Rajasthan Cycling Tour with Taj and Tigers

We start off in India’s capital Delhi. It’s the best place for the guests flying in from abroad to get over jet lag and prep up for the Rajasthan biking tour. Our driver receives you at the Delhi airport and drives you to a pre-booked hotel. As most international flights arrive late at night in Delhi, there’s no sightseeing reserved for the day. You just relax and overnight at the hotel.

Hotel: Eros / Jaypee Sidharth or similar

A sightseeing tour of Delhi is the perfect primer to our Rajasthan cycling trip. After breakfast at the hotel, we take you to a daylong tour covering both Old Delhi and New Delhi. Of the two, Old Delhi is the more intriguing for its vintage charm, its old havelis, its eateries and its historical heritage. We visit the 360-year-old grand mosque Jama Masjid, which attracts a large number of worshippers and visitors every day. We visit the Chandni Chowk market, which literally means the moonlit square, and was designed by Princess Jahanara, the favourite daughter of the 17th century Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Originally built in the shape of a half-moon and divided by water canals, the market today is an expanded conglomeration of thousands of shops selling a wide variety of items, from ethnic garments to electronics. A visit to the Old Delhi is never complete without grabbing a bite at one of its famous restaurants. The food is spicy and has a distinct north Indian flavour. We complete the Delhi heritage tour with a round of the Humayun’s Tomb, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and if time permits, we might add another popular Delhi landmark or two to the day’s itinerary to make the most of your Delhi sojourn, before returning to the hotel for rest and overnight.

Hotel: Eros / Jaypee Sidharth or similar

After your breakfast, our driver drops you at the airport for a flight to Udaipur in Rajasthan. The flight usually takes one-and-a-half hours, but the check-in and check-out formalities at the airport may eat up a few more hours. Our cycling tour guide meets you at the Udaipur airport and escorts you to a pre-booked hotel. You lunch at the hotel and get to rest a bit before being handed over your bikes for the Rajasthan cycling tour. If you wish, you may go for a short cycling ride in Udaipur just to check your bikes and warm up for the next day. Udaipur is particularly splendid during sunset, and it is worth one’s while to be out on the bike to take in the city’s vibes and views at this hour. In addition, the outing lets you get a hang of your bike, and our mechanic is at hand, should you need any changes made to it. Later on, our tour guide gives you an outline of the entire biking trip ahead. You also get to make acquaintance of other tour members. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

Hotel: Rampratap Palace or similar

Udaipur is famously called the ‘Venice of the East’ for its many lakes that surround the city. Located in the southern part of Rajasthan, the city is cut off from the Thar Desert by the hills of the Aravali mountain range. A short drive to one of the hills named Pipliya affords a bird’s eye view of Udaipur and its lakes and hills. We hit the road after breakfast and cycle through crowded streets to the city’s outskirts. You may choose to ride up to Pipliya, about 25 km away, or explore the surrounding villages of Udaipur for the first half of the day. We have our packed lunches by lakeside and return to the city, which has plenty to keep you busy for the rest of the day. You may visit the 400-year-old City Palace and see all the ancient regalia, or you may go for a boat ride in Lake Pichola, which boasts many old palaces (now turned into hotels) springing up right from the middle of the water. You may also loiter around the market and buy some souvenirs. All in all, the day in Udaipur is chockfull of things to do. We dine and overnight at the hotel.

(Ascend of 415 Meters)

Hotel: Rampratap Palace or similar

We have an early breakfast and drive out of Udaipur for about 50 km to avoid highway traffic. Then we unload the bikes and hit the road for 50km of exciting ride to Kumbhalgarh. As we leave the city behind, we come upon incredible sights and sounds of rural Rajasthan. Colourfully clad women carrying firewood or water-pots wave at you from the side of the road and it’s not uncommon for an oxcart or a herd of sheep to block the road. We lunch mid-way in a shady grove and resume cycling until the Kumbhalgarh Fort, which sits high on top of a hill, heaves into view. Since the last 7km of the day’s ride is steep uphill slog, we can mount the bikes on our backup shuttle and drive you to the fort. But if you want to bike your way up to the fort, you are free to do that. The 15th century fort draws a lot of tourists every day. Its main attractions are the 360 temples, big and small, and a royal residence on top of the hill. The fort also boasts a 36km long perimeter wall, which is said to be the second longest continuous wall in the world, after China’s Great Wall. If we have time on our hands, we do a tour of the fort before retiring to our hotel for dinner and overnight.

Hotel: Fateh Safari Resort or similar

A relatively moderate day of cycling in Rajasthan awaits us as we leave Kumbhalgarh for Ranakpur after breakfast. If we missed out on visiting the Kumbhalgarh Fort the previous day, then we visit the fort early in the morning before mounting our saddles and pedalling for Ranakpur. The road is mostly metalled, but has a few rough patches as well. It cuts through a rural landscape with some easy ascents and descents. We lunch mid-way and after about 50 km of day’s cycling we arrive at Ranakpur Jain Temple, which is dedicated to Lord Rishabha, also called Lord Adinatha, the traditional founder of Jainism. A sightseeing tour of Ranakpur temple reveals elaborate marble carvings on the ceiling, walls, pillars, apses and friezes. Among the most intriguing is a marble carving of 1008 snake-heads in which you can’t find any tail-end, and a ceiling designed in a concentric geometric pattern to depict complex Jain cosmology. There is also a carving of Kalpavriksha (a wish-granting tree) under which people stand to make a wish. After the temple visit, we check into a hotel for dinner and overnight.

(Ascend of 475 Meters)

Hotel: Kings Abode or similar

We follow up previous day’s easy cycling with a 60 km bike ride from Ranakpur to Beda on Day 7. The distance is long, but the ride is quite engrossing. The route cuts through scrubland at the foothills of the Aravalli Range, and every now and then we come upon hamlets abuzz with clutter and colour of rural Rajasthan. Biking through this region, we find plenty of reasons to stop for an up-close look at rustic chores and lives of people. We get our fill of Rajasthan’s rural experience at the village of Korta, our destination for the day. The people of this village hail from the Rabari sect, and according to an ancient legend, men from this sect married daughters of gods in a bygone era, thereby earning themselves the nickname ‘Rabari’, meaning those who go out of the conventional way. To this day, the men follow their traditional camel herding ways and often spend long time away from home, looking for greener pastures. The women don distinctive black headscarves and heavy brass earrings. We spend quality time with villagers in the evening before heading to the hotel and calling it a day. Dinner and overnight at the hotel.

We will have our packed lunch after 35-40 km of cycling. After lunch we start cycling again for Beda. Evening we will go for Jeep Safari to look for leopard, Overnight Stay and Dinner will be at the Luxury Camp ( The Bagheera Bagh).

Hotel: Clarks Safari, Jawai or similar

Leaving Beda behind, we cycle deeper into the heart of rural Rajasthan. The biking trail hereon weaves through a pastoral landscape dotted with farms, adobe houses, and small villages. We go off the beaten track and explore routes and visit villages that are often overlooked in travel itineraries, but offer a rich insight into Rajasthan’s rural life nonetheless. The locals in these areas rarely see westerners and a visit by foreign tourists attracts curious glances and welcoming smiles. These village folks, though poor, are simple and friendly. They have a strong sense of honour and a great respect for their age-old traditions. Some of them know their folk songs by heart. Their cuisine consists of simple Bajra roti (millet bread) and vegies. We can stop by at one of these hamlets and have our packed lunch before cycling on for the village of Bhenswara, situated in the lap of the Aravalli range and on the northern bank of the Jawai river. It is an easy day of cycling and if we make good time of it we get to spend a good number of evening hours in the village. Dinner and overnight at a comfy hotel.

Hotel: Ravla Bhenswara or similar

After an early breakfast, we leave Bhenswara for a 60km bike ride to the village of Bhadrajun. The biking trail winds through the Aravalli hillocks and there are a few uphill stretches that put your leg strength to the test. We have our packed lunch mid-way and continue biking for the rest of the afternoon until Bhadrajun, a village that finds mention even in the ancient Indian epic, the Mahabharata. According to the legend, when Arjuna eloped with Krishna’s sister Subhadra, whom he was in love with, the couple feared the wrath of Balarama, Subhadra’s second brother, and rode from Dwarka through thick forests for three days and two nights to arrive at a valley surrounded on three sides by hills. It was a good hiding place. They got married here and the valley was thence named Subhadrajun (an amalgamation of their names) and later shortened to Bhadrajun. The village also has a 16th century fort built by the Rathore kings of Marwar. The fort is now run as a heritage hotel by the current descendent of the king and has a lot of ancient regalia on display. We do a quick tour of the Bhadrajun fort and then load the cycles atop the backup shuttle for a drive to the city of Jodhpur where we overnight.

(Approx 60KMS of cycling)

Hotel: Pal Haveli or similar

Jodhpur is a sprawling city with many tourist hotspots that warrant a day’s break from cycling. After breakfast, we go out on a sightseeing tour of Jodhpur. Just a short stroll through the old part of the city reveals a couple of intriguing old havelis. We visit the Mehrangarh Fort, which sits majestically atop a hill like a guardian sentinel. It was built in the 15th century and saw its share of warfare but always remained invincible. Even today, one can see pockmarks of cannonballs on its walls and ramparts. It is worthwhile to do a tour of the museum and palace inside the fort. One gets to see old royal costumes, weaponry, palanquins, and paintings. The fort also affords a bird’s eye view of several blocks of blue-painted houses, which give Jodhpur its nickname of the ‘blue city’. Another important landmark to visit is the Jaswant Thada memorial, which is a cremation ground for the former royals of Jodhpur. Not far off are Balasamand Lake Palace, which is built around a lake, and Mandore Gardens, home to many cenotaphs of royals. If time permits, we also visit the grand Umaid Bhavan Palace, which is part private residence, part hotel, part museum. In dinner we try out the mouth-watering delicacies of Rajasthan and overnight at hotel.

Jodhpur is a sprawling city with many tourist hotspots that warrant a day’s break from cycling. After breakfast, we go out on a sightseeing tour of Jodhpur. Just a short stroll through the old part of the city reveals a couple of intriguing old havelis. We visit the Mehrangarh Fort, which sits majestically atop a hill like a guardian sentinel. It was built in the 15th century and saw its share of warfare but always remained invincible. Even today, one can see pockmarks of cannonballs on its walls and ramparts. It is worthwhile to do a tour of the museum and palace inside the fort. One gets to see old royal costumes, weaponry, palanquins, and paintings. The fort also affords a bird’s eye view of several blocks of blue-painted houses, which give Jodhpur its nickname of the ‘blue city’. Another important landmark to visit is the Jaswant Thada memorial, which is a cremation ground for the former royals of Jodhpur. Not far off are Balasamand Lake Palace, which is built around a lake, and Mandore Gardens, home to many cenotaphs of royals. If time permits, we also visit the grand Umaid Bhavan Palace, which is part private residence, part hotel, part museum. In dinner we try out the mouth-watering delicacies of Rajasthan and overnight at hotel.

Hotel: Pal Haveli or similar

After a daylong rest from cycling, it is time to hit the road again. But we don’t start biking from Jodhpur because of traffic. We rather drive you about 80 km out of the city where we unload the bikes and continue our cycling tour of Rajasthan. The road here is mostly metalled and it takes us through a patchwork of villages and small towns, each abuzz with activity. After cycling for 35-40 km we have our packed lunches and then resume biking towards Jaipur. Since the distance between the two cities is more than 300 km, we cycle for about 30 km more and then load the bikes on our backup shuttle to drive the rest of the way to Jaipur, where we arrive in the evening. Jaipur is a bustling city with forts, palaces, hotels, restaurants and bazaars. The markets, particularly, are a big draw in the evening and you may go for a stroll into one of them and buy local handicrafts, trinkets and souvenirs. You can also try out snacks at popular local restaurants. Rajasthani cuisine has a lot of variety and is known for its distinct aroma and spices. We overnight at the hotel.

Hotel: The Fern Residency or similar

Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan and a gateway to the other popular tourist destinations of the state. The city itself boasts many tourist hotspots that deserve a day of sightseeing. We take a break from cycling again and visit these landmarks. There is so much to see that you feel spoilt for choice. But Amer Fort, also called Amber Fort, is a nice place to start the day tour. Built atop a hill overlooking a lake, the Amer Fort has a number of halls and a Sheesh Mahal (mirror palace) built in the style of Mughal architecture. Although the fort is a sprawling complex and may eat up half a day in exploring, we take out time to visit another big attraction of Jaipur, the Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds), which has a unique façade consisting of 953 windows laid out in a honeycomb design. Royal ladies of yore used to watch festivities in the city through these windows without themselves being seen. Equally intriguing is the Jal Mahal (Water Palace) which is built in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake and showcases the indigenous Rajput style of architecture. We also try to take out time to visit the Jantar Mantar, which is a huge sundial and astronomical observatory. Other popular tourist attractions of Jaipur include the Albert Hall Museum and Birla Temple. We dine and overnight at the hotel in Jaipur.

Hotel: The Fern Residency or similar

There is little fun in biking in Jaipur, owing to the traffic congestion. So, after breakfast, we load up the bikes on our cab and drive you out of the city to where the traffic thins out. We then unload the bikes and begin the ride on a pleasant stretch of smooth road towards Ranthambore. This route winds through a beautiful countryside marked with farmlands, villages and small towns. We may even stop by at one of the hamlets for tea and snacks. After about 35-40 km of cycling we have our packed lunch and we rest for a while before hitting the road again for a few more hours of cycling in this part of Rajasthan. Since Ranthambore is quite far off, we load the bikes back on our cab in the evening and drive you to Ranthambore and check into a wildlife resort. Ranthambore often sees a lot of nature and wildlife lovers because of the National Park, which is a popular tiger reserve. A whole day is needed to explore this wildlife sanctuary, so we just dine and overnight at the hotel and put off the safari for the next day.

Hotel: Tiger moon Resort or similar

Time for a walk on the wild side. After breakfast, we set out for the Ranthambore National Park, which is home to an incredible variety of wildlife. Out on the safari, you may spot the animals like the Indian leopard, striped hyena, sloth bear, wild boar, nilgai (blue bull), grey langur, rhesus macaque and mugger crocodile, among many others. The best catch, of course, is the Bengal Tiger. Since their number has improved over the years, thanks to conservation efforts, it is not a tall order to sight one of these majestic predators. Some of the tigers here have had documentaries made on them. The National Park is also a thriving habitat of a large number of bird species of Northern and Western India, should you be interested in birdwatching. Within the perimeter of the sanctuary lies the Ranthambore Fort, which was built in the 10th century, making it one of the oldest forts in Rajasthan. This used to be the hunting ground of the former maharajas. Inside the fort, one may visit the three red Karauli-stone temples and a Jain temple dating back to the 12th and 13th centuries. There are two Jeep Safaris inside the Ranthambore National Park everyday: one early in the morning and the second around lunchtime. We choose the safari based on your convenience and return to the hotel in the evening for dinner and overnight.

Hotel: Tiger moon Resort or similar

It is time to say goodbye to Rajasthan and head for the Taj Mahal in Agra, in the adjoining state of Uttar Pradesh. The distance from Ranthambore to Agra is about 260 km, so we cycle only a small part of the way. After breakfast, we load the bikes on our car and drive out to the countryside and begin cycling towards Agra. The landscape here also begins to change. The hills of the Aravalli Range fall behind and give way to the plains of north-eastern Rajasthan. Biking through this stretch makes for a pleasant experience. After about 35 km, we take a break and have our packed lunches. Then we continue cycling for a few more hours, before loading the bikes on the cab again and driving the rest of the way to Agra, the home of the Taj Mahal. Agra is a bit crowded city, but there’s a lot one can do here in the evening. You may visit the city’s many bazaars and buy for yourself a tiny replica of the Taj Mahal. You may also try out several local delicacies, the sweet petha being one of them. We dine and overnight at the hotel. Preferably, we sleep early to wake up in time for the special visit to the Taj Mahal on the following morning.

Hotel: The Grand Imperial or similar

We will visit the seven modern wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal at sunrise. A 17th century monument built by then Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his late beloved wife Mumtaz Mahal, the Taj Mahal is a testimony to the sublime art and architecture of the Mughal empire. It houses the replica sarcophagi and also the actual tombs of both the king and the queen. But what truly overwhelms a visitor is, firstly, the sheer size of this ivory-white marble structure, and secondly, its very architecture, the exquisite designs on the tiles, on the minarets, on the domes, on the apses and vaults, the intricate calligraphy of Persian poems and Arabic Ayat (verses from the Quran), the Islamic geometric patterns, and a lot more. The visit to the Taj Mahal is easily one of the highpoints of our Rajasthan cycling holiday. After Taj, we also make time for the Agra Fort, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was built in the 16th century by the Emperor Akbar and was residence of many succeeding kings and princes. A tour of the fort reveals many sites of historic importance, such as the Shahjahani Mahal, Jahangir’s Hauz (water tank), Ghaznin Gate, Shish Mahal and Muthamman Burj. After our tour of the fort, we drive you back to New Delhi and drop you at the airport for your onward journey. The tour ends.