Forts, desert cities and lake palaces — plan your Rajasthan trip

October to March is the most comfortable period, with warm days and cool nights — desert nights in December and January can be cold. April to June is very hot across most of the state. The monsoon normally arrives in late June and starts to withdraw in mid-September, bringing humidity and rain — and greener hills and fuller lakes around Udaipur.

A first trip covering Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur fits comfortably into about a week. Adding Jaisalmer and the desert usually needs two or three more days, because distances between cities are long and most journeys take a good part of a day.

Jaipur International Airport is the main gateway, and Udaipur and Jodhpur also have airports with domestic flights. Jaipur is well connected to Delhi and Agra by rail and road, so many travellers arrive overland as part of a longer trip in north India.

Trains connect most major cities and state buses reach smaller towns. Many visitors hire a car with a driver for flexibility between cities. Within cities, auto-rickshaws are everywhere, and app-based cabs operate in the larger cities.

Dress modestly with shoulders and knees covered, and expect to remove your shoes. Some sites ask you to cover your head, and some Jain temples do not allow leather items, so follow the signs and staff instructions at each site.