ITINERARY: HOLIDAY 2024
15 DAY GUIDED TOUR ACROSS RAJASTHAN, INDIA
1st – 15th FEBRUARY 2024
Itinerary: Holiday 2024
DAY 1 UDAIPUR: THE CITY OF LAKES
Airport pick-ups – people join our tour from all corners of the world, and arrive at different times, so feel free to join us as you arrive.
Evening welcome drinks on the rooftop overlooking Taj Palace, Monsoon Palace in the Aravelli Hills, Lal Ghat, and evening washing in the Lake Pichola.
Followed by sunset dinner. Welcome to India.
DAY 2 UDAIPUR: SPICE MARKET AND COLOUR WORKSHOP
Rooftop breakfast surrounded by the Aravalli Hills.
Head by tuk tuk into the heart and bustle of Udaipur life: the spice and vegetable market, pink streets and pass a cow or three. A sadhu, curious shops and many wonderful sights. Pick up ribbons and papers for our sketchbooks.
An afternoon colour and sketchbook preparation workshop in the hotel garden.
Dinner at a local lakeside restaurant.
DAY 3 UDAIPUR: COLOURED STREETS, ARTISANS AND TEMPLES
Lake view breakfast.
Exploring and drawing in the colourful streets, pink and blue lime-washed houses, bright saris, metal workers in hidden alleys, and whatever opportunity the city brings today. Lunch at an 18th Century Haveli with views of the city’s ancient temples and the Maharajah Palace.
Studio time this afternoon to finish our drawing and gather our inspiration. Visit a local photographer and friend in his gallery who traditionally hand colours his work. You will see his father’s and great-grandfather’s work around the city as we travel.
A visit from a traditional local miniature artist.
Dinner at a lakeside local restaurant.
DAY 4 UDAIPUR
Lake view breakfast.
Studio time: Sketchbooks – cover them with fabric from the market and spend time looking at the patterns and motifs from the palace. Drawing at Ambahmata Temple on the waterside. A soulful place, a quiet refuge from the streets, with intriguing interiors, doorways and small shrines.
This afternoon is free to explore, draw or sit and have chai.
The sun over the doorway of the Maharajah’s extravagant City Palace. Lake Pichola, Udaipur. |
Observing the riots of colour on the streets of Udaipur through the blue shutters. |
City Palace Udaipur. A marvel of architecture siting on the banks of Lake Pichola |
The Iconic Blue room. The King’s apartments. Udaipur |
DAY 5: UDAIPUR: JAGDISH TEMPLE AND CITY PALACE
Meandering the streets this morning on our way up to the palace, we will visit the Iconic Jagdish temple.
We will pause on the crumbling temple rooftops and learn about the Mughal architecture across Rajasthan, resting here to capture the emotions of India in our sketchbooks.
Local lunch.
This afternoon we visit the majestic and lavish Udaipur city palace, exploring its 450 year old history. There is nothing as majestic and extravagant as a Rajasthani Palace, and it looms high over the small coloured rooftops of the city, you will see its contrasts.
Sunset painting.
DAY 6: BUNDI: DABU PRINTING, INDIGO AND BUNDI
Today we leave to travel to a small Artisan village famed for its long traditional heritage in the art of mud Dabu printing. The raw materials used in the process like clay, gum, and pigments are readily available in the region, making it an ideal location for this ancient craft, we stumbled across this village and are delighted to introduce this very unique opportunity to our guests.
This morning, we will also learn about and use Indigo from the huge prepared vats.
Arrive for dinner at our new hotel in Bundi, with stunning views of Bundi Fort Palace illuminated by night. Just looking at it looming overhead is an extraordinary site.
Bundi is a hidden gem of Rajasthan. Bluer than Jodhpur it is small but lively. You can meet artisans making cotton scarves in their open shops and drink cardamom and saffron lassis. High above on the rocks above the town, sits the spectacular Bundi Fort Palace, famous throughout India for its intricate and most beautiful of frescoes which are quite exquisite. We learn the stories of the walls from our dear friend, Keshav. Filled with lapis blue, turquoise and cadmium reds, it is a sight that you will not forget.
DAY 7: BUNDI FORT PALACE, LOCAL ARTISANS (HADOTI REGION, THE ARAVALLI HILLS), MANDALA WORKSHOP
This morning We head to Debra’s spiritual home: the lost palace of Bundi. Joined by our most knowledgeable and special friend Keshav. Spend time learning and painting at the Chitrasala (Bundi Fort Palace) with its magical turquoise murals.
Treasure every moment – you will not want to leave this extraordinary place!
Lunch at a local restaurant with the haunting fort palace towering high above.
In the late afternoon sun, we visit an ancient artisan village full of mud huts and clay. A place so very special to our hearts the people are gentle and welcoming, we will take chai with the locals and learn very unique traditions of this region.
Mandala workshop- together we will create a giant flower mandala from fresh temple flowers from the market, an ultimate luxury, bags and bags of the sweetest s smelling roses, lilies, marigolds and seasonal flowers.
Dinner at the Hotel
The evening flower market, Chittorgarh |
Ancient temple complex and carvings. Beejoliya Kelan |
Proud Rakesh and his hand printed truck we so admired |
Dabu mud resist. A 500-year old traditional craft village near Chittorgarh. |
DAY 8: BUNDI PALACE AND COLOURED ROOFTOP PAINTING
This morning, we return to Bundi Palace for drawing and absorbing its unique beauty.
It seems to call you back for a final farewell!
lunch at our guide Narendra’s family restaurant.
A wander of the blue streets shopping at a small local cotton weaver and antique shop.
Lunch and sketching and blue collages of the patchwork-coloured rooftops, orange and bright coloured washing lines, the fort always magically looming above.
Share our books and stories before we travel on to our final journey to the Pink City.
Dinner at the exquisitely handprinted and decorated museum.
DAY 9: PINK CITY OF JAIPUR AND RAJ MANDIR CINEMA
Today we travel to fashionable Jaipur, known as the Pink City.
This evening we will watch a Bollywood movie at the Iconic Raj Mandir Cinema, an amazing experience and a real favourite with our guests.
Dinner in the city – Welcome to Jaipur!
DAY 10: JAIPUR: EARLY MORNING FLOWER MARKET, GOVIND JI TEMPLE, TEXTILE TALK NILA HOUSE
Early rise with a visit to the flower markets at the golden hour when the marigolds glow brightly.
From here we walk the small streets, visiting the Govind Ji temples and learn about daily life and worship, obviously stopping for chai.
A Local Thali for lunch- If you have not had a Thali- you are missing out!
A Visit to Nila house, where we will have a talk about the textile traditions.
Dinner at hotel
DAY 11 JAIPUR: AMBER FORT, ANOKHI MUSEUM OF BLOCK PRINTING AND AMBER ANCIENT STEPWELLS. JAL MAHAL WATER PALACE.
Early breakfast.
Today you will see the unique hidden colours of Amber Fort, looming ahead. Watch the elephants stroll as they have for centuries. Quite an unbelievable majestic sight, like stepping back centuries.
We visit the fort – taking time to sketch if we would like the arches and architecture of this extraordinary place.
A stop to admire the Jal Mahal Floating Lake Palace.
The fabulous Anokhi museum of block printing, the ancient tradition.
Amber village just nearby, we will visit a step well and incredible architectural feat.
A popular shopping stop for our guests at a vintage and traditional textile warehouse.
DAY 12 JAIPUR
Free morning.
A very unique walk, through tiny narrow streets, fine Jaipur jewellers, gemstones cutters, metal workers, potters, and beautifully painted, and often crumbling Havelis, as well as spices, food alleys and more. With Vineet (the man who can answer every question).
Artisan block printing in a textile village |
Festival dancer at Bundi Palace Fort |
Cheerful ladies off to market in a tuk tuk |
Artisan dyeing vat |
DAY 13: EXPLORE JAIPUR
A free day to shop, trawl the bazaars, visit some sites, draw or just relax and have henna painted or a wonderful massage.
DAY 14: JAIPUR: ARTISAN BLOCK PRINTING WORKSHOP, TITANWALA MUSEUM AND COCKTAILS
Today we will visit the small village of Bagru, a community famous for its ancient art block printing for 350 years.
Spend the day printmaking with one of India’s most celebrated hand-block printers. Create your own design on handspun local cotton.
Visit the Titanwala Museum and understand more about this incredible craft.
Explore the village life – a community endeavour. Dyeing in the houses and drying in the sun. A treat for photography.
Visit: Nirain Niwas – boutiques, cocktails and dinner.
DAY 15: FLY HOME, OR EXPLORE FURTHER
Head home with your sketchbooks and art journals full of endless art inspiration and bulging with inspiration. And a head full of dreams.
India, they say, will go into your soul. It stays with you. It really is extraordinary, and it is for this reason that you might not want to go home just yet! If you would like a little more time we can organise this. Taj Mahal, Elephants, shopping…..
If you would like to continue travelling within India, we are happy to help and can put you in touch with local companies who can help you make further enquiries. We can also help arrange your airport transfer.
Just let us know: email us at louisa@thepigmenttrail.com for more details.
‘We photographed and sketched, absorbing the colour of everything. Everyone found fresh inspiration. From pinks to spaghetti wires, holy cows and distressed walls, The Pigment Trail opened our eyes to new ways of seeing’.
Claire, Art and Craft Pigment Trailer
