Offbeat Places in Rajasthan

Offbeat Places in Rajasthan Worth the Detour

Rajasthan’s famous five – Jaipur, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Pushkar – are famous for good reasons, and you should see them. But the state is large, and some of the best things in it have no coach park. These are the places we send people when they have already done the circuit, or when they would rather not share a fort with four hundred others.

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Place Where Why go
Bundi 210 km from Udaipur A palace of 18th-century murals – the finest in Rajasthan – plus 50-odd stepwells and almost no visitors. The single best offbeat stop in the state.
Shekhawati Mandawa, Nawalgarh, Fatehpur – 170 km from Jaipur Hundreds of merchant havelis painted inside and out. An open-air gallery slowly crumbling; go before it does.
Jawai 160 km from Jodhpur Wild leopards in granite hills, living alongside Rabari herders outside any fenced park.
Kuldhara 18 km from Jaisalmer An abandoned village, emptied in the 19th century and never resettled. Quiet in a way that stays with you.
Khichan 140 km from Jodhpur Thousands of demoiselle cranes gather here each winter, fed by the village. Extraordinary, and almost unvisited.
Tal Chhapar 210 km from Jaipur Open grassland sanctuary with large blackbuck herds and raptors – nothing else in Rajasthan looks like it.
Narlai 140 km from Udaipur A village under a 350-foot granite dome, with 1,100 steps to a Shiva shrine at the top.
Osian 65 km from Jodhpur 8th to 12th century Jain and Hindu temples on the desert edge, on the Jodhpur–Jaisalmer road.
Dungarpur 120 km from Udaipur The Juna Mahal, seven storeys of frescoes and mirror work, and the Gaib Sagar lake.
Menal and Bijaipur Near Bundi A monsoon waterfall beside 11th-century temples, and a small fort-hotel in farmland.
Bera and the Aravalli foothills Near Jawai Leopard country again, with a quieter set of lodges.
Barmer 200 km from Jaisalmer Wood carving, block printing and a desert district that sees almost no tourism.

Two of these – Bundi and Shekhawati – are the ones we would push hardest. Bundi because the murals are genuinely world class and you will often have a room of them to yourself. Shekhawati because the painted havelis are deteriorating year on year, and what is there now will not all be there in twenty.

How to Fit Them In

Most of these sit on or near roads you would be driving anyway:

Route you are already driving Offbeat stop it passes
Udaipur to Jaipur Bundi (via Chittorgarh), Menal
Udaipur to Jodhpur Narlai, Jawai, Ranakpur
Jodhpur to Jaisalmer Osian, Khichan
Jaipur to Bikaner Shekhawati – Mandawa, Nawalgarh, Fatehpur
Jaisalmer local Kuldhara, Khuri
Jaipur to Delhi Tal Chhapar (detour), Neemrana

That is the practical argument for an offbeat itinerary: it mostly costs you nights, not distance. See our Rajasthan taxi service for the multi-day car-and-driver arrangement, or our 9 nights 10 days itinerary, which already includes Jawai.

A Sample Offbeat Itinerary

Below is one we run – Delhi, Neemrana, Jaipur, Mandawa, Bikaner, Jaisalmer and on – which threads several of these into a conventional-looking route.

Offbeat Attractions in Rajasthan

Offbeat attractions in Rajasthan covers below mentioned destinations with higher comfort. 

Day 1: Arrival Delhi

You are welcomed in India at Delhi airport, assisted and transferred to your hotel. Day at leisure Evening will be kept for entertainment. Overnight at hotel.

DAY 2: Explore Delhi

After morning breakfast you will be taken to visit the famous Red Fort, Akshardham Temple, Jama Masijid, India Gate, Humanyun’s Tomb, Rashtrapati Bhawan, Qutab Minar.

  • Special Attraction : Riksha Ride to Red Fort from Jama Masjid (Explore bit Old Delhi).
  • Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 3: Drive to Neemrana

After breakfast, check out from the hotel and drive to Neemrana. On arrival, check-in hotel and take a sightseeing tour visiting Neemrana Fort , tribal villages, and other historical properties. Overnight at hotel.

Day 4: Drive to Jaipur

In the early morning, check out from the hotel and proceed to “Pink City”. And enroute visit the forbidden city of Akbar- fatehpur Sikri and Bharatpur Bird Sanctuary. Further continue journey to the pink city. On arrival, check-in hotel. Rest of the time is fre for leisure activities.

Offbeat Tourist Places Rajasthan

Day 5: Explore Jaipur

After Breakfast you will be taken for sightseeing of jaipur which includes visit of Jaipur City Palace, Royal Observatory, Palace of Winds (Hawa Mahal), Amber Fort.

  • Tour Activity : Enjoy Elephant ride at Ambar fort.
  • Shopping: Jaipur is famous for its brightly embroidered fabrics, blue pottery, silver jewelry, carpets and semi-precious stones.
  • Evening Dinner: Evening enjoy dinner at Chokhi dani (an ethnic village resort) where you will have an idea of the village life of Rajasthan here you will also enjoy various traditional Rajasthani dances, puppet show and various other interesting activities.
  • After evening dinner drive back to hotel. Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 6: Drive to Bikaner and Visit Mandawa Enroute

In the morning drive to Bikaner. On the route, we will drive you to visit heritage town of Mandawa where you will be visiting Binsidhar Nawetiya Haveli, Murmuria Haveli, Mahan Lal Saraf haveli, Goenka Double Haveli. After visit, resume drive to Bikaner and check into the hotel upon reaching. Rest of the day at leisure.
Stay night at Bikaner.

Day 7: Explore Bikaner

In the morning after Breakfast, take visit to Junagarh, Lal Garh Palace, Ganga Golden Jubilee Museum, Camel Research Farm .

Tour Activity: Enjoy the Camel Safari.
Shopping : Mojari (Bikaneri style), rangi dupatta, Kundan work, wooden antiques, Lacquer Bangles, carpet making. The exquisite works of art made out of camel hides is famous of Bikaner.

Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 8: Drive to Jaisalmer

In the morning take drive to Jaisalmer, on the route you will be taken to visit the 600 years old Karni Mata Temple (Deshnok) and Gajner Wild Life Sanctuary. Reaching Jaisalmer in the evening and transfer to hotel, stay overnight at jaisalmer.

Day 9: Explore Jaisalmer

After breakfast, take a tour of Jaisalmer, you will be taken to visit Jaisalmer Fort, Patwon ki Haveli, Gadi Sagar Lake and Jain Temples. Stay night in jaisalmer.

Day 10: Explore Jaisalmer

After breakfast, continue tour of Jaisalmer, you will be taken to visit Nathmalji Ki Haveli, Salin Singh Ki Haveli, Sam Sand Dunes & Khuri. Stay night in jaisalmer.

  • Travel Activity : Enjoy the Camel Ride at the Sam sand dunes.
  • Shopping: Jaisalmer is famous for embroidery, Rajasthani mirror work, rugs, blankets, old stonework and antique. The dye and other fabrics are made at Kadi Bundar, north of the city.

Day 11: Drive to Khimsar

After morning breakfast, start for Khimsar. Check in the hotel on arrival and then take a tour of Khimsar Fort.

  • Tour Activity: Go for Jeep safari, and take the pleasure of Camel ride on sand dunes.
  • Stay night in Khimsar.

Day 12: Drive to Pushka

After breakfast, check out from the hotel and drive to Pushkar. On arrival, check-in hotel. A walk around Pushkar Lake for a visit to the only temple to Brahma in India, plus some of the other 51 temples around this holy lake

  • Special Attraction: Enjoy Camel Ride in the evening. After camel ride drive to Jaipur. On arrival, check-in hotel. Rest of the time is for leisure activities.
  • Overnight stay at hotel.

Day 13: Drive to Delhi for Departure

In the morning drive to Delhi and transfer to International Airport.

Before You Commit to an Offbeat Route

  • Accommodation is thin. Bundi, Jawai, Narlai and Khichan have a handful of properties between them, mostly small. They book out further ahead than any city hotel, so these are the first bookings to secure.
  • Roads are slower. Distances to these places are modest, but the last stretches are single-carriageway rural roads. Add a third to whatever the map tells you.
  • Facilities are limited. Few places to eat, no ATMs in some, and patchy mobile coverage around Jawai and Khichan. Carry water and cash.
  • Seasons matter more. Khichan’s cranes are a winter phenomenon, roughly November to February. Menal waterfall only runs in and after the monsoon. Tal Chhapar is best in winter. These are not year-round stops.
  • Take a guide for Bundi and Shekhawati. The murals and havelis are unlabelled and often locked; a local who can get you in and tell you what you are looking at is the difference between a visit and a walk.

More conventional routes: Rajasthan tour packages, Udaipur tour packages, Golden Triangle tour package.

Frequently Asked Questions: Offbeat Rajasthan

Which places are worth it, when to go, and what the constraints are.

What are the best offbeat places in Rajasthan?
Bundi and Shekhawati first – Bundi for the finest palace murals in the state with almost no visitors, Shekhawati for hundreds of painted merchant havelis. Then Jawai for wild leopards, Kuldhara for the abandoned village, Khichan for the winter cranes, Tal Chhapar for blackbuck, and Narlai, Osian and Dungarpur.
Is Bundi worth visiting?
It is the one we recommend most strongly. The Bundi Palace murals are 18th-century and world class, the town has around fifty stepwells, and on an ordinary day you will have much of it to yourself. It sits off the Udaipur–Jaipur road via Chittorgarh.
Where can I see leopards in Rajasthan?
Jawai, about 160 km from Jodhpur, where leopards live in granite hills alongside Rabari herding villages outside any fenced park. Bera and the surrounding Aravalli foothills are the same landscape. Sightings are good but, as with any wild animal, not guaranteed.
When do the demoiselle cranes arrive at Khichan?
Roughly November to February. Thousands gather at the village, which feeds them, and it is one of the most remarkable wildlife sights in Rajasthan with almost no visitors. Outside those months there is nothing to see, so the timing is the whole trip.
What is Kuldhara?
An abandoned village 18 km from Jaisalmer, emptied in the 19th century and never resettled. There are legends about why; what is certain is that the ruins are intact and the silence is unusual. Half an hour, and it fits into a Jaisalmer day.
Do offbeat places add a lot of driving?
Mostly no – that is the point. Narlai, Jawai and Ranakpur sit on the Udaipur–Jodhpur road; Osian and Khichan on the Jodhpur–Jaisalmer road; Shekhawati on the Jaipur–Bikaner road; Bundi near the Udaipur–Jaipur road. They cost you nights rather than distance.
Is accommodation a problem at these places?
It is the main constraint. Bundi, Jawai, Narlai and Khichan have only a handful of properties between them, mostly small, and they book out further ahead than city hotels. If an offbeat route matters to you, those bookings come first.
Do I need a guide for Shekhawati?
Yes, we would say so. The havelis are unlabelled, many are locked, and a local who can get you inside and explain the paintings changes the day entirely. The same applies at Bundi.
Are these places suitable for families with children?
Shekhawati, Kuldhara and Narlai work well. Jawai and Khichan involve early starts and patient waiting, which suits some children and not others. The main practical issue is limited food options, so plan around meals.
How do I plan an offbeat Rajasthan route?
Email rajasthanonwheeltours@gmail.com or WhatsApp +91 99838 89373 with your dates, how long you have, and whether you have been to Rajasthan before. We will build a route that threads the offbeat stops into sensible driving days rather than adding detours for their own sake.

Plan an Offbeat Rajasthan Route

Tell us how long you have and whether you have been before, and we will build a route.

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