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Bucketlist Bri

Bucketlist Bri

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1 Day Itinerary for Pushkar: India’s Hippiest Holy City

Last Updated: January 2, 2023 · India

Meet Pushkar — one of India’s holiest and oldest cities.

Pushkar is a small town situated on the border of the arid Thar Desert in Rajasthan a few hours east of Jaipur, Rajasthan’s capital.

During our backpacking trip around Rajasthan, we decided we must see what all the fuss was about Pushkar. After all, we had heard so many things about Pushkar’s hippie vibe, holy lake, and eccentric festivals! But it seems like we weren’t the only ones with this idea.

Along with thousands of Hindus making the pilgrimage to the holy city, there are thousands of foreigners making the same trip, but rather to indulge in Pushkar’s laid-back hippie scene. From a tourist’s perspective, and because

Pushkar is relatively small, there aren’t that many things to do. In fact, there’s just enough to fill a one or two-day Pushkar itinerary!

We personally felt that 1-2 days in Pushkar was enough. The only foreigners who stayed longer were those who wanted to hang back and smoke weed and drink bhang lassis or stay for one of Pushkar’s festivals.

Here’s how to have an awesome time in Pushkar for a 1-day itinerary!

Table of Contents show
The Ultimate 1 Day Itinerary for Pushkar
Where to Stay in Pushkar
What to Do in Pushkar in 1 Day
Wander Pushkar Lake
Visit the Holy Temples
Eat at Lakeside Vegan/Vegetarian Cafes
Hike Savitri Mata at Sunset
Watch an Aarti Ceremony
Experience Pushkar Nightlife
Pushkar Camel Festival
More India travel inspiration:

The Ultimate 1 Day Itinerary for Pushkar

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links that may earn me a small commission should you decide to click through and make a valid purchase (at no extra cost to you). Thanks so much for your support!

Where to Stay in Pushkar

First things first. No matter where you’re coming from (likely from Jaipur), you’ll want to stay overnight in Pushkar.

If not, you’ll miss out on some sweet sunset hikes and evening ceremonies. Plus, Pushkar is the perfect small town to find some peace and quiet before journeying onward to visit Rajasthan’s bustling cities like Jodhpur or Jaisalmer.

Backpacker hotels in Pushkar $:

Elephant Pushkar — a budget hostel with a great location on Main Market Rd. It has a large garden and a backpacker-friendly vibe.

Moustache Pushkar — an awesome backpacker-style hostel with private rooms and an open-air shared lounge. It also has a superb location on Brahma Temple Rd!

For couples, Paul and I can recommend staying at the Tulsi Hostel. It’s just right off Main Market Road nearby Pushkar Lake. We had our own private room for a good price (~$8) and felt safe staying there.

What to Do in Pushkar in 1 Day

Pushkar Lake | Pushkar 1 Day Itinerary | Pushkar Holy City

With only one day in Pushkar, you don’t have that much time to splurge. We arrived early in the morning in Pushkar and I recommend you do the same to take advantage of a full day.

If you have more time, definitely consider spreading out all the things to do in Pushkar across two days. If you time it well, here is what you can do for one day in Pushkar.

Wander Pushkar Lake

Get up at sunrise to stroll around the sacred Pushkar Lake. The views are beautiful and it’s the perfect time to do a little soul-searching or meditation while Pushkar still sleeps.

Pushkar Lake is a holy site for Hindus, who make the voyage here to bathe in its sacred cleaning waters at one of the 52 ghats surrounding the lake. Its historical appearance can be traced back all the way to the early 2-5th centuries. But if you’re fascinated by the Hindu religion, the legend of how Lord Brahma created Lake Pushkar from one of the petals of his lotus flower might pique your interest more.

As I said there are 52 ghats around the lake and a ghat simply means a flight of steps. So there are basically 52 areas around Pushkar Lake where locals and Hindus can access the lake to bathe in the belief that the sacred waters cleanse the skin of impurities and disease. Waking up early to photograph Pushkar Lake at sunrise is a must!

pushkar lake at sunrise | rajasthan, india
pushkar lake in pushkar rajasthan, india

Visit the Holy Temples

There are dozens of Hindu temples in Pushkar to explore in one day. The most impressive temple to visit in Pushkar, however, is none other than the famous Brahma Temple — the temple dedicated to Lord Brahma, the creator god.

You won’t have time to visit all the temples in Pushkar in 1 day. So it’s best to pick and choose. Here are some other popular temples to see in Pushkar:

  • Savitri Temple (see below for this awesome hike!)
  • Gayatri Temple
  • Apteshwar Temple
  • Mahadeva Temple
  • Old Ranji Temple
  • Raghunath Temple
  • Ramavaikunth Temple
  • among others!

Temple Tips: When you enter the temples, you will be asked to take off your shoes. Also, make sure to leave your valuables behind or store them in a paid locker outside of the temples. I have no photos of the temples we visited for this exact reason. We had to store our belongings in order to access the temple.

Eat at Lakeside Vegan/Vegetarian Cafes

Vegans and vegetarians are in for a treat in Pushkar! Dozens of chic vegetarian-friendly cafes line the streets and skirt the perimeter of the lake. Choose one and enjoy the views across Pushkar Lake!

While you can find your typical Indian dishes in Pushkar like naan, stuffed parathas, cashew curry, dhal, etc., Pushkar surprisingly offers international cuisine. While there, we had a delicious fruit salad with raw honey, a few Indian snacks, and smoothies (that were not spiked!!).

Where to eat in Pushkar: 

Popular vegetarian/hippie cafes in Pushkar are the Cafe Lake View, The Laughing Buddha, Funky Monkey Cafe, Nirvana Cafe and Pizzeria, Out of The Blue, Pink Floyd Cafe and Ganga Laffa & Felafel Restaurant… To name a few! 🙂

Once you get a sense of these rooftop cafes and bohemian restaurants, it’s easier to understand the hippie culture that makes Pushkar such a tourist destination for backpackers and free spirits.

Travel Tip: As it’s a holy place, there is no meat consumption anywhere in Pushkar. Hence all the vegetarian and vegan cafes!

Hike Savitri Mata at Sunset

monkeys at savitri mata temple in pushkar | one day in pushkar
hiking savitri mata temple in pushkar rajastan

By far, one of the best things to do in Pushkar is to hike at sunset to the hilltop Hindu temple known as Savitri Mata.

Savitri Mata is known as the primary wife of Lord Brahma, so many people make the trek to visit this temple.

To get there, follow the road leaving Pushkar downtown to Savitri Temple via Kharekhari Rd. You can’t miss it!

Hiking to Savitri means climbing up some 950 steps, so it’s not exactly a leisurely hike. If you’re strapped for time, you can also take a cable car up to the top.

The cable car in Pushkar costs 75 RPS one-way and 140 for there and back.

savitri mata temple cable car pushkar
Savitri Temple cablecar – shot this on our way back down the mountain

The view from the top affords a sweeping view of Pushkar and its surrounding valley and hills.

You’ll also find a troop of monkeys at Savitri as well! Although they are used to seeing people, I wouldn’t wander too close. Don’t encourage them by prompting with food, drink, etc., or they can quickly become aggressive!

Make sure to stay for sunset if you can but don’t leave too late to get back. It took us around 45 minutes to one hour to climb it, and about 30 minutes to descend back down.

Pushkar, India | Savitri Mata Temple | 2 Weeks in Rajasthan
savitri mata temple hike
monkey holding baby at savitri mata temple in pushkar rajasthan india

Alternative Hike: Pap Mochani Temple Hike — Another hike you can squeeze into your Pushkar itinerary is the Pap Mochani Temple Hike. This hike is best done during the day and takes half as much time as Savitri to climb.

Watch an Aarti Ceremony

An aarti ceremony is a religious Hindu ceremony in which worshippers offer light (fire lamps) to the Hindu gods and deities.

Although the aarti ceremonies are most famous in Varanasi, Pushkar also boasts a lovely ceremony that you can watch live every evening at the Varah Ghat in Pushkar (7 pm in summer, 5:30 pm in winter).

Experience Pushkar Nightlife

Other than the evening aarti ceremony, what is there to do in Pushkar at night?

Pushkar’s nightlife can be lots of fun if you’re willing to stay curious and do a bit of exploring. The foodie scene at night in Pushkar is awesome, especially around the Main Market Square.

Tip: I would only recommend eating street food in India if you’ve acclimated to the country, but if not, go slow to avoid the traveler’s tummy.

If you’re shopping last-minute, the Safar Bazaar in Pushkar stays open in the evening and many of the shop owners are willing to ‘strike a deal’ for end-of-the-day sales before going home.

In general, when I shop in India or Nepal I like to go early morning or later in the evening to get a good bargain.

pushkar lake, pushkar rajasthan, pushkar 1 day itinerary

So eating, shopping, exploring around, what else is there to do in Pushkar at night? Well, you can finish visiting the remainder of the temples in Pushkar.

Many of the temples and ghats around the lake stay open at night (up until around 9 pm).

Visit Pushkar’s temples at night to get a new sense and atmosphere of each place. Going later is also a great way to avoid the day-time crowds and it’s often more “peaceful” like you would expect temples in India to generally be.

Reminder: Just like the no meant rule, alcohol is not allowed in Pushkar. Please be respectful of the local culture and don’t smuggle in alcohol like many foreigners attempt to do. Instead, Pushkar offers “special” drinks (bhang lassis, etc) that you can find at bars and cafes.

Pushkar Camel Festival

Last but not least, if you’re visiting Pushkar in late November, don’t miss out on the Pushkar Camel Fair — one of the largest camel festivals in the world!

It’s a time when Hindu pilgrims, camel connoisseurs, and locals come together to celebrate a two-day festival with camel races, competitions, dances, and more.

Check out this video of the Pushkar Camel Festival by The Vagabrothers. It really gives a birds-eye view into the camel fair and what Pushkar looks like during these festive times!

As you can see there are so many things to do and places to visit in Pushkar in 1 day!

If you’re backpacking Rajasthan, definitely add this one-day Pushkar itinerary to your bucket list! I would love to get back to Pushkar one day to experience the camel fair and visit all the temples I didn’t have time to see.

More India travel inspiration:

  •  9 Best Places to Visit in Jodhpur: India’s Blue City
  • 3 Days in Jaisalmer, India + Camel Safari in The Thar Desert
  • 2 Days in Jaipur, India: The Pink City of Rajasthan
  • 2 Days in Agra, India: Guide to Taj Mahal + Agra Fort

Have you ever heard of Pushkar or have been there? Drop me your questions or comments about Pushkar below! 

 

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By: Bri · In: India

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Comments

  1. Mohit Yadav says

    May 22, 2023 at 1:52 am

    Have been to Pushkar but didn’t knew that there are such opportunities to witness. Next time for sure.

    Reply
  2. Nishi says

    July 6, 2020 at 12:37 am

    Wow, a great 1-day itinerary to Pushkar such an amazing place to explore loved it very much. I have been to Rajasthan long back but I didn’t even know this city. Thanks for sharing this beautiful city.

    Reply
    • Bri says

      July 28, 2020 at 11:42 am

      Thanks so much! We really loved traveling in and exploring Rajasthan!

      Reply

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Traveling solo in Nepal has awakened in me a confi Traveling solo in Nepal has awakened in me a confidence & sense of self (at the risk of sounding cliché), of “my essence” and inner Knowing, and where my compassion and passions mingle and thrive. I was reading some of your comments on my recent Reel about solo travel and how I put myself at great risk/in danger. But as I was telling my Tibetan friend, Sonam, tonight (yes, the new one I made last week!), I inform my decisions mostly by 1. Asking myself, “Would this make a good story?” and 2. Listening to my body and emotions. Yes, it’s risky to travel solo, to be a female in a male-dominated culture, to go out after hours with people you just met, etc. But doing that — and all the magic that followed by “allowing” — reminded me exactly of who I am at my core: Curious and open to the world, willing to get uncomfortable for the sake of finding magic and serendipity. Some of you said, “I’m too scared to do this, how do you overcome that fear of personal safety?” And to this I say, I don’t! Fear accompanies me along the journey. Living life is one big risk. It’s uncomfortable to be open, vulnerable, and unsure. But once you accept that and once you begin to let compassion and curiosity guide you rather than your fear, the real magic starts to happen in all areas of life, not just travel. I find these moments most in travel though, when I’m confronted with contrast and am left vulnerable to the world and the kindness of my fellow humans. My Reels are not meant to romanticize or gloss over very real risks/threats in life, but rather to share a real account of what’s possible (adventure, connections, love, etc) when you worry less about societal norms and what’s “safe not safe” “right not right” and allow your over-active fears to take a backseat. 
This is your reminder to trust your inner compass to guide you in writing your epic life story. ✨✨

To sum it up: 

1. Choose a life of adventure 
2. Stay curious
3. Get comfortable with being uncomfortable (otherwise said, seek discomfort)
4. Let love and light flow in and out 
5. Change is the only constant 

#solotravel #nepaltravel #solofemaletraveler #soloadventure #localtravel #trekkingnepal #adventurethatislife
The strength of women 💛 These ladies were lau The strength of women 💛 

These ladies were laughing so sweetly while filling up their water jugs at the Manga Hiti fountain in Patan. I watched them for a while and then plucked up the courage to ask if I could take their photos, which only made them giggle more. 

I've always felt that not being able to communicate in the same language makes for even more interesting encounters. Without words, we have to touch each other's humanity with eyes and gestures, and most of the time it leads to unspoken mutual understanding, acceptance, and love. We three walked away with the biggest smiles on our faces. I yelled out "Dhayabad!" (Thank you!) as they hoisted their jugs up the stairs, laughing all the way. I won't forget this shared moment between us 🙏 

Check stories for the landscape orientation for some of these photos ✨ 

#nepal #nepalnow #nepalphotography #nepaliculture #nepalisbeautiful #natgeoyourshot #patan #kathmanduvalley #lifetimeexperiences #photonepal #nepaltravel
Did you feel it? Nepal’s ancient wisdom, its swi Did you feel it? Nepal’s ancient wisdom, its swirling spirituality, its raw humanity? ✨🇳🇵❤️

#nepal #visitnepal #nepalnow #travelstories #localtravel #mindfultravel #slowtravel #natgeotravel
When you say “yes” as a solo traveler and stay When you say “yes” as a solo traveler and stay open to the randomness of life and the kindness of strangers, really wonderful memories can be made. Thank you Lama family and my new Tibetan friends for such a fun and insightful sequence of experiences 🙏 💛

#solotravel #localtravel #nepaltravel #nepaldiaries #nepali #solofemaletravel #kathmandunepal #thamel #tibetanfood #solotraveldiaries
My first week back in the chaos of Kathmandu, 💛 My first week back in the chaos of Kathmandu, 💛 

Being back after 7 long years away has jolted my body, brain, and spirit. At first, I felt overwhelmed with the recurring thought of, "I don't know what to do with myself." It was only when acceptance knocked on my door, and I finally decided to let it in, that things began to shift and flow.
 
In Nepal, particularly Kathmandu, everything around me swarms like a hive. I have nowhere else to go but inside myself. I've discovered through years of slow traveling (and solo travel) that peace awaits me there -- a sense of independence, power, and knowing that is still, comforting, and safe. And I can tap into it whenever I need to.

Chaos and peace reside in all of us, and Nepal has a cosmic, ancient way of reminding you of just that. 

📍 Patan Durbar Square, Lalitpur

#nepaltravel #patan #durbarsquare #nepalphotography #slowtravel #nepal #solotravel #lalitpur
They ask, “Why?” I was 29 when I embarked on They ask, “Why?” 

I was 29 when I embarked on the plane on the 21st, and 30 when I disembarked on the 23rd. How fitting. I spent all of my 20s abroad (except for my two final semesters in undergrad), and moved to Nepal when I was 21. 

What better way to say goodbye to my twenties than by returning to the start? I felt the desperate urge to start my 30s this way—alone on a one-way ticket with no concrete plans. I have both feared and longed to come back all these years. You see, I had made a promise to one of my closest Nepali friends that I’d see her again, but the reality is that I no longer can. 

She, along with another dear friend, passed away from cancer a couple of years back. The thought of returning to my old life here without my friends made me, well, incredibly sad. I had thought that, upon landing in Kathmandu—or taking a bite of my first momo—after so long, I’d find myself bursting into tears of both grief and gratitude. But I didn’t. Instead, I found familiarity in the chaos and chaos in the strangeness. 

Just being here—and the decisions and actions it took to get here—has reminded me of the preciousness of this one very short life. And that, by choosing to celebrate mine—at the exciting turn of a decade no less—by coming back to Nepal on a solo trip that would force me into daring discomfort when I could instead retreat to the comforts of family or my partner, is how I want to live it.

Truth is, a couple of months ago the thought of Nepal felt out of reach. It felt risky, unattainable. But the idea itself pushed open, just a crack at first, a door that had been otherwise closed. I could have more easily ignored my “what if?” daydreams—calling them off as too hard, too uncomfortable, or too far-fetched to actually pursue—and kept it shut.
But sometime in mid-July, I decided to look at flights. And I found one (truly, just one) option that could work. And it just so happened that it would fall on my birthday, or rather bridge my birthday. The idea of getting on a plane at 29 and getting off it at 30—back in Nepal—sold me. I fell in love with the story, the adventure, the unknowingness of it all. 

So, yeah. That’s why. Or as I prefer, “Why not?”
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