Tour with accomodation
Pappu and his team have carefully crafted a 14 days/13 nights tour with hotel. Your own private driver will take care of you, and all accommodation and entrance fees (except photo and video permits) are included in the price.
This beautiful tour costs €800 per person and includes airport transfers and entrance fees, accommodation in twin or double rooms in 3* hotels or Heritage hotels, breakfast, boat trip on Lake Pichola and visits to the main towns with your private guide.
We also offer this same tour, without Jaisalmer, for 12 days/11 nights at €750 per person.
Day 1 : DELHI
Welcome to Delhi and its 2 cities, Indian and English, which, side by side, bear witness to the country’s recent history.
Transfer to Life Tree BnB hotel.
Day 2 : DELHI / MANDAWA
Highlights of the day :
- The two jewels of Indo-Muslim art : Humayun's tomb and the Qutb Minar.
Discover the splendid tomb of Humayun (16th century): the perfection of its volumes, the garden strewn with flowers and basins, offer a spectacle of beauty. Further south, the Qutb Minar complex, dominated by the monumental tower built in the 13th century to mark the arrival of Muslims in Delhi. The complex is an interesting blend of Persian art and Hindu influences. Departure for Mandawa (5-hour drive).
Overnight at the charming Mandawa Heritage Hotel.
Day 3 : MANDAWA / BIKANER
Highlights of the day :
- A succession of Shekhawati villages, with havelis adorned with splendid frescoes and balconies
- A stroll through the maze of alleyways in the old town of Bikaner
Exploration of Mandawa, one of the region’s most important towns, some of its streets are literally open-air art galleries. The area is famous for its havelis, delicately decorated with colorful frescoes, balconies and sculpted columns.
Drive to Bikaner (4 hrs.) and stroll through the narrow streets of the old town.
Overnight at Hotel Harasar Haveli.
Day 4 : BIKANER / JAISALMER
Highlights of the day : - The impressing fort of Junagarh - Driving through the Thar Desert, a flat country of sandy steppe
- The impressing fort of Junagarh
- Driving through the Thar Desert, a flat country of sandy steppe
Start your day by exploring Junagarh Fort, an impressive architectural ensemble built in the 16th century. Built by Rao Bikaji, the founder of the state that bears his name, it was later rebuilt by Rai Singh, general of Akbar’s armies. The fort has an enclosing wall almost 1 km long, reinforced by 37 bastions and pierced by two entrances. Then drive to Jaisalmer (6 hrs) and check-in at the Golden Haveli.
Day 5 : JAISALMER
Highlights of the day :
– The splendid havelis in the heart of the citadel
– The world’s most beautiful Jain temples
– The sunset, giving the fortress a golden light
Jaisalmer, extraordinaire ville fortifiée qui surgit aux confins du désert du Thar. Vous découvrez tout d’abord la forteresse fondée au XIIe siècle qui domine la ville. Jaisalmer est également un lieu de pèlerinage important pour les Jaïns pour qui l’un des facteurs de la recherche du salut spirituel est le respect de toute vie. Visite de leurs temples magnifiquement sculptés édifiés entre le XIIe et le XVe siècles. Ensuite, émerveillement garanti devant les havelis de grès ciselé, hautes de plusieurs étages, encerclant de petites cours fraîches. Puis enfin, vous admirerez le coucher de soleil sur les cénotaphes royaux de Jaisalmer.
Day 6 : JAISALMER / JODHPUR
Highlights of the day :
- The incredible Mehrangarh fortress, one of the largest in Rajasthan
- The bazaars of Jodhpur, the “Blue City”, brimming with handicraft treasures
Road to Jodhpur, the “blue city” (5h), the color of Shiva that characterizes the houses of the old town. Climb up to the impressive Mehrangarh fortress, perched on a hill 125 m above sea level, overlooking the city and the plain. The contrast between its massive, imposing red sandstone walls and the finesse of its interior decorations is indeed striking. We then stroll through the old town, a veritable labyrinth of narrow streets brimming with life, lined with stalls selling handicrafts of all kinds. Old houses with elaborate balconies, temples and the clock tower punctuate this pleasant stroll to the Grand Bazaar square. Overnight in the charming Mandore Guest house.
Day 7 : JODHPUR / UDAIPUR
Highlights of the day :
- The Adinath temple in Ranakpur, a jewel of Jain architecture
- First stroll through Udaipur, the romantic “white city” around Lake Pichola
On the way to Udaipur (5h30), a stop at Ranakpur for a visit to the Adinath temple. This immense, beautifully crafted white marble sanctuary is one of the jewels of Jain architecture. The city of Udaipur, with its dazzling whiteness, will seduce you with its luminosity and romantic vibe. A Rajasthani oasis where the desert advances, Udaipur reveals its green hills, white marble and blue lakes; some call it the “City of Dawn”. The city invites you to stroll and contemplate its oriental beauties: the maze of picturesque lanes is ideal for strolling, and the sunsets over the lake are unequalled. Overnight at Hotel Sargam Sadan.
Day 8 : UDAIPUR
Highlights of the day :
- Udaipur's huge City Palace, a blend of Rajput and Mughal styles
- A boat trip on Lake Pichola, as the setting sun illuminates the palace facades in pink.
Overlooking the city and the lake, the maharana’s palace houses a veritable maze of courtyards, gardens and richly decorated salons, as well as interesting collections of weapons and miniatures. We then visit the 17th-century Vishnuite temple of Jagdish, home to a black stone statue of Vishnu in the guise of Jagannath, the lord of the universe. Finally, a sunset boat trip on Lake Pichola.
Day 9 : UDAIPUR / BUNDI
Highlights of the day :
- Chittorgarh, a fabulous site on top of a hill, with its temples, ghats and palaces.
On the way (4h30), explore the fortress of Chittorgarh, which rises imposingly above the plain. Chittorgarh is an exceptional site, a dark mass where, indeed, everything reminds you of the tragedy of those who, sword in hand, threw themselves into the face of certain death, the tragedy of the honor of the Rajput knights and their wives who surrendered to the fire of their pyres rather than to their assailants. In the citadel, you’ll discover numerous remains of temples and palaces.
Overnight in Bundi at the delightful Bundi Haveli hotel.
Day 10 : BUNDI / JAIPUR
Highlights of the day :
- The forgotten Shiva temples of Menal and Bijolia
- The palace, the Rani well and the cenotaph: a visit to charming Bundi
Stroll through the princely town of Bundi, dominated by the Taragarh fort built in the 14th century. An oasis in the middle of the desert, nestled in green hills, Bundi retains a rustic charm, tucked away in a deliberate oblivion of time. Visit the Rajput palace of Chattar Mahal, decorated with magnificent 18th-century paintings. Next stop: the Rani well, richly decorated with sculptures, and the 84-pillared cenotaph built in the 17th century, as well as the royal tombs with their delicate reliefs. Drive to Jaipur (4 hrs), overnight at Hotel Mahal Khandela.
Day 11 : JAIPUR
Highlights of the day :
- The royal palace and the astonishing Jantar Mantar observatory
- Hawa Maha, the Palace of the Winds, the true symbol of Jaipur
- The must-see bazaars of the Pink City
Welcome to Jaipur, nicknamed the “Pink City” thanks to the color of the sandstone used in its buildings. Surrounded by an immense wall, Rajasthan’s turbulent metropolis fascinates with its bustling bazaars, sumptuous temples and palaces. Not to mention its strange monumental instruments, designed by a maharaja astronomer to decipher the heavens… Visit the palace, residence of the royal family, and its museum. Then a stop at the Jantar Mantar observatory. This exceptional site, with its surprisingly contemporary shapes and colossal measuring instruments, was a real step forward and was visited by astronomers from all over the world. A stroll through the bazaar and the old town, followed by a visit to the Palace of the Winds.
Day 12 : JAIPUR / AGRA
Highlights of the day :
- Amber Fort, with its incredible courtyards, palaces and pavilions
- Fatehpur Sikri, ancient Mughal capital
Close to Jaipur, visit Amber Fort. We do not recommend riding an elephant. Depending on the weather and the number of visitors, the animals may suffer from this treatment. Admire the fort’s courtyards, pavilions and Palace of Mirrors, reminders of the glory and prosperity of the Rajput rulers. Off to Agra (4h30), with a stop at Fatehpur Sikri, a magnificent Unesco World Heritage site.
Overnight at Hotel Atulyaa Taj.
Day 13 : AGRA / DEHLI
Highlights of the day :
- The Taj Mahal at sunrise
- The Red Fort, as powerful as it is delicate
- The “baby Taj”, the tomb of Itimad-ud-Daulah
In Agra, you’ll be blown away at the sight of the Taj Mahal, a luminous white marble mausoleum built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan for his wife Mumtaz. Next, a visit to the Red Fort, built in 1565 and a testament to the power of the Mughal Empire, whose massive 25 m-high walls house a succession of palaces, kiosks and pavilions, including the famous, finely chiselled Pearl Mosque. And finally, the delicate mausoleum of Itimadh-ud-Daulah, foreshadowing the incomparable Taj. Drive to Delhi (4h).
Overnight at Life Tree BnB.
Day 14 : DELHI
Depending on your flight time, stroll through the old town and/or shop at the Dili Haat market.
Transfer to the airport.