Home > Bike, Trike & Motorbike Rajasthan
Bike, Trike & Motorbike Rajasthan
Price from
400 USD
Duration
8 Days | 7 Nights
Level
3
Average Ride
Overview
Following on from a magical second run of Indian Rickshaw Ride in 2016, Chris thought we’d spice it up a little for 2017! So this year we’ll be completing 3 separate journeys through the Rajasthani desert totaling nearly 2000km, on traditional Indian bicycles, 3-person auto rickshaws and Enfield motorbikes! You’ll get together as one group at the start of the adventure in Delhi, but will then take different trains out to Rajasthan to set out on the three separate routes, which cross over on the second, penultimate and final day of the tour, making for a grand trifecta convoy to take us up to the FTC project base near Kumbalgarh in the Aravali Hills, and then on to the Virgin supported community itself.
Rajasthan is one of India's most captivating states, famed for its Rajput forts and palaces, desert villages, spice markets and the warmth of its people. However the deserved popularity of Rajasthan’s key sights sometimes leaves scant room for a sense of adventure. This trip is the perfect antidote to this!
Each journey takes in a wonderful pastiche of rural Rajasthan, and while they will all bring riders to the same end destination, the experiences and challenges along the way will be different for each group. The cycling route is exactly the same as our tried and tested classic “Cycle India” (2011, 2012, 2013, 2014), the rickshaw ride is a variation of our 2015 and 2016 route, whilst the Enfield route includes some new and exciting destinations including the magical lake city of Pushkar. Numbers of participants for each route will be limited to keep the overall group size manageable, so get your places booked!
Highlights
Have lots of fun riding a bike, traditional rickshaw, or Enfield motorbike!
Stay in gorgeous heritage properties and restored palaces.
Take in views of the Aravali Hills and historic Deogarh.
Visit a small, Virgin-sponsored community in the Kumbhalgarh region to donate your vehicles.
Day to Day
The day in Delhi is yours until the late afternoon. There will be an afternoon briefing and dinner before meeting some of the Grasshopper team. You’ll board the late overnight train (3-tier AC) and will arrive in Jodhpur (bikes & rickshaws) or Bikaner (Enfields) early the next morning.
This morning you’ll be met off the train and transfer to your first night’s base in either Jodhpur (bikes), Khimsar (rickshaws) or Gajner (Enfields). On arrival you’ll have time to settle in, have a full briefing and then get to know your steed, whether that’s a trusty Atlas or Hero pushbike, a roaring Enfield or a pimped up rickshaw! Enfield and rickshaw riders will explore their respective surrounding areas with a short practice ride, while cyclists will have the afternoon to wander the Blue City, and visit mighty Mehrangarh Fort.
Bikes - 55km
Rickshaws - 185km
Enfields - 350km
Our exciting first day’s riding will bring us all to Rohet Garh, a beautiful heritage property with lovely gardens and a pool, which has welcomed us every year since 2011.
Bikes - 100km
Rickshaws - 115km
Enfields - 275km
Today’s ride takes us in a variety of directions: bikes make the long and challenging ride south to Jojowar where another heritage hotel and pool await; rickshaws head further south and into the edge of the Aravali Hills to beautiful and historic Deogarh, perched on a hilltop with commanding views in all directions, and Enfields ride east to the holy lake city of Pushkar!
Bikes - 60km
Rickshaws - 120km
Enfields - 250km
Today’s ride ends with all of us in Ranakpur, home to India’s most exquisite Jain Temple set in a lovely wooded valley and famed for its intricate carving and tranquil setting.
We’ll all make the final journey up into the hills today, although obviously it will take some of us (on bikes) longer than others! On the way we’ll pass monkeys and ox-drawn wells before reaching our overnight stop, FTC’s wonderful project base Aravali, in Kelwara. We’ll have an evening of celebration to mark our arrival.
This morning we’ll make one last ride to one of the FTC Virgin sponsored communities in the Kumbhalgarh region. On arrival, we’ll be welcomed into the village and hand over the donation bicycles, rickshaw and motorbikes and will have the chance to meet the locals and hear about how the vehicles and funding will help change people’s lives for the better. In the afternoon, we’ll transfer to coaches for the drive down to Udaipur where we’ll board the overnight train to Delhi. For those of you who want to spend some time in the magical lake city of Udaipur we’ll be offering an overnight extension at a lakeside hotel, with a tour of the city, including a boat ride on the lake, the following day.
Arrive at approximately 7am and transfer to the HYATT hotel for a freshen up before being transferred to Delhi Airport in time to catch the VS301 around midday.
WHAT MAKES US STAND OUT
GRASSHOPPER STYLE
This unique tour provides the chance to explore India’s historic Rajasthan state in one of three methods of travel. Choose a bicycle, rickshaw or motorbike and head off on a custom adventure! While each method of travel will bring you on a different route, there will be some shared destinations and all adventurers will meet up at the end of the ride. Each route allows you to explore beautiful sights, cultural stops, and visit a community sponsored by Virgin where we’ll donate the vehicles we’ve used in order to improve the lives of the villagers. You’re making a difference as you discover the wonders of India!
