My brother called me yesterday asking about Rajasthan tour packages because apparently I'm now the "travel expert" in the family after one trip. But honestly? I was just as clueless six months ago when I was planning mine.

Let me tell you what actually happened and maybe save you from my mistakes.

How I Even Started Planning This Thing

So here's the deal—I'd been seeing these insane photos of Rajasthan on Instagram for like two years. You know the ones. Pink palaces, those crazy colorful markets, camels in the desert looking all majestic. Finally got some time off in January and thought, okay, let's do this.

First mistake? Thinking I'd just book everything myself and wing it.

I spent three days trying to figure out trains between cities (Rajasthan's HUGE by the way, nobody tells you that), which hotels weren't scams, and where to even start. Got super overwhelmed. My friend Neha was like "just get a package dude, stop stressing" and I was all proud like "nah I got this."

I didn't got this.

Why I Finally Caved and Booked a Package

After almost booking a hotel that turned out to be 15km outside Jaipur (found out through reviews, phew), I started actually looking at Rajasthan tour packages.

And look, I'm not usually a "package tour" person. Feels too... structured? But here's what changed my mind—the driving distances. Jaipur to Jodhpur is like 5-6 hours. Then Jodhpur to Jaisalmer is another 5 hours. You think you'll just figure it out, but when you're actually there in 35-degree heat trying to negotiate with taxi drivers who smell tourist from a mile away... yeah, having someone else handle that suddenly sounds amazing.

I ended up going with this mid-range package through a company my colleague recommended. Cost me about ₹28,000 for 9 days, which included stays, transport between cities, breakfasts, and guides for the main spots.

Was it worth it? Keep reading.

What Actually Happens on These Packages

Okay so most Rajasthan trip packages follow a similar route—they hit the major cities because, well, that's where the good stuff is. Mine went: Jaipur → Jodhpur → Jaisalmer → Udaipur.

Jaipur was first. The Hawa Mahal is smaller than you think (still cool though), but Amber Fort? Absolutely massive. We spent like 4 hours there and I still felt like I missed sections. Pro tip: go early morning. We went at 11am and it was packed with tourist groups taking the same photos.

Our guide in Jaipur was this older guy named Rajeev who'd been doing tours for 20 years. He was actually interesting, not just rattling off dates and facts. Told us stories about the royal families that you'd never get from a guidebook.

Jodhpur was my favorite, hands down.

The blue city thing is real—streets actually painted blue, not just for the 'gram. Mehrangarh Fort is insane... like Game of Thrones level impressive. We had sunset from up there and I'm not gonna lie, got a bit emotional. Sometimes places just hit you, you know?

Wait, let me back up. The food in Jodhpur. Oh my god. Our package included breakfasts but we were on our own for other meals, and we found this tiny place near the clock tower. Dal baati churma that I'm still dreaming about. Cost like ₹150 and I was stuffed.

The Desert Bit (Which Was Kinda Touristy But Still Amazing)

Most Rajasthan holiday packages include a desert camp experience near Jaisalmer, and yeah, it's touristy. But also... pretty magical?

They take you out to these sand dunes in the late afternoon. Camel ride at sunset (my camel was grumpy, kept trying to bite the guide), then this camp setup with traditional music and dinner under the stars.

Here's what nobody mentions: it gets COLD at night in the desert. Like, freezing. I packed for hot weather because, hello, desert, but needed to borrow a shawl from one of the staff. Pack layers, trust me.

The camp was more comfortable than I expected though. Proper beds, attached bathrooms (basic but clean), and the food was actually good. Not five-star obviously, but solid.

Udaipur: Where I Almost Didn't Want to Leave

Last stop was Udaipur and honestly? Could've spent the whole trip just there.

Lake Pichola with the palace in the middle looks fake, like someone photoshopped it. We did the boat ride (included in most Rajasthan vacation packages), and sunset on the lake was... I don't even have words. Just go. Do the boat thing.

The City Palace is gorgeous but HUGE. Our guide said 2 hours, we were there for almost 4 because I kept stopping to look at details. The mirror work, the paintings, all of it.

By the way, Udaipur has great cafes. Found this rooftop place overlooking the lake where I had the best masala chai of my life. Sat there for 2 hours just watching boats and people. Sometimes the unplanned stuff is better than the scheduled tours.

Real Talk: What Could've Been Better

The package wasn't perfect, let's be real.

Some days felt rushed. Like, we'd have 3-4 sites to cover and only 20 minutes at each. Would've preferred fewer places with more time. But that's packages for you—they try to pack in everything.

Also, they include these "shopping stops" which are basically stores where the guide gets commission. The stuff's fine, sometimes overpriced, but you don't have to buy anything. I didn't at first, then caved at the textile place in Jaipur and bought way too many scarves. No regrets though, they're beautiful.

One annoying thing? Some Rajasthan travel packages advertise "all meals included" but it's only breakfast. Read the fine print. I budgeted extra ₹5,000 for lunches and dinners which ended up being pretty accurate.

Would I Do It Again? (Kinda?)

Here's my hot take: packages are great for first-timers. You see the highlights, don't waste time getting lost or scammed, and can actually relax.

But next time? I'd maybe do 5-6 days packaged for the main cities, then add 3-4 days on my own to explore smaller places. There's this place called Bundi that people kept mentioning—missed it completely on the package route.

Or maybe I'd just do Udaipur again for a week. Is that weird? I genuinely loved it that much.

Random Things I Learned

Bargain at markets. Start at half the quoted price. They expect it.

The mineral water bottles in tourist areas are double the normal price. Buy from local shops.

Your phone camera's gonna fill up. Rajasthan's stupidly photogenic. I took like 800 photos.

Wear comfortable shoes. SO much walking. My feet were dead by day 3.

Don't skip the smaller monuments. Everyone rushes to the famous forts, but we randomly stopped at this stepwell that wasn't on the itinerary and it was incredible. Empty, peaceful, gorgeous.

The Money Situation

My ₹28,000 package covered the basics. Add another ₹8-10,000 for meals, shopping, tips, random snacks, extra activities (like that boat ride wasn't included in mine).

So realistic budget? Around ₹35-40,000 for 9 days with decent comfort. You could definitely do cheaper with budget packages (saw ones for ₹18-20,000) but smaller hotels, bigger groups.

Or if you're fancy, there are luxury packages staying in heritage hotels for like ₹80,000+. Saw people checking into the Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur and felt poor, not gonna lie.

Should You Book One?

If you're asking me (which you kinda are since you're reading this), yeah, especially if it's your first time. Rajasthan's not super complicated, but it's big and the distances are real.

Having transport sorted, someone who knows where stuff is, and hotels pre-booked just makes life easier. You can focus on enjoying instead of constantly planning the next move.

Just pick the right level for your budget and don't expect perfection. Some days will be better than others. Some guides will be amazing, some forgettable. That's travel.

I'm already planning to go back, maybe next winter. Wanna check out Pushkar this time, and definitely spending more time in Udaipur. Maybe I'll skip the package and wing it now that I know the lay of the land.

Or maybe I'll book another package because honestly? Not dealing with logistics was pretty sweet.

Let me know if you end up going. Seriously considering starting a Rajasthan fan club at this point.