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Six nights from Delhi to Jaipur through the painted merchant towns of Shekhawati, with a specialist guide, then a night at Samode Palace and two at Rambagh. A slow journey for travellers who love art, architecture and quiet roads.
Shekhawati is Rajasthan's open-air gallery: small towns where merchant families covered their havelis, temples and cenotaphs with frescoes from the 18th to the early 20th century. Few visitors give it the time it needs. This journey spends three nights there, with a specialist guide who knows the caretakers and the stories behind the paintings.
From Shekhawati, the road leads south to Samode, where the palace's painted Durbar Hall is a fitting end to the frescoes, and then to Jaipur for two nights at Rambagh Palace, Amber Fort and the old city.
Highlights
Day by day
Your driver meets you in Delhi, at the airport or your hotel, for the drive west into Rajasthan. The road leaves the city through Gurugram and crosses the farmland of Haryana before reaching the sandy country of Shekhawati. Check in at a heritage hotel in Mandawa and take a short evening walk around the fort.
A morning walk through Mandawa with a specialist guide, entering havelis painted with gods, battles, trains and Englishmen. Learn how merchant families lived and how the frescoes were made. Lunch at the hotel and a rest. In the late afternoon, a drive into the countryside to see a stepwell and a village.
Drive to Fatehpur to visit the Haveli Nadine Le Prince, restored by a French artist, and nearby havelis still awaiting restoration. Lunch in the haveli's courtyard café. Continue to Ramgarh for the Poddar chhatris, whose domes are painted with the Ramayana. Return to Mandawa at dusk.
Drive to Nawalgarh for the Podar Haveli Museum and the Morarka Haveli. Continue south to Samode Palace for a late lunch. In the late afternoon, a member of the palace team shows you the Durbar Hall and Sheesh Mahal. Climb to the fort for sunset, or watch it from a terrace.
An early walk through Samode village, breakfast, then drive to Jaipur and check in at Rambagh Palace. After lunch and a rest, walk the old city bazaars with your guide, from Hawa Mahal through Johari Bazaar to the brass and bangle sellers of Tripolia.
Reach Amber Fort as it opens and see the courtyards before the crowds. After lunch, visit Jantar Mantar and the City Palace. End the day with dinner at Suvarna Mahal in Rambagh Palace.
Breakfast in the palace gardens, then transfer to Jaipur airport for your flight, or continue by road or train to Delhi, Agra or the rest of Rajasthan.
Included
Not included
Where you sleep
A family-owned palace hotel in a village in the Aravalli hills, about 42 km northwest of Jaipur. Its painted Durbar Hall and mirrored Sheesh Mahal are …
The former home of the Maharajas of Jaipur, run by Taj, set in large Mughal-style gardens about 15 minutes from the old city. It is the …
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Questions travellers ask
The painted towns are spread out, and the frescoes reward slow looking. Three nights allows Mandawa, Nawalgarh, Fatehpur and Ramgarh without rushing, plus time in the countryside. We base you in Mandawa, walk its havelis on day 2 and make a 100 km round trip to Fatehpur and Ramgarh on day 3. Nawalgarh's Podar Haveli Museum comes on day 4, on the way south to Samode.
The heritage hotels are comfortable and full of character, but not in the class of Rambagh or the Oberoi hotels. We choose the best rooms available and balance the journey with Samode and Rambagh. Expect old buildings, courtyards and character rather than full luxury service. Winter nights in Shekhawati can drop to 2 to 5 °C, so pack warm layers for the evenings.
Yes. Begin with two nights in Jaipur, then drive to Samode and Shekhawati, ending with a drive back to Jaipur or on to Delhi or Bikaner. Samode is about 42 km, an hour from Jaipur, and Nawalgarh about 3.5 hours beyond. From Mandawa, Delhi is about 260 km and 5.5 hours by road, and Bikaner about 3.5 hours, which links well with our Thar desert journey.
Very. Many havelis are locked, and only local guides know the caretakers. A good guide also explains the stories in the paintings, which are hard to read without help. Your specialist guide stays with you for all three days, through Mandawa, Fatehpur, Ramgarh and Nawalgarh, and haveli entries and caretaker fees are included. Access to private havelis can change; check current status before you travel.
October to March. Days are pleasant and the light good for photography. December and January nights are cold. April to September is very hot. Winter nights in Shekhawati can drop to 2 to 5 °C, so pack warm layers for the evenings. We plan haveli walks for the morning and late afternoon light, with lunch and a rest at the hotel through the middle of the day.
Yes. From Mandawa, Bikaner is about 3.5 hours, and Jaisalmer a further 5.5 hours. See our Thar desert journey for a route that continues west. In that version you leave Shekhawati for two nights in Bikaner, then three in Jaisalmer and two in Jodhpur, flying home from Jodhpur. Samode and Jaipur can then sit at the start of the trip instead of the end.
It suits families with older children interested in art and history. Younger children may find the haveli visits slow. Samode and Jaipur add variety. We can shorten the haveli walks, keep the stepwell and village drive near Mandawa, and give more time to Amber Fort and the bazaars in Jaipur. Tell us ages when planning, so we can arrange rooms that suit your family at each hotel.
There are antique and craft shops in Mandawa and other towns. Be cautious with claimed antiques; export of items over 100 years old is restricted in India. Ask for a written description and receipt for anything you buy. Your guide can point you to craft shops, and Jaipur's bazaars add brass and bangles in Tripolia. Export rules can change; check current status before you travel.
Yes, per person, twin sharing, from the figure shown. It varies with dates and room categories. Single travellers pay a supplement. We confirm a firm quote once dates are fixed. Rambagh Palace and Samode Palace rates are highest around Christmas, New Year and Diwali, and suite categories add more, while the specialist guide and caretaker fees stay the same whatever rooms you choose.
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