Tour Intensity
Activity
Best Season
Bike tour of Rajasthan
They say that the many colours of India come alive in Rajasthan. Known for romance, culture, opulence, and splendour, it was once called the “Land of the Maharajas”. The region boasts of umpteen number of lakes, forts, palaces, and not to forget, the wildlife. Enjoy the simple pleasures of Rajasthan as you shop through the local markets, dine in local homes and well-known eateries, and listen to stories of yonder from the natives. Travelling through the region with a bicycle helps you connect and understand the magnificence of the region’s natural history, culture, and way of life. For a traveller, this is an ideal way to explore the grandeur of one of the last princely states in the country.
On this 11-day-trail, we’ve packed the right mix of experiences to let you get the right feel of Rajasthan, a land full of sand dunes, glorious hills, and magnificent lakes. We’ve packed cultural tours with, active bike tours, and local interactions for a wholesome experience of Rajasthan. The people, known for their hospitality will welcome you and regale you with stories of rich forts, palaces, havelis, and guide you through bustling towns and villages. Rajasthan offers amazing diversity and is truly a feast to the eyes. Biking is the perfect way to experience this vibrant land. The best seasons to bike about in Rajasthan are from November to February.
Who can do this tour?
The Rajasthan Bike trail is a moderate intensity tour and ideal for a habitual cyclist. The trail in Rajasthan is a mix of gentle climbs, steady descents, combined with plenty of flat surfaces that makes it a delight for a biking enthusiast. Cyclists should be in relatively good physical shape overall with at least some prior cycling experience. The tour is fully equipped with a support vehicle, which you can hop into if you feel incapable of cycling. We will be cycling through some off-beaten paths as well. To prep for this, we recommend you do some prior medium to long (50km to 80km) distance cycling.
On this 11-day tour, starting from Jaipur, we will cover Pushkar, Jodhpur, and cycle into the serene villages of Chandelao, Bishnoi all the way to Udaipur. We cover a little over 400 kilometres of cycling and driving. Most of the cycling routes flat in terrain and have paved roads so the distances are not too strenuous. We have designed this route to take in the best of Rajasthan’s culture, countryside, and wildlife while enjoying a holiday that is filled with local experiences. The pace is easy with an exciting descent towards Udaipur. Daily distances peddled will range between 40 and 60 kilometres. The difficulty level will vary from easy to manageable with some challenging sections along the journey. The trip is fully supported and your guide’s expert knowledge of the area and terrain means that you always know what is coming up in terms of distance and difficulty.
Vibrant colours greet you as you drive to your homestay in the ‘Pink City’. We spend the afternoon walking around Johri “Jewellers” market and Bapu Market followed by a guided walk in the intricately designed, honeycombed sandstone windows of Hawa Mahal also known as the ‘Palace of the Winds’. On the walk, you will learn about the zenanas and relive history through the many stories the palace holds within its walls.
Ride distance: 70 kilometres
Accommodation Type: Homestay
Highlights:
• You will meet and greet your fellow travellers.
• Get an introduction to the ‘Land of Maharajahs’.
• Walk in the market of Jaipur with a guided walk in Hawa Mahal.
An early morning tour of Jaipur city and a ride to a Hindu temple where we stop for “aarti”, an offering to the local deity “Krishna” who symbolises emotion. Then, we will bike up to Nahargarh Fort and later ride down to the historical Amer Fort. Post a guided walk and lunch, we head back to our homestay for an evening of rest or shopping for souvenirs in the local market.
Ride Distance: 70 kilometres
Accommodation Type: Homestay
Highlights:
• You will take a bicycle ride around Jaipur city.
• You will then visit the Govind Devi Temple.
• Post which you will ride up to Nahargarh Fort.
• You will end the day with a guided walk in the Amer Fort
We ride to Pushkar, the holy town well-known for its camel fair. We’ll drive to get out of the city and start riding through the countryside stopping by the Boraj Fort. We continue riding with views of millet and mustard fields. Post lunch, we will drive out to Pushkar. Spend the evening leisurely and explore the bazaar, a great way to feast on some delicious Indian sweets and savouries. Later, we’ll visit the famed Brahma Temple and have dinner by the Ghats.
Ride distance: 70 kilometres
Accommodation Type: Heritage hotel
Highlights:
• You will take a scenic countryside route and ride from Jaipur towards Pushkar.
• You will visit the Brahma Temple.
• You will walk around the bustling Pushkar Bazaar and Ghats.
On this ride, we pass by the grounds which hosts the famous camel fair in Pushkar. The views as you ride by are simply surreal. You will see wallpaper-like green patches of the Aravali mountain ranges, all the way into Chandelao, a small town with a population of 2,000 people, who have long played a part in the history of Rajasthan. The region is renowned for its fiercely independent people, its colourful clothing, handicrafts, and traditional way of life. You can interact with local farmers and get an insight into village life. You will ride into a little town, which houses a palace that will also be your halt for the night.
Ride distance: 70 kilometres
Accommodation Type: Heritage hotel
Highlights:
• You will experience a scenic countryside ride toward Chandelao.
• You will gain insight into village life and its simplicity.
We ride past the countryside, past sights of farms and dry grasslands. Step into a local home for a traditional “Amal” (opium tea) ceremony, spot some black bucks and birds of the dessert region. We then drive to Jodhpur toward the Mehrangarh Fort. Walk around the market place and the clock tower in the evening, and head back to Chandelao for a Manganiar recital.
Ride distance: 70 kilometres
Accommodation Type: Heritage hotel
Highlights:
• You will get to experience a traditional Amal Ceremony
• We will try and spot some black bucks and birds endemic to the region.
• You will visit the Mehrangarh Fort.
• Experience a Manganiar recital in all its glory.
We will ride through old villages and the countryside heading towards the Aravali Mountains. Today is a long day of riding heading towards the small town of Jojawar, where we’ll stay at the Jojawar mansion, a heritage home of the then chieftain of the village. We drive toward Jojawar after lunch; a small town, with an art-deco style palace. You can rest this evening while you enjoy the sun setting over the hills.
Ride distance: 70 kilometres
Accommodation Type: Heritage hotel
Highlights:
• You will ride with the views of the Aravali Mountain ranges.
• Eat to your heart’s content: a scrumptious Rajasthani meal.
• You can watch the sunset over the hills.
We will ride toward Ranakpur, famed for its beautiful Jain temples. It houses one of India’s most important Jain temple complexes, which has more than 1,444 marble pillars, carved with exquisite detail. The Aravali Mountain range to your left makes for a memorable ride. Your guide will walk you through the temple complex, introducing you to Jainism and its many nuances.
Ride Distance: 70 kilometres
Accommodation Type: Hotel
Highlights:
• Ride through the countryside which offers a beautiful view.
• Visit the famed Jain temple dedicated to one of the Tirthankara’s
• You will receive an insight into Jainism and their way of life.
We ride up the Aravali range, with gentle gradients, up to the Kumbhalgarh Fort, which was built 3,600 feet above sea level. This fort has an eerie backstory that your guide will tell you about as you take a tour around the fort.
Accommodation Type: Hotel
Highlights:
• You will ride uphill with surreal views of the mountains.
• Visit the Kumbhalgarh Fort and learn about its eerie history.
• You can enjoy a buffet dinner spread and relax in the evening.
The ride to Udaipur has rolling terrains. Take the time to stop and take in sights of the lakes and palaces as you enter the city. Spend the evening exploring the markets at leisure. You will stay overnight at a homestay.
Accommodation Type: Homestay
Highlights:
• You can enjoy your ride into the ‘City of Palaces’.
• You can experience the market and take a food walk in Udaipur.
We begin with driving to the City Palace, which was built over 400 years ago and take a walking tour by the Ghats. Later, we head out for a scrumptious meal to the city centre. Satiate your shopping pangs as we leave Rajasthan toward our home destination.
You will stay overnight at a homestay.
Accommodation Type: Homestay
Highlights:
• You can enjoy a guided walk in the City Palace.
• You will take a walking tour by the Ghats.
• Shop for souvenirs from local artisans.
We bid farewell and depart to our respective destinations. Airport transfers will be arranged according to your flights. If you would like to stay longer in Rajasthan or even explore India further, we can assist with accommodation and an itinerary accordingly.
The Rajasthan Bike Trail is set against the backdrop of Aravalli Mountain ranges; you ride past the picturesque countryside through Pushkar, Ras and Chandelao all the way to Udaipur. Some of the spaces are off the “touristy” route and take you through the rich history of the Rajputs, Bishnoi community and many other prominent historical and cultural aspects of the region.
This 11 day-expedition begins in Jaipur and ends in Udaipur. This includes visiting some of the “must-see” palaces and forts, along with experiences that connect you as a traveller with the local people and their way of life. The bicycling leg of this tour covers up to 400km, through villages with rolling and flat terrains.
Difficulty Level: Moderately challenging due the long distances.
Preparedness – Physical & Mental
Our Rajasthan Bike Trail is a good blend of food, nature, culture, history and real-world experiences of Rajasthan giving you a unique experience of “The Land of Maharajas” on a cycle and by foot. Whether you are a seasoned cyclist or a regular city commuter, this trail has a good combination of challenging climbs to rolling hills through country-side roads, villages, forts and palaces; with enough opportunities for you to trail leisurely and interact with the locals.
This tour is graded medium intensity in terms of distance and gradient climbing, since most of the rides will be done on tarmac roads with an exception of some off-road trails. We suggest that our guests start mountain biking a month before this trip and you always have a member from the Unventured team to guide you on a weekly basis via phone call or email. This is to ensure you take away the unfamiliarity with mountain bikes that occurs due to lack of practice and physical unpreparedness; so you don’t hold up the other prepared participants. This tour will include a local guide, a tour leader, mechanic and a designated support vehicle with driver.
Accommodation: Accommodations will either be in “havelis” (old restored mansions), local homestays or 3 star hotels with good hygienic bathrooms offered on a twin-sharing basis.
Transport A team of 10-12 riders will be supported by one van for passengers and luggage and a pick-up truck that will carry bikes along with a spare cycle and water. Through the day this vehicle will support the riders.
I had gone on a Rajasthan Bike tour with the Unventured team in December 2017. It was a group of 8 cyclists and 2 Unventured team members (Gurudeep and Tejaswini).
It was a 11 day tour covering 7 cities.
I would like to highlight the following points about the tour:
• The Unventured team had a complete and 100% idea of the terrain, the hotels, the restaurants we stopped at and the bikes we rented.
• The accommodation chosen was very comfortable. Hotels in 3 cities were nicely done boutique hotel type properties
• The best part of the tour was that we don’t bike on the highways and that ensures safety to a great extent.
• The dhabas(local resturaunts) we stopped at for lunches had good local food.
• The cycling used to end by early evening and post that we had ample time to do sightseeing and relax. It was a good mix of cycling and sightseeing
I have been on a few bike tours with other tour operators earlier. But the knowledge these guys have about their bikes and it’s maintenance is beyond comparison.
I would definitely recommend Unventured team not just for the Rajasthan tour but for all the tours they organise.