Weekend getaway from Jaipur · #8 of 10
Bundi
A blue-washed Hadoti town below Taragarh Fort, famous for the mural-filled Taragarh Palace, 50-plus stepwells led by Raniji ki Baori, and the lakeside Sukh Mahal where Kipling stayed. Wonderfully offbeat for its riches.
Bundi is the Rajasthan of postcards without the tour buses: a blue-washed old town of temples and lanes ('Chhoti Kashi') tumbling below the green-stone Taragarh Palace, whose miniature-style murals are among India's finest, plus more than 50 stepwells and the lakeside pavilion where Kipling worked on Kim. Four hours from Jaipur, it rewards an unhurried overnight.
Getting there
About 215 km. Buses and taxis ply direct; by rail, go to Kota and taxi the last 36 km.
Day 1 - Saturday
The palace, the fort and the blue town- 16:30 AMDrive
Drive Jaipur to Bundi
Four hours south on NH52 through Tonk and Deoli into the Hadoti hills; breakfast at a highway dhaba.
- 210:45 AMStay
Check in to an old-town haveli
Bundi's guesthouses are largely converted havelis beneath the palace walls - rooftops here come with the classic palace-over-blue-town view.
📍 Bundi
- 311:30 AMSight
Taragarh Palace and the Chitrashala murals
The 17th-century palace of the Hada Rajputs, built of green-tinged stone with little Mughal influence; its walls carry Bundi's famous miniature-style murals of court life, hunts and heavenly processions.
📍 Taragarh Palace, Bundi
Tip · The steep cobbled ramp is slippery when wet - wear grippy shoes.
- 41:30 PMFood
Rooftop lunch under the palace
Cafes below the palace gate serve thalis and traveller staples with the whole painted hillside above you.
📍 Bundi
- 53:00 PMActivity
Climb Taragarh Fort
The 1400s 'Star Fort' above the palace, half-wild and roamed by langurs, with water tanks, bastions and the best panorama of Bundi's blue grid and lakes.
📍 Taragarh Fort, Bundi
Tip · Carry water and a stick for the monkeys; go up by 3 PM to be down before dusk.
- 65:30 PMSight
Dusk by Nawal Sagar
The square town lake mirrors the palace at dusk, with a half-submerged temple to Varuna at its centre.
📍 Nawal Sagar Lake, Bundi
- 77:30 PMFood
Dinner on a haveli rooftop
Home-style Rajasthani cooking as the palace lights come on; Bundi evenings are quiet and end early.
📍 Bundi
Day 2 - Sunday
Stepwells, lanes and Kipling's lake- 88:00 AMFood
Breakfast in the old town
Poha, kachori and chai from the morning stalls near the market square.
📍 Bundi
- 99:00 AMSight
Raniji ki Baori stepwell
The queen's stepwell of 1699, built by Rani Nathavati: a 46 m descent past carved pillars, arched gates and Vishnu avatars - the grandest of Bundi's 50-plus baoris.
📍 Raniji ki Baori, Bundi
- 1010:30 AMActivity
Blue lanes and bazaar walk
Wander the indigo lanes and temple squares that earn Bundi its 'Chhoti Kashi' name, past miniature-painting studios keeping the Bundi school alive.
📍 Bundi
Tip · Buy miniatures directly from the artists' studios - you can watch a piece being painted.
- 1112:00 PMSight
Sukh Mahal on Jait Sagar
The lakeside pleasure pavilion where Rudyard Kipling stayed in the 1880s - Bundi's palace and lakes fed scenes of his novel Kim. Calm water, lotus beds and birdlife.
📍 Sukh Mahal, Bundi
- 121:00 PMFood
Lunch before the highway
A final thali in town, then fuel up for the drive.
📍 Bundi
- 132:00 PMDrive
Drive back to Jaipur
Four hours back up NH52; leaving by 2 gets you home for a late dinner.
Where to eat
The Hadoti take on the spicy fried breakfast, from stalls near the market square.
Guesthouse kitchens do gatte, kadhi and seasonal Hadoti vegetables better than any restaurant.
When to go
Best all-round weather; the palace murals photograph beautifully in low winter light.
Waterfalls and full lakes around the Hadoti plateau; humid, and fort paths get slick.
Very hot; only the stepwells stay cool.
Good to know
- Bundi is best on foot - park once and walk everywhere in the old town.
- Small denominations help: palace, fort and baori entries are ticketed separately.
- November's Bundi Utsav festival fills the town - book rooms early that week.
