Need advice for Rajasthan Itinerary

Hi Everyone. Had my trip all planned based on someone in March telling me that Holi was on March 8th every year.....not so of course. I very much want to be in Jaipur for the Elephant Festival and knew that was the day before Holi so planned my arrival in Delhi etc around the 3 March 2013. Holi is March 28th 2013 so have had to change my plans and will have to go to Jaipur last. After a day or two in Delhi, we are catching a flight to Amritsar for a couple of days and then thought we should fly to Udaipur and start our trip around Raj from there. Say Udaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and back to Jodhpur for an extra day. We also wanted to see Pushkar before getting to Jaipur so are we able to do that in one day from Jodhpur to Pushkar for a look around and then on to Jaipur or should we plan on staying in Pushkar for the night and then head to Jaipur the next morning. Planning to get into Jaipur either on 23rd or 24th March and stay until 29th before heading to Goa. Any suggestions would be appreciated on a better route.......was thinking a couple of days in Udaipur, same in Jodhpur and maybe 4 full days in Jaisalmer before a stopover night again in Jodhpur, Pushkar and then finish Jaipur. Thanks in advance.........

No input on your route query, sorry. But: Yes, Holi is always on a full-moon day, so moves around through the years; but I'm surprised it's so late next year.

I always avoid Holi. It's a terrible nuisance to have to look out to not get unremovable liquid color thrown at you. So plan carefully where you are at on the full-moon day morning till noon. Generally the colour-throwing happens only morning till about 1 or 2 p.m., but can vary in different places. Foreigners are hit the worst, for obvious reasons.

Dear Hinwood, holi is celebrated with great zeal & anthusiasm in Rajasthan. You can directly come to DELHI from your place & can hire a Taxi for 08 days total. The places you can cover from taxi are JAIPUR (01 NIGHT STAY) -AJMER- PUSHKAR(01 NIGHT)- MT.ABU/ UDAIPUR (01 NIGHT)- JODHPUR(01 NIGHT)- JAISELMER(01 NIGHT). You can come back by the same route making same stays while going. or You can catch a flight from Jodhpur to Delhi. The best option is to Board a train from Jaiselmer In the evening @17:20 hrs to delhi.
The total Km covered by taxi would be around 2000 km. (08 days) cost will be around 15-18k.

You did not respond to the fact that OP wishes to spend several days at each place in Rajasthan. Car-hire not a good idea.

Holi is great and the kids love it too.......I just wear old white clothes and enjoy the whole fun of it, a bit of paint isn't going to kill anyone. Cheers

depends on what you expect, and what you consider fun and what not.

Thank you for your advice but I intend to spend a few days in each place. I have been to Delhi before and don't really want to spend any more time than necessary there. Went to Agra a couple of years ago too. Holi being so late has made me change my plans a little as I had wanted to start the journey in Jaipur but can't due to the Elephant Festival being on 26th or 27th so it makes sense I think to go straight to Udaipur from Amritsar and start there. I'm finishing the trip in Goa and a couple of days in Mumbai and don't want to leave my starting date later than arriving in delhi 9th March as it starts to get too hot in Goa by the end of March. I think I may just wing it from Udaipur even though I have booked accommodation in Jaipur, Delhi and Amritsar already, those dates are really set for me. I also saw the film "Best Exotic Marigold Hotel" recently and wish to stay at this hotel near Udaipur for at least one night. I don't believe it's a good idea for me to try and go from Jaisalmer to Jaipur in the one hit or even as far as Pushkar in the one hit so will go Jaisalmer-Jodhpur and stay the night and head to Pushkar the next morning, stay the night and head on to Jaipur the next day, still gives me four full days in Jaipur covering Elephant Festival and Holi. Maybe a Bus from Udaipur to Jodhpur? Bus from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer or return driver maybe. Not sure how to get from Jodhpur to Pushkar/Jaipur though. Any more advice still appreciated....it might look like I have made my decisions but I am still open for more. Cheers

I think your route is Delhi - Amritsar - Udaipur - Jodhpur - Jaisalmer - Jodhpur - Pushkar - Jaipur - Goa.

Looks good 26 days from Delhi - Jaipur. Holi seems to be on the 27th and the Elephant festival on the 26th.

My advise would be to take car from Udaipur to Jodhpur seeing either Ranakpur / Kumbhalgarh or both on the way.

Have you checked www.erail.in for trains between 2 stations. There are trains from Jodhpur to Ajmer and Ajmer to Jaipur.

Yep, I do believe Holi is on 27th. Have 32 days in India altogether but arrive Delhi 10th March and depart Jaipur on 29th, should still be enough time to have 2 days in Udaipur and Jodhpur and Jaisalmer for 2 or 3 days, most of a day and night in Pushkar and four days in Jaipur....if Jaisalmer is as good as I'm told, I may stay another day there and dump Pushkar and go Jaisalmer-Jodhpur and then Jodhpur-Jaipur. Don't want to cram too much but can only do what I can do in the time I have. It will be a while before I get up to Delhi again and think it probably a good idea to see Amritsar whilst I can. Arriving Delhi but heading home from Mumbai and I really enjoy my time in Mumbai even if it's only a couple of days. Cheers