Colourful land of romantic legends, Rajasthan is so full of wonderful sights that you could easily plan a trip of India's highlights and not leave this state. There's Jodhpur's Mehrangarh Fort, the views and lakeside palaces of Udaipur, Jaisalmer's giant gold sandcastle, colourful, magical Bundi with its storybook murals and traditional atmosphere, and Jaipur's fairytale pink, Hawa Mahal. And you’ll already be here a week just visiting these must-sees. Rajasthan also allows you to travel in style, as some of the state’s royal palaces have been converted into some of the best places to stay in Rajasthan, along with some beautifully historic mansion hotels and homely havelis (the old townhouses of the nobility centred around courtyards).

Some of our Rajasthan Collections:

• Rajasthan's best palace hotels
• Best Hotels near the Ranthambore National Park
• Top Resorts in Rajasthan

Closest state to Pakistan, Rajasthan's harsh landscape has really shaped local cultures. The vast expanse of the Thar Desert and the beautiful Aravalli mountain range are attractions in their own right. This is a really spectacular backdrop for a camel safari. Or a hot air balloon safari. Or any safari at all.

Rajasthan is also one of the states traversed by the Palace on Wheels, one of the world's most luxurious trains.

You will need to come in off the desert into the towns and cities to see this state's wonderful man-made treasures, though.

Capital, Jaipur, the beautiful 'pink city' is a stop on many Indian journeys. The walled, old city is a historic gateway to this most flamboyant state. The same sea of motorbikes and rickshaws surrounds Jaipur's main sights, the City Palace, Hawa Mahal and the Jantas Mantas, but these majestic relics retain a certain peace, and you might even manage a moment of old India. As well as the city's buildings, the magical Amber Fort in the hills above is certainly worth a visit.

The very name Jaipur is synonymous with glamorous tales of Maharajas and their palaces. One such example is the Rambagh Palace, which went from a hunting lodge to a royal residence and today is a 5* hotel.

Famous with its sunshine and blue houses, Jodhpur is an age old market city on the edge of the Thar Desert, and another highlight on the grand tour of India. Once a key stop on the silk route, Jodhpur is still the region's central market for camels, cotton and cattle. And trade is in this town's blood. It feels like you can buy anything and everything in the mass of shops and stalls which spread out from the Clock Tower in the centre of town. The Mehrangarh Fort, with its epic stone walls and many palaces inside, and the 20th Century sandstone palace of Umaid Bhawan are Jodhpur's two other main landmarks. This is due to their impressive scale and beauty, but they're by no means the only grand buildings worth closer inspection.

Udaipur’s domed, white marble palaces, winding lanes, and cobalt lakes with verdant landscaped gardens are perfectly romantic. Lake Pichola, the still beauty it sits beside, and the Aravalli Hills surrounding it, are another wonderfully and wonderfully atmospheric place to try to fit in. Udaipur provides an insight into traditional India, and the iconic Lake Palace and City Palace draw visitors from around the world.

Then there’s magical Jaisalmer: the Golden City like a mirage in the arid Thar desert. To pass through its ancient ramparts is to enter a world of winding alleyways littered with people, animals, cycle rickshaws and street hawkers. Look skywards and you will see intricately carved spires and turrets pointing toward the firmaments. With its Labyrinthine Fort, consisting of ninety-nine bastions surrounding its still inhabited twisting lanes it is a conglomerate of temples, havelis, shops and dhabas.

Then there are Rajasthan’s towns and villages: Raipur is peaceful and traditional, Kumbhalgarh has the vast fort second only in size to The Great Wall of China, Rudyard Kipling loved Bundi, and Pushkar is popular with backpackers these days.

The Hotel Guru's selection of the best places to stay in Rajasthan is wide ranging: from cheap and cheerful homestay options to no holes barred luxury in a royal palace.

What not to Miss

• Along with Jaipur’s Hawa Mahal and the Jantas Mantas, the stunning Mehrangarh Fort and Sachiya Mata Temple in Jodhpur and Udaipur’s iconic Lake Palace and City Palace are architectural and historic splendours that are underlined on many bucket lists - and quite rightly so. These are some of the highlights many people are expecting from their visit to Jaipur. Before the surprises start…
• Take an elephant ride up to Jaipur’s Amber Fort, a wonderful 16th century building with magnificent architecture and gorgeous views of the city. Or explore the arid desert lands surrounding the oasis-like Udaipur by camel, horse or elephant safari? All novel and unforgettable ways to sightsee. Stay overnight in the desert if you can.
• Practice your Bollywood moves in Jaipur’s Sheesh Mahal Hall of Mirrors, with its beautifully tendered gardens and ornate interiors, a well used location for Bollywood films.
• Whilst most of Jodhpur’s Umaid Bhawan Palace has been taken over by the Taj hotel, it's still a wonderful place to see and there's a fabulous collection of vintage cars on display that's worth the trip on its own.
• Udaipur became a centre for a specialised art form known as Mughal miniatures. A selection of these can be viewed at the City Palace. This penchant for design can be seen in the intricate latticework and coloured glass windows ubiquitous throughout the city.
• View Udaipur by boat on one of its several lakes. Lake Pichola is the most iconic, however the waters of Fateh Sagar also beautiful.
• Die hard Bond fans or just those keen on movie trivia might appreciate a visit to the beautiful Monsoon Palace, the lair of Ian Fleming’s classic Bond villain, Kamal Khan. Octopussy is shown daily throughout Udaipur so make sure to catch a rooftop screening whilst you are here.
• Appreciate Jaisalmer’s majesty and its sheer isolation by walking around its walls. Surrounded by shimmering sands, relentlessly baked by the Rajasthan sun you cannot see another city for miles. It’s a biblical sight.
• Visit the vast Kumbhalgarh Fort in the evening when it’s spectacularly lit for a light and sound show.
• Visit as many markets as you can and buy up as much textiles as you have space in your luggage.