Jodhpur tour: Mehrangarh Fort, palaces and bazaars

The city is painted blue, and the fort rises above it in sandstone.

A two-day guided tour of Jodhpur takes you through Mehrangarh Fort, Umaid Bhawan Palace Museum, Jaswant Thada and the clamoring bazaars that define the Blue City. The tour includes a live English-speaking guide, accommodation, breakfast and dinner, with hotel pickup arranged. You'll see how Rajasthani architecture shaped this desert city and why nearly every building wears the same blue wash.

Step-by-step itinerary

Day 1 — Explore bazaars and royal sites

• Visit clamoring bazaars
• Walk to Jaswant Thada cenotaph
• Tour Umaid Bhawan Palace
• View sunset at Kaylana Lake

Day 2 — Discover forts and city landmarks

• Visit Mehrangarh Fort
• Explore blue city streets
• See Ghanta Ghar clock tower
• Walk Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park

The Experience

Mehrangarh Fort sits on a ridge above Jodhpur, and the tour starts there—a sandstone structure built by the Rathore Clan rulers that commands views across the city below. From the fort, a short downhill walk brings you to Jaswant Thada, a white marble cenotaph with a small pond and garden beside it, no vehicle needed. The palace architecture and the bazaars that surround them tell the story of how Jodhpur became one of Rajasthan's most recognizable cities, with its striking blue buildings and the royal constructions that still define its skyline.

Umaid Bhawan Palace Museum sits on Chittar Hill, the highest point in the city, and was the last of the great palaces built in Jodhpur when it was completed in 1944. Named after Maharaja Umaid Singh, it is one of the largest private residences in the world and has been voted the best hotel in the world—a landmark that anchors the second day of the tour. The Ghanta Ghar, a clock tower in the city center, offers a panoramic view from the top and sits surrounded by Jodhpur's busiest marketplace, where the energy of the bazaars is impossible to miss.

The tour also takes in Kaylana Lake on the city's outskirts, a massive manmade reservoir that serves as a viewpoint for sunsets, and the Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park, created beside Mehrangarh Fort to restore the region's natural ecology and now home to over 200 species of rocky and arid plants. A live English-speaking guide leads both days, and your accommodation, breakfast and dinner are included, so the logistics of moving through the city are handled.

What’s included

• Accommodation at a lodge for two nights.
• breakfast and dinner both days.
• a live English-speaking guide.
• hotel pickup.
• entry to Mehrangarh Fort, Umaid Bhawan Palace Museum, Jaswant Thada and the Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park.
• access to the Ghanta Ghar clock tower and views of Kaylana Lake.

Good to know

Easy physical levelPets welcomePublic transport nearby

Operated by indiatourcabs

Is this one for you?If you are visiting Jodhpur and want to see the major landmarks without arranging transport, guides or meals yourself, this tour handles the logistics so you can focus on the architecture and the bazaars. The fixed itinerary and included guide mean the day holds together without you building it.

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Top questions

What is Jaswant Thada and why is it worth seeing on a Jodhpur tour?

Jaswant Thada is a royal cenotaph built in white marble with a small pond and garden beside it, located just a few minutes downhill walk from Mehrangarh Fort. It is one of the architectural landmarks that reflects the royal heritage of Jodhpur and requires no separate transport to reach from the fort.

Why is Jodhpur called the Blue City?

Nearly all the houses in Jodhpur are painted blue, which is why the city earned the name Blue City. The blue wash is one of the most striking visual features of the city and is visible throughout the bazaars and residential areas that the tour passes through.

What is Umaid Bhawan Palace and when was it built?

Umaid Bhawan Palace, also called Chittar Palace because it sits on Chittar Hill, is one of the largest private residences in the world and was completed in 1944 as the last of the great palaces built in Jodhpur. It was named after Maharaja Umaid Singh and is now a major tourist attraction and museum.

Does the tour include meals and accommodation?

Yes, the two-day tour includes accommodation at a lodge, breakfast and dinner both days, so you do not need to arrange meals or lodging separately.

Is a guide provided and what language do they speak?

A live guide in English is included with the tour and leads you through both days of sightseeing across Jodhpur's major landmarks and bazaars.

What is the Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park?

The Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park was created beside Mehrangarh Fort on what was once a rocky wasteland to restore the natural ecology of the region. It is home to over 200 species of rocky and arid plants and shows how the desert landscape around Jodhpur has been preserved and restored.