Pushkar is one of those rare Indian towns you can reach comfortably by road in a morning and still feel you have travelled somewhere far older than the highway that brought you. A lake held sacred for centuries, a ring of whitewashed ghats, one of the very few temples in the country dedicated to Lord Brahma, and a bazaar that smells of rose petals and malpua: that is what waits about 145 km west of Jaipur. This guide covers the drive in detail, the fares RutzIndia.com charges for a cab to Pushkar in 2026, the best months to go, and how to fit Ajmer, the camel fair and the Savitri hilltop into one easy trip with a driver.
How do you get to Pushkar by road, and what does a taxi cost?
Pushkar is about 145 km from Jaipur by the Jaipur-Ajmer highway, typically a 3-hour drive, the last 15 km crossing the Nag Pahar hills from Ajmer. A one-way sedan costs Rs 5,220 Pay Now to Reserve and an Innova Crysta Rs 8,270 Pay Now to Reserve; a same-day sedan round trip is Rs 10,440 Pay Now to Reserve. Fares are before 5% GST.
Those numbers come straight from our per-kilometre rates: Rs 36/km for a Dzire-class sedan and Rs 57.6/km for an Innova. A round trip is billed on the actual distance or 250 km per calendar day, whichever is higher, so the 290 km Jaipur-Pushkar-Jaipur circuit in one day works out to Rs 10,440 Pay Now to Reserve in a sedan and Rs 16,530 Pay Now to Reserve in an Innova. Tolls on the highway and parking in Pushkar are passed on at actual cost, and there is no hidden night charge unless you stay over. You can book a Jaipur outstation cab online or read how our outstation cabs are priced in more detail.
Why Pushkar deserves a day (or two)
Most visitors arrive expecting a quick temple stop and leave wishing they had booked a night. The town is small enough to walk end to end in twenty minutes, yet it rewards slow wandering.
The lake and its ghats
Pushkar Lake is ringed by more than fifty stone ghats where pilgrims bathe, priests perform puja and the evening aarti sets the water glowing. Varaha Ghat, Brahma Ghat and Gau Ghat are the busiest; the smaller ghats on the far side are quieter at sunrise. Remove footwear before stepping onto any ghat, and be ready for priests offering a "Pushkar passport" flower puja: it is a donation-based ritual, so agree an amount before you begin or politely decline.
Brahma temple and Savitri hill
The Jagatpita Brahma Mandir, with its red spire and swan motifs, is the reason many Hindu families make the trip. Cameras and leather goods are usually not allowed inside, so leave them in the car with your chauffeur. Across town, the Savitri Mata temple crowns Ratnagiri hill; a ropeway now saves the steep climb, and the view over the lake and the desert beyond at sunset is the best in the district. The older Gayatri temple on the opposite hill is a quieter sunrise alternative.
Food, markets and the Pushkar pace
The main bazaar sells silver jewellery, embroidered textiles, leather sandals and rose-based products from the fields that surround the town. Pushkar is a strictly vegetarian and alcohol-free town, and eggs are not served inside the municipal limits. Try malpua fried in ghee near the Brahma temple, kachori for breakfast and a rooftop cafe overlooking the ghats for lunch. The Rajasthan tourism department lists the town's heritage sites and the official fair calendar, and the Ajmer district portal covers local administration, which matters in fair week.
The drive from Jaipur: highway, hills and a good lunch stop
The route is straightforward, which is why a Pushkar day trip is so popular with families staying in Jaipur.
- Leave Jaipur by the Ajmer Road from Sodala or the 200 Feet bypass. Early departure (7 am) beats the office rush near Bhankrota and gets you to the lake before the midday sun.
- Join the six-lane Jaipur-Ajmer stretch of NH-48. It is a fast, divided road with regular toll plazas; your driver will cruise within the posted limits and use the service lanes only near towns.
- Kishangarh, about 100 km out, is the marble-trading town and a natural tea stop. The white marble dumping yard just off the highway has become a photo spot; ask your driver if it is open to visitors that week.
- Past Kishangarh the highway skirts Ajmer. Rather than threading the old city, most drivers take the bypass and climb the Pushkar Ghati road over Nag Pahar, a short winding section of about 11 km with sharp bends and fine views.
- You drop into Pushkar from the east. Vehicles are not allowed into the narrow lanes around the ghats; your car will park at one of the municipal lots near the bus stand or Brahma temple road, and you walk from there.
Driving time is typically three hours each way with one stop. On the Kartik Purnima weekend and during the camel fair the final 15 km can take an hour on its own, because police divert traffic to temporary parking grounds.
If you are coming from Delhi, Pushkar is about 425 km by NH-48 via Jaipur and Kishangarh. That is a long single day; most travellers break at Jaipur or combine the trip with our Delhi to Jaipur taxi route and continue the next morning.
When to go: weather, the camel fair and Kartik Purnima
Pushkar sits on the edge of the Thar, so the seasons are sharp.
- October to March is the comfortable window. Days are 22-30 C and nights in December and January can dip to 5 C, so pack a layer for the ghats at dawn.
- November brings the Pushkar Mela, the camel and livestock fair held over roughly a week around Kartik Purnima. Dates move with the lunar calendar, so check the state tourism calendar before you book. Expect camel races, the longest moustache contest, folk music on the fairground and a spike in hotel rates. Book your car early; drivers and camp tents both run short that week.
- April to June is hot, with afternoons crossing 40 C. If you must go, leave Jaipur at 6 am, finish the ghats by 10 am and rest through the afternoon.
- July to September is the monsoon. Rain is patchy in this part of Rajasthan, the Aravalli hills turn green and the lake fills, but humidity is high.
Holi in Pushkar is famous among backpackers for its rooftop colour parties; families may prefer to visit a day after the festival. Diwali brings lamps on every ghat and is lovely, though Jaipur hotels are busy.
Chauffeured services from RutzIndia.com for a Pushkar trip
Pushkar has no airport and a limited rail link (Ajmer is the nearest major station), so most travellers arrive by car. Here is what we offer:
- One-way drop from Jaipur, Ajmer or Kishangarh airport to your Pushkar hotel or camp.
- Same-day round trip from Jaipur with Ajmer Dargah on the way back, the most booked option.
- Multi-day Rajasthan tours that thread Pushkar between Jaipur and Jodhpur or Udaipur; see our Rajasthan tour by car itineraries.
- Airport pickup at Jaipur International or Kishangarh airport, with flight tracking, a name board, 60 minutes of free waiting after international arrivals and 30 minutes after domestic ones.
- Group travel in a Tempo Traveller from Jaipur for families, wedding parties and school groups heading to the fair.
| Car class | One way Jaipur-Pushkar (145 km) | Same-day round trip (290 km) | Two-day round trip (500 km billed) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Dzire-class sedan (4 seats) | Rs 5,220 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 10,440 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 18,000 Pay Now to Reserve |
| Ertiga / Carens MUV (6 seats) | Rs 6,090 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 12,180 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 21,000 Pay Now to Reserve |
| Innova Crysta (6 seats) | Rs 8,270 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 16,530 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 28,500 Pay Now to Reserve |
| Tempo Traveller (12-17 seats) | Rs 11,310 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 22,620 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 39,000 Pay Now to Reserve |
All fares are before 5% GST. Highway tolls and Pushkar parking are billed at actual cost. On an overnight trip the chauffeur's night allowance of Rs 1,500 applies, and a two-day round trip is billed at the 250 km per day minimum (500 km) even if you drive less. Every car in the fleet is within four model years, and you pay by card or UPI through the booker; corporate travellers get a GST invoice automatically.
Plans can change, so our cancellation policy is simple: cancel more than 72 hours before pickup and you pay nothing; within 72 hours a 10% charge applies, within 48 hours 50%, and inside 24 hours or on a no-show the full fare.
A suggested two-day Pushkar and Ajmer itinerary by car
Day 1: Jaipur to Pushkar (about 150 km). Depart 7 am, breakfast in Kishangarh, reach Pushkar by 10:30. Check in, walk the ghats and visit the Brahma temple before the noon closure. After lunch rest, then take the ropeway to Savitri temple for sunset and come down for the evening aarti at Varaha Ghat.
Day 2: Pushkar to Ajmer and back to Jaipur (about 160 km). Sunrise at Gau Ghat and a slow breakfast, then drive 15 km over the ghat road to Ajmer. Visit the Dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, the Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra next door, and Ana Sagar lake. Leave Ajmer by 3 pm to reach Jaipur before dark. Our Ajmer road trip guide has more on the Dargah and its crowds.
Billing for this plan is the two-day round trip: 500 km at the per-day minimum, so Rs 18,000 Pay Now to Reserve in a sedan or Rs 28,500 Pay Now to Reserve in an Innova, plus one night allowance, tolls, parking and GST.
For a one-day version, leave Jaipur at 6:30 am, do Pushkar until 2 pm, stop at the Dargah on the way back and be home by 9 pm. It is a full day, but very doable.
Practical tips for Pushkar
- Parking and walking. Cars stop outside the lake precinct; wear slip-on footwear that is easy to remove at the ghats.
- Temple timings. The Brahma temple closes for a few hours around midday and again late evening. Timings shift in fair week, so check at your hotel.
- Dress. Shoulders and knees covered at temples and ghats. Photography of bathers is considered rude.
- Cash. Small shops prefer UPI or cash; carry some change for ghat donations and the ropeway.
- Camel safaris. Operators on the desert edge offer sunset rides. Agree price and duration first.
- Local rules. Pushkar is vegetarian and dry; do not carry alcohol into the town.
- Carry on. From Pushkar it is about 190 km to Jodhpur by the Merta road, so a one-way drop there is easy. See our Jodhpur by road guide or return to Jaipur with our Jaipur taxi service for city sightseeing.
For a bigger Rajasthan loop, the Golden Triangle tour by car adds Agra and Delhi, and Pushkar slots in neatly as a two-night extension between Jaipur and Udaipur.
