Private journeys in seven lands · a planner replies within one working day
Try "Udaipur", "tiger", "honeymoon", "Ladakh in July"
Seven nights in the green Aravalli hills of southern Rajasthan: three on Lake Pichola in Udaipur, two at Kumbhalgarh with a trek to the Ranakpur temple, and two at Deogarh Mahal with a ride on the Goram Ghat railway. Walking, quiet roads and palace nights.
The Aravalli is Rajasthan's oldest landscape: worn hills, forests, lakes and villages, and the forts that guarded Mewar. This journey stays among them. It begins in Udaipur, moves to Kumbhalgarh for its walls and a walk through the sanctuary to Ranakpur, and ends at Deogarh Mahal, with a train ride through the gorges of the Goram Ghat.
It suits travellers who have seen the main cities and want walking, quiet and good palace stays. The monsoon and the months after it, August to October, are especially beautiful, when the hills are green and the lakes full.
Highlights
Day by day
Your driver meets you at Udaipur airport for the transfer to The Oberoi Udaivilas on the shore of Lake Pichola. Rest after the journey. At sunset, a private boat on the lake past the ghats, the Lake Palace and Jag Mandir, then dinner at the hotel.
Visit the City Palace at opening with a Mewar historian, then walk through the old city lanes to the Jagdish temple and the ghats. Afternoon at leisure. Drive up to the Monsoon Palace for sunset over the lakes and hills.
A morning at the temples of Eklingji, the family deity of the Mewar rulers, and the carved Saas-Bahu temples at Nagda by a lake. Return for lunch. In the afternoon, a session with a miniature painter in the old city.
Drive into the hills to Kumbhalgarh and check in at The Aodhi, below the fort. In the late afternoon, climb to the Badal Mahal and walk a section of the great wall as the sun sets over the Aravalli. Stay for the fort lit at dusk.
An early start for the guided walk through the Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary, descending through forest and villages to Ranakpur in about five to six hours. Visit the Jain temple when it opens to visitors at midday. Your car brings you back to Kumbhalgarh.
Drive through the hills to Deogarh Mahal, the 17th-century palace of the Rawats of Deogarh. Afternoon at the palace, then a village walk at sunset and dinner on the terrace.
Drive to Kamlighat station for the metre-gauge train through the Goram Ghat, over bridges and through tunnels in the Aravalli gorges, about two hours to Phulad, where your car meets you. Afternoon visit to a painter's studio in Deogarh. Evening drive to a lake for sunset.
Drive north to Jaipur for your onward flight, stopping in Pushkar or Ajmer if time allows. Alternatively, return to Udaipur airport, about 2.5 hours away. Check current status of flight times before you travel.
Included
Not included
Where you sleep
A palace-style resort on the eastern shore of Lake Pichola, with domed pavilions, courtyards, gardens and rooms opening onto shared or semi-private pools. It faces the …
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Questions travellers ask
Moderate: about five to six hours on rocky paths, mostly downhill with some steep stretches. Walkers in good health manage it. A jeep drive in the sanctuary can replace it. We start early on day 5 with a private guide and forest permission, descend through forest and villages, and reach Ranakpur as the Jain temple opens to visitors at midday. Your car then brings you back to Kumbhalgarh.
It has operated as a local metre-gauge service, and gauge conversion has been planned, so we have a road alternative ready. On day 7 we drive you to Kamlighat station for the ride through the Aravalli gorges, over bridges and through tunnels, about two hours to Phulad, where your car meets you. If the line is closed, we take the road through the hills instead. Check current status before you travel.
Yes, from August, when the hills are green and lakes fill. The trek may be suspended in heavy rain. July can be very wet. August to October brings full lakes in Udaipur and green hills around Kumbhalgarh and Deogarh. If the forest walk is closed, we replace it with a drive to Ranakpur and a gentle walk at the temple.
Udaivilas is one of the best hotels in India. The Aodhi and Deogarh Mahal are comfortable heritage hotels with character rather than full luxury. Three nights at Udaivilas on Lake Pichola open the journey. The Aodhi sits below Kumbhalgarh Fort, close enough to climb to the walls at sunset, and Deogarh Mahal is the 17th-century palace of the Rawats of Deogarh, with dinner on its terrace.
Yes. Jawai is about 2 hours from Kumbhalgarh. Add two nights at SUJÁN Jawai for leopards between Kumbhalgarh and Deogarh, or at the start. The camp is full board, with leopard drives in open vehicles among the granite hills and walks with Rabari herders. Adding Jawai makes this a nine-night journey, and we adjust the order of stops to avoid backtracking. SUJÁN Jawai operates seasonally, so check current status before you travel.
Deogarh is about halfway between Udaipur and Jaipur, so ending in Jaipur avoids backtracking and allows a stop at Pushkar. You can also return to Udaipur. The drive north on day 8 is about 285 km, around five hours, and we time it for your flight, with lunch in Pushkar or Ajmer if the schedule allows. Udaipur airport is about 2.5 hours from Deogarh.
Yes, without the trek. We replace it with a drive to Ranakpur and a gentle walk. The rest of the journey is unhurried. Drives are short, from about 40 minutes to 2.5 hours until the last day, and we keep afternoons free for rest. Kumbhalgarh's walls involve steps and slopes, so tell us about mobility and we will plan shorter walks with your guide.
October to March for comfortable walking, and August to October for green landscapes. Avoid April to June for the trek. In winter, days around Udaipur are usually mild, in the mid 20s °C, with cool mornings in the hills at Kumbhalgarh, which sits higher than Udaipur. From April the heat makes a five to six hour walk hard work, so we drop it from the plan.
Yes, per person, twin sharing, from the figure shown, varying with dates and rooms. Single travellers pay a supplement. The price moves with the season and the room categories you choose at Udaivilas, The Aodhi and Deogarh Mahal, and rises over Christmas, New Year and Diwali. Flights are not included. We confirm a firm quote once your dates are fixed.
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