Jodhpur Travel Guide – India

Jodhpur is the second-largest city in Rajasthan, India. And it is known under three other names:

• “The Gate to Thar” – since it is right at the edge of the Thar Desert
• “The Sun City” – because almost all year round it is very clear and warm
• The “Blue City” – thanks to the old townhouses that are painted in incredible blue. Why blue? Because it keeps insects away and keeps the houses cool. The blue sea of houses can be more admired from height, the fully painted houses are a real treasure hunt to find them.

What you can do in Jodhpur

Mehran Fort (Mehrangarh)

Definitely, the most underappreciated fort that we visited in India. (we have not heard as much people praise this one, as the forts/palaces of Jaipur, Udaipur or Agra)

Mehran Fort is one of the largest forts in India. It was built in 1460, on a hill at 150 meters high, around it later developing the city. With a defence system so well-made that this fort was never conquered by force.

Inside you can admire some palaces with an incredibly complex design. Plus a well-supplied museum, where you can admire weapons, costumes, paintings and royal palanquins.

If you do not want to go with the tuk-tuk from/to the fort you can choose to walk. There is a path that lies between the main entrance and the parking lot. It will leave you in the city and it’s a relatively short walk, but a bit steep.

Entry Fee for the palaces & museum:

• 600 rupees for foreign adult (audio guide included)
• 200 rupees for video; 100 rupees for photo

In the fort, you can enter for free to admire the city view.

Clock Tower and the oldest market in the city

Sadar Square is best known for its Clock Tower which is a symbol of the old city.

Nothing compares to a walk through a bazaar in India. If you are not afraid of the chaos, then you will experience lots of visual, auditory and stimulant stimuls (spices, food, dung, materials, etc.).

Stepwell

The most popular fountain for collecting water is the Amer. But it is not the only stepwell, they are all over India. And the one you will find in Jodhpur is among the most beautiful.

Toorji’s Step Well is the fountain of Jodhpur. It lies north of the clock tower and was built in the 1740s. Recently it was restored and all the wonderful details were brought back to light.

Around the fountain, there are some restaurants where you can admire it and dine.

The perfect sunset

We are lovers of sunset or sunrise. And we try to admire at least one in every city we visit. Jodhpur was no exception.

If you do not mind climbing a series of steps, then you have to go and see the sunset near the Temple Balaji. It is located on the Pachatiya hill, in the southwestern part of the fort and is probably the most famous sunset point in the city.

If the effort is not for you, any rooftop restaurant should offer a good view.

Sleep and food

Accommodation in Jodhpur

If you have a low budget, then the best area for accommodation is around the Clock Tower. Being the best area we stay because the whole area is surrounded by rooftop restaurants where you can admire the fort at any moment of the day. Besides the view, this area also offers the opportunity to reach the forts on a “shortcut”, so there is no need to pay for transport up to the fort.

Being an ideal area when it comes to points of interest and prices, we have stayed here as well. We found a cute family hotel with large rooms and a rooftop restaurant.

Booking.com

What to eat in Jodhpur – Street food

It was the only city in India to have trouble finding a restaurant to eat.

All the restaurants we’ve tried (because they were recommended by Tripadvisor and Google as good and cheap) have proven to be traps for tourists. At least double prices and not very tasty food.

Hungry and disappointed we decide maybe it’s time to try the food on the street. So far we have been very careful because most people visiting India do not get escape the “Delhi belly”.

So after a thorough search on the old Google, we made a list and went to find the food in the city. And we found the best food we tasted in India that we are going to miss. The best dishes that you also have to try:

• Samosa – Shahi Samosa
• Saffron Makhaniya Lassi, Kalakand, Chilli vada & Pyaaz kachori – from Shri Mishrilal Hotel
• Pani puri & Ragda pattice – from a little van near the Clock Tower

How to get to Jodhpur

Being a very big city you can get here by everything you want. Airplane, car, bus, train, you have everything you want. We got here from Udaipur by bus.

In the city, if you need to move on longer distances there are a lot of tuk-tuks available. Surprisingly for us, it was that in this city no one insisted too much when you refused them. But if you stay in the center (near the clock tower), you don’t really need to take a drive because you can walk everywhere quite easily.