As we promised in our Future of Hippie in Heels post, we would like to share some of Rachel’s unpublished content. These are posts she had finished and pending for future use, and we’d like to slowly share them with you now. This one on the top places to visit in Jodhpur is the last post she had written about India.
India’s very own blue city is one of my favorite places to visit in all of India. If you start your Rajasthan itinerary in Udaipur (the white city) then head here it will feel like “Ohh, this is the real India!” Jodhpur is tiny alleys, bright colors, cows in the road, little honking rickshaws, street art, amazing fruit and veg stalls, and so much cool architecture. While you could spend days exploring, there are some “must-do” places to visit in Jodhpur that you’ll want to prioritize and map out.
Read my full Jodhpur guide here and make sure to check out my India ebook.
Places to Visit in Jodhpur You Don’t Want to Miss
1. Mehrangarh Fort
The fort is the #1 things to do in Jodhpur and you couldn’t miss this if you tried. It is ENORMOUS and overlooks the entire city from way up high. Almost every restaurant is a rooftop one so you can look at the fort while you eat. It’s amazing. When you tour, it’ll be 600 Rs. for a ticket and more if you take in a camera. No reason to do the headset tour, it’s quite boring. The views of the city below are amazing!
2. Jaswant Thada
Definitely visit Jaswant Thada aka the “white palace”. It’s made of marble and is impressive. If you stay in Jodhpur for two days, you’ll have enough time to see this as well as all the other attractions. People rave about it being one of hte most beautiful places they saw in Rajasthan.
3. Umaid Bhawan Palace
This is where the ex-royal family lives (aka the maharaja who lost power once India became a democracy). Fun fact: this palace was built during a famine and was done solely to give the local people some work so they could make money or so the story goes. Like mentioned above, part of this is a hotel and you cannot enter that side you can only go to the museum side – and it’s one that you definitely want to visit!
4. Stepwell
Maybe you’ve seen photos like this before of the huge stairwells in Jaipur, where the ladies do laundry then lay the colorful clothing out on the steps to dry? Here it’s much smaller and there are local kids jumping in for the tourists to video it (aka me, lol). It’s really a beautiful spot and for Instagram, was great for me to get some images.
5. Ghanta Ghar (Clock Tower) and Sadar Market
The main city square with the biggest market and the famous clock tower. If you want to shop for bangles or a saree, people watch, have some chai and a famous egg sandwich, come here! It’s the happening place in town!
6. Mandore Garden
These gardens are outside the city, in the ancient town of Mandore, but you can take an Uber easily to go here for an afternoon stroll. There are so many temples to see here and actually, it reminds me of the ones in Hampi. Absolutely epic and not one to miss if you have the time.
7. Bishnoi Village
Another awesome place to visit are the Bishnoi villages, also a bit of a drive outside of town – but nothing too intense and you can do a quick tour for 3 hours in the morning before you start your day. The Bishnoi are a unique tribe in India. Go learn from them, see their homes, and shop their amazing handmade rugs and other wares! You can even smoke opium with them if you fancy.
8. Kailana Lake
Kailana Lake is the place to go for a picnic. It’s an artificial yet pretty lake and it’s free to visit – you’ll just need to grab a taxi out there. Adventurers come here for birdwatching but you can also take a boat ride or just use it as a reprieve from the dusty city.
9. Chamunda Mata Temple
This temple isn’t really that amazing to look at it but it was built by the founder of Jodhpur, Rao Jodha for protection against an old curse. That makes it very special to the local people; so visiting isn’t about the beauty or taking photos but really is about the spiritulity and religion. Go in the evening and experience an arti!
10. Gypsy Restaurant
This is the best thali in Jodhpur and maybe all of Rajasthan. I dream about it sometimes. Normally, a restaurant wouldn’t make a list of top places to visit in Jodhpur but the truth is other than the fort and the other places listed here, the rest aren’t worth prioritizing – but THIS restaurant is. I would make this your main goal in Jodhpur other than seeing the fort.
Have you been to any of these places in Jodhpur? What did you think?
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And there’s the beauty of the written word. Rachel lives on in our hearts and imaginations and now she will inspire future travelers to visit this amazing city. I was in India this summer on a “Rachel inspired journey” with my family when I learned of her tragic passing. I made it my mission to visit the places she spoke of so fondly. We spent a few rainy days staying at a bungalow on the beaches of Goa and I swear I saw some of the dogs in her post. Her spirit was there with us, every step of the way. A huge thank you to her family for posting this. I have checked so many times, hoping for this. I hope you have moved even the tiniest bit forward in your journey.
I always feel the colours and essence of a country in your posts and as for all the amazing pictures, just beautiful.
Great article! It’s great to know more about Jodhpur, seems to be a really cool place to go and visit and experience all what it have to offer!
Rachel, we miss ya!
The blogging world will miss you
It’s so hard to believe this is the last post on India from her. I loved knowing more about the country i was born in through Rachel’s eyes.
Thanks for sharing. I’ve been to Jodhpur but never knew it has so much to offer. :-)
Great post. Really informative. Thanks for sharing the nice information about visiting places in Jodhpur.
I really like your wonderful post ! I loved to read such kind of article and the first time I visit your website and i happy to be here. Thanks for sharing this amazing post .Pictures are so beautiful that you mention in your post.