Jodhpur Tours & Experiences

Things to do in Jodhpur

Spend a morning inside Mehrangarh

Mehrangarh stands on its rock 125 metres above the city, and its second gate still bears the marks of cannonballs fired by Jaipur's armies. Inside, the museum runs through six galleries, from howdahs and palanquins to arms and textiles, and seven period rooms, among them the Phool Mahal, Sheesh Mahal and Moti Mahal. It is open daily from 9 am to 5 pm, and a lift spares you part of the climb. Our Mehrangarh Fort tour drives you up to the entrance and brings a government-approved guide; allow two to three hours.

Walk the blue lanes of the old city

Below the fort, houses washed in shades of blue give Jodhpur its other name, the Blue City. Rajasthan Tourism notes that heritage walks through these lanes begin and end at the Clock Tower, and our fort tour suggests an hour down here on foot with a guide who knows the way, rather than seeing the blue only from the ramparts.

Browse the Clock Tower and Sardar Market at dusk

Maharaja Sardar Singh built the Ghanta Ghar, the clock tower, and the market beside it carries his name; stalls sell spices, traditional clothes and jewellery. Both the Rajasthan Grand Tour and the Royal Rajasthan Circuit walk down here on their first evening in the city, and both make time later for the restored Toorji Ka Jhalra stepwell.

Visit Jaswant Thada

A short drive from the fort, Jaswant Thada is the white marble memorial often called the Taj Mahal of Marwar. The Mehrangarh Museum Trust, which looks after it, displays portraits of Marwar's rulers inside, and its grounds host morning concerts during the Rajasthan International Folk Festival. Our fort tour can add it to the same morning.

Walk the Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park

Beside Mehrangarh, this park was created in 2006 to restore the natural ecology of about 70 hectares of rocky wasteland. Trails start at the visitors' centre, about 800 metres from the main fort gate, and you can hire a naturalist to lead a walk.

See the cenotaphs at Mandore

North of the city, Mandore was Marwar's capital before Jodhpur. Its memorials to Jodhpur's rulers are built like Hindu temples rather than as umbrella-shaped chhatris, the garden around them holds a museum, a temple and an art gallery, and Rajasthan Tourism lists a light-and-sound show there in the evening.

Go out to the Bishnoi villages and Salawas

The Bishnoi, Rajasthan Tourism explains, worship nature and hold every living thing sacred, and a Bishnoi village safari is one of Jodhpur's classic outings. At Khejarli, a memorial recalls the 363 villagers who, led by Amrita Devi, gave their lives in 1730 to save khejri trees from felling. Salawas, about 22 km towards Pali, is a village of potters and weavers of cotton rugs, where visitors can try the wheel and the loom.

Ride out to Osian

About 65 km away on the Phalodi road, Osian has a stepwell and the ruins of Hindu temples from the 8th to the 11th century, the Harihar temple chief among them, and on the village's edge you can take a camel ride at sunset. The Marwar Festival, held over two days in Ashwin, spends one night here.

Choosing between our tours and experiences

Our Jodhpur trips are tours with a private car and driver. The Mehrangarh Fort tour is the short one: a few hours in the fort with a guide, with Jaswant Thada added if you like. For longer stays, the Royal Rajasthan Circuit spends two nights here between Jaipur and Udaipur, with a full morning in the fort; the Rajasthan Grand Tour also stays two nights, between Pushkar and Jaisalmer; and the North India Classic Tour — 14 days stops for one night before flying on to Varanasi. All are on our Jodhpur tour packages page, and the Jodhpur travel guide introduces the city.

When to go for these

Come between October and March. At IMD's Jodhpur station, January days average about 25°C and nights about 10°C, while May afternoons average 41°C (1991–2020), so in the hot months reach Mehrangarh as it opens and keep the villages for the cooler season. The city gets about 370 mm of rain a year, most of it in July and August.

Planning tips

Wear comfortable shoes: Mehrangarh's ramp to the upper courtyards is a steady climb, and the galleries have old stone floors and steps. Flash is not allowed in some galleries, to protect the textiles and paintings. Jaswant Thada's main hall is built like a temple and puja is still performed there, so dress modestly.