Vedic Walks

Vedic Walks is a boutique tour company in Rajasthan, running since 2008, with a Jaipur office phone line and a programme that centres on the city. It describes itself as an experiential tour operator and designs walking and cycling tours, food tours, art workshops and day trips as well as longer journeys around the state. In Jaipur its core offering is a pair of heritage walks through the old city, which show the Pink City as a working place of craftspeople, traders and temples rather than just a backdrop to the palaces.

The morning walk, called Little Streets, Big Surprises, starts at Golcha Cinema and finishes at Choti Chaupar. Over two to two and a half hours it explains the geometry of the city plan and the meaning of its gates, then moves through Modikhana, one of the old city's quarters. Stops include Thatheras, the street of metalworkers, a community well, a temple beneath a tamarind tree said to be 300 years old, a demonstration of bangle-making with sealing wax, and an Ayurvedic hospital that specialises in spinal treatment. It starts at 09:00 from October to March and at 08:00 from April to September, to avoid the heat.

The evening walk, Vocations and Artisans of Jaipur, begins at 16:00 at Choti Chaupar and ends at Johari Bazaar. It explains the role of the chaupars, the great squares at the city's crossroads, passes old stables now used as a market and, optionally, climbs one of the city's tallest towers for a view over the walled city. Along the way you see bangle makers at work, walk a lane of bridal clothing shops and old havelis, visit the gem polishers, with a chai stop, and meet sellers of the milk products used in Indian sweets.

Both walks are priced per person, based on a minimum of two people, with group pricing for more than five; the price includes a guide, a walking map, a bottle of water and a small souvenir. The walks suit first-time visitors, photographers and anyone curious about crafts and daily life. Wear comfortable shoes and modest clothing, as you will enter temples, and expect busy, uneven streets.

Beyond the walks, Vedic Walks runs an Amer heritage walk, cycle and rickshaw tours, a block-printing workshop at Bagru, a haveli dinner food experience and day trips from Jaipur to Abhaneri, Bhangarh, Pushkar and Agra. Book in advance by phone or email, particularly in the winter season.