any tips on our itinerary to rajasthan/varanasi

hello! we are new hear, but have been reading stuff for quite a while. we have got so much information without needing to post, and are now looking for reassurance or ideas about our itinerary!
we are leaving for India in 20 sleeps, for a month stay. i think we have decided on this itinerary! we really prefer staying in places for longer, taking day trips and relaxing.
Any advice or ideas on the following itinerary would be really appricated, especially the section to Varanasi ...

arrive Delhi - stay for 3 days (getting clothing, and generally acclimatising)
Jaipur - stay for 4 days
Ajmer/Pushka - stay for 3 days
Udaipur - stay for 4 days
Jodpur - stay for 4 days
Jaisalmer - stay for 4 days
Head back to Delhi, and go to Varanasi - we are not sure how we should best do this (ie train to Delhi from Jaisalmer, then train to Varanasi, or if there is a way we can fly more easily?)
Varanasi - 4 days
Delhi - 2 days fly out.

We were really keen on Darjeeling, but honestly didnt want to spend every second day travelling, so we droped that in favour of longer stays in each place.
. I guess my main concern is that I read posts where people say they would give Jodpur a day, its not worht staying. are we crazy to give each place so much time? I guess we hope to find day trips and relax, even just spend a day wandering and absorbing culture. Any day trips or essentials for the locations we are going to would be super. I guess any recommendations for food, markets, etc is really welcome too.
Actually, any comments are really welcome!, we have booked trains up until Pushka, so I guess thats not really changable, but everything else could be.
we are living and working in Japan at present, and really want to take it easy on this trip, I guess we feel we can always go back, and dont need to cram seeing everything into this trip.
Sorry this is so long!
Thanks so much, nina and simon

Jodhpur is a quiet, easy-going town; I spent three day there and really enjoyed it. When you go back to the bazaar on a second day, people will recognize you and be very friendly!

It's a nice town to walk around, and the old palace has some funny things -- like a collection of taxodermied deer heads, each one with a mothball in its mouth! The view from the fort is spectacular.

I don't have a Trains At A Glance here, but think you might be able to get a train to Varanasi from either Ajmer or Jaipur.

Hello Nina and Simon ! Welcome to indiamike !!

Your itinerary looks pretty relaxed and comfortable. At the risk of disturbing your carefully laid out plans, I suggest reducing a day each at Jaipur(if possible), Udaipur, Jodhpur and Varanasi; and accomodating a visit to Lucknow.

As for the Delhi-Varanasi stretch, it is perhaps best done by an overnight train journey.

Varanasi-Lucknow can also be comfortably done by train; a journey of approx. 6 hours.

All the best and have a good time !

thanks for the quick replies! our plans are pretty much changable day by day ! we just happened to make the latest itinerary this week after much playing around with locations etc. But we are investigating Lucknow as I type! Its so much fun, and this site and peoples comments are really wonderful, very friendly and kind. It is making me so much more confident, rather than feeling daunted, I end up feeling excited every time I read stuff.
Many thanks
Nina and SImon

Hi Nina and SImon & welcome to IM,,,,,,,,,,,
Just for an alternative you could do the trip the other way round ie, Delhi, Bikaner,Jaisalmer, Jodhpur, Udaipur,Pushkar, Jaipur, Agra, Varanasi, Delhi,
A day off some of your 4 day stays(afterall you'll arrive in the afternoon of the firstnights) will give you the time for Bikaner & Agra, then go straight to Varanasi without going back to Delhi,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Enjoy your trip,,,,,,,,,
4pushkar

it'll be HOT, but you must've heard that by now. I wonder if you can still swim in the underground pool at the modern palace outside Jodhpur . . . .

I think your itinerary sounds wonderful.... certainly you have not rushed things at any point, and that's great because it will allow you to add a destination or two without having to cut soimething else down too sharply.

My advice re Varansi would be to fly Jet Airways from Delhi.... and add one more destination. Fly not to Varanasi but on to Khajuraho (same plane, one more stop), and spend at least one night there. You won't need more, as the sights -- some of the most remarkable in India -- are close enough together to be seen in a single day (you'll probably want a second day to go back and look again... for anyone fascinated by Indian architecture, this is a bit like dying and going to heaven).

Then fly back to Varanasi, where you can say farewell to air travel (it's not my favourite way of travelling in India, but Khajuraho is not the easiest place to get to overland.... around 100km by bus on an unspeakable road), and take the train back to Delhi after you've spent a couple of days exploring this fascinating city.

I guess to do this you could take a day each out of Jaipur, Udaipur, and Jodhpur; Jaisalmer is so small that it would be easy to see in half the time you're giving it, but I won't suggest cutting it back, because you have probably planned a desert camel trek which will take up half your time there.

ok!, we are investigating Lucknow, and Khajuraho. Thanks so much for the tips. Yep we realise it will be hot!, I think I am insane and its a mistake, but for some reason I got Rajasthan in my head, and cant get off the idea of going there. I also thought I would be coming from a hot Japanese summer, but so far its not hot at all, so I guess it will be a shock!. But i am just thinking everything is an experience!! Plus there might be less people!
by the way, my sincere apologies for my spelling, my boyfriend read my message and couldnt believe my spelling!, I am really embarassed. I have terrible trouble spelling, but I should have checked it better before I sent it.
thanks again,

Don't worry about it I've made a career of bad spelling here at IM

thanks! ironically my spelling and grammar has become so appaling while living and working (as a teacher in Japan)!!! i feel i will need to do a basic course when i return to nz!. actually, i am sure its just a lack of usage of english in my daily life, no reports for work etc. anyway, thanks for making me feel less foolish!