Ajmer travel guide

Ajmer is one of Rajasthan's highlights. This guide keeps every fact sourced. It covers sights, food and day trips.

Come in the cooler months if you can. Give it a few unhurried days. The sections below help you plan.

Every place name links to a source. The figures come from trusted sites. Plan your trip with confidence.

Use this guide as a starting point. Mix the big sights with slow time. The best trips leave room to wander.

Each headline sight has its own detailed guide.

Ajmer is best in the cool, dry months. Summers can be hot and busy. The monsoon brings rain and lush green. Shoulder months bring fewer crowds. Check local festival dates as well.

Reference: Climate of India.

Time your trip for extra colour.

Ajmer is well linked by road and rail. The nearest airport and station serve it. Autos and app cabs cover the area.

Within the city, app cabs and autos are easiest. Old quarters reward exploring on foot. Day trips are best by hired car. Buses and trains link the wider region cheaply.

🚕 Getting around locally

• 1Ride-hailing appsUber and Ola are cheap and reliable.
• 2Auto-rickshawsAgree a fare, or insist on the meter.
• 3Metro or local trainsFast where the network reaches.
• 4On footOld quarters are best explored walking.
• 5Cycle & e-rickshawsHandy for short old-city hops.
• 6Day-hire taxiBest value for day trips and far sights.

More in our India transport guide.

Rough per-person daily ranges, in rupees.

Guide: Incredible India. Prices vary by season.

Beyond the big sights, here is how to feel the city.

• 1Ajmer Sharif DargahThe revered Sufi saint's shrine.
• 2Taragarh FortAn old hilltop fort.
• 3Ana Sagar LakeA boat ride and Mughal pavilions.
• 4Adhai Din Ka JhonpraASI-protected mosque ruins.
• 5Soniji Ki NasiyanA gold-plated Jain temple.
• 6Akbari Fort & MuseumMughal armour and relics.
• 7Nareli Jain TempleA marble temple complex.
• 8Foy Sagar LakeSunset views and birds.
• 9Dargah BazaarShops around the shrine.
• 10Pushkar day tripThe nearby holy lake town.
• 11Prithviraj SmarakA memorial to the Chauhan king.
• 12Baradari, Ana SagarMarble pavilions built by Shah Jahan.
• 13Clock Tower marketA busy old-city bazaar.
• 14Circuit HouseColonial-era architecture.
• 15Mayo CollegeA historic 19th-century school.
• 16Goddess Durga Bag GardensLakeside walks and greenery.
• 17Soniji Ki NasiyanA golden Jain temple hall.
• 18Taragarh sunsetFort views over the city.

Short on time? Prioritise your days like this.

With more time, slow down and wander. Mix the big sights with cafes and lanes. The best of Ajmer rewards a gentle pace.

A little history and culture, in brief.

The Chahamana ruler Ajayaraja founded Ajmer in the 11th century.

The Ghurids annexed it in 1193, after Prithviraj Chauhan's defeat.

Akbar took Ajmer in 1556. Built a fort by 1570.

Ajmer merged into Rajasthan state in 1956.

Ajmer sits in a valley of the Aravalli hills.

Muslim rulers, Mughals and British all prized it.

The Dargah draws pilgrims of every faith.

Nearby Pushkar holds a famous camel fair.

Ajmer is a major Sufi pilgrimage centre.

The Aravalli hills ring the city.

Its lake, Ana Sagar, dates to the 12th century.

Mayo College, founded 1875, sits here.

The Urs draws huge crowds each year.

Pushkar lies just 15 km away.

Ajmer has its own railway junction.

Jaipur airport is about 130 km away.

October to March suits sightseeing best.

Summers are hot; carry water.

Buses and taxis reach Pushkar quickly.

Sources: Ajmer — Wikipedia · Rajasthan Tourism · Ana Sagar Lake · Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra.

English is widely understood, but a few words help.

Regional languages also apply; see the India guide.