Jaipur-Pushkar Long Weekend
Forts + holy lake in a long weekend. The Rajasthan appetizer.
Highlights
Logistics
Train Delhi-Jaipur 4.5hrs (Shatabdi). Pushkar is 3hrs from Jaipur.
Day by Day
Morning train to Jaipur. Check in. Afternoon: Hawa Mahal (10 minutes is enough, it's a facade), City Palace (allow 1.5hrs), Jantar Mantar. Evening: drive up to Nahargarh Fort for sunset over the city. Dinner at 1135 AD or a Johari Bazaar thali joint.
Early morning: Amber Fort (go by 8:30AM before the crowds and heat). Walk up or jeep up. Allow 2-3hrs. Jaigarh Fort if you want to see the world's largest cannon on wheels. Afternoon: Albert Hall Museum or Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing. Johari Bazaar for jewellery, Bapu Bazaar for textiles.
Drive to Pushkar via Ajmer (stop at Ajmer Sharif dargah if interested — 30min). Arrive Pushkar by noon. Afternoon: walk the 52 ghats around Pushkar Lake. Brahma Temple (one of the only ones in the world). Sunset aarti at the lake — sit on the steps, buy some flowers, be present. Overnight at a lakeside haveli.
Morning: Savitri Temple hike (30min up, panoramic views of the lake and desert). Or camel ride in the dunes outside town. Drive back to Delhi (6hrs) or to Ajmer for a train. You'll be home by evening.