This 14-day wildlife and culture tour reveals some of Rajasthan's hidden gems. Experience the beauty that is only found in these locations while learning about the cultural history of Northern India at each stop. Start your journey in New Delhi, the capital of India, which offers a glimpse of both old and modern India. Explore Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, wildlife safaris in Chhatrasagar, and a train excursion down the Aravalli Hills. Stay at Jawai Camp, where leopards wander free and untamed. While staying at Taj Lake Palace, you may admire Udaipur's magnificent forts and palaces. Get a chance to witness for yourself how these incredible areas have been preserved over time and see India "off the beaten path."
Highlights
Explore the imperial capital city of the Mughal Empire, Old Delhi.
Ride in a safari 4x4 open jeep with a local naturalist and forest guide
Hike and learn about the history of the mighty Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur
Stay in Jawai Jungle Camp, where leopards roam wild and free
Involves minimal physical effort and is typically associated with leisurely activities. Activities are low-intensity or last less than a few hours each day.
Delhi, the capital of India, is a city that offers a glimpse of both ancient and modern-day India. It is the third-largest city in India and one of the fastest-growing in Asia. This city is rich in culture, always changing with time but never hiding its splendid past. The various ancient ruins seen in the city are silent witnesses to its magnificent history.
After breakfast, explore the grandeur and subsequent ruin of the Mughal Empire. Tour of Old Delhi would entail visiting Jama Masjid - the largest mosque in India and driving past Red Fort, once the most opulent fort and palace of the Mughal Empire. Walk through the streets and markets of this 17th-century imperial capital city of the Mughal empire where royalty descended. Savor the fragrances of the boisterous Spice Markets, one of Asia's largest, and be dazzled by the glitter of India's largest Jewelry markets with a mix of walking and rickshaw rides. Discover hidden gems while exploring the narrow alleys and 350-yr old markets of the city built at the acme of the Mughal Empire, India's most glorious monarchy. Later enjoy the rickshaw ride in one of the busiest markets.
After breakfast, transfer to the airport to board the flight for Jodhpur. Upon arrival, you are met by the hotel representative and drive to Mihirgarh (40 km/ 1 hr)
Mihirgarh means Sun fortress. A 50-minute drive to the south of Jodhpur and is located at the edge of the Thar Desert. A gorgeous, 9-suite fantasy fort in the Thar Desert with private plunge pools, Royal Picnics, and Marwar horse-riding. The fortress was built and designed using the Mihirgarh sandstone walls and softly rounded edges. Mix with Rajasthani antiques, decorative art, and other furnishings.
Later in the afternoon, visit the Bishnoi Village. The Bishnoi village is a community in Rajasthan that is famous for its rich cultural history and Rajasthani Life and its true love for nature and animals.
After breakfast, visit the Mehrangarh Fort, situated on a low sandstone Hill, including Moti-Mahal and Phool Mahal, Jaswant Thada, an imposing Marble Memoriam built-in 1899.
Mehrangarh Fort: On a stiff rugged hill and with a breathtaking view, the fort appears invincible and impenetrable from the outside. It houses some of the most intricately adorned palaces with exquisitely carved panels and latticed windows. Moti Mahal, Phool Mahal, Sheesh Mahal, Sileh Khana and Daulat Khana are some of the important palaces.
Jodhpur Heritage Walks and Lunch with Indian Family: Jodhpur, the capital, was founded by Rao Jodha in the mid-1400, a proficient Rajput king belonging to Rathore Clan, and continued to retain its medieval feel with numerous step wells, ancient temples, historic Havelis, and Blue houses. Dive deep into the heart of Jodhpur to discover the lesser-known treasures of this enchanting city. Learn about interesting local legends from the past, Peep into the life of locals, Meet and interact with the city’s residents, and wander through narrow alleyways dotted with Indigo-colored houses.
Old City Market: Visit the old City's major handicraft and textile export hub. Maharani Textiles is one of the major markets that offers heaps of shawls and carpets.
After breakfast, drive to Nimaj. (110 km/ 3 hrs). Upon arrival, check-in at Raas Chhatrasagar, a luxury tent Nimaj that focuses on the birdlife, farming communities, village walks and rewilding with other activities
Accompanied by one of the knowledgeable naturalists, wander out to explore the local farms and temples and meet the villagers. Take a gentle dawn stroll around the lake or an evening jeep drive through the grasslands, spying myriad bird species and herds of blue bull. Finish with a ‘surprise’ sundowner, spend a while relaxing in the lovely tented sitting room, and enjoy animated chats around a blazing fire under a canopy of stars before settling into a culinary feast of dinner. The food is quite exceptional and well-lauded with the use of local and organic home produce as much as possible, with the age-old family recipes receiving some of the highest praise in Rajasthan.
Evening Wild Life Safari – The wilderness and tranquil nature around Chhatrasagar Lake is the home to the wild lives like Blue Bulls, Wild boars, Foxes, Jackals, Porcupines, and more than 200 species of birds. Wild Life Safari will be organized in an open Jeep for you to know more about them.
/> Indulge yourself in in-house activities like village visits, bird watching, and boat rides.
You may like to explore the neighboring countryside on a guided farm and village tour and experience a taste of traditional rural Rajasthani life – or enjoy the abundant birdlife, which can be seen from close quarters almost everywhere in the camp. With a checklist comprising over 200 species, all guests can enjoy birdlife from close quarters almost everywhere on the campsite, with a formal introduction. The camp will organize nature walks along well-maintained nature trails in the wilderness around RAAS Chhatrasagar.
Boat ride: One of the first of its kind, exploring Lake Chhatrasagar in a boat is the best experience the camp could offer. Reach out to the mangrove hidden in the middle of nowhere and spot water birds and explore the area where everyone is looking forward.
After breakfast, leave Chhatrasagar to Deogarh for a (130 km/ 2 ½ hrs) drive. Upon arrival, check-in at Devshree, a Deogarh family heritage home for the family. You are free to explore the surroundings after lunch at the hotel in the afternoon.
A morning yoga class by the palm trees with the sun rising in the foreground is great to cultivate mental focus, serenity, and positivity. Let the stresses of life fall by the wayside as you breathe into a yogic posture.
After breakfast at the hotel, get ready for the rural train ride. Dev Shree offers a train ride – a magical experience to traverse down the Aravalli hill section in a small meter gauge train. Your guide will meet you at Dev Shree at 10:00 am and take you to the charming Kamblighat station. They will purchase the tickets and help you board the train, which arrives at 10:30 am. The local train will travel from Phulad to Khamblighat across the Aravalli range and traverses the hills. Back to the hotel for lunch, and the afternoon is free to enjoy and relaxed natural environment of Dev Shree and surrounding villages. You are free to visit the cave temple and the lakeside with tea and biscuits.
After breakfast at the hotel, drive to Jawai for a (130 km/ 3 hrs).
Making the first stop at Bera was an unknown part of Rajasthan. It gained popularity recently because of its amazing leopard sightings. The backdrop of Aravalli Hills, with scrubland vegetation such as cactus and Kelkar, small hillocks with caves provide the perfect setting for Leopards. In Bera, it is the Rabaris who live amongst the Leopards.
The best time to see the leopards is in the morning and late evening. Hence, the safaris will be closed during those times, with daily activities encompassing some village visits and walking in the nearby hills. There are also possibilities of seeing Nilgai, Jungle Cat, Crocodiles at Jawai Bandh (Dam), Osprey, Black Shouldered Kite, Sarus Cranes, Asian Openbill Stork, Black Ibis, Ruddy Shelduck, Pelicans, to name a few.
Upon arrival at the campsite, prepare for an evening game drive by a customized 4x4 Safari Jeep.
After breakfast, start your morning in a game drive to the safari with a customized 4x4 Safari Jeep with a tracker and naturalist onboard that will convey you expertly to every corner of Jawai. Leopards are Jawai’s predominant attraction, and a thriving population of the felines has always ranged across this region. After your morning adventure, continue your evening game drive by a customized 4x4 Safari Jeep.
After breakfast at the hotel and morning safari, drive to Udaipur. (220 km/3-4 hrs drive)
Udaipur, popularly known as the city of lakes, was founded in 1559 by Maharana Udai Singh II. The beautiful city of Udaipur has five pristine lakes, with Pichola being the most impressive. The Old City of Udaipur is known for numerous historic temples, Havelis and Baoris (Step wells).
Evening visit to Jag Mandir by shared boat: Jag Mandir is a palace built on an island in Lake Pichola. It is also called the "Lake Garden Palace" The Palace is located in Udaipur city in the Indian state of Rajasthan. Its construction is a credit to three Maharanas of the Sisodia Rajputs of Mewar kingdom. The construction of the Palace was started in 1551 by Maharana Amar Singh, continued by Maharana Karan Singh (1620–1628), and finally completed by Maharana Jagat Singh I (1628–1652).
After breakfast, start your tour with Udaipur’s most iconic tourist attraction, “City Palace Complex.“ with its marble and granite walls laden with miniature paintings and decorated with tiles, glasswork, and mirrors, a great insight into the lives of the royalties.
Udaipur City Palace: This is one of the architectural marvels of Rajasthan, located peacefully on the banks of Lake Pichola. This majestic City Palace is the most-visited tourist attraction of Udaipur and, is often distinguished as the largest palace complex in Rajasthan.
Jagdish Temple: Located in the City Palace complex of Udaipur, this temple is made in an Indo-Aryan style of architecture. In 1651, the Jagdish temple was built by Maharana Jagat Singh, who ruled Udaipur from 1628-to 53.
Walking Tour: Discover the hidden quarters of this romantic city and offers a great opportunity to explore the city. During the tour, meet various locals and communities engaged in jewelry making, pottery, and bamboo craft. Also, learn about the local traditional customs attached to the living habits and religious beliefs.
After breakfast, drive to Eklingji temple en-route visit to Nagda temples. The Eklingji temple is a lovely marble complex made up of 108 temples, the first of which was built in A.D. 734 by Bappa Rawal, the legendary founder of the Sisodia clan, who ruled the Mewar kingdom for hundreds of years.
Delwara Village Walking Tour: The walk is an initiative of an NGO called Seva Mandir, a developmental nonprofit organization founded in 1968 which currently works with 360,000 people across 700 villages around Udaipur. Seva Mandir has worked in partnership with Delwara’s people since 1988. Together, they have made sustainable improvements to caste relations, women’s rights, access to water, livelihoods, sanitation, governance, and preservation of their heritage. During this walk, explore the 18th-century palace, 1000-year-old Jain temples, step-wells, and royal hunting tower.
Afterward, transfer to the airport to board the flight for Delhi. Upon arrival at the Delhi airport, transfer to the airport hotel.
Day 14: New Delhi | Return Home
1 Breakfast
After breakfast, transfer to the airport to board the flight going home/onward journey.
Apologies for the inconvenience. Prices for not yet published. Below per person rate based on previous season. Contact us to confirm upcoming season pricing.
Prices for are estimated based on inflation. Contact us to confirm pricing and availability for your desired departure date.
Initial deposit is 25% (20% is non-refundable ) plus full airfare required at the time of booking, and most travelers will call our office and pay the deposit with a credit card.
Final payment is due 70 days (10 weeks) prior to departure by bank transfer, check, or credit card. All final payments by credit card may be subject to a surcharge and a maximum of $20,000 charge
This was our first trip to South America and we were a little nervous. But Adventure Life made things so easy! All our questions were answered before we left, and our guide, Vidal, was amazing! He gave us enough space to explore without rushing us along. He also knew where the best picture taking opportunities were, which was great.
Lindsay Gompf
TrustScore 4.8 | 174 reviews
TrustScore 4.8 of 5
Based on 174 reviews on
1 day ago
The trip was not only memorable for the amount of animals we saw but also for the people and accommodations at the two camps where we stayed. Our first guide, BK, was a wealth of information about the animals, landscape and down to the plants and what they were used for. Everyday out was a learning experience with him. All the people at the camps were gracious and the food was excellent.
Our second camp in the Okavanga was just as good as the first as far as the staff, accommodations, food and animals. After our experience at the first camp we amazed that the high quality remained the same. Our guide, G, made sure we were able to enjoy every experience including a rush through the bush to witness a cheetah and an ensuing hunt that he heard over his radio.
In both camps there were enough guides out that if they saw something the other guides were informed which helped in seeing as much as possible. It was also nice that the concessions were large enough that we did not have vehicles following each other throughout the day.
Normally there is always something in a trip of this length that we think could be improved upon but this is the rare case where we cannot think of anything. From the time we left the States to when we returned it was one of the most hassle free vacations we took.
Perhaps emphasizing the use of the laundry facilities at the camps would be useful because of the luggage restrictions would be the only thing I can think of as an improvement to future clients.
Kenneth Dropek
2 days ago
Mary was so pleasant and professional. She made sure all of our questions were answered.
