What budget for activities and outings Rajasthan?
The price of admission to monuments is increasing and is now impacting the budget of less fortunate travelers. It is necessary to count 500 Rs for any entry in a national monument. The entrance to the Taj Mahal, a real financial manna for the government of Uttar Pradesh, now costs Rs 1,000 to which must be added Rs 200 to access the mausoleum.
There is an interesting composite ticket in Jaipur that allows you to visit 7 sites. Valid for 48 hours, you can buy it at the entrance of any of the 7 sites: Amber Fort, Jantar Mantar, Albert Hall Museum, Nahargarh Fort, Hawa Mahal, Sisodiya Rani Gardens, Vidhiyadhar Gardens. The ticket costs Rs 1,000. But beware, the City Palace is not included.
There are not really any free activities or good plans to visit Rajasthan. But knowing that there is always something going on around the corner, nothing beats standing on the side of a road or a square with a camera and letting yourself be caught by the light and the colors.
With the exception of chain stores (Fabindia, international brands) and shops selling luxury goods, you will have to pay in cash.
Tickets for the Sound and Light Show at monuments under the aegis of ASI cost around Rs 200. Nightclubs are rare and you will find them only in Delhi. Entrance fees are high, around Rs 5,000 for a couple
What budget to eat Rajasthan?
A meal in a dhaba, a small roadside restaurant, will not cost you more than a hundred rupees. For a more traditional restaurant, you should count between Rs 250 and Rs 500, depending on your appetite. In the best restaurants, the price can reach (but rarely exceed) Rs 1,500 per person
Many restaurants in Rajasthan are vegetarian, and in some cities like Pushkar, it is impossible to find meat or alcohol.
Many restaurants do not have a license to sell alcohol. Therefore, it is rare to be able to accompany your meal with a glass of wine (very expensive and bad) or a beer, except in restaurants for tourists or at the tables of big hotels
Alcohol is expensive in India and of poor quality. All strong alcohols are distilled in the country: vodka, whisky, gin, rum. You can also find wine produced in the region of Nashik in Maharashtra or in the surroundings of Bangalore. It is very expensive (1,500 Rs for a bottle in the store) and of poor quality. The beer is also brewed in India.
Imported alcohol is only available in palaces
What is the budget for accommodation Rajasthan?
The major tourist centers offer a wide choice of hotels, there is something for everyone. The prices indicated are for a double room, in high season. But they should be taken with caution. Hoteliers have strongly reduced their rates during the Covid epidemic, when India was closed to foreign tourists. The sector retreated to its domestic market. With the reopening of the country to tourism and two almost blank years, it is likely that hoteliers will catch up. Especially since India is not immune to the inflation that is rampant throughout the world. Generally speaking, the cleanliness of budget hotels has improved, especially in establishments that cater to a majority of foreign tourists
The abundance of hotels ensures healthy competition that keeps prices down. However, the introduction of a federal tax to supplement the local tax in 2017 is driving up prices for the end consumer, especially in luxury establishments. The tax is 28% for rooms priced above Rs 7,500, 18% for rooms priced between Rs 2,500 and Rs 7,500 and 12% for rooms sold between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,500 per night. Most establishments display prices excluding taxes, in order to remain attractive.
In Rajasthan, expect to pay between Rs 500 and Rs 1,500 for a budget hotel. You will have a clean room, a private bathroom and towels. For a charming hotel, count between Rs 2,500 and Rs 6,000 per night. In the luxury hotels and palaces, count between 7 000 Rs and 20 000 Rs for a double room. These hotels are often housed in carefully restored former maharaja palaces or lavish havelis.
Hotels in Delhi are very expensive. You won't find a decent room for less than Rs 1,500. A comfortable room in a decent hotel or a B&B will not cost less than Rs 5,000 per night.
Some small towns are singularly lacking in hotel and tourist facilities, as is the case in Mathura or Vrindavan, large pilgrimage centers where Indians come for the day or sleep in dharamsalas, pilgrim hostels.
Travel budget Rajasthan and cost of living
Budget. The Indian standard of living is comparatively low compared to that of Western countries, even if it is constantly improving. Indians will tell you that everything is expensive now. This is especially true for fixed costs (water, electricity, gas) which are constantly increasing. Concerning food, prices vary enormously depending on the harvest and the monsoons. Entrance fees to tourist sites are relatively high for foreign tourists, especially in Uttar Pradesh (Agra, Fatehpur Sikri...) where the smallest entry ticket to a site costs at least 100 Rs each time we visit
The crisis of Covid-19 has strongly impacted the tourism industry. Closed to foreign tourism, India has turned to its domestic market, which has managed to keep most hotels afloat. However, hotels have lowered their prices (especially luxury hotels, to accommodate local customers) and it is likely that they will rise sharply with the return of Western tourists. The hotel prices given in these pages should be taken with caution.
Small budget: with 20 € to 25 € per day you will sleep in guest houses with rudimentary comfort, take your meals in the street or in local canteens and use public transportation. You will visit one or two paying monuments each day. You should avoid staying too long in the larger cities, which are considered more expensive. It is possible to reduce the range of daily expenses, but we do not guarantee the cleanliness of hotels or the freshness of meals. In this case, bring your own sheets and towels and an effective anti-diarrhea medication.
Average budget: with 50 € to 100 € per day, you will sleep in charming hotels with air-conditioned rooms (or heated in winter), take your meals in good restaurants and make some excursions by private car. To move from one city to another, you will take the train in the best classes (1AC or 2AC).
Big budget: between 150 € and 200 € per day, you will sleep in luxury hotels and will travel exclusively by car with driver. You'll sit at the best tables and be able to treat yourself to something crazy like a hot air balloon ride over Jaipur or a very private camp in Ranthambore.
Unlimited budget: you will have the best suites in the most beautiful palaces, and they are numerous. You will travel in a very comfortable luxury car and will opt, why not, for a tour in the mythical Palace on Wheels train.
Tipping. Tipping is de rigueur in India, especially when you are a foreigner. The amount is free and to be defined according to the amount of your bill in restaurants and bars in particular. You can leave between 10 Rs and 200 Rs at the restaurant depending on its standing and the number of guests. Luxurious establishments often apply a percentage for the service called " service charge" , which does not prevent you from adding a tip if you are satisfied with the service
If you hire a driver for all or part of your stay, a tip is mandatory. The drivers have a small fixed salary, and the tip allows them to make ends meet. It is necessary to count between 200 Rs and 500 Rs per day, according to the number of people and the duration of the service. Count Rs 3,000 for ten days
Haggling. Bargaining is common in almost all stores (except on products with a fixed price tag) and especially in stores specializing in tourist items. Be prepared to bargain hard. If you really like an item, don't show it off and set a limit before you start negotiating. Look for objective and subjective arguments that could lower the price (you like the item, but you would have preferred it in another color, there is a small defect, the polyester is not worth the price of the silk...). Pretend to walk away and look further. Chances are the seller will chase you down and drop the item at your last price. Another tip is that the first sale of the day is often considered a good omen by merchants. The best deals are possible early in the morning.
Taxes. Goods and services are taxed twice. The GST is the value-added tax on goods and services and is levied by the federal government, while the SGST of the same amount is levied by the local government. The tax reform is one of the major undertakings of the Narendra Modi government and it came into effect on July1, 2017. There are 7 different tax rates ranging from 0% to 28%. Hotels are taxed at 0% for rooms under Rs 1,000, 12% for rates between Rs 1,000 and Rs 2,500 per night, 18% when the room rate is between Rs 2,500 and Rs 7,500, and 28% when the room rate is above Rs 7,500. Therefore, remember to ask for the price including all taxes when you book a room, in order to avoid bad surprises and blowing your budget.
The price war. We have received several remarks from readers mentioning that the prices indicated in this guide are not always those they observe on the spot. While we take our investigations seriously, hoteliers and tourist sites are free to raise their prices whenever they please. The Covid-19 epidemic that saw the country closed to foreign tourists for 2 years led to an overall drop in rates, especially in luxury establishments. Hoteliers have turned to their domestic market to fill their establishments. We conducted our survey when tourism was not yet back in Rajasthan. It is likely that hoteliers are increasing their rates significantly with the arrival of the tourist season, to the detriment of the information gathered during our visit.
Many establishments modify their rates according to the season. In the low season (May to September), rates are more easily negotiable. In order to get a good price, don't hesitate to play the competition and negotiate the price down, with a smile. As a general rule, luxury and mid-range establishments post their rates on their websites and you will be able to get updated information at the time of your reservation. However, in the case of low-cost hotels, the hotelier will often charge a "per-customer" rate depending on the occupancy rate of his establishment and his financial needs.
Concerning the rickshaw races, our good knowledge of the ground and the culture often allows us to obtain the right price for a race. It is much less easy to negotiate a race in a city in which we have no reference, nor any idea of the distances. Rickshaw-walas tend to inflate the price of a ride outrageously when they see tourists arriving. This is especially true in low season, when they have less shopping. And they may once again want to make up for two long years of dearth. It is essential to keep your cool and explain to the driver that you know the rates (you will have asked them at your hotel) and that this is not your first stay in India. Whatever happens, don't lose your cool. There is no need to ruin your stay for a dozen rupees.
