Rajasthan - full itinerary

Day 1:
Arrive Jaipur
We will arrange for you to be picked up from the airport. Nathan runs the optional pre-tour technical and aesthetic workshop from around 1-5pm for those new to travel photography or who feel they would benefit from a refresher course. There will be a pre-tour meet ‘n’ greet with Nathan at the hotel starting at around 6pm.

Day 2:
Jaipur
We start this morning with a visit to a bustling wholesale flower and vegetable market, followed by breakfast back at the hotel. After breakfast, there will be time for an informal workshop session with Nathan for anyone who has questions about travel photography or any aspects of the tour itself.

In the afternoon, we explore the main streets of the pink-walled city of Jaipur including a couple of main gates and the pottery quarter, rewarding your efforts at the end with the best lassis in town. Then at sunset, we will set ourselves up at a great vantage point near one of the main city gates.

Day 3:
Jaipur
Very early in the morning, we depart the hotel in time to set up tripods on the lake steps to see the sun rise over Jah Mahal. Afterwards, we head to the awesome Amber Fort, capturing the early morning light - the reflections in the lake below are often breathtaking.

The highlight of the morning is Panna Meena Ka Kund, the most spectacular stepwell of all where we hire models to collect water and hope we might find holy men to meditate. We then go into the fort where, amongst other things, we see many elephants carrying people up the steep entrance.

During the midday break, there is an option to go with Ash (our local tour operator) to visit some pottery and carpet workshops very close the hotel. In the afternoon we set off on another city photo walk, weaving a passage through the back streets and narrow alleyways where we will see all walks of life from bangle makers to stone carvers. We finish the day with dinner at the Palace of the Winds.

Day 4:
Jaipur — Jodphur
This morning, we have another early start as we catch the 6am train to Jodhpur. We will ask the hotel to pack a breakfast that we can take with us and there will also be people selling tea and snacks on the train.

Upon arrival in Jodhpur, we check into our Haveli hotel and then take a walk inside the fabulous walled city with its bustling market and narrow cobbled streets. Dinner will be on the rooftop of a wonderful Haveli located a stone’s throw from the famous Merangarh Fort.

Day 5:
Jodhpur — Jaisalmer
This morning, we drive to Jaisalmer, allowing time as always to stop en route if we see something that catches our eye. After checking into our boutique Haveli hotel we walk the streets of the “Golden City”. The walk finishes in a minority village, where the people are very poor but are also very welcoming and have hearts of gold - we are guaranteed to get some magnificent shots. Later in the day, we take sunset shots of the “Golden City” largely encapsulated in the old fort wall.

Day 6:
Jaisalmer — Thar Desert
Before breakfast, we visit Gadsisar Lake for some great sunrise pictures where again we arrange for a model to collect water from the decorative pavilions isolated on the lake. Afterwards, we allow you free time to just meander around the streets and markets of Jaisalmer Fort, a fully inhabited fort with cafés, textile (and other) shops and people’s homes. This is a truly unique experience with never-ending photo opportunities of market stalls, havelis, camels, street food and much more. Around midday we head out into the desert, check into the Desert Safari Camp and have a well-deserved lunch.

If time allows Nathan will run a post-production workshop. At around 4pm we drive through the desert to a small village where the locals will play amazing music on unusual instruments while real Sufi ladies dance for you. You will be made very welcome and they will show you around their homes. We then head back to the camp for more music and dance and a buffet dinner. Tonight, we sleep in luxury tents or desert cottages.

Day 7:
Thar Desert — Jodhpur
We have a very early start this morning as we take camel carts to a wonderful remote location deep in the Thar Desert. It may be a bit chilly, but the herdsmen will get a wood fire going and make us some wonderful hot tea. As the sun rises we start our photo shoot and take some unique shots of the camels on virgin sand. Breakfast will be back at the camp after which head back to Jodhpur. After arriving in Jodhpur we explore more of the fascinating blue streets before setting up tripods at a select vantage point over the famous blue city at blue hour.

Day 8:
Jodhpur — Ranakpur
After breakfast, we travel to the village of Bishnoi where we will spend some time in a local home. We then visit a traditional pottery and get a private demo of local pots being made. From here we drive on to Ranakpur, walk through the town and spend the latter part of the afternoon in small local homesteads where the local population wear the biggest, brightest red headscarves we have seen in India.

Day 9:
Ranakpur
This morning, we visit the Ranakpur Jain temple, built in the fifteenth century and famous for its intricate carvings and unique architecture. It is also one of the largest and most important temples of Jain culture worldwide. In the afternoon we head off in search of photographic opportunities in the local farmlands, ending up with some sunset shots of a traditional sheep herder family. We spend the night again at our heritage hotel in Ranakpur.

Day 10:
Ranakpur — Udaipur
Traveling from Ranakpur to Udaipur along the country roads is unbelievably pretty and we have plentiful opportunities to make impromptu stops at water-wheels and small villages.

After checking into our lakeside hotel in Udaipur, we meet up for a quick street stroll and catch the sunset on Lake Pichola as it casts its reflections on the Taj Lake Hotel and the City Palace. In the evening we enjoy dinner in a restaurant with stunning views of the lake.

Day 11:
Udaipur
In the early morning, we visit some vibrant wholesale markets, where you can experience hustle and bustle on a grand scale. After breakfast, we head back out for some final classic street photography, and In the afternoon you have the option of free time or a visit to the city palace. In the evening we arrange a sunset boat trip around the famous lake.

Day 12:
Udaipur — Delhi
After a final breakfast in our waterfront hotel, we visit a rural village, where we see all kinds of unusual characters as we walk through the streets. We finish at a large ghat where most of the village women come to wash their clothes. In the afternoon we drive to the airport and fly back to Delhi.

Day 13:
Delhi — Agra
After breakfast, we head off on a four-hour drive to Agra. In the afternoon we visit the Red Fort and end up taking sunset shots of the Taj Mahal across the Yamuna River

Day 14:
Agra — Delhi
Arguably one of the most beautiful buildings in the world, a UNESCO World Heritage site, and one of the seven wonders of the world, the Taj Mahal is on our agenda this morning. We will be inside as soon as the sun rises. You can spend as much time here as you like and then return to the hotel by tuk-tuk for breakfast.

Later we travel back to Delhi arriving at around 15.30 (3:30pm). You may fly out in the late afternoon or evening or perhaps stay an additional night and depart the next day.