This tour of different cities and villages of Rajasthan is designed to give you a culturally immersive experience into craft markets, royal families, history, and life in the villages and cities of Jaipur, Bundi, Pail and Jodhpur.

Live with families for a personalized experience and participate in activities like farming, tending to farm animals, cooking, crafts and wellness experiences.

India is a vast country with so many dimensions to a single region, and your tour is designed to be executed at a steady medium pace so that you can stop and absorb the life of locals without rushing through it.

Clean Travel believes that our innovative approach to tourism has the power to revitalise communities and provide financial security for its inhabitants. Find out more about Clean Travel here.

10 days

India

Culture and Food

Destination
India
Departure
Jaipur, India
Dress Code
Casual, comfortable athletic clothing, hat and light jacket.
Included
Airport pick up and drop off
Applicable permits and park fees
Experienced guide
Land Transportation
Meals
Support staff
Not Included
8 nights accommodation
Airplane transport
Daily 90-minute yoga class
Emergency evacuation and rerouting
Manta and whale shark snorkeling
Personal expenses
Snorkeling with turtles
Soft and hard drinks
Sunset dolphin cruise
Tipping
Travel insurance
Water Transport

Arrival in India

We support you right from your first mail to us, to the planning stage till the time you arrive at the airport in India. Although it’s a custom-designed tour the planning usually does not take more than 2-3 exchange of emails.

Be assured that we will take care of you completely so that you can spend time doing what you are really here for – To enjoy your holiday in India.

Once you arrive at the airport, we will receive you and be with you at various stages of this tour. It will be not just a guide but a person from the local village who has good knowledge, passionate about his work and is friendly.

As always you can learn more about our Lifetime Deposit Policy and our Terms and Conditions before booking your trip!

Food and accommodation

We will provide comfortable accommodations which will include hotels or homestays. All the accommodations will have sufficient clean bedding, warm water, and either family or staff to take care of you.

The food is vegetarian or non-vegetarian, hygienic and safe.

You will have clean western washrooms. WiFi or TV may or may not be available at most of these places are away from city life. However, you can always depend on the 3G connection.

Responsible Travel

5% of the money is directly given back to the community.

Our guides and custodians of knowledge are from the local community, thus we support their families.

We are discouraging use of plastic bottles on our trips.

We urge you to refrain from giving gifts or money to children or young adults in the village.

All the raw material for meals is sourced from local markets and villages thus reducing the carbon emission by transporting it from a distant city.

The taxis you use will be BS-IV carbon emission standard.

The performing artists and singers are handpicked from the local community rather than being invited from another city.

Your trip has been designed as per the international standards of responsible tourism – Cape Town Agreement 2002. Therefore it ensures that the money you pay has a direct social, economic and environmental benefit locally.

About Rajasthan

Rajasthan is on the western frontier of India and shares its border with Pakistan.

Although Rajasthan is mainly perceived as a desert state, there are also many regions which have lush green forests, wildlife, rivers and waterfalls. In medieval times, the communities were primarily divided into farmers, shepherds, and royalty.

Although the Rajput kingdoms of Rajasthan have had many conflicts with Mughal and British Empire, the history is still intact.

However, you may find the heavy influence of Mughal architecture blended with Rajput architecture in the buildings of Rajasthan.

Level of Difficulty

This experience is designed to be executed at a leisurely pace so that you can experience the local culture of central India.

This is suitable for all age groups including senior citizens. In winters, we will provide you with the necessary heating as it gets quite cold.

Most of the tour will involve regular walking or travel by AC Sedan, SUV or minibus.

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Day 1 - 3: Jaipur

Your tour of Rajasthan starts with Jaipur. But if you wish, you can also add Delhi, Agra, Varanasi, Mandawa, Udaipur or Jaisalmer to your experience in Rajasthan.

While you are in Jaipur, you can experience the street markets, craft markets of bangles, jewellery, turbans, textiles, local cuisine, Amber Fort, city palace and homes of royal families.

Our tours accompany an element of storytelling which makes them much more enriching than just sightseeing. Your stay will be with a family (or an alternate accommodation if requested), which will give you an authentic experience of the royal Rajput community.

While you are in Jaipur, it is also worth having a wellness meditation experience amidst nature and exploring the village life around the city where you can spend time tending to the cattle, learning to cook traditional food and participating in farming.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Stay: Homestay/ Hotel

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Day 4 - 5: Bundi

Spend two days exploring the old and narrow lanes of Bundi. You may see women buying sarees, shops of sweets and pan, and people gathered at the temple to chat.

Most of the walls of the palace are covered with splendid paintings in which organic paints were used. The palace once houses the school of art. Now, most of the artisan families have moved out, but are still involved in their ancestral businesses of making miniature paintings on silk and paper.

Participate in one or two of such workshops where you can learn how to make these paintings or any other form of textile art. Explore the countryside, caves, paintings of an early man and tribal villages of Bhil and Kalbeliya communities.

You will be welcomed with open arms and hearts in these little but beautiful tribal houses. Nature lovers can trek to waterfalls and should carry binoculars as there many migratory birds in the region.

Meals: Breakfast, Dinner | Stay: Homestay/ Hotel

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Day 6 -7: Pail

Pali is known for Leopards which roam around in its protected wildlife sanctuaries. You can live amidst sprawling farms protected by huge trees.

During your next few days in Pali, you can trek to Kumbhalgarh fort which has the longest wall after Great Wall of China. This region is also home to Garasia tribe. Go on a Leopard safari (we do not use any unethical tactics to lure Leopards) or do horse riding.

Spend the evenings participating in traditional dances of this region. Also, visit the Ranakpur Jain temple made entirely of marble.

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Day 8 - 10: Jodhpur

We move further towards the desert and blue city of Jodhpur where you will have options to visit the Mehrangarh fort and adjoining markets of traditional clothing, Indian perfumes, designer shoes and sweets.

Go with us on a safari into tribal villages of Bishnoi and shepherd communities. Participate in local dances and songs which have their own associated stories.

Try the local food of this region which is very different in favour because of the dry landscape.

Visit the old Jain temples of Osian on ancient silk route, and hike/ ride on camelback in the desert to visit the villages of Jat community. We also take you through the trails where you can see deer, black buck, peacock, and numerous birds if you have that taste.

Meals: Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner | Stay: Homestay/ Hotel

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The Folk Tales

The Folk Tales India's travel experiences in rural India are handcrafted with special emphasis on making a positive social, environmental and economic impact.

When you take one of our travel experiences, you contribute to local communities in preserving their cultural and environmental heritage, and in living a better life.

Through our storytelling, you experience a deep connection with the place and its people. We do not provide a sightseeing tour, but a culturally immersive experience through the hands-on activities and meaningful conversations.

Their Social Focus

We design all of their tours with the local community in mind. They ensure that they are directly benefiting, economically, socially and environmentally. All of our tours adhere to the guidelines of United Nation's Cape Town Agreement 2002 for Responsible Tourism.

Certifications

Finalist in the Indian Responsible Tourism Awards for 2016 and affiliated with the WTM Responsible Tourism network.