Cycling vacations in Rajasthan

Cycling vacations in Rajasthan are generally in organised small group tours, although there are also tailor made options where you chat with a local expert to create an itinerary to suit your timeframe and budget. Traveling in a guided, small group is a popular option as you create your own caravans through the desert and enjoy the inevitable cycling camaraderie. You will be following carefully crafted itineraries with local cycling guides who know the best places to stop. Where to tuck into the best local feni noodles to fill those hollow legs, or seek out the finest makhani lassi, the local favourite made from white buffalo butter with pure essential oils mixed into the yoghurt. Your bags will be transported from one hotel to the next on these tours, so all you need is your daypack and some a sense of adventure.

As well as taking time to explore the great blue city and its iconic Mehrangarh Fort, there are many more colours to seek out on Jodhpur’s pushbike palette. Cycle through the massive sandstone mines which are famous for their use in the building the state’s indigenous architecture, or around Kailana Lake, a manmade lake built in 1872 to provide water for the city. Now a bird watching haven and a great spot for a sunset picnic, it makes a wonderful end to the day’s cycle, looking out for blue bulls and wild boar in the open scrublands en route.

Another popular cycling route, a 65km journey north of Jodphur, is to Osian which takes you to the edge of the Thar Desert. This is a popular spot for swapping your bike’s saddle for a camel’s and exploring the terrain on four legs. The town itself is one of those mirage moments, where sandstone buildings and ancient temples emerged over time at this oasis, making it an important religious center during the Marwar period. You can still see impressive ruins of these temples on your cycle trip here.

Also known as Venice of the East, Udaipur’s complex waterway system means that there are many arteries to escape the crowds. The main one out of the city is along the waterfront of Lake Pichola, passing a 500-year-old Lord Shiva Temple and then out through rural villages and farmland to a series of other lakes, such as Tiger Lake and Lake Fateh Sager. It is amazing to think that the latter was built in 1680s, and that most lakes have preserved islands of beauty on them, such as Nehru Park on Fateh Sager.

Organised small group tours take place between October and April which means that you won’t be melting as you go. The weather during this time is sunny but not too humid, with daytime temperatures in the low to mid 20s, and cooler nights. There is also a monsoon here between July and September which is definitely to be avoided on a bike. There is no better place to copy the camel technique than this desert state, however, and invest in a CamelBak-style water bladder backpack to keep you hydrated at all times. And rather than buying dozens of small plastic water bottles, you should be able to fill up from giant bottles carried in the support vehicle.