Pushkar travel guide

Pushkar 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.

Pushkar 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.

Pushkar 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.

• 1Brahma TempleA rare red-spired Brahma shrine.
• 2Pushkar LakeA sacred lake of 52 ghats.
• 3Savitri TempleA hilltop shrine with lake views.
• 4Varaha TempleA 12th-century Vishnu shrine.
• 5Man MahalA royal guest house turned hotel.
• 6The 52 ghatsSteps for ritual bathing.
• 7Camel Fair groundsHost to the November mela.
• 8Rangji TempleAn 1823 south-Indian-style temple.
• 9Old Rangji TempleA Vishnu shrine near the bazaar.
• 10Sunset PointA dune-backed desert sunset.
• 11Gau GhatA central bathing ghat.
• 12Pap Mochani TempleA hillside Gayatri shrine.
• 13Aptaeshwar TempleAn underground Shiva shrine.
• 14Rose farmsFields around the town.
• 15Naga PaharA legend-linked hill.
• 16Camel ridesShort desert sunset trips.
• 17Merta Road shrinesMeera Bai heritage sites.
• 18Ratnagiri hillA short sunrise climb.

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 Pushkar rewards a gentle pace.

A little history and culture, in brief.

Legend says Lord Brahma dropped a lotus here.

That act is said to have made the lake.

The present Lord Brahma temple dates to the 14th century.

It is among very few Lord Brahma temples anywhere.

Pushkar rings a small sacred lake.

It is one of Hinduism's oldest towns.

Pilgrims bathe at its many ghats.

The camel fair draws global crowds.

Pushkar is strictly vegetarian.

Alcohol is officially prohibited.

The town wakes to temple bells.

Backpackers and pilgrims mingle here.

Cafes line the lake and lanes.

Kartik brings its biggest crowds.

Ajmer is the nearest railhead, 15 km.

Jaipur airport is about 145 km away.

October to March suits visits best.

The camel fair peaks in November.

Autos and taxis run from Ajmer.

Sources: Pushkar — Wikipedia · Brahma Temple — Wikipedia · Pushkar Lake · Pushkar.

English is widely understood, but a few words help.

Regional languages also apply; see the India guide.