Routes
Rajasthan in Two Weeks: Forts, Deserts and the Perfect Circuit
Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur — the classic northern India route, day by day, with the trains that connect it.
By Julien Marchetti · 16 June 2026 · 10 min read
Rajasthan is India concentrated: the biggest forts, the loudest colours, the deepest history, and a train network that threads the whole thing together for the price of a pizza. Two weeks is enough for the classic circuit — if you resist adding more.
Days one to three: Jaipur, the pink city. Amber Fort at opening time, the City Palace, and the bazaars of the old town. Days four to six: Jodhpur, where Mehrangarh — perhaps the most magnificent fort in India — towers over a maze of blue-washed lanes. Take the zipline across the fort's ramparts if your nerve holds.
Days seven to ten are the desert: the overnight train to Jaisalmer, a living fort of golden sandstone, and a night in the Thar dunes — camel cart out, dinner by the fire, a sky so full of stars it looks broken. Days eleven to fourteen: Udaipur, the white city on the lake, to decompress with rooftop dinners and a boat to Jag Mandir at sunset.
Book the trains on the official app a month ahead (they sell out), travel in AC 3-tier, and budget 25 to 45 euros a day for a comfortable mid-range trip. October to March is the season; the rest of the year, Rajasthan does not forgive.
