Princely Rajasthan Bike Tour

Udaipur can be a jumble of sights, sounds, and smells but is an absolute must for travelers. On the first day of the trip, our guide meets at your hotel at 13:00, and we cover some Udaipur highlights – a guided walk of the City Palace. The City Palace is enclosed in a large complex on the banks of Lake Pichola and has many more palaces inside.

Enjoy walking the old market and eating street food at Paliwal Kachori, take an amazing cooking class with Sashi, or a boat ride in Pichola Lake.

We convene tonight at the dinner, next to the beautiful lake, to celebrate the start of a fabulous cycling journey.

Today we explore the ‘City of lakes’ on a short half-day-long loop on a bike, swerving to untreaded nooks and corners through the beautiful rural countryside and absorbing this historic capital of Mewar at your own pace. A colourful landscape unfolds here with brightly clothed village women. Here you can see a typical hamlet of Rajasthan with people busy with farming. We get to discover kingfisher, langoors, cows, goats, peacocks along the way, and a chance to take a refreshing ride around Lake Pichola, Fateh Sagar, and Badi Lake.

In the evening, we recommend enjoying an enthralling cultural show organized at Bagore Ki Haveli.

This day we start early and take a shuttle to a short distance and ride to the next town of Kumbhalgarh. This is the most scenic ride of the trip as you climb the Aravalis, maneuver through the rolling hills, and cycle past a Dhonk (Anogeissus Pendula) strewn topography. The plant adds a spattering of colour to the pale brown stretches along the way. Kumbalgarh is yet another historic fort town from the 15th century.

In the evening, we climb the rugged Kumbalgarh Fort, surrounded by a 35km wall with 365 temples within.

This morning, we hop onto the bikes and make our way to Narlai, through the dense forest and undulating stretches. This is the most wholesome ride of the tour as you get a balanced day of different topographies.

En route, we visit Ranakpur Jain Temple. Jainism is an ancient religion from India that teaches that the way to liberation and bliss is to live a life of harmlessness and renunciation. This architectural wonder in white marble is known for exquisitely carved 1444 pillars.

Narlai lies at the epicenter of an area rich with more than 400 historic temples. Arriving in Narlai, settle into the Rawla Narlai, an enchanting 17th-century mansion. Formerly used as a hunting lodge, it is located in the heart of a typical rustic Rajasthan village amidst a craggy rockscape interjected with village houses. Rawla boasts of an esteemed guest list with the likes of Mick Jagger and Francesco Clement having stayed here.

The hotel lies under the shadow of Elephant Hill, a massive granite monolith. In the evening, climb the 700 steps to the top for a panorama over lakes, fields and forests, and beautiful sunset.

We start cycling early this day across lush millet vegetation and carpets of yellow mustard fields. The ride remains largely flat. You can enjoy the vistas with ease and look forward to your stay at the Chanoud.

On this day we cycle to Jodhpur along a beautiful route that, despite the barren landscape is known to support a surprising diversity of fauna. En route, you may spot animals like deer, blackbucks, camels, and blur bulls as you ride past swaying masses of yellow mustard and wheat.

Later we take a shuttle and arrive at Jodhpur, the second-largest city of Rajasthan, and have earned the moniker of ‘Sun City’ for its bright clear skies and sunny weather. Notice how a large number of houses here are blue in colour – a striking contrast to the pale sandy color of the city. The towering Mehrangarh Fort, a key highlight of Jodhpur, looms over the city from a small hill and can be seen from everywhere.

In the afternoon, we explore the magnificent 15th-century Mehrangarh fort built by Maharaja Man Singh. Clutching onto a 100 feet perpendicular cliff, the fort epitomizes the majestic history of Rajasthan. One of the best-preserved forts of India, it is replete with antiques, artifacts, palanquins, and intricate carvings spread over the period rooms and galleries. The fort expands over 5kms on top of the hill. So colossal are its proportions that Rudyard Kipling called it “the work of giants”.

In the evening, you can venture out into the markets on your own. The narrow market streets splashed with colour in the form of bright textiles, silver jewelry, ethnic bags and more – a classic taste of Rajasthan’s vibrant culture.

Here we have chosen one of the most architecturally delightful hotels at Jodhpur, to fill your journey with complete immersion in history and a charming slice of Rajasthan’s grandeur, at the Raas Hotel. Winding through the quaint streets of the city, the hotel comes as a pleasant luxurious oasis in the jumble of houses and markets – undoubtedly an authentic location for you to get inducted into the Rajasthan culture. Check-in and relax in this perfect synthesis of contemporary designs, modern facilities, and the old-world charm of Jodhpur – you can see the famous Mehrangarh Fort from every room here.

We take an early morning train (06:05 – 10:50) from Jodhpur to Jaipur. In the afternoon, we take an Arts & Crafts Walk with our local expert Vineet, in the pink city bazaar, to get up-close and personal with the life of Jaipur. The walk covers areas of Marble statue makers, lacquer bangle makers, Metalworkers, Jewelry workers, Embroidery workers, etc. In this walk, we crisscross the medieval center of the city, recapping the most important historical events, while briefly introducing the basic cultural fabric that Jaipur has to offer from its history.

We wind up the day with an early dinner at one of the top restaurants in Jaipur.

We start a trip to the pink city of Jaipur with the famous fortress of Kacchawaha kings at Amber. Large courtyards, intricate carvings on formidable structure, and nuances of Rajput rule can be seen in the fort overlooking the Maota Lake. If you’re up for a walk, take a tunnel to Jaigarh Fort.

The rest of the day is at leisure. Jaipur is the erstwhile capital of the ruling Kacchawahas in the early eighteenth century. We recommend taking a walk in the old city and experience the delightful ancient markets at ease. Hawa Mahal and the numerous bazaars selling bright textiles and silver are worth every hour spent.

Today’s ride is through beautiful rural countryside, chequered with mustard fields and millet farms. Here you can see a typical hamlet of Rajasthan with people busy with farming.

The ride remains largely flat and gives a chance to witness the rural life around Jaipur from close quarters.

We cycle towards the forest of Sariska through the amazing Aravalli hills. We end our ride at Pratapgarh Fort and then take a shuttle to Sariska National Park, a favorite haunt of wildlife buffs & professional wildlife photographers from around the world. The topography of Sariska supports scrub-thorn arid forests, rocky landscapes, dry deciduous forests, rocks, grasses, and hilly cliffs. The park is famous for its Bengal Tigers, one of the most magnificent animals of India, which has long fascinated people with its awesome power and beautifully striped coat. It is the first tiger reserve in the world to have successfully relocated tigers.

Sariska is also ethereal for bird watchers with some of the rarest feathered species like Grey Partridge, White-throated kingfisher, Indian peafowl, Bush Quail, Sandgrouse, Treepie, Golden-backed Woodpecker, Crested serpent eagle, and the Indian eagle-owl.

Please note, we don’t take the Safari in Sariska National Park. If you wish to take one then please book on arrival with the hotel.

Begin the day with a hearty breakfast at the hotel, then set off on a bike ride through the picturesque countryside, chequered with mustard fields and millet farms to the Bharatpur. On the way, we make a stop at Abhaneri for lunch and visit Chand Baori, one of the largest stepwell built over a thousand years ago in the Abhaneri village of Rajasthan.

Later in the evening, we explore the Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary on a bike, famous for the avifauna sanctuary that plays host to thousands of birds, where you have an opportunity to interact with the local guide and gain greater insight into the bird lives.

In the late morning, we take a transfer to Agra for a visit to the Taj Mahal. We have a good half-day to visit one of the most awesome and extravagant monuments ever built – the Taj Mahal. It was constructed by Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his beloved wife in 1631-1653, with thousands of semiprecious stones inlaid.

Delhi hoards centuries of history, remnants of which, lie unassumingly in all parts of the city. Weathered monuments mingle with modern life seamlessly. Plan your own day today, if you have time.

We recommend taking a walk in the old city, an area called Chandni Chowk. Old crumbling houses precariously line the edge of narrow streets while old wires obstruct your view of the sky here – with so much going on in one place, yet the warmth and acceptance of the area are heart-warming. If you have an appetite for street food, we recommend a bite of the oily parathas, kachoris, lassi, and some tea.