Shekhawati, the Thar & the Palaces
the Rajasthan behind the postcard

It is for travellers who want the Rajasthan behind the standard circuit — painted merchant towns, a never-conquered plains fort, a living fort in the desert — and who are happy to drive to reach it. It is not the right first trip to India if you have never seen the Taj Mahal: there is no Agra and no Jaipur on this route. For a first visit, our Golden Triangle and Rajasthan journeys cover that ground instead.

Because it would dilute the itinerary and lengthen it. Shekhawati, Bikaner and Jaisalmer are the point here, and adding Jaipur means either cutting the desert short or extending to sixteen days. If you want Jaipur as well, we build this as a fifteen or sixteen day journey — it works well, it just is not thirteen days.

Shekhawati is a cluster of small towns in northern Rajasthan where nineteenth-century merchant families built havelis and covered them in painted murals. It is often described as an open-air art gallery, and the description holds up. Almost no standard Rajasthan itinerary includes it, which means you see it without crowds. Some havelis are beautifully restored, others are frankly crumbling; your guide knows which are open and worth the walk on the day.

A fair amount, and we would rather say so. Delhi to Mandawa is about 260 km, Mandawa to Bikaner about 190 km, Bikaner to Jaisalmer about 330 km, Jaisalmer to Jodhpur about 285 km and Jodhpur to Udaipur about 250 km. Only the final leg home is flown. This is a driving itinerary by design — the empty road across the Thar is genuinely one of the good parts — but if you would rather fly the long legs, tell us and we will look at what is possible for your dates.

Yes. The car is private, modern and air-conditioned, the driver is yours for the whole trip, and we break the long legs properly with a real lunch stop rather than a roadside pause. There is no sightseeing scheduled on the Bikaner to Jaisalmer day precisely because the drive is the day.

It is optional and it depends entirely on how you feel about canvas. Camps at Sam range from very basic to genuinely luxurious and the difference is enormous; we only use properties we would stay in ourselves and we will describe exactly what you are getting. Camps generally operate from around October to March only. Coming back to your Jaisalmer hotel after dinner on the dunes is an equally good evening.

No. A jeep gets you to the same dunes and the same sunset, and for many travellers it is the better choice. Say so when you enquire and we book it that way.

It is possible, but we generally advise against it. The fort is a living town of several thousand residents with real drainage and conservation pressures, and heavy hotel use inside the walls is part of the problem. There are excellent restored havelis immediately below the fort with the same views. We will explain the position honestly at the quotation stage rather than just booking whatever is available.

October to March. The desert is comfortable by day and genuinely cold at night from December to February, so bring a warm layer even when the afternoon is 28 degrees. April to June is very hot on this route and we would not recommend it. Desert camps largely close outside the winter season.

Yes, and it is the spine of this itinerary. Shekhawati has converted havelis and small fort hotels; Bikaner has a palace-style heritage property; Jaisalmer has restored merchant havelis; Jodhpur and Udaipur have some of the finest heritage hotels in India. What is available depends on your dates and category, and we name the actual properties in your written quotation before you pay.

No, and we will not pretend otherwise. Shekhawati and Bikaner offer characterful, comfortable heritage properties rather than five-star luxury; the international-standard palace hotels are in Jodhpur and Udaipur. We set that expectation clearly when quoting so nothing comes as a surprise on arrival.

Yes, in every town on this route. Guides in French, German, Spanish or Italian can sometimes be arranged for Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur but are much harder in Shekhawati and Bikaner. Tell us at the enquiry stage and we will confirm what is genuinely possible rather than promising and hoping.

Mostly, with two caveats. Jaisalmer Fort’s lanes are steep, narrow and cobbled, and the climb inside Kumbhalgarh is long. Mehrangarh has a lift and Udaipur is easy on foot. The long drives are more tiring than the walking, so if pace is a concern we add nights and shorten the legs rather than pressing on.

Camel safaris, a fort you can actually get lost in, and a desert camp usually go down very well. The long drives are the harder part; families often prefer we split the Bikaner to Jaisalmer leg or fly a section. Say who is travelling and we will shape it accordingly.

You arrive at and depart from Indira Gandhi International in Delhi (DEL). One domestic flight is included at the end, from Udaipur back to Delhi, with an overnight in Delhi before your international departure so a delay on the domestic leg cannot put your flight home at risk.

There is no fixed price. The cost depends on your travel dates, hotel category, room type, party size and the experiences you choose — and the desert camp choice alone moves it considerably. Send us your dates and party size and you will have an itemised written quotation with named hotels, usually within one working day.

Most nationalities need an Indian e-Visa applied for online before travel. Requirements and processing times change, so check the Government of India e-Visa portal for your own passport before booking flights.

Shekhawati and Bikaner are noticeably less card-friendly than Delhi or Udaipur, so carry more cash than you would elsewhere in India. Mobile coverage is good in the towns and patchy on the desert stretches. We can arrange an Indian SIM or eSIM on arrival.

Yes. Jaipur and Agra add three to four nights and turn this into a sixteen or seventeen day journey. Pushkar slots in neatly between Bikaner and Jodhpur if you would rather restructure than extend. Tell us how long you have and we shape the whole trip.

You share your dates and preferences, we send a tailored itinerary and quotation, and we revise it until it is right. A deposit secures the hotels and the balance is due before travel. Every booking comes with a GST invoice and a written cancellation policy, given to you before you pay anything.