The Story

Best time to go: September - April
Best for: Adventure & Off-the-beaten track, Cultural & Immersive, Repeat Visitors, First Time Visitor

This immersive private tour of Rajasthan is unique in that you will stay in top-end homestays and characterful Havelis. This allows you to get an excellent insight into local Indian life, cuisine and embark on some truly unique, off-the-beaten-track experiences.

Why Stay in a Homestay?

Why stay in a Homestay in India? If you have a sense of wanderlust and a desire to immerse yourself in the destination, then a homestay could be the ideal travelling solution. Stay in distinctly characterful houses, where you are looked after by fascinating hosts. Your hosts will be a fountain of knowledge, imparting insight into India that you simply won’t get when staying in a hotel or featured in a guidebook. Saviour the fantastic flavours of local home-cooked Indian food, whose recipes have been passed down through the generations. 

These unique homestays are often off-the-track, allowing you to set out on some wonderful experiences. This could be attending a local polo match with family friends, visit local villages where there are no tourists or celebrating an Indian festival with the family. There are of course exceptional homestays and some that leave a little bit to be desired in terms of the quality of accommodation. All the homestays we feature on this itinerary are like luxury boutique hotels, yet retaining all the aforementioned experiential magic.

This itinerary is perfect for either first-time or repeat visits to India, we would just adjust the experiences to ensure you are not repeating anything! The more local, immersive experiences are perfect if you have done most of the traditional sights on a first visit.

Delhi

Begin in Delhi, and you will firstly stay in a 150-year old restored Haveli in the heart of bustling Old Delhi. The Haveli is located 300 yards down an alleyway (your bags are carried by hotel porters), and the views from the rooftop are incredible. Just think of waking up to the call to prayer from the Jama Masjid, before setting off on a walk through the markets as they are opening up for the day. We will privately escort you around the city with an expert guide.

Chambal & Ramathra

We then suggest a train journey to Agra (2 hours), which is home to the Taj Mahal. After exploring the city, drive to Chambal Safari Lodge, a drive of 90 minutes. If this is your second visit to India, you can continue onto Bah or Etawah Stations to then transfer to Chambal Safari Lodge. Chambal is a luxury homestay and run by Ram Pratap Singh and his wife Anu. Here you can set off on rural village safaris, boat safaris on the Yumana seeing gharials, muggers & turtles, and nature safaris seeing blackbuck deer, countless birdlife including the rare Sarus Crane. We love exploring the ruins of Ater and the Bateshwar Temples.

Drive to Ramathra Fort, a drive of about 5-6 hours through stunning rural landscapes. This is an area where time has mostly stood still. You see small villages, farmers and a traditional way of life. Ramathra is a 350-year-old fort and is perched dramatically on a hillock overlooking a large lake. It is run by Ravi Raj Pal, who has lovingly created six rooms into a luxury homestay. Here you can set out on rural jeep excursions, visit forts and small temples and have a picnic on the banks of the lake. It’s a dreamy experience, to say the least, and we love it here.

Jaipur & Shahpura

Next, drive to Jaipur, a drive of five hours. Here, you stay with Colonel N S Rathore and his polo-playing son, Ransher Singh at Khas Bagh. The family are enchanting, and their homestay is tucked away in the Aravalli Hills, close to Amber Fort. All rooms feature antique furniture, cozy verandas, and handcrafted stone pillars. While in Jaipur, you can immerse yourselves in the sights and sounds. If you have been before, we can showcase a new side to the city.

Drive to Shahpura, an area between Jaipur and Udaipur and taking about four to five hours. Shahpura Bagh is run by Jai and his family, who were the ancestral rulers of this area of Rajasthan. This luxury homestay has a pool and gorgeous rooms. Set out to visit their local farm, and hear stories of how the family has looked after their patch of India so well. Finish your day with a private dinner on the ramparts of Dhikhola Fort.

Dev Shree & Udaipur

Your next stop is Dev Shree, home to Shatrunjal and Bhavna, who will look after you fantastically. Dev Shree means ‘Our Home’ is possibly the most beautiful luxury homestay in Rajasthan. There is so much to see and do around Dev Shree, but we think the best plan is to walk through the countryside, try a short journey on a local Rajasthani train and take a picnic lunch before finishing for sundowners at Gokuk Fort.

Finally, drive to Udaipur where you finish your stay at Bujera Fort.  Richard and Trish are your hosts and built Bujera. They wanted Bujera to feel like a traditional Haveli, and it feels like a boutique hotel with a luxury homestay twist. While here, you can dip into the sights and sounds of Udaipur, or spend your final few days relaxing beside the pool.

  

Guide Pricing

Starting At

  • LOCATION:
  • £3650
    Price per person including all accommodation, private transfers, unique experiences and excluding international flights. We can arrange international flights should you wish.

    Highlights

    • Immerse yourself in local culture by staying at a series of homestays or characterful Havelis
    • Be looked after by a local family who will offer a superb insight into the destination
    • Have a private car and driver throughout, with expert guides to show you around
    • Embark on a series of immersive experiences, from markets, to village walks and wildlife safaris
    • Extend or shorten your time, as any element can be tailor-made

    Day 7-8

    Day 9-10

    Shahpura Bagh

    Day 11-12

    Dev Shree

    Day 13-14

    Bujera Fort
    Days Location Hotel
    Day 1-2 Delhi Dharampura Haveli
    Day 3-4 Chambal Chambal Safari
    Day 5-6 Sapotara Ramathra Fort
    Day 7-8 Jaipur Khas Bagh
    Day 9-10 Shahpura Shahpura Bagh
    Day 11-12 Deogarh Dev Shree
    Day 13-14 Udaipur Bujera Fort

    Suggested Hotels

    Day 1-2

    Dharampura Haveli

    $ $ $ $ $  

    Dharampura Haveli is located in the heart of Old Delhi and is a fantastic 150-year old restored Haveli, offering just 14 rooms and is quite possibly Delhi’s most characterful hotel.

    View hotel
    Day 3-4
    Chambal Safari Lodge, India

    Chambal Safari

    $ $ $ $ $  

    Chambal Safari Lodge is a small eco-lodge located close to Agra offering a blend of wildlife and cultural experiences in this untouched corner of India.

    View hotel
    Day 5-6

    Ramathra Fort

    $ $ $ $ $  

    Far from the madding crowd, the intimate 350-year old Ramathra Fort provides a wonderful glimpse into the unspoilt charm of rural Rajasthan.

    View hotel
    Day 9-10

    Shahpura Bagh

    $ $ $ $ $  

    Shahpura Bagh is a delightful boutique rural located mid-way between Jaipur and Udaipur offering the chance to get truly off-the-beaten track in rural Rajasthan for a night or two.

    View hotel
    Day 11-12
    Dev Shree, Rajasthan, India

    Dev Shree

    $ $ $ $ $  

    Dev Shree is quite possibly the definitive example of the luxury homestay in India; a gorgeous rural residence located near the sleepy village of Deogarh in Rajasthan.

    View hotel
    Day 13-14

    Bujera Fort

    $ $ $ $ $  

    Bujera Fort overlooks the ‘Venice of the East’; the magical city of Udaipur. Bujera is a charming boutique hotel with just 14 stylish rooms.

    View hotel

    Richard & Louise Pryer, February 2018

    Marcus at Millis Potter is very knowledgable regards their destinations has intimate and valuable knowledge. He was very enthusiastic & put together an amazing 3+ week trip touring Rajasthan in March 2018, listening to what we thought we wanted & providing several options both terms of price and luxury and suggesting numerous experiences to truly understand the culture and lovely people. We booked with just over a month to departure (our normal last-minute decisions) and our trip truly delivered ALL & MORE that was briefed and suggested by Millis Potter. All the details were worked out & visas arranged for us at the outset. All the tours & experiences were amazing and the guides all arranged by Marcus and the TEAM were fantastic. Even when things went a bit belly up for a few days (our fault not hotels) the next stop hotels and transport were rescheduled and rearranged by local managers who looked after us really well and Marcus thoughtfully called just to double check to see if we needed anything else. Thanks very much, Millis Potter & Team :)) Great Service, Great Trip, we will definitely book with you again.

    Further Itinerary Suggestions

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    Slow Kerala

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    Rajasthan in Depth

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    If you like to travel and leave no stone unturned, then this long itinerary might be one to base your ideas around. Take in all that Rajasthan has to offer seeing it from top to toe.

    22 days from £4530 p. p.