Bikaner
Along with Jodhpur and Jaisalmer, Bikaner was one of the three great desert kingdoms of Rajasthan and, like them, prospered due to its strategic location on the overland trade route to China. Bikaner has an old walled town where camels saunter past colourful stalls. It has many temples and the magnificent Junagarh fort – the most ornately decorated fort in Rajasthan.
Highlights
Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary
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A natural haven on the shores of a lake, near Gajner Palace. Located at a distance of about 32 km from Bikaner, the sanctuary was earlier used as a hunting ground by the Maharaja of Bikaner. Today the grounds are home to many species of birds, animals such as wildfowl, deer, antelope, chinkara, blackbuck etc.
Junagarh Fort
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This fort is protected by a 986 m long sandstone wall with and a moat. This, together with its location in the Thar desert, meant that it was never invaded which explains its excellent state of preservation.Within the forts austere stone walls there are no less than 37 elaborately decorated palaces, temples and pavilions built by successive rules over the centuries. Many of the palaces are lavishly decorated in a wide range of styles.
Old Walled City
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In the old city, entered through Kote gate, is the bazaar, where you can find excellent local handicrafts such as rugs and carpets, camel hide goods and beautiful miniature paintings made using translucent and opaque vegetable and mineral watercolours. You can also buy spicy snacks and sweets made from camels milk.Within the city walls are a number of ornate Havelis (mansion houses) and two Jain temples dating from the early 16th century. Both have ornate carvings and are embellished with frescos, mirror work, and gold leaf scrollwork inside.Hotels
Discover the wonderful variety of places to stay in India; including some of the most luxurious hotels in the world, intimate boutique hotels bursting with local character, charming homestays where you’ll have a chance to interact with local families, converted forts & palaces, fabulous lodges and heritage havelis.
Tours
Below are a selection of our favourite sample itineraries that we have created based on our experiences of travelling extensively throughout India. As with all our tours, every aspect can be tailor-made to your individual requirements.
