Best Places to see in the Blue City of India, Jodhpur (2020)
I wanted to explore the blue city of India for many reasons, some being the mysterious Mehrangarh fort, Majestic Umaid Bhawan Palace, the architecture of Jaswant Thada, delicious Rajasthani thali and the alleys of the blue houses in Jodhpur. Like you, I was also wondering why Jodhpur is called the blue city of India!
Well, after a 3 days’ of backpacking experience, talking to some local fellas and getting lost in the small lanes of Jodhpur, I think I have found the answer! Some of the Jodhpuri folks told me that the blue colour keeps the houses cool during summers and hence, most of the people colour their houses blue. Some folks told that during the old times, brahmins were asked to colour their houses blue for clear identification of their social status. These theories were really fascinating and to me, Jodhpur seemed like the Morocco of India.
If you are planning for Rajasthan, here is the list of best places to see in the blue city of India, Jodhpur curated basis my personal experience. Keep reading, I promise you would want to visit Jodhpur even more!
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Best Places to see in Jodhpur
Street food and restaurants in Jodhpur
Places to stay in Jodhpur
Best time to visit Jodhpur
How to reach Jodhpur
Getting around Jodhpur city
How many days are required for exploring Jodhpur?
How much budget is required for a 3 days’ trip to Jodhpur?
Is the blue city of India safe for solo female travellers
Jodhpur or Udaipur or Jaipur
Places to see in Jodhpur
Rising perpendicular 125m above the city, mighty Mehrangarh fort is known to be one of the magnificent forts in India. The Fort has many beautiful mahals (Phool Mahal, Moti Mahal, Crown room), grand balconies, windows and doors (Jai Pol, Fateh pol). You will easily need 2-3 hours from the day to explore Mehrangarh Fort properly. Behind the Mehrangarh Fort, there a small temple “Chamunda Mata temple”, the small windows of which offers unbelieveable panoramic view of the blue Jodhpur City.
Don’t miss the Flying Fox at Mehrangarh Fort. You will literally be flying over majestic Mehrangarh Fort. The charges are around INR 1,800 per person (INR 1,500 if you book tickets online at FlyingFox India ).
2. Pachetia Hill Sunset viewpoint –
Sunset view from Pachetia hill in Jodhpur is a must to have experience. You are on a hill surrounded by thousands of blue houses and when the evening’s orange sky mixes with the blue colour, the view is just so dreamy! So do try to add Pachetia Hill to your itinerary.
How to reach Pachetia Hill – Come to Singhvi Haveli and ask locals for ‘Pachetia Hill’ or ‘Jwala Maa Mandir’ . It will be another 15 minutes’ of a walk from Singhvi haveli and you will reach the hilltop.
3. Jaswant Thada in Jodhpur–
A gorgeous milky white marble memorial to Maharaja Jaswant Singh II, is a perfect place away from the hustle-bustle of the city. This peaceful architectural beauty is only 1 km away from Mehrangarh Fort.
4. Umaid Bhawan Palace in Jodhpur –
Umaid Bhawan Palace was built by Maharaja Umaid to provide employment to thousands of people during the time of famine. The palace is divided into three parts a) where the royal family resides, b) a museum which is open for the public c) a hotel (known to be one of the best hotels in the world). The museum is open for public, you will need to pay entry fees for the museum.
Image credit - Umaid bhawan palace hotels in Jodhpur
5. Explore the old city of Jodhpur – a jumble blue cubes
Areas called ‘Navchokiya’ and ‘Aamna’ have the most number of alleys with blue houses and colourful windows. You will see the local kids playing, women chitchatting on their neighbours and cows roaming around. Getting lost in these alleyways punctuated with colour blue would be an amazing thing to do in Jodhpur.
6. Step well in Jodhpur (Toor Ji Ka Jhalra) and the Stepwell café –
Long back, step-well or Baori was used to accumulate water. One such step well is “Toor Ji Ka Jhalra” in Jodhpur. Now it has become an in-official pool for urban Jodhpur.
Would be good to chill around these stairs and taking a picture or two. There is also a café called “Step well café” right next to the step well, do check it out for some good coffee!
7. Mandore Garden in Jodhpur
Mandore Garden is around 9 km from Jodhpur. It’s a beautiful abandoned heritage destination and has intriguing sights of well-preserved cenotaphs or chattris of the many Maharajas of Jodhpur.
8. Talk to locals or shop at clock tower –
People from Jodhpur are extremely helpful, friendly and sweet. Hit a conversion on any topic and you will have a good time talking!
If you wanna shop local, go to Sardar market, near Clock Tower. We all need souvenirs for lovely people back home.
Street Food and Restaurants in Jodhpur
Being a die-heart fan of Rajasthani food, one of the must-do items for me was to eat lots of delicious Jodhpuri food. Each street in this blue city of India has mouth-watering food to offer. So here is my list of some of the best places to eat food in Jodhpur:
1. Dine at Indique Restaurant, Pal Haveli -
Imagine the beautiful Fort covered with enchanting orange and blue sky during sunset. Indique Restaurant is the right stop to witness the view in real with a glass of red wine or chilled beer (not a beer or wine person? No worries, they have all to keep you happy). I will recommend you to do prior reservation for a rooftop table facing the Fort as the place gets crowded in the evenings.
2. Dinner at Hanwant Mahal in Jodhpur –
Chilled winter evening, candlelight dinner and a mesmerising view of Umaid Bhawan Palace, too much to ask? Thanks to a local friend for recommending us Hanwant Mahal Palace. Look at the view from the dining area, also, the food was great too.
Price – INR 1500 for 2 people
3. Rajasthani Thali at Gypsy Restaurant –
Rajasthani food is bliss! Look at the thali, I am already craving for one. Special Thali from Gypsy restaurant is quite famous between locals and tourist. They serve multiple items in a thali and each dish is mouth-watering. Price – INR 300 for one person
4. Lassi from Makhaniya Lassi in Sardar Market –
Who said only Punjabis take their lassi seriously? Have some Malai Lassi from Makhaniya lassi near Sardar market and you will know how real Rajasthani Lassi tastes like. Thank me later :)
5. Pyaz Kachori from Jodhpur Sweets
Jodhpur is known for its delicious Pyaz ki kachori (crispy bread filled with potato and onion masala). When in Jodhpur, must have Pyaz Kachori for breakfast.
6. Ghewar from Mohan Ji Mithai Wala (available in winters)
Abi loved the Ghewar so much that he had almost half a kg in a day! Try the Malai one, I am sure you will end licking fingers.
7. Famous Masala Cheese Omelette from the lonely planet famous Omelette Shop
The Omelette shop is world famous and the guy told us that he makes around 1,000 omelettes in a day.
Places to stay in Jodhpur
There are many budget hotels and hostels in Jodhpur. Some of the recommended places are:
Hostels - Yogi guest house, HostelLavie, Zostel (starting from INR 400 per night)
Budget hotels – I had stayed at Hotel Geeta Mahal (INR 2,500 for 2 nights). It is located at the centre and is a walkable distance from most of the places to see in Jodhpur. The staff was helpful and had also allowed us an early check-in.
You can check all the hotels and hostels at these websites – Booking.com / Hostel world
How to reach Jodhpur
Bus & Train - Jodhpur is well connected with Delhi and all the other cities in Rajasthan by buses and train. You can either take any state government bus (RSRTC) or a private bus (www.redbus.com). For checking the train ticket visit – irctc. Both the options are quite comfortable and will involve a few hours journey. For train, Mandore Express is the best way to reach Jodhpur from Delhi. It starts at 9:00 PM from Old Delhi railway station and will reach Jodhpur between 8:00 AM-9:00 AM.
Flight – Jodhpur has an airport with direct flights from Delhi, Jaipur, Mumbai and many other cities in India. Book a flight ticket only if you are willing to pay phenomenally high prices.
How much budget is required for a 3 days’ trip to Jodhpur
For my 3 day’s trip to Jodhpur, I had spent around INR 4000 as I had stayed in a hotel. You can reduce the stay cost substantially by choosing hostels.
Best time to visit Jodhpur
October to February will be the best time to visit not only Jodhpur but any part of Rajasthan. The temperature will be around 15 to 20 Celsius. During summers, Jodhpur is really hot and hence, not an ideal time to visit.
Getting around Jodhpur
A lot of places in Jodhpur are at walkable distance. Try to book a hotel in the centre area and you will not need to hire a vehicle for getting around the city. Umaid Bhawan Palace, Mandore Garden are places which are slightly far. You can either hire a two-wheeler or get a cab through Ola and Uber. For renting a bike in Jodhpur, check out Wheelstreet .
How many days are required for exploring Jodhpur
2 to 3 days’ trip should be good for exploring all the must to see places in Jodhpur. If you have extra days’ in hand, club the Jodhpur trip with Jaisalmer or Udaipur.
Read my guide on places to see in Udaipur here.
Is the blue city of India safe for solo female travellers
Totally! Rajasthani folks are really sweet and warm-hearted, so don't worry and visit Jodhpur.
Jodhpur or Udaipur or Jaipur
It is honestly a tough question to answer. It actually depends on what you want to see and what kind of places do you enjoy. Udaipur is a little more touristy and is slightly westernised. While in Jodhpur, you can experience Real Rajasthan.
Jaipur is the capital city of Rajasthan and is always “busy”! There are a few must-visit places in Jaipur like Hawa Mahal, Amer Fort, Nahargarh Fort etc. Plan the itinerary depending on the number of days and your interest. Let me know if you need any help with this.
That’s all for Jodhpur guys! In case you plan to explore India around, you can also refer my detailed guide on Hampi, Amritsar , Udaipur.
Enjoy your stay at the blue city of India, JODHPUR.
If you have any more questions, put them in comments. Will get back to you soon
Love,
TannedTravelGirl