Things to Know Before Planning a Trip to Rajasthan

Desert nights are the part of a trip to Rajasthan that people pack wrong, because day and night sit about fifteen degrees apart in every season. Jaisalmer has recorded minus 5.9 degrees, in a desert most itineraries treat as a heat problem and nothing else. Settle the season, the nights, the driving and the permits, and how long you need follows from them.

Everything here assumes arrival from inside India, which is how almost everyone comes. The guide to preparing for travelling in India carries the general version, and Rajasthan adds heat and distance to it.

When to plan a trip to Rajasthan

October to March, and the rest of the year for people who can work around heat. The season is set by the daytime temperature rather than by rain.

October and November. The monsoon has gone, the land is still green, and the nights are mild.
December and January. The clearest light of the year and the coldest nights. Peak season, peak prices.
February and March. Warm days, comfortable nights, and the last of the good driving weather.
April to June. Daytime highs run into the forties. Mornings and evenings only.
July to September. The monsoon, about 242 millimetres across four months in the west, peaking in August.
One month, if you want one. November.

The rain is not the reason to avoid the monsoon. The reason is that it is still hot, and the desert gets a fraction of what the rest of India gets.

How cold the desert gets at night

Cold enough for a proper jacket from December to February, and the swing between day and night barely changes across the year. That is the thing most itineraries get wrong.

Winter days. Mean highs of roughly 24 to 27 degrees in the west. Comfortable, often shirt weather.
Winter nights. Mean lows of roughly 7 to 11 degrees. Colder in the open desert than in the towns.
The record. Minus 5.9 degrees has been recorded in the west of the state.
Summer nights. Mean lows of 18 to 25 degrees, which is warm, and the days are 33 to 42.
The constant. About fifteen to seventeen degrees between the mean high and the mean low, in summer and in winter alike.
Where it bites. A night at a desert camp, where there is nothing between you and the sky.

A desert that is hot by day and cold by night is not a surprise. The surprise is that the gap is the same size in May as it is in January, so the layers come off and go on at the same hours whichever month you travel.

Permits for Rajasthan, and who needs one

Indian citizens need nothing. Some border areas are restricted for foreign nationals, and the instrument says so in its own name.

Indian passport holders. No permit anywhere in Rajasthan.
Foreign nationals. Parts of the western border belt sit under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order and the Foreigners (Restricted Areas) Order.
The word to notice. Foreigners is in both titles. The Inner Line Permit is a different instrument and it does not apply here.
The list changes. The restricted list is revised, so a foreign national should check the current one rather than a travel article.
Where to check. The state administration and the Ministry of Home Affairs publish it.
What nobody needs. A permit for Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer town or any of the main circuit.

How to get around Rajasthan

By road for the circuit and by train between the big cities. The distances are the thing to plan around, not the roads, which are good.

Jaipur to Jodhpur. Around 330 kilometres. Half a day.
Jodhpur to Jaisalmer. Around 280 kilometres across open country.
Udaipur to Jaipur. Around 400 kilometres, and the longest single leg on most circuits.
Trains. Good between Delhi, Jaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur and Jaisalmer. Book well ahead in season.
Flights. Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur. Jaisalmer is seasonal and limited.
Driving yourself. Possible and common. Night driving on rural roads is the part worth avoiding.

Water, heat and what the summer does

The heat is manageable with a schedule and dangerous without one. From April the useful hours are before eleven and after five.

Water. Two to three litres a day in the heat, more if you are walking forts.
The schedule. Forts and markets early, indoors in the middle, back out at dusk.
Sun. The light is hard and the shade is thin. Hat, sleeves, sunglasses.
Children and older travellers. Summer is the wrong season. Shift the trip rather than the schedule.
Power cuts. Less common than they were, still real in smaller towns in peak summer.

How long you need in Rajasthan

Seven days for the main circuit, ten to add the desert properly, and under five is two cities rather than a state.

Five days. Jaipur and one other city, with the driving kept short.
Seven days. Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur, which is the standard circuit.
Ten days. Adds Jaisalmer and a night in the desert, which is the point of going west.
Two weeks. Adds Bundi, Kumbhalgarh, Ranthambore or the Shekhawati towns.
Under four days. Jaipur alone, or Udaipur alone, and both are better than a rushed loop.

Rajasthan rewards fewer stops than most itineraries give it, because the driving between them is long and the forts take longer than people allow. Our eleven day cultural, desert and wildlife journey through Rajasthan is built around that arithmetic. Customised tours is where the season, the nights and the distances get settled together.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best time to visit Rajasthan?

October to March. November and February give warm days and comfortable nights, December and January give the clearest light and the coldest nights, and both are peak season. April to June runs into the forties by day and the monsoon from July is hot rather than wet.

Does it get cold in Rajasthan?

Yes, and more than most people expect. Winter mean lows in the west run roughly 7 to 11 degrees and the record low is minus 5.9. A desert camp at night is colder than the towns, because there is nothing holding the day's heat.

Do you need a permit for Rajasthan?

Indian citizens need no permit anywhere in the state. Parts of the western border belt are restricted for foreign nationals under the Foreigners (Protected Areas) Order and the Foreigners (Restricted Areas) Order. The list is revised, so a foreign national should check the current one rather than rely on a travel article.

How many days do you need in Rajasthan?

Seven days covers Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur at a reasonable pace. Ten adds Jaisalmer and a night in the desert, which is the reason to go west at all. Under four days is one city done properly, which beats a loop done badly.

Is Rajasthan worth visiting in the monsoon?

It can be, and not for the rain. The west gets about 242 millimetres across four months, so the monsoon brings humidity and green rather than downpours. The heat does not leave until late September, which is the real reason the season starts in October.

Is it safe to travel in Rajasthan in summer?

With a schedule, yes. Daytime highs run into the forties from April, so the useful hours are before eleven and after five, with two to three litres of water a day. Summer is the wrong season for small children and older travellers, and shifting the trip is better than shifting the hours.

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