Ginger K.
Adairsville, GA
"I can’t imagine a more successful trip than the one we just had. It was truly perfect in every way."
Jackie F.
Charleston, SC
"I loved every minute!"
John L.
Santa Fe, NM
"Spectacular trip! Food was amazing, the people were phenomenal, and the hotels were beyond perfection!"
Lisa C.
South Miami, FL
"The trip was even better than I expected."
Lynne G.
Rockville, MD
"This was possibly the best trip I have ever taken, which is saying a lot, since we have been pretty much everywhere."
Martha D.
Los Altos, CA
"A wonderful way to see Rajasthan."
Paul B.
Albany, CA
"A wonderful collection of the luxurious and the romantic!"
Peter F.
Cambria, CA
"Royal Rajasthan was fantastic, the best trip we have ever done."
Susan C.
Alamo, CA
"Great trip, great hotels (how can you not like staying in palaces), and a great itinerary with just enough down time."
William B.
Portland, OR
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Itinerary
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With more than 200 different adventures to choose from, we want to help you find the trip that’s right for you. Our Trip Level system ranks each trip in two ways: a number rating from 1 to 6 according to the activity, and general travel rigors. 1 is the easiest and 6+ the most difficult.