Compare Ultimate Rajasthan Tour by Turban Adventures vs Rajasthan Explorer tour by Encounters Travel

Day 1- Arrive in Mumbai & fly to Udaipur (Stay at Bujera Fort)

Arrive from your international flight at Mumbai Airport & board onward flight direct to Udaipur. A warm welcome on arrival at Udaipur Airport by our team member & get transferred privately to a newly built fortress hotel in Udaipur which is very famous for its unique character & charming design by Trish McFarlane & Richard Hanlon. Check-in to your room & spend the remaining day at leisure.

Day 2- Udaipur (Stay at Bujera Fort)

Today after breakfast get indulge yourself in the beauty of most romantic destination of India. Visit the City Palace, the grand palace originally built by Maharana Udai Singh II overlooking the Pichola Lake & Jagdish Temple. Visit Saheliyon Ki Bari- A garden was specially laid for 48 young women attendants who accompanied with Princess of Udaipur as dowry. In the evening enjoy boat ride on Pichola to see the numerous palaces & to capture the perfect evening on the serene waters of this manmade lake.

Day 3- Udaipur to Narlai (Stay at Rawla Narlai)

Leave the family of Bujera Fort & drive towards your next destination amidst the Aravali hills & was the hunting lodge of Royal Family of Jodhpur. Get settled in your room at Rawla Narlai. En-route to Rawla Narlai will stop at Ranakpur to see the Jain Temples. Have drinks by poolside or just spend the time in balcony of your room. (You have an option of 15 minute massage at spa room in Rawla Narlai provided by Turban Adventures).

Day 4- Narlai (Stay at Rawla Narlai)

Morning explore the village in an open jeep with the local expert guide & spend the rest of the day free on your own.

Day 5- Narlai- Jodhpur (Stay at Raas Jodhpur)

This morning to Jodhpur & check in at luxurious Raas Hotel located in old city & offers expansive view of the fort.Spend the remaining day exploring the local craft markets of Jodhpur with our expert guide & overnight stay.

Day 6- In Jodhpur (Stay at Raas Jodhpur)

Morning after a sumptuous breakfast at your hotel leave for sightseeing tour of Mehrangarh Fort which is one of the largest fort standing from centuries. Pay your homage to the rulers of Jodhpur at Jaswant Thada & visit Umaid Bhawan Palace. Afternoon at leisure. Optional- Exclusive Champagne Tour of Mehrangarh Fort with Karni Jasol at additional cost. An exclusive tour of Mehrangarh Fort with its curator Karni Jasol & access to its private halls can be arranged on request. He will walk along with you & explain you the history of the fort. Later have dinner privately organized on the fort in the dim lights & with true Rajput hospitality.

Day 7- Jodhpur- Nagaur (Stay at Ranvas Nagaur)

Morning take part in exclusive Yoga session with the instructor & post breakfast leave for the tiny town closer to Jodhpur known as ‘Nagaur’. Your accommodation for two nights is booked at Ranvas Nagaur in Nagaur Fort. Ranvas is the most unique property where one can have experience of staying in own private fort & walking outside the fort walls. Take a walk outside the fort with our expert guide. Overnight in Ranvas.

Day 8- Nagaur (Stay at Ranvas Nagaur)

Full day at leisure or you can explore the town with our guide.

Day 9- Nagaur- Jaisalmer (Stay at Killa Bhawan)

Today drive to Jaisalmer the Desert City located in the Great Indian Thar Desert. Your hotel in Jaisalmer is quite simple but it has the most stunning views of Jaisalmer City & Desert. It is located on the ramparts of Jaisalmer Fort which has the most unique character in town. Spend the day resting in your room’s private setting followed by overnight stay.

Day 10- Jaisalmer (Stay at Killa Bhawan)

Take a guided tour of Jaisalmer Fort, Mansions of wealthy merchants & the beautiful decorated bazaars of Jaisalmer. In the afternoon drive to Khuri Sand Dunes to have camel ride over the golden sands & to view sunset. Return to Jaisalmer & stay overnight.

Day 11- Jaisalmer- Rohet (Stay at Mihirgarh)

This morning drive towards the Jewel in the desert & the most special hotel of this trip located in the desert wilderness of Jodhpur. Enjoy your stay with private Jacuzzi & plunge pool. Overnight in Mihirgarh.

Day 12- Rohet (Stay at Mihirgarh)

Today take Jeep Safari to tribal villages of Bishnoi people & get to know their lifestyle. You can take part in their various daily activities. Return to hotel & enjoy the day.

Day 13- Rohet- Nimaj (Stay at Chhatra Sagar)

After your romantic stay at Mihirgarh we drive to Chhatra Sagar perched on the dam of a reservoir & provide the natural beauty to its visitors. Check in at the boutique camp & enjoy the dishes grown up in their local farm.

Day 14- Nimaj (Stay at Chhatra Sagar)

Take a village tour of Nimaj & temples. Unwind yourself at camp for the remaining day & learn to cook the dishes with hotel staff following centuries old recipes.

Day 15- Nimaj- BIshangarh (Stay at Alila Fort Bishangarh)

Today drive to Alila Bishangarh Fort, a newest luxury addition into Alila’s portfolio. Check in at your spacious room at the fort & spend the remaining day exploring the views of countryside.

Day 16 - Bishangarh to Jaipur excursion (Stay at Alila Fort Bishangarh)

Join our expert tour guide for excursion to Pink City covering the Amber Fort, A perfect example of Mughal & Rajput architecture. Ride on the decorated elephant to reach at the top of fort or you can ride on jeep as well. Visit 16th century step well famous as Panna Meena ka kund located in the foothills of mountains. While return to city stop at Jal Mahal for photo tour. Later visit City Palace- residence of former royal family of Jaipur, Jantar Mantar ( A UNESCO World Heritage Site ) is a astronomical observatory designed by Maharaja Jai Singh II & The Palace of Winds famous as Hawa Mahal, the landmark of Jaipur. After take a short market tour of Jaipur’s famous bazaars to collect souvenirs. Drive back to Bishangarh for overnight stay.

Day 17- Bishangarh (Stay at Alila Fort Bishangarh)

Take early morning Hot Air Balloon Safari over the Aravali Mountains & complete your tour in Jaipur. After refreshments at local café visit the Bagru block printing textiles & see the local artisans working on the world famous block printing technique. Return to Bishangarh by evening with fond memories from Pink City.

Day 18 - Departure

Transfer to Jaipur or Delhi Airport to board flight for onward destination.

Day 1, Arrival in Delhi. Airport to hotel transfer included After arriving in India’s capital city, a staff member will be present to meet and greet you, before escorting you to your hotel. After settling in, we’ll run through what you can expect over the next few days, before arranging a time to collect you tomorrow. | OVERNIGHT: Delhi hotel | EXTRAS: Single room supplement, Extra day in Delhi - pre-tour Day 2, Exploring Delhi and an | OVERNIGHT: train ride to Udaipur Our morning starts with a city tour of New Delhi, India’s capital, located on the banks of the Yamuna River. From the back of a vehicle, we’ll visit India Gate, a towering 42-metre Archway which shares a resemblance to France’s Arc de Triomphe. New Delhi is also the seat of India’s government and we’ll drive past the President’s Palace and the Parliament of India, before passing Humayun’s Tomb and the Bangla Sahab Gurudwara Sikh Temple. We’ll then head to Connaught Place Station to board a train to Old Delhi, where we’ll explore is bustling markets and bazaars, such as the Chandni Chowk and the Chawri Bazar, well known for its unique copper, paper and brass products. This afternoon, we’ll be treated to some of India’s finest street food cuisine, trying all the unique snacks and delicacies on offer, before we hop into a rickshaw to explore the old city a little more. A visit to one of the largest mosques in India - the Jama Masjid - is also on the cards. Tonight, we head to the train station to catch the overnight sleeper train to Udaipur. You'll see a lot of busy Delhi life through the windows as the train makes its way out of the city this evening. | OVERNIGHT: Sleeper train | MEALS: Breakfast | EXTRAS: Delhi to Udaipur flight upgrade Day 3, Exploring Udaipur’s Temples Once we arrive in beautiful Udaipur, we’ll stop for breakfast before being transported to the Nagda - the early Mewar capital - well known for an unusual temple that dates back to the 10th century. Built to commemorate Lord Vishnu, the temple is built in two structures, one by a mother-in-law and one by a daughter-in-law. Our next temple visit is at Eklingi, which houses over 100 temples and is a popular destination for Hindu pilgrims, but very few tourists visit here. Eklingji is one of Rajasthan’s most well-known temples, with the main temple built in dedication to Lord Shiva and holds a striking four faced idol of Eklingji (Lord Shiva) made in black marble. The Shivlinga (phallic form of Lord Shiva) is here garlanded by a silver snake and is also given great attention. We head back to Udaipur for lunch at the Jodhpur Mishthan Bhandar in Udaipur's city centre, where we’ll have the opportunity to try some unique Indian delicacies such as Mirchi wada, Kachori, Samosa, Pakodi, Khaman (Gujarati food) and more. We have the rest of the afternoon is free to relax or explore Udaipur independently. | OVERNIGHT: Udaipur hotel | MEALS: Breakfast, Lunch Day 4, Venturing further into Udaipur We’ll explore Udaipur a little more today, with our first stop at the 400-year old City Palace located over Lake Pichola. The palace itself is made up of a host of pavilions, terraces, courtyards and hanging gardens. Next on the agenda is a visit to the manicured Saheliyon Ki Bari Gardens before we hop on a boat to Jagmandir Island to explore a palace built by Maharana Karan Singh II in 1620. At its entrance, you'll be met by massive stone elephants and the island has an ornate 17th-century tower, the Gol Mahal, carved from bluestone. We’ll stop to explore the Jagdish Temple, situated outside of the Royal Palace, before going on a walking tour through the Old City. Tonight we’ll visit Bagore Ki Haveli, an ancient palace that has been converted into a museum on the waterfront of Lake Pichola, to watch a traditional dancing and puppet show. | OVERNIGHT: Udaipur hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 5, Onwards to Jodhpur We’ll visit Jodhpur today, the second largest city in Rajasthan. On our way there, we’ll visit the Chaturmukha Jain Temple, famous for its white marble architecture. The Temple is the largest and most significant temple of the Jain religion and was built in the 15th century in dedication to the first Tirthankara of Jainism - Lord Adinath. We'll take an audio tour here, and also look out of the large population of monkeys that make the temple their home. | OVERNIGHT: Jodhpur hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 6, Exploring Jodphur on foot We’ll start our day with a visit to the one of India’s largest forts - the Mehrangarh Fort - which towers over the city. We’ll also make our way to the Jaswant Thada, a milky-white marble cenotaph created in 1899 by Maharaja Sardar Singh to commemorate his father, Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. We’ll also visit the architecturally beautiful Lord Krishna Temple, meet the priest and his family before heading to Ram Rasoda - a community kitchen which has been operating for hundreds of years. Today we’ll also explore the ancient Temple of Jetha Bera, the 6th century old Toor ji ka Jhalra step well which is shaped like an inverted pyramid. Our walking tour also takes us through Jodhpur’s narrow winding streets and blue painted buildings, before visiting some of its markets around the clock tower. We’ll taste some unique sweets such as Gulab jamun - a milk based sweet and Mawa Kachori - which is a fried puffed pastry stuffed with sweetened and flavoured khoya. | OVERNIGHT: Jodhpur hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 7, Pushkar’s Lake and Temples We’ll head out on a morning drive to Pushkwar, one of India’s oldest towns, situated on the edge of the Thar Desert. It’s also one of the Hindu religion's five most sacred pilgrimage sites. The scene is set around Pushkar Lake, its waters are thought to be holy. In fact, there are 52 stone staircases which pilgrims use to bathe. Pushkar is also famous for its huge camel fair which takes place in October or November every year and one of our departure dates is timed to ensure we visit during the peak of the fair. We’ll get here at lunch time and we’ll have some time time to settle in at our accommodation before heading out to the Pushkar Lake and its temples - most notably the 14th-century Jagatpita Brahma Mandir, dedicated to the god of creation and its surroundings. If there’s time, we have an option of walking up to the Savriti Temple at sunset, which provides you with spectacular views of the lake and valley below. If you don’t feel like walking, take the cable car to the top. | OVERNIGHT: Pushkar hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 8, Goodbye Pushkar, Hello Jaipur You can choose to start your day with a sunrise walk up to the Savriti Temple and watch how it awakens the town. After exploring Pushkar, we’ll make our way to Rajasthan’s capital city of Jaipur, and on our way there, we’ll stop to visit the Amber Fort - an ancient fortress built on a hill in the 16th century, with its towering walls creating a resemblance to the Great Wall of China. | OVERNIGHT: Jaipur hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 9, A sightseeing tour of Jaipur You have an option to embark on a hot air balloon ride this morning, soaring over Jaipur’s magnificent palaces and forts as you take in the beauty of the Pink City from above. If you decided not to, your day starts with a sightseeing tour of the city. You’ll visit India’s largest astronomical observatory known as the Jantar Mantar Monument, built by the Rajput king Sawai Jai Singh II between 1724 and 1730. You’ll also make your way to the City Palace created between 1729-1732 AD, which was once the seats of the King of Jaipur and the leader of the renowned Kachwaha Rajput clan. After lunch, you’ll head to Jaipur’s famous craft markets, where you can see craftsmen such as jewellers, silversmiths, textile workshops and bangle makers producing some of the most unique creations. You’ll also have the chance to browse the fruit, vegetable and spice markets here | OVERNIGHT: Jaipur hotel | MEALS: Breakfast | EXTRAS: Hot air balloon in Jaipur Day 10, Visiting the ancient village of Tordi Your day starts with a visit to the rural Rajasthan village of Tordi, which was founded in the 16th century by Th. Akhey Singh, a descendant of Khangar Singh who overthrew the regional chief and built a hilltop fortress. All that remains today are ruins, however, the family still lives in the palace and in a fort on the plains below. You’ll be accommodated in a wing of the palace which has been created for guests. After settling in, your afternoon begins with a walk through the village, visiting a temple, a school and a potter’s house, before chatting to some of the locals to find out more about their way of life. You have a few optional activities available to you today, such as camel cart riding, a jeep safari to a 300-year-old-stepwell, visiting a shepherds village and watching the sun go down at the Tordi Sagar Dam. You can also hike to the 400-year-old Tordi Fort for drinks and snacks at sunset or try some horse-riding or henna hand art. | OVERNIGHT: Tordi Garh hotel | MEALS: Breakfast, Dinner Day 11, The world’s largest step well & birdwatching in the Keoladeo Ghana National Park Today we’ll head to Bharatpur to explore the wildlife-rich Keoladeo Ghana National Park, a birdwatcher’s paradise. On our way there, we’ll stop at the largest step well in the world the Abhaneri step well which boasts 3500 steps and is 13 stories deep. You’ll have a chance to settle in at your accommodation before we head out once more, this time on a guided cycle rickshaw ride through Keoladeo, which is home to over 360 species of birds. Keoladeo, which is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is strategically located on the Central Asian migratory flyway and is an important destination for wintering water birds, most notably the endangered Siberian crane and its huge heronry which in good years can host more than 20,000 nesting birds of various species. You won’t just find birds here though, other wildlife that you can see include wild boar, black buck, sambar, chital, mongoose, porcupine, several different wild cats, and some huge pythons. | OVERNIGHT: Bharatpur hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 12, A first view of the magnificent Taj Mahal. Optional activities available Say goodbye to Keoladeo as we make our way to the city of Agra, which is home to India’s most popular tourist attraction - the towering Taj Mahal. You’ll have time to settle in at your hotel before heading out on a Mughal Heritage Walk, which was designed by a local NGO to create more jobs and better infrastructure of the local community. The walk takes you through the ancient village of Kachhpura and surrounding farmland on the banks of the Yamuna River, giving you spectacular views of the Red Fort and the Taj Mahal. One of the locals will also give you a tour of the village, showing you their agricultural techniques, how they cook and their unique architecture and places of worship. You’ll also be introduced to the local cottage industry for leather shoe making which helps Agra export shoes all over the world. You’ll then explore the Mehtab Bagh Park which is one of 11 parks built by Emperor Babur on the east banks of the Yamuna River, but as the sun goes down this afternoon, you’ll be treated to the mesmerising views of the Taj Mahal at sunset - something that cannot be missed. Tonight, you have an option to join a local Hindu family for a vegetarian cooking lesson and a tasty meal before settling in for the night. | OVERNIGHT: Agra hotel | MEALS: Breakfast | EXTRAS: Cook with a Hindu family in Agra Day 13, A Taj Mahal sunrise and a multimedia water show We start today early for our tour of the Taj Mahal. Truly one of the wonders of the world this elaborate monument to love was built by the Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan and took over twenty-two years to complete. Sunrise is a great time to visit as the light changes gradually with the colours of the Taj changing too. After breakfast, we visit Agra Fort, another UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is a huge complex with a fascinating history, being the main residence of the emperors of the Mughal Dynasty until 1638 when the capital was shifted from Agra to Delhi. After lunch, we'll drive to Delhi, and on arrival visit the Swaminarayan Akshardham New Delhi, a Hindu mandir and a spiritual-cultural campus, home to millennia of traditional Hindu and Indian culture and architecture. It's one of India's most popular tourist attractions, in fact, it's estimated that it draws in 70% of all visitors who explore Delhi. We’ll be mesmerized by the Sahaj Anand water show - a multimedia water exhibition, which makes use of multicoloured lasers, under-water flames, video projection, water jets combine to provide a captivating experience which tells the story of Kena Upanishad - a Vedic Sanskrit text. | OVERNIGHT: Agra hotel | MEALS: Breakfast Day 14, Bon voyage! Airport transfer included You have some free time to buy any gifts for your loved ones back home before we transfer you to the airport to catch your flight back home. | OVERNIGHT: N/A | MEALS: Breakfast | EXTRAS: Goa beach extension, Ranthambore National Park Safari, Spinmonkey cycling tour, Salam Balak Trust walk