Classic Car Journeys

2013 Classic Rajasthan Itinerary

September 17th to October 4th

Day 1 Tuesday 17th September
Fly to Delhi – Usually flights are overnight arriving first thing in the morning the next day.

Day 2 Wednesday 18th September
Arrive Delhi and transfer to Grand Hotel – Remainder of day free.

Day 3 Thursday 19th September
Sightseeing tour of Delhi followed by transfer to Manesar.

Day 4 Friday 20th September - Manesar to Mandawa 272kms
Leaving Manesar it’s not long before we enter Rajasthan and almost immediately there is a change in landscape and we get our first glimpses of camels. It’s an easy drive on good roads and will take about 6.5 hours. Mandawa was once an important trading post but the ‘caravans’ of traders have long since gone. It’s famed for its colourful frescoes and we should arrive in time to explore. The evening’s hotel is a 250 year old fort.

Day 5 Saturday 21st September – Mandawa to Bikaner 180kms
En route we’ll be stopping at the world famous Rat Temple at Deshnok. It really is an amazing site. There are estimated to be up to 20,000 rats living in the temple. Each day they are fed and watered. Bikaner is home to Junagarh fort. With it’s sumptuous interiors it’s one of the most spectacular forts in Rajasthan. The evening’s hotel is a gorgeous palace built in 1902 by the (then) maharaja in memory of his father.

Day 6 Sunday 22nd September – Bikaner to Jaisalmer 333kms
Jaisalmer is one of Rajasthan’s most exotic and unusual towns. All the buildings are built of golden yellow sandstone and it’s considered to be one of the driest places in India. It is a great place for shopping for local crafts especially embroidery and rugs. Originally it was a bustling town on the trade routes but after partition in 1947 the Indian/Pakistan border was closed and its importance diminished. It’s now being promoted as a tourist destination with plans afoot to build an airport so it will probably see a huge influx over the next few years. Our hotel is modern but is built in a traditional style with locally carved sandstone.

Day 7 Monday 23rd September – Day Off
As with each of the days off, the plan will be to sightsee in the morning with the afternoon left free to shop or chill by the pool. Sightseeing will not be done in coaches but by private cars with 4 to a vehicle. Whilst there will be a suggested sightseeing itinerary, (Fort, Jain Temples and Havelis), it does mean you can do your own thing if desired. In the evening we’ll be driving to the desert for a camel ride over the dunes.

Day 8 Tuesday 24th September Jaisalmer to Jodphur - 285kms
Jodphur is the second largest city in Rajasthan and is known as the blue city as many of the houses are painted a similar shade of blue. It’s a lively place full of character and colour. The manufacture of handicrafts is the number one industry followed closely by tourism. Our hotel claims to be the first heritage hotel opened in India and the original owning family are still in residence together with a small collection of classic cars.

Day 9 Wednesday 25th September - Day Off
Mehranger Fort - considered to be the best in India. Jaswant Thada – a stunning white marble memorial followed by a walking tour of the city taking in bazaars and spice market. That night we’ll be heading out for dinner.

Day 10 Thursday 26th September Jodphur to Udaipur - 259kms
En route visiting Ranakpur the most important Jain temple in India. The route takes us over some of the few hills in Rajasthan with scenery reminiscent of Southern India. We’re staying in a beautiful hill top palace outside the town, rated as one of the top 10 places to stay in Rajasthan.

Day 11 Friday 27th September - Day Off
Udiapur is sometimes called the Venice of the east and we’ll have another half day sightseeing including the Maharaja’s impressive collection of classic cars. Udaipur is the location of many films including much of James Bond’s Octopussy which was filmed in and around the town.

Day 12 Saturday 28th September Udaipur to Pushkar - 285kms
Sight of the famous camel fair. A religious town where alcohol is forbidden. After arriving at the hotel which is a masterpiece of ‘rebuilding’ we’ll be heading to a location outside the city limits for dinner.

Day 13 Sunday 29th September Pushkar to Jaipur 140kms
Jaipur is the capital and largest city in Rajasthan and is sometimes called the Pink City or the Paris of India. It’s Jaipur which is one corner of the ‘Golden Triangle’ referred to in many tourist brochures. (The other two corners being Delhi and Agra.)

Day 14 Monday 30th September - Day Off
Well not exactly a day off. There are some excellent sights to see including Amber Fort. In the afternoon we’ll be heading out to a spectacular location for an open air Indian barbecue.

Day 15 Tuesday 1st October Jaipur to Ranthambore 161 kms
Ranthambore National Park is one of the best places in India to spot tigers. As this may be the one and only time in your life you get to see a wild tiger we have arranged for two game drives, one in the evening and another first thing in the morning - hopefully on one of them you’ll spot tigers.

Day 16 Wednesday 2nd October Ranthambore to Agra - 227kms
Agra is home to the Taj Mahal. It took 20,000 builders 22 years to complete. It’s simply beautiful. We are hoping to arrange for you to see it both at sunset and sunrise.

Day 17 Thursday 3rd October Agra to Manesar (near Delhi) -200kms
After an early morning visit to the Taj Mahal we should get back to the hotel in Manesar in time for a snooze before a wonderful last night dinner.

Day 18 Friday 4th October
Transfer to Delhi airport for the flight home.