Mehrangarh Fort and Museum
The great sandstone fort that rises from a 120-metre cliff over Jodhpur, with palace courtyards, a superb museum, battle-scarred gates and the best view of the Blue City in Rajasthan.
Rajasthan, India
Jodhpur
Jodhpur is the Blue City of Rajasthan, a desert capital founded in 1459 beneath the sandstone walls of Mehrangarh, one of the largest and best-presented forts in India.
Below the fort, indigo-washed houses climb through a maze of lanes to a clock tower and a market that smells of saffron and frying chillies. Around the city, the Thar Desert begins: camel safaris at Osian, Bishnoi villages where antelope graze beside farmhouses, leopards in the hills of Jawai and the long road to Jaisalmer. Twickly gathers the best of it, with 20 experiences, 10 hotels from palace suites to rooftop havelis and six practical guides.
Don't miss
Mehrangarh Fort and Museum
The great sandstone fort that rises from a 120-metre cliff over Jodhpur, with palace courtyards, a superb museum, battle-scarred gates and the best view of the Blue City in Rajasthan.
Mehrangarh Zipline Tour
A series of ziplines strung across the rocky moat below the walls of Mehrangarh, giving a fast, safe and spectacular view of the fort, the rock park and the Blue City.
Jaswant Thada
A gleaming white marble memorial built in 1899 for Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, with delicately carved screens, a peaceful garden and views back to Mehrangarh.
Umaid Bhawan Palace
One of the largest private residences in the world, a sandstone and marble Art Deco palace that is part royal home, part luxury hotel and part museum of clocks, cars and royal life.
Things to do in Jodhpur
Hand-picked: every experience here has strong traveler reviews and a verified booking link.
Mehrangarh Zipline Tour
A series of ziplines strung across the rocky moat below the walls of Mehrangarh, giving a fast, safe and spectacular view of the fort, the rock park and the Blue City.
Kite Feeding Experience at Mehrangarh
A rare, up-close encounter with black kites that circle the walls of Mehrangarh, led by guides who know the birds, the legends and the best places to stand on the fort.
Jaswant Thada
A gleaming white marble memorial built in 1899 for Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, with delicately carved screens, a peaceful garden and views back to Mehrangarh.
Umaid Bhawan Palace
One of the largest private residences in the world, a sandstone and marble Art Deco palace that is part royal home, part luxury hotel and part museum of clocks, cars and royal life.
Blue City Heritage Walking Tour
A guided walk through the indigo-washed lanes of Brahmapuri, past havelis, shrines, spice stalls and doorways painted in every shade of blue, with a local guide to explain what you are seeing.
Clock Tower and Sardar Market
The beating heart of old Jodhpur, a busy market square around a Victorian-era clock tower with spice stalls, textiles, handicrafts, sweet shops and the city's famous lassi.
Toorji ka Jhalra Stepwell
A restored eighteenth-century stepwell tucked behind the clock tower, with deep symmetrical stairways, carved niches and a cool, photogenic hush a few steps from the market bustle.
Mandore Gardens and Cenotaphs
The ancient capital of the Marwar region, now a leafy park of towering sandstone cenotaphs, a Hall of Heroes, temples and troops of cheeky langurs, just a short ride from the city centre.
Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park
A restored volcanic landscape beside Mehrangarh, with marked trails through rocky ridges, native desert plants and fort views, and one of the most thoughtful ecological projects in Rajasthan.
Osian Dunes Camel Safari
A half-day or evening trip about an hour and a half north to the Thar Desert village of Osian, with a camel ride over the dunes, ancient temples and a sunset that fills the sky.
Overnight Desert Camp near Osian
An overnight desert stay with a camel ride, a campfire dinner, folk music and a sky full of stars, plus a Jodhpur highlights tour before you head out to the dunes.
Where to stay
Hotels we would book ourselves, from splurges to good-value bases.
Umaid Bhawan Palace
Chittar Hill
Jodhpur's grandest address, an Art Deco palace on Chittar Hill that is still partly a royal home, with large suites, formal gardens and a museum on the grounds.
Check rates →Ajit Bhawan: A Palace Resort
Ratanada
A heritage palace resort in a leafy compound, built by a Jodhpur royal and run by his family, with garden suites, village-style cottages and a pool among old trees.
Check rates →The Ummed Jodhpur Palace Resort and Spa
Jodhpur outskirts
A palace-style resort and spa with large rooms, courtyards and a pool, aimed at travellers who want comfort and space with a royal flavour outside the old city.
Check rates →Indana Palace Jodhpur
Jodhpur
A palace-style hotel built in a traditional Rajasthani manner, with carved sandstone facades, courtyard dining and a pool, a comfortable mid-to-upper stay close to the city's main roads.
Check rates →Haveli Inn Pal
Old City, Gulab Sagar
A family-run heritage haveli beside Gulab Sagar lake, a short walk from the clock tower, with carved rooms, a rooftop view of the fort and a warm, old-city atmosphere.
Check rates →Krishna Prakash Heritage Haveli
Old City
A restored haveli in the old city with traditional rooms, courtyard charm and a short walk to the lanes, markets and fort, aimed at travellers who want heritage character at a fair price.
Check rates →Fairfield by Marriott Jodhpur
Jodhpur
A modern, dependable chain hotel with clean rooms and consistent service, a practical base for travellers who want familiar standards and easy access by road.
Check rates →The Fern Residency Jodhpur
Ratanada
A comfortable, eco-minded business and leisure hotel in Ratanada with clean rooms, a pool and a restaurant, a calm mid-range base with easy access to the main sights.
Check rates →The Blue House Guest House
Old City, Brahmapuri
A long-established guesthouse in a blue-washed house in the old city, with simple rooms, a rooftop terrace and a friendly, budget-minded welcome right among the lanes.
Check rates →Camp Thar Osian
Osian (about 65 km from Jodhpur)
A desert camp near Osian, roughly ninety minutes from Jodhpur, with tented rooms, camel rides, dune views and evening entertainment, for travellers who want a night in the Thar.
Check rates →Jodhpur guides
Jodhpur in Three Days: Fort, Blue City and Desert
A practical three-day plan that puts Mehrangarh, the Blue City and the markets first, then adds a desert or village excursion on the last day.
Where to Stay in Jodhpur: Old City, Ratanada and Palace Hotels
A guide to Jodhpur's main areas for visitors, from the Blue City lanes to quiet Ratanada and the palace hill, with advice on which style of hotel suits which trip.
Eating and Drinking in Jodhpur: What to Try and Where
A guide to Jodhpur's food, from mirchi vada and mawa kachori to makhaniya lassi and Marwari thalis, with tips on street food, vegetarian dining and cooking classes.
Best Time to Visit Jodhpur: Weather, Festivals and Crowds
A season-by-season guide to Jodhpur's weather, festivals and crowds, with advice on when to see the fort, enter the desert and avoid the heat.
Day Trips from Jodhpur: Osian, Bishnoi Villages, Jawai and Jaisalmer
The best excursions from Jodhpur, from the Osian dunes and Bishnoi villages to Jawai's leopards and the long road west to Jaisalmer, with distances, timing and tips.
The Blue City of Jodhpur: A Walking Guide to Brahmapuri and the Old Town
A guide to exploring Jodhpur's blue-washed old town on foot, with the story behind the colour, routes, etiquette and the best places for photographs.
