6 Days · 5 NightsJaipur, Jodhpur & Jaisalmer
The desert circuit — the Pink, Blue and Golden cities
1 / 9About this trip
The classic run west. You start on the lakes at Udaipur, break the drive north at Ranakpur for the great Jain temple, spend a full day under Mehrangarh in the blue city, and finish in the Thar — the living fort at Jaisalmer, and a camel out to the Sam dunes for sunset and a night under canvas.
One private air-conditioned car and one driver for the whole route, so nothing is handed off between cities. Hotels are arranged and included; the last night is at a desert camp, with dinner.
Day-by-day itinerary
Day 1
Old City, Palace & Lake
Pick-up from the airport or railway station, and straight into the city. The first day stays close together — palace, lake and old-city museums — and ends with a ropeway for city views and an evening folk programme.
- City Palace — Rajasthan's largest palace complex, rising over Lake Pichola — courtyards, mirror-work rooms and museum galleries. Allow 1.5–2 hours; involves stairs and walking.
- Lake Pichola Boat Ride — A calm cruise past Jag Mandir island; best in soft afternoon light. Children love it — life jackets provided at the jetty.
- Bhartiya Lok Kala Mandal — A folk-arts museum famous for its kathputli (string-puppet) show — a quick, fun stop that works especially well for kids.
- Heritage & Heirloom — A shopping stop for Rajasthani arts and crafts — handicrafts, textiles, miniature paintings and keepsakes to take home. Easy, no-pressure browsing.
- Vintage Car Museum — The royal garage — classic Rolls-Royce, Cadillac and Mewar state cars, several still road-worthy.
- Karni Mata Ropeway — A short cable-car up Machla Magra hill for a sweeping view over Pichola, Fateh Sagar and the city skyline — great in the late-afternoon light.
- Evening — Folk Dance & Culture Programme — An exclusive evening show presented by Khushi Tours at RK Mall — live Rajasthani folk music and dance including Ghoomar, Bhavai (pot-balancing) and puppetry. A relaxed, seated finish to the day that families enjoy together.
Day 2
Udaipur → Jodhpur, via Ranakpur
North out of Udaipur, with the Ranakpur Jain temple built into the drive — then on to Jodhpur for the evening. Around 350 km in all, five to six hours of driving broken by the temple stop.
- Ranakpur Jain Temple — The 15th-century Chaumukha temple to Adinath — 1,444 carved marble pillars, no two alike. Non-Jain visitors are admitted from around midday, so we leave Udaipur to arrive inside the window. Leather items are left outside.
- Drive: Ranakpur → Jodhpur — Around 165 km, roughly 3 hours on the highway. We break the drive once or twice.
- Check-in, Jodhpur — Into your hotel in the late afternoon. The rest of the evening is easy.
- Clock Tower & Sardar Market — An optional first walk through the old market under the clock tower — spices, textiles, and the lassi Jodhpur is famous for.
Day 3
Jodhpur, then on to Jaisalmer
A full day in Jodhpur. Mehrangarh first, while it is cool and quiet, then the cenotaph and the palace — and the drive on to Jaisalmer in the afternoon. It is a long day; we start early and the road west is fast.
- Mehrangarh Fort — Rao Jodha's fort of 1459, on a 120-m cliff above the blue city — and one of the best-kept fort museums in India: palanquins, howdahs, arms and miniatures. Lifts are available for anyone who can't manage the ramp.
- Jaswant Thada — The white marble cenotaph beside the fort, above a small lake. Flat, shaded and quiet — an easy counterweight to the fort.
- Umaid Bhawan Palace & Museum — The last great palace built in India, finished in 1943 — part royal residence, part hotel, part museum. The museum wing and the vintage cars are open to visitors.
- Clock Tower & Sardar Market — A quick pass through the old market under the clock tower — spices, textiles and bangles — before we turn west.
- Drive: Jodhpur → Jaisalmer — Around 285 km, roughly 5 hours on the highway. We break the drive once or twice. Into Jaisalmer by evening, and check in.
Day 4
Jaisalmer & the Sam Dunes
The golden city in the day, the desert at night. Fort and havelis first, then out to the dunes at Sam for sunset and a night under canvas.
- Jaisalmer Fort (Sonar Quila) — The golden fort — one of the very few living forts left anywhere, with several thousand people still inside its walls. Lanes, Jain temples, shops and homes. Cobbled and steep in places.
- Patwon Ki Haveli — Five linked mansions built by a brocade trader — the most ornate carved façade in the city. Part of it is a museum.
- Salim Singh & Nathmal Ki Haveli — Two more merchant houses — the peacock-roofed one, and the pair carved by two brothers who worked from opposite ends and never quite matched in the middle.
- Gadisar Lake — The old rainwater reservoir at the edge of town, ringed by shrines and ghats, with boats on the water. A very good late-afternoon stop.
- Sam Sand Dunes & Desert Camp — About 40 km west, at the edge of the Thar. A camel ride out to the dunes for sunset, then the camp — Rajasthani folk music and dance, a bonfire, dinner under the stars, and a night in a tent.
Day 5
The Dunes, and your drop
Sunrise over the dunes, breakfast at camp, and then the road east. Your drop is at Jaisalmer — share your train or flight time and we'll set the morning around it.
- Sunrise at Sam — First light on the dunes is the best half-hour of the trip. Tea at the camp, then breakfast.
- Bada Bagh — The royal cenotaphs on the ridge outside town, under a line of wind turbines. Twenty minutes, and one of the great photographs of Rajasthan.
- Drop in Jaisalmer — To Jaisalmer railway station or the airport. If you would rather be dropped at Jodhpur (around 5 hours), tell us at booking and we will plan the day for it.
What’s included
Included
- Private air-conditioned vehicle with driver for all sightseeing and transfers in the itinerary (vehicle size as per group)
- All pick-up and drop as per the itinerary
- Driver allowance, fuel, tolls, parking and state taxes
- 4 nights' accommodation in 3-star / 4-star hotels, twin-sharing — Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and one night at a Sam desert camp
- Daily breakfast at the hotel
- Dinner on the night at the Sam desert camp
- Drinking water in the vehicle
- On-trip coordination on call / WhatsApp
Not included
- Monument entry tickets, camera fees, boat-ride and ropeway tickets
- Camel ride at the Sam dunes, if not included by your camp
- Folk dance / cultural programme entry tickets
- Guide fees — optional, arranged on request
- Lunches and dinners unless specifically listed under inclusions
- Anything not mentioned under “What's included”
- Personal expenses, shopping and tips
- GST as applicable
Good to know
- The order of stops may be adjusted for traffic, weather and monument timings — the route is planned for comfort, not a rigid clock.
- Several monuments and museums have fixed timings or weekly closures; boat rides, ropeways and temple darshan run to their own schedules. These are confirmed at the time of booking.
- 3-star and 4-star hotels and daily breakfast are included as standard. Lunches and dinners are not, unless listed under inclusions.
- Day 3 is the longest day — Jodhpur's fort in the morning and around five hours on the road to Jaisalmer in the afternoon. We start early to protect it.
- The Sam night is in a tent at a desert camp, not a hotel. Camps range from simple to very comfortable — we'll show you the options at booking.
- Ranakpur admits non-Jain visitors from around midday. Day 2 is timed around it.
- Jaisalmer's airport is seasonal. Most guests leave by train, or ask us to run them to Jodhpur instead. Tell us early and it costs you nothing.
- The evening Folk Dance & Culture Programme is our own show at RK Mall; show timing is shared with you the same day, as it can shift slightly by season.
- Tell us your onward train, bus or flight timing and we will re-order the final day so nothing is rushed.
Where you’ll go
Approximate locations shown for planning — not a driving route.
Common questions
Where does the tour end?
In Jaisalmer — railway station or airport. If you’d rather be dropped at Jodhpur, which is around five hours away and has the better airport, tell us at booking and we’ll plan the last day for it.
Is the desert camp a hotel?
No — the last night is in a tent at Sam. Camps run from simple to very comfortable and we’ll show you the options. Dinner is included.
Can the itinerary be customised?
Yes — this is a starting point. Add a night, swap a stop, or extend the route. Tell us what you’d like and we’ll adjust the plan.
Are hotels included?
Yes. Hotels are included as standard, on twin-sharing basis, with daily breakfast. You choose the category at booking and we’ll show you options at different price points.
When is the best time to do this trip?
October to March has the most comfortable weather. The trip runs year-round; in summer we plan early starts to avoid the midday heat.
How do we confirm and pay?
Message us on WhatsApp with your dates and group size. We’ll share the plan and pricing privately and confirm with a small advance.
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