Itineraries

Rajasthan Desert Circuit

Seven days across the Thar — the Pink City of Jaipur, the Brahma temple and lake of Pushkar, the blue city and fort of Jodhpur, the golden fort and sand dunes of Jaisalmer, and the camels and rat temple of Bikaner.

7 daysHeritageComfortable5 Cities covered

Duration: 7 days
Pace: Comfortable
Theme: Heritage
Cities covered: 5
Best season overall: October to March (warm days, crisp desert nights; the Jaisalmer Desert Festival and Bikaner Camel Festival fall in winter); avoid the May-June desert heat above 45°C
Mid-range budget: ₹22,000 – ₹45,000

About Rajasthan Desert Circuit

The Thar Desert of western Rajasthan holds the most romantic landscape in India — honey-gold forts rising from the sand, blue-washed and pink-washed old cities, painted havelis, camel caravans, and a Marwari culture of colour, music, and one of the world's great vegetarian thali traditions.

This seven-day circuit threads the four great desert cities together, beginning in Jaipur, the Pink City and gateway to Rajasthan, with its hilltop Amber Fort, the Hawa Mahal, and the City Palace.
From Jaipur it turns to Pushkar, the sacred lake town ringed by 52 ghats and 500 temples, home to the rare Brahma Temple and the spectacular Pushkar Camel Fair, and one of India's strictest pure-vegetarian and alcohol-free towns.
It continues to Jodhpur, the Blue City, crowned by the mighty Mehrangarh Fort that rises sheer from a rocky scarp above a sea of indigo-painted houses.
Deeper into the desert lies Jaisalmer, the Golden City, whose 12th-century Sonar Quila is a living fort of carved-sandstone lanes and Jain temples, gateway to the Sam Sand Dunes, where a sunset camel ride and a night in a desert camp under brilliant stars are the journey's highlight.
The circuit ends at Bikaner, with its never-conquered Junagarh Fort, the National Research Centre on Camel, and the extraordinary Karni Mata "rat temple" at Deshnoke.
Throughout, the food is the glory of Marwari vegetarian cooking — dal-baati-churma, ker-sangri and gatte ki sabzi, bajra rotla with ghee, Bikaneri bhujia and kachori, and rich ghewar and rabri.
The best season is October to March, when the desert days are warm and the nights crisp; the February desert festivals add colour.
The distances between the desert cities are long, so the overnight trains linking Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, and Bikaner make a comfortable alternative to the road for some legs.
This is the quintessential Rajasthan journey, through forts, dunes, and the timeless desert cities of the Thar.

Day-by-day timeline

1
Day 1
Jaipur
overnight
Arrive Jaipur, the Pink City. The hilltop Amber Fort and its mirror palace; the Hawa Mahal, City Palace, and Jantar Mantar; the bazaars of Johari and Bapu. Evening at a heritage haveli.
Vegetarian highlight Rajasthani thali with dal-baati-churma; pyaaz kachori at Rawat; ghewar and lassi in the old city.
2
Day 2
Pushkar
overnight
Drive to Pushkar (~145 km). The sacred lake and its 52 ghats; the rare Brahma Temple; the hilltop Savitri Temple at sunset. The pure-veg bazaar and (in autumn) the great Camel Fair.
Vegetarian highlight Pure-veg Rajasthani thali on a lakeside rooftop; Israeli-style and Indian café fare in the bazaar; malpua and lassi.
Transit · Jaipur → Pushkar · Road · 2.5-3 hours — About 145 km from Jaipur to Pushkar via Ajmer; Jaipur (JAI) is the nearest major airport for the start of the circuit.
3
Day 3
Jodhpur
overnight
Drive to Jodhpur, the Blue City (~185 km). The mighty Mehrangarh Fort above the indigo old town; Jaswant Thada; the clock-tower bazaar and Toorji ka Jhalra stepwell. Sunset over the blue houses.
Vegetarian highlight Mirchi vada and pyaaz kachori at the clock tower; Marwari thali; makhaniya lassi and mawa kachori.
Transit · Pushkar → Jodhpur · Road · 3.5 hours — About 185 km from Pushkar to Jodhpur across the Marwar plains.
4
Day 4
Jaisalmer
overnight
Drive deep into the Thar to Jaisalmer, the Golden City (~285 km). The living Sonar Quila fort, its Jain temples and carved-sandstone lanes; the Patwon Ki Haveli. Sunset on the ramparts.
Vegetarian highlight Ker-sangri and gatte ki sabzi thali; dal-baati-churma at a rooftop with fort views; rabri for dessert.
Transit · Jodhpur → Jaisalmer · Road · 5 hours — About 285 km from Jodhpur deep into the Thar to Jaisalmer; the overnight train is a popular alternative for this leg.
5
Day 5
Jaisalmer
overnight
Day at the Sam Sand Dunes (~42 km): a golden-hour camel ride over the dunes, folk music and dance at dusk, and a night in a desert camp under brilliant stars. Kuldhara ghost village en route.
Vegetarian highlight Desert-camp Rajasthani spread — dal-baati-churma, ker-sangri, bajra rotla, churma laddoo and chaas under the open sky.
6
Day 6
Bikaner
overnight
Drive to Bikaner (~330 km). The never-conquered Junagarh Fort; the red-sandstone Lalgarh Palace. A short trip to the Karni Mata "rat temple" at Deshnoke; the camel research farm at sunset.
Vegetarian highlight The original Bikaneri bhujia; kachori and samosa; Bikaneri rasgulla and ghewar; Rajasthani-Marwari thali.
Transit · Jaisalmer → Bikaner · Road · 5.5-6 hours — About 330 km north-east across the desert from Jaisalmer to Bikaner; a long but classic desert drive past arid scrub and wind farms.
7
Day 7
Bikaner
transit
Morning in the old walled city — the carved havelis and the Jain temples of Bhandasar and Laxminath. Depart Bikaner by road or rail for Jaipur, Delhi, or Jodhpur.
Vegetarian highlight A final Bikaneri breakfast of kachori and jalebi; carry home bhujia, ghewar, and Rajasthani namkeen.