Rajasthan is every traveller’s dream, because it evokes images of the bygone regal era amidst a splash of colours. If monochrome is your style, then you also can enjoy the brown hues of the Thar desert in Rajasthan. This region has an awesome mix of ancient history, sprawling palaces and forts, beautiful lakes, and all of that is brought to life by the warm and welcoming people of Rajasthan.
Places to visit in Rajasthan
If you are planning a trip to Rajasthan, then the first thing you need to do is plan for at least two weeks. There are so many places to visit in Rajasthan that at the end of it you might feel that even two weeks was not enough. As you will see when you get to the end of this article, there are so many names that we couldn’t even cover all of them in detail.
How do you get there? Most places in India now have flights at least to Jaipur, and also to some other cities in Rajasthan. But if you wish to take a train or even better, travel by road, then Delhi would be the best bet. There are lots of trains available, and if you decide to rent a car and travel by road, you will enjoy the smooth roads and the large variety of eateries on the way, as also the scenic beauty as the lush greens of North India give way to the desert ambience as you enter Rajasthan.
While you are there, you can opt for overnight trains for intercity travels, that will allow you to avoid the daytime heat, and also save precious time. But if you want to savour the hinterland, then your hotel can help you book full day/multiple day cabs or even drop service cabs.
Tavelling to Rajasthan
You need to pack carefully when you are travelling to Rajasthan. Most tourists prefer to travel to Rajasthan in the winters, to avoid the intense heat that they think will bother them during other times of the year. But please keep in mind that a desert has extremes of climate. So while the winter mornings might not be so hot, but the evenings and nights will really see the mercury drop. If you are not carrying enough warm clothes on a winter trip, you will end up spending money to buy there. While on the subject of luggage, it would be good to travel light and leave space for the souvenirs that you are sure to want to buy.
We would also suggest that travelling in a large group might be fun, but a solo trip or a small family trip is a much better way to enjoy Rajasthan, because there is so much to understand and learn and ask, that in a huge group, the laughing and screaming and shouting and running after children might sometimes distract you.
Best tourist place in Rajasthan
So we are now ready to make a list of the best places to visit in Rajasthan. Let us go by city, but when you are finalizing your itinerary, you might need to change the order. That will depend on your mode of travel, availability of travel and stay reservations and also from which place you will arrive in Rajasthan and where you will finally return to. Here goes –
Pink City Jaipur
We start off with the Pink City only because it is the capital of Rajasthan, and it is most likely that you will start your journey here. There are the City Palace and Amber Fort you can visit. You can also visit the Jantar Mantar and the Birla Temple. Explore around and you can see several more historic structures here, and you could also shop around for artefacts while roaming around this city. If you time to venture outside the city, don’t miss the desert safari. An amazing fact about Jaipur is that all its streets run from east to west.
Jodhpur
After pink, the next city on our list is the Blue City of Jodhpur. Like Jaipur is bathed in pink colored buildings, Jodhpur is a sea of blue. Ancient Jodhpur was an important power centre in the erstwhile state of Mewar, and has an impressive collection of forts and palaces that bear this out. You will be spoilt for choice between Mehrangarh Fort and Umaid Bhawan Palace when you want to witness history and royalty. But don’t miss out on Masuria Hills, Kalyana Lake and the Mandore Gardens for a soothing balm to your eyes. One iconic landmark of this city is the clock tower, called Ghanta Ghar. It would be pretty hot at Jodhpur, which will tell you why it is also called the Sun City.
Udaipur
This city is known as the City of Lakes, but when in Rajasthan, it is difficult to get away from palaces and forts. This beautiful city was earlier the capital of Mewar. Your visit to the Kumbhalgarh Fort will give you a regal taste of that past. Do also check out the City Palace and the Monsoon Palace. But let us get away from palaces and on to lakes, which is what Udaipur is famous for. You can see Lake Pichola, Fateh Sagar Lake, Udai Sagar Lake and Swaroop Sagar. You can do a lot of boating on these lakes, but what most people do is take pictures of the mesmerizing views.
Jaisalmer
We did tell you about how Rajasthan loves its colours. So after pink and blue, we bring you the Golden City of Jaisalmer. This city is set in the Thar desert in Rajasthan, and got its name from one of its rulers Maharaja Jaisal Singh. The forts here were built of sandstone (with so much sand around, what else do you do?), which gives them the golden hues. The same golden radiance shines out at you when you venture out to the desert.
With such an array of beautiful places to visit in Rajasthan, it would difficult to name the best tourist place in Rajasthan. Each place is as attractive as the other. But if pushed to make a choice of just one place, then we would go for Jaisalmer. The golden colored Jaisalmer Fort itself would be one of the most important reasons to visit Rajasthan. And then there are the golden sand dunes of the Thar desert in Rajasthan.
Do enjoy the camel safari while you are there. In case you are visiting in January or February, you also have a chance to participate in the Desert Festival, so do find out the dates and plan accordingly. Another interesting place to visit is the Longewala border with Pakistan, which has been the stage for many a battle with our neighbours – both in real and in reel life.
Bikaner
Many of us lovers of junk food would know this name as the place where the Bikaneri bhujias originated, but you would be surprised to know that this city has a lot to offer to a tourist as well, apart from fired crisps. The name of this historic city is taken from its two founders – the jats of Nehra and Rao Bhika. Bikaner is famous for the Camel Festival organized every year sometime in January or February. You will also find the ubiquitous palace in the form of Lalgarh Palace, Junagarh Fort and Laxmi Niwas Palace. There are some famous temples here, and Bikaner is also famous for its handicrafts. Ask for usta and chadhwa.
Chittorgarh
This city is famous in history for giving birth to a famous son – Maharana Pratap. An equally well known daughter of this city was Meera Bai. Located on the banks of the river Berach, the city of Chittorgarh is famous for the Chittorgarh Fort, Rana Kumbha’s Palace, Rani Padmini’s Palace, and Fateh Prakash Palace. There are also several temples here, notable being Kumbhaswamini Temple and Kalika Mata Temple. The best thing about Chittorgarh is that between Rani Padmavati, Meera Bai and Maharana Pratap (and his valiant horse Chetak), you will find an immense collection of folklore and fables, which your guide or the locals can bring to you. You should also not forget to try the laal maas and other local delicacies while you are here.
Bundi
Yes, you read that right. It is very likely that you might not have encountered this name while browsing through most tourist brochures and websites about Rajasthan. But we urge you not to miss it. Bundi is at a motorable distance from Jaipur. So, you might want to allot a day to this city while you are at the Pink City.
This city has been home to the Bunda Meenas of Rajasthan for ages. But the reason why we added it to this list is that apart from the usual forts. This city gives you a peep into the high levels of scientific awareness that existed here centuries ago. They had a line of step reservoirs called baoris, which were used for rainwater harvesting.
That seems like a logical thing to do in a desert state. What is amazing is that this knowledge existed so many years ago. You will see several examples of this like Nawal Sagar, Dabhai Kund and other reservoirs. Go to the Taragarh Fort if you do not want to spend even a day in Rajasthan without seeing a fort!
Ajmer
This town is different from all the other historical royal cities that a trip to Rajasthan usually includes. It is home to the famous Dargar Sharif, which attracts devotees from all over the world. Ajmer is the shrine of Moinuddin Chishti, the Sufi saint. This place is nestled in between the Aravalli Range and Naag Pathar Range of mountains. You can offer a chadar at the mausoleum, and also listen to the quawali while you are there.
Alwar
Like the previous two names, this also might not always make it to the list of places to visit in Rajasthan for many tourists. Where we urge you to visit, just for one very unique thing about this place. It is home to the ‘haunted’ fort at Bhangarh. We are sure you will love the brush with the supernatural while you are here. Earlier, This city was called Ulwar. It was one of the first cities to sign a military treaty with the East India Company. Another unique thing is that although it is part of the desert state of Rajasthan. It is a brilliant example of perfect ecological balance. And finally, the Sariska Tiger Reserve is within easy reach when you come to Alwar.
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We could go on and on with our list of best tourist place in Rajasthan. We still have not touched upon places like Sawai Madhopur (for tigers) and Pushkar (for camels). So, that you can make a shortlist and start planning your journey to the incredible state of Rajasthan. Padharo Rajasthan!!
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