Cabs
हिंदी में पढ़ें
Jodhpur sightseeing by cab

Jodhpur in 1 day: what to see, in what order

Reach Mehrangarh Fort when it opens at 09:00 and see Jaswant Thada next door before lunch. In the afternoon, Mandore Garden at about 13:40 and the Umaid Bhawan Palace Museum at about 15:25. End at the Toorji ka Jhalra stepwell and the clock tower bazaar from about 16:40. It is about 29 km by cab, back by about 18:15.

6 places29 km by cabtimed against opening hours
How long do you have?
Day 1

Mehrangarh, Mandore, Umaid Bhawan and the clock tower

Leave at 08:45 for Mehrangarh when it opens at 09:00, and give it two and a half hours. Jaswant Thada next door at about 11:35, then lunch. Mandore Garden at about 13:40, the Umaid Bhawan Palace Museum at about 15:25, and the Toorji ka Jhalra stepwell and the clock tower bazaar from about 16:40, when the market is busy. About 29 km by cab, back by about 18:15. It is a long day of about 9.5 hours.

08:45 to 18:156 places29 km by cab
  1. 1Mehrangarh Fort
  2. 2Jaswant Thada
  3. Lunch
  4. 3Mandore Garden
  5. 4Umaid Bhawan Palace Museum
  6. 5Toorji ka Jhalra stepwell
  7. 6Ghanta Ghar (clock tower) and Sardar Market
  8. Back
  1. Leave central Jodhpur
  2. 1

    Mehrangarh Fort

    2 h 30 min here
    Mehrangarh Fort
    Photo: Knowledge Seeker, Public domain

    One of the biggest forts in India, built from 1459 by Rao Jodha on a rock about 120 m above the city. Inside are carved sandstone palaces, the Moti Mahal and Phool Mahal, and a museum of royal palanquins, howdahs, paintings and arms. From the walls you look down on the blue houses of the old city. The Chamunda Mata temple sits at the far end of the ramparts.

    Forts & palacesOpen 09:00 to 17:00 every day; one listing gives last entry at 16:30. Tickets at the gate or online; the audio guide is included for foreign visitors and extra for Indians

    Tip: There is a lift from near the entrance up to the palaces, so you can skip most of the climb. Wear shoes with grip: the stone ramps are smooth. Allow at least two and a half hours.

  3. 2

    Jaswant Thada

    45 min here
    Jaswant Thada
    Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A white marble memorial built in 1899 for Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, with thin marble walls that glow when the sun is on them. Around it are small cenotaphs of later rulers, a stepped garden and a little lake, with a good view back up to the fort.

    Forts & palacesOpen 09:00 to 17:00 every day. Small entry fee

    Tip: Shoes come off inside the main hall. It is a quiet place for a rest after the fort.

  4. Lunch, about 1 h. Your driver will know a place nearby. The times after this include it.
  5. 3

    Mandore Garden

    1 h 30 min here
    Mandore Garden
    Photo: Jon Connell from Cambridge, UK, CC BY 2.0

    Mandore was the capital of Marwar before Jodhpur, about 9 km north of the city. The garden holds the tall red sandstone cenotaphs, called devals, of the Rathore rulers, built like temples. The Hall of Heroes has big painted figures of gods and folk heroes carved out of one rock wall, and a small museum sits in the old palace. Langur monkeys live in the trees.

    Lakes, gardens & the desertThe garden is open every day in daylight and free. The State Museum inside is open 09:45 to 17:15 (₹20 for Indians, ₹100 for foreigners); one source says it is closed on Mondays

    Tip: Keep food out of sight: the monkeys grab it. The ruins of the old Mandore fort are up the hill behind the cenotaphs, a short climb.

  6. 4

    Umaid Bhawan Palace Museum

    1 h here
    Umaid Bhawan Palace Museum
    Photo: Prashantkovhal, CC BY-SA 4.0

    One of the last great palaces built in India, finished in 1943 for Maharaja Umaid Singh in golden sandstone with an art deco inside. The royal family still lives in part of it and part is a hotel. The museum wing shows clocks, crockery, paintings and photos of the family, and the maharaja's vintage cars stand in the garden outside.

    Forts & palacesOpen 09:00 to 17:00 every day in most sources; a few say closed on Sundays or open 10:00 to 16:30. The vintage cars in the front garden are on the same ticket

    Tip: Only the museum and the car garden are open to visitors; the rest is for hotel guests. On a Sunday, check that the museum is open before you go.

  7. 5

    Toorji ka Jhalra stepwell

    30 min here
    Toorji ka Jhalra stepwell
    Photo: Dr. Raju Kasambe, CC BY-SA 4.0

    A deep stepwell from the 1740s, built by a queen of Maharaja Abhay Singh, with rows of carved sandstone steps going down to the water. It was cleaned out and opened up again in the 2010s, and cafes and shops now look over it.

    Stepwells & bazaarsOpen in daylight, free

    Tip: The steps are steep and have no rails, so take care with children. It is a short walk from the clock tower, where the cab waits.

  8. 6

    Ghanta Ghar (clock tower) and Sardar Market

    1 h here
    Ghanta Ghar (clock tower) and Sardar Market
    Photo: Nishant.chawla123, CC BY-SA 4.0

    The clock tower, built by Maharaja Sardar Singh, who ruled from 1880 to 1911, stands in the middle of Sardar Market, the old city's main bazaar. The lanes around it sell spices, tie-dye fabric, bangles, silver and mojari shoes. Try a makhaniya lassi or a mirchi vada from the stalls by the gates.

    Stepwells & bazaarsThe square is always open; most shops are open about 10:00 to 21:00, every day

    Tip: Bargain with a smile. The blue lanes of Navchokiya and Brahmpuri, under the fort, are a walk from here; go with a local guide if you want to find the bluest ones.

  9. Back at central Jodhpur

Drive times come from road routing without traffic. The old city's lanes round the clock tower are narrow and crowded, so the cab waits by Sardar Market and you walk in. The road up to Mehrangarh is slow when the tour buses arrive at about 10:00. On the Osian day, plan on about 30 minutes more each way than the map shows. Opening hours marked ? are not yet confirmed, so check them before you go.

Book a cab for this day

Call or message a local Jodhpur operator with this plan. Tell them your hotel and dates, and they send a price for the car and driver.

1 × full day, 8 h / 80 kmSedan, SUV or InnovaPrice from the operator

Opening times for this plan

The hours we planned around. Check before you go on a public holiday.

PlaceOpenBest timeVisit
Mehrangarh Fort09:00 to 17:00 every day; one listing gives last entry at 16:30. Tickets at the gate or online; the audio guide is included for foreign visitors and extra for IndiansWhen it opens at 09:00, before the heat and the tour buses.2 h 30 min
Jaswant Thada09:00 to 17:00 every day. Small entry feeStraight after Mehrangarh, a few minutes down the hill.45 min
Mandore GardenThe garden is open every day in daylight and free. The State Museum inside is open 09:45 to 17:15 (₹20 for Indians, ₹100 for foreigners); one source says it is closed on MondaysMorning or late afternoon, when it is cooler.1 h 30 min
Umaid Bhawan Palace Museum09:00 to 17:00 every day in most sources; a few say closed on Sundays or open 10:00 to 16:30. The vintage cars in the front garden are on the same ticketMorning or early afternoon.1 h
Toorji ka Jhalra stepwellOpen in daylight, freeAfternoon, when the sun lights up the carved steps.30 min
Ghanta Ghar (clock tower) and Sardar MarketThe square is always open; most shops are open about 10:00 to 21:00, every dayLate afternoon and evening, when the market is busiest.1 h

More or less time in Jodhpur?

123451234© OpenStreetMap contributors

Jodhpur in 2 days

Mehrangarh, Jaswant Thada and the old city · Umaid Bhawan, Mandore and Kaylana Lake

See the 2-day plan →
123451234123© OpenStreetMap contributors

Jodhpur in 3 days

Mehrangarh, Jaswant Thada and the old city · Umaid Bhawan, Machia park and Kaylana Lake · The temples of Osian and Mandore

See the 3-day plan →

All 13 places in Jodhpur

Every sight with what to see, opening times and how long to stay.

See all places →

Questions people ask

Can you see Jodhpur in one day?

You can see the big sights: Mehrangarh, Jaswant Thada, Mandore, the Umaid Bhawan museum and the clock tower bazaar. It is a full day of about 9.5 hours. Kaylana Lake, Machia park and Osian need more time; see the 2 and 3 day plans.

Why go to Mehrangarh first?

It opens at 09:00, and the first hour is cooler and quieter, before the tour buses arrive. It is also the longest visit of the day, about two and a half hours.

Does this plan work on any day?

Yes. Everything on it is open every day. A few listings say the Umaid Bhawan museum closes on Sundays, so check before you go on a Sunday, and one source says the Mandore museum closes on Mondays (the garden stays open).

How can I make the day shorter?

Skip Mandore and go from Jaswant Thada to the Umaid Bhawan museum after lunch. That saves about 2 hours.