Rajasthan is too big to see in one trip, so most people pick a half. Mewar, in the south, is Udaipur’s lakes and palaces with Chittorgarh, Kumbhalgarh, Nathdwara and Mount Abu, and fits in 5 to 6 nights. Marwar, in the west, is Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and a night in a desert camp on the dunes, often with Bikaner and Jaipur, and needs 6 to 8 nights. Both are easy to reach by overnight train from Mumbai. We plan the route, hotels, a car and driver for the whole trip, and the desert camp.
Rajasthan packages at a glance
| Package | Nights | What it covers | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chhota break: Jaipur or Udaipur | 2N / 3D | One city, its fort or palace, and a day trip | A long weekend |
| Mewar with Mount Abu | 5N / 6D | Udaipur, Chittorgarh, Nathdwara, Kumbhalgarh, Ranakpur, Mount Abu | Families, senior citizens, Gujarat add-on |
| Marwar with the desert and Jaipur | 7N / 8D | Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, a Sam dunes camp, Bikaner, Jaipur | First-timers who want the “Rajasthan” picture |
| Mewar and Marwar together | 10N / 11D | Udaipur to Jaipur via Jodhpur and Jaisalmer | Retired couples with time |
The full day-wise plan for Marwar with Desert Camp and Jaipur 7N/8D is on its own page. The other formats are built from it, adding or dropping days, and any of them can be changed to suit you.
Mewar or Marwar: which half?
Pick Mewar if you want shorter drives, greener country and a slower pace. Pick Marwar if the desert is the reason you’re going.
- Udaipur. The City Palace above Lake Pichola, a boat ride on the lake, Saheliyon ki Bari and Jagdish temple. Two nights is about right.
- Chittorgarh and Kumbhalgarh. Two of the six forts listed together by UNESCO in 2013 as the Hill Forts of Rajasthan. Chittorgarh is a long day trip from Udaipur; Kumbhalgarh’s walls fit on the way to Mount Abu, with the marble Jain temple at Ranakpur nearby.
- Nathdwara. The Shrinathji haveli, an hour or so from Udaipur. Darshan happens only in fixed slots through the day, so we time the drive around one.
- Mount Abu. Rajasthan’s only hill station, with Nakki lake and the Dilwara Jain temples. Non-Jain visitors are let in from about noon, and cameras aren’t allowed inside.
- Jodhpur. Mehrangarh fort above the blue city. The fort museum is open 9 am to 5 pm and has a lift, which helps older travellers.
- Jaisalmer. A sandstone fort that people still live in, carved havelis, and the Sam dunes about 40 km out, where the desert camps are.
- Bikaner. Junagarh fort and the Karni Mata temple at Deshnoke, about 30 km south, known for the rats that are fed and protected there. It breaks the long drive between Jaisalmer and Jaipur.
- Jaipur. Amer fort, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, City Palace and the bazaars. Amer is one of the UNESCO hill forts, and Jantar Mantar has its own UNESCO listing.
Jaipur monument tickets and the composite pass
Rajasthan’s archaeology department roughly doubled monument fees from 1 January 2026. Amer fort is now ₹200 for Indian visitors, and Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Albert Hall and Nahargarh are ₹100 each. If you’re seeing three or more of them, buy the Jaipur composite ticket at the first monument you visit. It covers these sites and is valid for two days. The department also sells a 10-day pass for its monuments and museums across the state at ₹1,300, which pays off on a long trip. City Palace, Mehrangarh and Udaipur’s City Palace are run by the royal trusts and are ticketed separately.
Good to know: the composite ticket’s price after the January 2026 revision isn’t clearly published, and travel sites quote figures from ₹300 to ₹600. Check the price printed at the counter. Student concessions need a valid ID.
Best time to go, and festival dates
October to March. Days are warm and nights in the desert are cold, especially from December to January, so pack a proper sweater for the camp night. April to June is very hot, too hot for a night on the dunes. In the monsoon, Udaipur and Mount Abu are green and quiet, but it’s not the season for Jaisalmer.
- Pushkar fair: about 17 to 24 November 2026, ending on Kartik Purnima. Hotels in Pushkar and Ajmer fill weeks ahead.
- Diwali, Christmas and New Year: the busiest weeks of the year in Udaipur and Jaisalmer. Book by September.
- Jaisalmer Desert Festival: travel sites put the 2027 dates at 18 to 20 February, ending on Magh Purnima. Rajasthan Tourism hadn’t confirmed them when we checked.
Getting there from Mumbai, Pune and Delhi
Overnight trains from Mumbai’s Bandra Terminus serve both halves. The daily Suryanagari Express leaves Bandra in the afternoon and reaches Jodhpur early next morning, which suits the Marwar trip. For Mewar, the Bandra to Udaipur superfast runs three nights a week and arrives the next afternoon. From Pune, connect via Mumbai or Ahmedabad. Delhi to Jaipur is a short day-time train ride.
By air, Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaipur have flights from Mumbai and Delhi. From 25 October 2026 Air India also flies Mumbai to Jaisalmer daily for the winter season, which lets you start at the desert end and finish at Jaipur.
Notes for senior citizens
- Rajasthan’s forts are uphill and cobbled. Mehrangarh has a lift (charged separately). Elsewhere, plan on steps and ramps, and take it slowly.
- Distances between Marwar cities are long, often most of a day. We break them with lunch stops and never schedule two long drives back to back.
- A camel ride at Sam is short and optional. A jeep across the dunes is gentler on backs.
- Desert nights are cold and camps are spread out. Ask for a tent close to the dining area.
Questions travellers ask before booking
Is a desert camp safe and comfortable for children?
Yes, at an organised camp. Standard camps have tents with proper beds and attached bathrooms, and the evening has folk music and dinner. One night is enough.
Can we combine Rajasthan with a Gujarat pilgrimage?
Mount Abu sits near the Gujarat border, so the Mewar trip pairs well with Ambaji, which is close by, or with a train on from Abu Road to Ahmedabad.
Train or car between cities?
Car, for most families. Trains between Rajasthan’s cities are few and often at awkward hours, and a car lets you stop at Ranakpur or Deshnoke on the way.
Is Jaipur worth adding to a Marwar trip?
If it’s your first visit, yes. It also gives you better flight and train options home than Bikaner does.
Tour ideas and festival dates are on the official Rajasthan Tourism site, and Mehrangarh tickets can be bought at mehrangarh.org.
Checked November 2026. Monument fees are from news reports of the archaeology department’s January 2026 revision; Mehrangarh hours from the fort trust’s site; the Air India Jaisalmer schedule from its March 2026 announcement. Train timings are from published Indian Railways timetables, and festival dates from news and travel listings. Fees and timings change, and we confirm them when we send your quote.