Rajasthan

Rajasthan’s cities are named for their colours — Jaipur’s Pink City, Jodhpur’s Blue City, Jaisalmer’s Golden City — and each lives up to it. Jaipur’s Amber Fort and City Palace showcase Rajput and Mughal architecture at its most elaborate, while Udaipur’s Lake Pichola, ringed by palaces and ghats, is often called the most romantic city in India.

Out west, Jaisalmer’s sandstone fort rises straight out of the Thar Desert, with camel safaris into the dunes at Sam and overnight desert camps under an enormous sky. Every stop layers in local craft — block-printed textiles, blue pottery, silver jewellery — making this as much a shopping trail as a historical one.