Roaming Rajasthan in 4 days!
Last winter we, 6 bachelors, took a trip to Rajasthan. We had almost 10 days for an Indian trip and wanted to cover as many places as we can. Our trip plan was to visit Lonavala, Mumbai, Goa and Rajasthan. So we got only 4 days to spend in Rajasthan. We were having a very tight schedule and I know visiting Rajasthan in 4 days is totally a lie, but somehow we did it. So for now in this blog post I will be discussing, if someone wants to visit Rajasthan in just 4 days and running out of days and do not want to miss the major attractions then here is the list.
If you are reading this post and making a plan accordingly, then let me suggest you something first. We (our team) were all bachelors and were running from one place to another to cover them all. So you may plan only if you are going with friends or travelling solo and I would not recommend this if you are travelling with your family or if someone disabled is accompanying with you. Because it will be very difficult for them to manage it like we did.
Best time to visit Rajasthan
I would not recommend summer season to visit Rajasthan. Basically because you can’t go to Thar in summer. You will faint and fall down due to the increased temperature. So if Jaisalmer and Thar are in your list then never visit Rajasthan in summer. Our trip was in winter season at the end of December and I recommend it is the best time to visit Rajasthan. During this time the temperature in Thar desert would fall around 10 degree or below. But, climate in major cities like Jodhpur, Jaipur and Udaipur would be ideal during this time. Chittorgarh would remain cold. So take enough warm clothes and jackets with you for Jaisalmer and Chittorgarh.
Have a look at the weather chart of major places before you start planning the journey. AccuWeather is a good source to collect such data. It also makes predictions by comparing worth to last few years data. Here is the weather chart for Jaisalmer :
https://www.accuweather.com/en/in/jaisalmer/190278/month/190278?monyr=1/01/2019
The route map
We reached Chittorgarh on 26th December around 2 PM. Spent the evening at Chittorgarh fort. On 27th early morning we left to Udaipur since it is a comparatively nearest city. So that, we were able to cover up the major attractions of Udaipur on the same day. On the same day evening we left to Jaisalmer. 28th morning we reached Jaisalmer and arranged the camping at Thar desert. Visited Jaisalmer Fort till 3 o clock and then left off to Thar. Night stay was in Thar camp.
Then on 29th early morning left off to Jodhpur. Managed to reach Jodhpur around noon so that we were able to cover Jodhpur fort until dusk. We left to Jaipur on that night, reached early morning on 30th December which was the last day of our trip. We spent the whole day at various forts of Jaipur and had a wonderful night at Jaipur. Next morning we had to leave to Delhi to catch our return flight. That makes it a whopping 1300 KMs in 4 days.
Places to visit in Rajasthan in 4 days
Rajasthan is Full of Forts and monuments. It is the largest state in India. Covering up Rajasthan’s attractions in 4 days is an unimaginable thing. But we had to adjust with it and wanted to cover up as many places as we can. Among the 100’s of mind boggling places of Rajasthan we picked up the below 4 spots. Keep scrolling.
Day 1 : Chittorgarh Fort (Half day)
The Chittor Fort or Chittorgarh is one of the largest forts in India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We stayed near the fort. We actually wanted the Fort view from our place of stay. Also the city bus stand must be easily accessible, since we have to catch the bus to Udaipur early morning. Hotel Royal Palace in Chittorgarh was a perfect selection. The hotel was very cheap but we were given a warm welcome. The rooms, as the name says, reminded me of Mughal architecture. Rooms were large enough so that 3 of us could have easily been occupied. The staffs were mostly ladies and provided great hospitality. The Fort view from the hotel room was beautiful.
We checked in around 2 PM, had the lunch and relaxed for a while. We were canvased by a Rickshaw vala when we got down at Chittorgarh railway station. He promised us to show all the Fort in his Auto-Rickshaw for around 1000 Rs. That was pretty cool for us, just around 170 per head. He came at the promised time and picked us. I recommend taking a guide like him while visiting this fort and surroundings. Because there are so many attractions in and around which are not easy to be found for someone who isn’t native. He took us from place to place and gave us a brief history as well during the journey.
By 8 o clock we returned back to the hotel after watching the light and sound show at the Fort. It was too cold (around 10-15 Degree Celsius) so we had a smoke and went for a long nap.
Day 2: Udaipur
We packed our stuffs and caught the bus to Udaipur early in the morning. RSRTC bus was booked early. Udaipur is a 3 Hr journey from Chittorgarh. We reached there by 9 o clock. Our first challenge was to keep the luggage at a safe place. We were not staying a night at Udaipur and so we didn’t book hotel room there. There was no place to safeguard the baggage. A solution was railway cloakroom. We went to the nearest railway station and kept our luggage safely at the clock room. Indian railway allows to keep your baggage only if you have at least a passenger ticket from that station to somewhere else. So we just Googled and took a ticket to the nearest railway station and finally our luggage were all safe.
We had to make a list of the most important places to visit at Udaipur and we didn’t want to go far away from the city since we had to catch the bus at night to Jaisalmer. We caught a rickshaw and asked the driver if he could help us find a bike rental service and he did. You can find so many bike rental services at Udaipur. Quickly cleared up the documentation and if my memory was correct a bike cost around 600 per day without petrol.
Attractions of Udaipur
We first ride to Gulabh bagh since it was the heart of the city and nearest to the bike rental shop. We had a quick walk around the park, tasted some local food and then rode to City Palace. City palace is the biggest attraction at Udaipur. It’s just a couple of KMs away from the railway station. City Palace will guide you through the history of the city. Probably pictures can tell the story even better. Photography is restricted at some part of the palace.
Outside the Palace and near to Lake Pichola, there is a view point. You can spend 10 Rupees and have a telescopic view from the view point. There are local guys with a steady telescope there. The view of Taj hotel and Jagmandir are exotic. Apart from these, Ghats are a major attraction here. Gangaur Ghat was one of my favourite place. There is Chirag Roof top restaurant near to that. Had a nice meal from there and visited a couple of more places. Returned our bikes and caught the bus to Jaisalmer by 8 o clock.
Day: 3 Jaisalmer
We reached at Jaisalmer around 8 o clock in the morning. The moment we went down at the bus stand a couple of guys (who frankly looked like a local quotation team) came in a Tata Sumo and grabbed all of us. It took a while to realise that they were local tour operators in Jaisalmer. They took us to their office and explained the tourism map of Jaisalmer.
The major attractions are Jaisalmer fort and Thar desert. There are so many activities in Thar desert such as Camel Safari, desert jeep ride along with a night stay at Sam sand dunes with cultural activities lead by the Rajasthani artists. We bargained a lot and at the end they agreed to proceed with the bundle of package at 1700/- per person. They allotted us two rooms to get fresh. By noon we packed our bags and kept them safely at the tour operator’s office. Had the brunch and went off to visit Jaisalmer Fort which was just a 5 minutes walk.
Jaisalmer fort is one of the most exotic places you must see. The fort itself is opened to the villagers. You can buy/rent rooms, start restaurants and small shops at anywhere inside the Fort. Its a totally different culture here. While you are wandering the fort, you may be walking in front of someone’s home. There are foreigners who rent rooms and spent days here just to enjoy the culture to the core. The mystic music played by the Rajasthani folks with the ravanahatha’s sound box keeps you calm and relaxed all the time.
To the Royal Thar
I wish I could spent more time at the fort but we were running out of time and we get back to the tour operator by around 4. Took our baggage and they rode us to the Royal Thar! One of the best road trips in lifetime. All you see is the sand, camps and camels. The old music played by the driver in the Tata Sumo added to the mood. It was a 45 minutes drive to reach our camp. Then we went off for the Desert Jeep and Camel Safari. After enjoying the sunset from the Royal Thar we went back to our camp at it was one down from the bucket list.
The temperature was down to 9 Degree Celsius. Camp fire and programs by Rajasthani artists began around 7:30 followed by the traditional food. We roam around the desert for enough time fulfilling the lust towards the beauty of Thar. The huts arranged in the camp were provided with plug points and king sized bed which is more than enough for 3 people. We were allotted 2 huts with additional bed. Our driver was arranged to drop us at Jaisalmer bus station early in the morning.
Day 4: Jodhpur
The bus reached Jodhpur, the blue city, at noon around 1 o clock in the noon. We had a quick meal with non veg items since we were starving from the morning. We had only an evening at Jodhpur and our place of interest was Mehrangarh Fort. It is one of the largest forts in India, situated 410 feet above the city and is enclosed by imposing thick walls. The fort is a massive historic site with preserved art. One can also enjoy the whole beauty of the blue city from the top of the Fort.
After enjoying the sunset we returned to the railway station to travel to Jaipur. This night was spent in the train to save time and money 😉
Day 5: Jaipur
Last day of the trip. We arrived early morning here, and directly checked into the hotel. Hotel was a couple of KMs from the bus station and the service was pretty professional. We quickly freshen up and called a couple of bike rental services. Just like any other city in Rajasthan, bikes are easily available for rent in Jaipur. We took 2 Activa and a Bajaj Glamour. The bikes will be filled with full tank fuel. You can go anywhere around Rajasthan and when you return the bike, you have to refill the petrol back to full tank. That’s the deal, fair.
The bike rental service was in Johari Bazar, somewhere right in the middle of the Pink City. Most of the major attractions of Jaipur are around the Pink City. This includes the famous Hawa Mahal, Jantar Matantar and City Palace. There is a common ticket for Jantar Mantar, City Palace and Amer Fort which can be collected from the City Palace ticket counter.
Attractions of Jaipur
Our first destination was Hawa Mahal since it was the nearest to the bike rental shop. Hawa Mahal is a wonder. We went inside and go to the top. You can have a view of Johari Bazar through the small windows of Hawa Mahal. Visiting this place was one among my dream from childhood itself. And here I am, touching and feeling the carvings of this wonder. Another one down from the bucket list.
City Palace, Museum and Jantar Mantar are all in the same complex. Its a huge area and is always crowded. You better prepared to stand in queue if you want to cover everything. We quickly had a run around the museum and City Palace. Jantar Mantar is an ancient scientific wonder. Each and every equipment here will amuse you. One of the very few moments you feel proud of your country.
We took the bikes and rode to Amer Fort which is the last destination of the trip. On the way, you can stop nearby the Jal Mahal and have a view. I don’t want to write about Amer Fort instead let the photos tell you the stories.
There are many other attractions in Jaipur and we decided to limit to these places because we had only a day at Jaipur. After enjoying a beautiful sunset from Amer Fort we rode back to the town. If you look at the Google reviews of other major Forts and attractions of Jaipur, you would see that all of them are just dope. I really wish we had more time here.
What to eat at Rajasthan
I am from the most southern part of India. Here most of us consume non vegetarian food such as dishes made out from chicken,beef, pork and fish. These are readily available at most of the restaurants here and are usually served with meals even if you didn’t specifically asked for it. If you are a vegetarian and eating from Kerala, sometimes its a good idea that you tell that to the servant earlier.
But in Rajasthan, I felt things are quite a little different. The hotels mostly serve vegetarian food. Paneer, Aloo, Dal,etc are the major compositions. Yes, you get non-vegetarian food, but not in much varieties as of Vegetarian food. I remember only two times we had non-veg in the entire trip. Rest all the meals were purely vegetarian. And without a second thought, I would say one of the best vegetarian food I’ve tasted so far. I highly recommend you to go through the Veg menu if you go to the restaurants. Here are a few items for reference. Apart from the taste, it also helped us to keep proper digestion during the whole trip.
Language of Rajasthan
There are many Languages in Rajasthan Marwari, Malvi, Dhundhari, etc. They are collectively called Rajasthani language. The Rajasthani language is distinct from neighbouring related Hindi languages. Officially, however, it is considered to be a dialect of Hindi.
Though most of the people understand and speak Hindi very well.
Transportation at Rajasthan
Trains are available through major cities. If you visit local villages, buses or cabs are the best solutions. Roads are great at Rajasthan. Mosly they are straight, and buses can compete with trains considering the longer halt time of trains.
One thing we felt is the dust. The terrain is mostly sandy and there is always dusty winds. Seats of our bus to Jaisalmer were too dusty such that we had to use our own bed sheets on it.
Keeping neat clothes and wearing face mask is always recommended in a Rajasthan trip.
Weed at Rajasthan
Bhang is a popular dope in Rajasthan. It is part of their tradition at occasions such as Holi. Bhang is prepared by grounding the buds and leaves of cannabis into a paste. It can later be consumed with milk or Lassi or even with a bottle of Mango Fruity soft drink :D. You can score it by talking to your local car driver or tour operator. Jaisalmer and Jaipur are simply Lit.
Putting the lid
So yes, that’s it. I’ve clicked as many pictures as I could. I hope this helps someone who plans to visit Rajasthan. Feel free to contact me via any medium and I am more than happy to help on anything I could do.