Royal Rajasthan Rider

Ten nights through Rajasthan, guided, on sealed road throughout, which makes this the gentlest of the Indian tours in the range.

Delhi is the start, then the desert plains and the royal estates, several of which are now hotels: the maharajas who could not afford to keep them turned them over to guests, which is how a motorcycle tour ends up sleeping in palaces rather than roadside lodges.

Jodhpur comes first of the cities, the blue city, where the old quarter below the fort is painted in indigo and the fort itself stands on a cliff above it. Ranthambore follows, a former royal hunting reserve that is now one of the better places in India to see a tiger, along with crocodiles and hyena. Udaipur comes next on its lake, with a sunset boat out to an island for dinner, then Jaipur, the pink city, with the Taj Mahal available as an extension.

Bike hire is included, on a Royal Enfield Himalayan 450, with a discount for anyone bringing their own. Eleven days at a relaxed pace and entirely on tarmac makes this a cultural tour with a bike attached rather than an expedition, and it suits a rider who wants India without the Himalaya. The cool season from October to March is the window, since the Rajasthani summer is extreme. No tiger sighting can be promised, and the camels and elephants on the roads are working animals rather than attractions. Indian traffic is its own discipline and the guide earns their keep in the cities more than on the open road.