We planned a road trip on our bikes in the winters of January from Mumbai to Rajasthan and back. Keep reading to find out everything you need to know to plan a trip to Rajasthan in winter.

Mumbai to Ahmedabad

After the usual chaos before any trip, my ride began at 5:50 am from my house in Mahim, Mumbai.

As the sun rose, the fogs made way to the beautiful mountains and roads that were waiting to be seen. I can never be tired of the Mumbai to Ahmedabad roads. The most peaceful and beautiful route in India with the most amazing never-ending roads.

Ahmedabad or Amdavad is a major city in Gujarat, India. It is one of India’s biggest historical and business hubs. The city is developing with the speed of light and keeps evolving every year. It’s a fascinating place where the old combines with the new, the modern infrastructure with the old Mughal heritage.

Things to do in Ahmedabad

Some of the most famous tourist spots in Ahmedabad are a 600-year-old Jama Masjid, Sabarmati Ashram – House of Mahatma Gandhi, The Calico Museum of Textiles, Adalaj Stepwell, and Kankaria Lake.

We took three breaks in a stretch of 540-something-kilometers and reached Ahmedabad at night.

Riding Tips: Since I had a lot of luggage that could not fit in panniers, I packed everything in my trekking bag and tied to the rear.

Ahmedabad to Jaisalmer

Only after a night’s stay in Ahmedabad, we left for Jaisalmer the following morning. After riding for around 10 hours and 550 KMS, we reached the hotel late at night. But even in the dark, I could see the beautiful interiors and couldn’t wait to explore the property in the morning.

The roads were smooth and simple. We took a break at a dhaba for lunch, and another break to stretch our legs. As we entered Jaisalmer, the vibe and feel of the ride changed completely. Tarmac roads turned into pavements and buildings turned into brick walls plastered by mud.

Jaisalmer, the Golden City of Rajasthan is extremely hot and dry. But the fact that it is so close to India-Pakistan border makes it exciting. You can feel the history in the air when you visit the place.

We stayed at Zostel Jaisalmer. It was a gorgeous property with beautiful interiors. The paintings on the walls, wooden framed fixtures, carved furnitures complimented by urban bean bags. The terrace had a panoramic view of the ‘Golden City’.

Everyone woke up next morning with the excitement to explore this majestic city. We went to a quaint café in the streets of gold for lunch. Unfortunately, by the time we finished our ‘vlogging regime’ it was almost time for sunset and we had not even seen the main spots.

Things to do in Jaisalmer

The weather gets chilly after 4pm, so be prepared with warm clothes and jackets. We visited Salim Singh ki Haveli and went boating on Gadisar Lake. The locals were very warm and welcomed us with open arms.

Jaisalmer to Sam

The Thar Desert, largest desert in India extends through Rajasthan, Gujarat, Punjab, and Haryana. A small part of it also lies in Pakistan.

Sam in Rajasthan, a part of the Great Indian Desert, is closest to the India – Pakistan border. We drove for a few hours from Jaisalmer and reached Sam.

Sam is approximately 40 kms from Jaisalmer. It was very interesting to see how people live in desert region. There care camps set up for tourists who plan to stay here. It’s a small paradise in the middle of nowhere. There are a lot of activities arranged for tourists and the place is maintained well.

Things to do at Sam

We tried the camel desert safari at Sam, Rajasthan. You will find a lot of camel owners offering rides on the silky sand dunes as the sunsets.

Dune bashing ride on the dunes and it was mind-blowing. Definitely did not expect it to be so scary. You can stay overnight at the camps on the beautiful and most picturesque landscape in India.

Kuldhara Village

Kuldhara village in Rajasthan has very interesting stories connected to it. Some say the village is haunted, some say it was abandoned because of an earthquake. It was also given the title one of the most haunted villages in the country.

Because of all the controversies and being one of the closest village to Pakistan, the Government of Rajasthan maintains the petite town for the tourists.

While we were riding back to our camps in the evening, chilly turned to frosty and we could hardly bear it. Winters on the desert is not only scary but can also be fatal.

Sam to Jodhpur

After a very exciting stay on the Sam sand dunes, our next destination was Jodhpur. The roads from Sam to Jodhpur were amazing. I touched my highest ever on Triumph Tiger of 199KM/H. Please don’t try this.

Jodhpur is a popular tourist destination with many palaces, forts, and temples. It is also a part of the majestic Thar Desert. Popularly known as the ‘Blue City’, it is one of the largest and important cities of Rajasthan.

Our stay was booked at Zostel Jodhpur.

Things to do in Jodhpur

Mehrangarh fort – Our experience on Mehrangarh was disappointing because we could not reach the fort on time. The entry to the fort ends before sunset, and we reached just when the guards were blowing their whistles to vacate the premises. The view of the bright blue city from the fort is incredible.

Mehrangarh one of the largest forts in India was built around 1459. Towering at a height of 410 feet above the city of Jodhpur, Rajasthan. What makes it interesting is that the impact of cannonballs fired by attacking armies of Jaipur can still be seen on one of the gates.

I understood why Jodhpur is called the ‘blue city’. The brick and clay walls are painted blue. When seen from a height the city is all blue, something I’ve never seen before.

Jodhpur to Udaipur

The ‘City of Lakes’ of Rajasthan was the historic capital of the kingdom of Mewar. Udaipur also known as the “City of Lakes”, is a city in the state of Rajasthan, India. the Mewar province became a part of Rajasthan when India gained independence in 1947.

The city is located in the southernmost part of Rajasthan, near the Gujarat border. It is around 660 km from Delhi and approximately 800 km from Mumbai, placed almost in the middle of two major Indian metro cities. Besides, connectivity with Gujarat ports provide Udaipur a strategic geographical advantage.

We were staying at Gyan villa in Udaipur. Our stay was pathetic and the staff was very irresponsible. We do not recommend staying there. Our trip would have been perfect it wasn’t for this experience.

Udaipur to Vadodara

Vadodara or Baroda, is the third largest city in Gujarat. Vadodara was an overnight layover for our ride from Udaipur to Mumbai. Udaipur to Mumbai is over 750 KMS, and we didn’t want to cover such a long stretch in one go, so we split it in half.

Vadodara is over 400 kilometers from Mumbai and approximately 350 kilometers from Udaipur.

Comment down below where next should I go for a ride. Until then, Live Your Life – Live Your Dream.