Drive to the picturesque Ajabgarh Fort, which is known as the “place of mysteries” with its marble-fronted temple and well-preserved courtyard of 24 pillars. The area surrounding the fort was a favored hunting ground of the local nobility in the 10th century.

Built in 1631, this princely city is remarkably well-preserved even though it was deserted just a generation after it was finished. Legend has it that the desertion occurred because Bhangarh was cursed by a court magician who tried, unsuccessfully, to woo the city’s stunning queen. The city has never been re-inhabited, so visiting here offers the chance to imagine life as it was in the 17th century.

In a Kashmiri-built shikara boat, cruise around Mansarover Lake, a haven for ornithologists and particularly good for bird-watching from October to February.

Visit Sariska National Park, a 309-square-mile (800 square kilometer) area in the Aravalli Hills whose habitats include grasslands, dry deciduous forests, sheer cliffs and rocky landscape. Home to a variety of species, including tigers, crocodiles, macaques, leopards, and the langur, a tree-dwelling monkey, the park also encompasses historic medieval temples and a hilltop castle, the good place to spot vultures and eagles swooping above the forests.

Have lunch with a local family in remote tribal village of minority people who have maintained separate and distinct customs as a result of their isolated lifestyle.