MUGHAL FORTS & LAKE PALACES

Rajasthan in Classic Style

Delhi & Around, Rajasthan

Duration: 9 nights

Price: From $4,350 per person in low season based on two adults travelling together and including accommodation on a bed and breakfast basis, private transfers, train transportation, experiences as stated and taxes

Rajasthan – the Land of Kings – is at once a vivid illustration of India’s regal past and a distillation of its contemporary icons and essential character. On this classic Rajasthan adventure, you’ll visit the state’s great cities, cradles of power and politics for so many centuries, and visit India’s ultimate icon, and one of the world’s great wonders, the Taj Mahal (actually in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh). Along the way, you’ll travel in unforgettable style on India’s famously characterful railways, and stay in opulent, palatial hotels fit for a Maharajah.
Perfect forFirst-timers to India who want to experience the Land of Kings in classic style.
In the knowExtending your trip for a few days to visit Jaisalmer, a living fort in the heart of the Thar Desert.

Best for

  • First-timers
  • History & Heritage
  • Couples
  • Cultural Immersion

All Exsus Travel holidays are tailor-made

All itineraries on our website are designed as a starting point. Tell us your budget/wishlist/preferred length of stay and we'll help you select the best hotels and experiences, so your holiday is totally personalised.

Call +1 347 809 3426 or Make an enquiry

Itinerary details

0000130935_400_230

2 nightsDELHI

Your Rajasthan adventure begins in Delhi, India’s capital and the north’s main transport hub. An intense, ancient and mysterious city, it’s the perfect jumping-off point for your adventures in the land of the Maharajahs. It also has much to offer in its own right, with its long and rich cultural history evidenced by no end of mosques, masjids and mandirs, maze-like souks and imposing Mughal forts. Popular attractions include Humayun’s Tomb, the beautiful resting place of the 16th-century emperor; the Jama Masjid, one of the country’s preeminent Islamic sites; and the Red Fort, a huge sandstone monument to the majesty of the Mughal empire. Equally stunning, but far more modern, is the Askhardham, an opulent Hindu temple opened in 2005. The towering Qutb Minar is the tallest brick minaret in the world. A cycle rickshaw tour of Chandni Chowk is an unforgettable way to experience Old Delhi up close. Your home for 2 nights in Delhi is the Imperial, a luxurious hotel dating from the 1930s which mixes colonial grandeur with Art Deco influences.
Read More
0000130936_400_230

1 nightAGRA

Departing Delhi, you’ll experience the famous Indian Railways – one of the world’s largest railway networks and largest employers – which is a charmingly chaotic Indian icon, and a remarkably well-oiled operation given its grand scale. What awaits you on arrival at Agra, though, defies adequate description. Memorably described by the Bengali poet Rabindranath Tagore as “the teardrop on the cheek of time,” it’s one of the world’s greatest masterpieces and draws admirers from far and wide. While the city of Agra does not remotely reflect the beauty of its star attraction, there are other attractions to squeeze in while you’re here – Agra Fort is a whitewashed cousin to Delhi’s red one and a fine example of Mughal architecture. You’ll overnight at the Oberoi Amarvilas, a palatial hotel which promises views of the Taj from each of its opulent suites.
Read More
0000118809_400_230

2 nightsJAIPUR

Boarding the train again, you’ll make the 3.5 hour journey to Jaipur, Rajasthan’s Pink City, nicknamed for its proliferation of red sandstone buildings. Jaipur is Rajasthan’s capital and where your exploration of the state begins in earnest, home to famous forts, well-preserved palaces, and relics of India’s Islamic Golden Age. The City Palace still houses the former royal family and is pink even by Jaipur’s standards, while its buildings, spanning the 18th to 20th centuries, are a snapshot of Jaipur’s melting pot history and exhibit a fusion of architectural styles. Similarly eye-catching is the Palace of the Winds, its towering façade built for royals to observe the city without being seen themselves. The Amber Fort rises impressively from the crown of the Hill of Eagles on the outskirts of the city, dates back hundreds of years, and is covered in ornate carvings and decorated marble. The Jantar Mantar, meanwhile, is a curiosity: resembling a collection of modernist sculptures, it’s actually a huge observatory dating back to 1728. You’ll spend the next 2 nights at Oberoi Rajvilas, an opulent desert palace built around an 18th-century Shiva temple.
Read More
0000118810_400_230

2 nightsJODHPUR

The next stop on your adventure is Jodhpur, which you’ll reach by private transfer from Jaipur – a journey of around 5.5 hours. Like Jaipur, Jodhpur is visually striking – you’ll immediately see how it got its nickname of the Blue City, with the winding streets and unevenly stacked, flat-roofed houses of the old town a shock of Brahminical blue. Towering above the city is Mehrangarh Fort, a huge, red sandstone fortress which seems to emerge by degrees from the very cliff it is built on. Dating back to the mid-1400s, and home to incredible collections of military memorabilia and other artefacts in its museums and galleries, Mehrangarh should be the top of any traveller’s list when visiting Jodhpur. Near the fort lies the Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park, where hundreds of native plant and animal species are protected and maintained, including Indian cormorants, crested porcupines, and butterflies. Your home during your time in Jodhpur is Raas Jodhpur, an elegant design hotel shared between 18th-century and contemporary buildings.
Read More
0000118811_400_230

2 nightsUDAIPUR

After 2 nights in Jodhpur, you’ll be privately transferred (4.5hrs) to your next and final stop, Udaipur. Known as the City of Lakes for its numerous serene bodies of water, it’s equally characterised by its beautiful white marble palaces, and is famous for being the most romantic destination in all of India. The City Palace is the most iconic of the lot, and the largest in all of Rajasthan, which is saying something; it has a museum which tells the city’s long history as a playground and battleground for Rajputs and Mughals over several centuries. Also included in your time in Udaipur is a visit to the towering Jagdish Temple, dating back to the 1600s, and the Garden of Maidens, a lovely garden of fountains, lotus ponds and marble elephants. The beauty of Lake Pichola, artificially created in the 14th century, is apparently what inspired Udai Singh to found the city of Udaipur on its banks, and a boat trip along the water, stopping at its various islands, is a lovely way to spend an afternoon. You’ll spend 2 nights at the luxurious boutique hotel Raas Devigarh, after which your journey comes to an end and you’ll fly home.
Read More

Best time to go

Best time to travel

Good time to travel (but some limitations)

Travel is possible (but it’s not the best time)

Travel is not recommended

  • Jan
  • Feb
  • Mar
  • Apr
  • May
  • Jun
  • Jul
  • Aug
  • Sep
  • Oct
  • Nov
  • Dec
Best time to go

Hotel locations for this itinerary

Hotels we've recommended for this trip

More itineraries in India

YOUR JOURNEY STARTS HERE

call us on +1 347 809 3426 to start planning your perfect trip

Make an enquiry