Rajasthan Artisan Village Tour with Jaipur Rugs Foundation - Includes Traditional Lunch
Jaipur, India
From USD 86.00
Office phone number: +91 7230003884
Rajasthan Artisan Village Tour with Jaipur Rugs Foundation - Includes Traditional Lunch
Jaipur, India
Culture shock rating
Worried we’re going to shock your senses? Relax! We believe part of the fun of travel is immersing yourself in the destination and its culture, meeting the people, and learning what makes the place tick. We’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The cultural shock rating ranks how different the experience is from most Western cultures. But no matter the level, don’t worry, you’ll have a local, in-the-know guide with you every step of the way.
Low
Consider these tours your 101 intro to a place. Transportation might be private or a very comfortable public option, and the activities are usually visits to iconic sites and locations that are familiar to most Western cultures – but that will still give you fantastic insight into a destination.
Medium
Expect to rough it for parts of this tour, whether that’s on a packed public bus or in a local market off the tourist trail. There might be a few language barriers or unfamiliar cultural customs, and you’ll get an experience different from what you're used to at home.
High
You're out there in the global community! We’re going to take you down streets you’d rarely explore on your own, introduce you to local customs and languages, and take you for a ride in whatever transport is available. Get ready to take it as it comes, whatever comes. There might be a shock, but oh man, it’s worth it.
Physical rating
Worried our tours are too tough? Relax! From leisurely strolls to muscle-burning treks, we’ve got a wide range of tours with something for everybody. The physical grading gives you an idea of how much huffing and puffing you can expect on the tour.
Low
Slow and steady is all you need here. These tours have very limited physical activity, such as walking relatively flat streets, sites, or markets, and climbing in and out of the transport provided.
Medium
Not too hard, not too soft, these tours are just right! You can expect a bit of physical activity, but nothing overly challenging – perhaps walking up and down hills, riding a bike for up to 30 kilometers along mostly flat terrain, or jumping in a kayak for a gentle paddle on flat water.
High
Get ready for a workout! These tours are our most challenging and involve intense walking, hiking, kayaking, swimming, or bike riding. You could be making steep climbs by foot or pedal, or working your core in the water. We recommend you have a good level of fitness to join this tour.
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Tour snapshot
Jaipur Rug Foundation, in partnership with Urban Adventures, invites you to take a break from the chaos of Jaipur city life and to follow us on a transformative journey through rural Rajasthan, where you’ll meet the inspirational women working to support themselves by keeping alive traditional rug weaving techniques. Meet the villagers, have a go at weaving and enjoy a delicious and traditional lunch during an unforgettable day that sees 100% of your tour fee donated to the continued work of this extraordinary foundation.
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Highlights
- Discover the almost forgotten craft of rug weaving in one of Rajasthan’s many small and captivating villages
- Meet the female artisans who have been empowered to provide for themselves and their families with the support of the Jaipur Rugs Foundation
- Enjoy a typical Rajasthani lunch cooked with love by your new, multi-talented friends
- Have a go at weaving a rug and learn how to tie a knot
- Learn about the history of the village
Local Impact: How you will help the local community by joining this tour:
- This tour is run in a partnership with The Jaipur Rugs Foundation. The Foundation empowers women across the region, supporting them to develop their skills and provides them with a sustainable livelihood. 100% of your tour fee goes back to the Foundation. Plus each booking offers an additional source of income for the female artisans, who will be paid for their guiding services.
- By meeting these women and learning the traditional weaving techniques, you will help preserve traditional crafts, which have come to be a powerful symbol of cultural identity across India.
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Schedule details
- Duration: 5 hours
- Pickup location:
You will be picked up at your hotel between 9:00 am to 10:00 am (depends on other guests’ pick ups). The pick-up time will be confirmed via email 24 hours prior to the beginning of your tour.
- Pickup time: 9.00 AM-10.00 AM
- Drop off location:
At your hotel
Language: English
Inclusions: Local, English-speaking guide, lunch, water, tea
Exclusions: Additional food and drinks, souvenirs and personal shopping, tips/gratuities for your guide
Your introduction to rural Rajasthan begins with a drive through the countryside to a village that’s home to gifted, female weavers who belong to the inspirational Jaipur Rugs Foundation.
The Foundation empowers women across the region, supports them to develop their skills and provides them with a sustainable livelihood. So far, we have created over 40,000 jobs for artisans whose skills were in danger of being overtaken by less creative mechanical processes.
Traditional crafts have come to be a powerful symbol of cultural identity across India and our mission is to preserve these as much as possible. And the best thing? 100% of your tour fee goes back to the Foundation. Plus each booking offers an additional source of income for the female artisans, who will be paid for their guiding services. Find out more about the work of the foundation here.
We will meet these local craftspeople in their own home where their working looms are located, and learn about their craft as well as what led them into this line of work.
You will have an opportunity to find out more about the traditional weaving techniques they use and have a go yourself. All the rugs in the Artisan Originals Collection are one-of-a-kind, as the ladies are encouraged to use their creativity to design unique and wonderful patterns inspired by their rural surroundings and lifestyle.
The village that we visit will depend on the ladies’ work schedules for the day, so no two experiences will be the same. Here is an example of a typical experience in the charming village of Manpura:
Manpura is a small village in the lap of the Aravalli mountains. You will enjoy a traditional welcome from your hosts, who will tie a colourful safa on your head. Together we’ll explore the ruins of ancient Meena architecture in the village onboard a camel cart and we’ll stroll by the pretty carved houses of the Rajputs.
Then we’ll watch the Raigars hand-crafting mojaris (hand-crafted shoes) with colourful turbans on their head and hookahs in hand, before having a go at hand-weaving majestic carpets, with the help of the local craftswomen, reciting folk rhymes as they work. As you weave, you can glance over at other handy women making beautiful baskets made of mulberry stems and kooncha grass.
An unforgettable lunch is next on the agenda, cooked by our multi-talented hosts on mud stoves using traditional utensils and cutlery. As you tuck into some delicious local food, maybe some of the village’s talented artists will perform traditional folk music and dance, if you're lucky, encouraging you to tap your feet to the beats of the dhaap, manjiri and tanpura.
After a memorable day, you will be escorted back to your hotel.
Please note: there may be small itinerary and schedule changes depending on which village we visit.
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Additional information
Inclusions: Local, English-speaking guide, lunch, water, tea
Exclusions: Additional food and drinks, souvenirs and personal shopping, tips/gratuities for your guide
Dress standard: Casual, comfy clothes are encouraged.
Your Trip: For your Urban Adventure you will be in a small group of a maximum of 12 people.
Confirmation of booking: If you have your voucher, your booking is confirmed. We'll see you at the start point. Get in touch if you have any concerns or require more information via the email address or phone number (business hours only) on your voucher.
Additional Information: There will be refreshments provided around lunch time but we recommend that you bring a bottle of water with you. Alcohol is forbidden on this tour and won’t be available for purchase.
Child Policy: This is a child-friendly tour. Children between the ages of 6 and 11 inclusively are permitted on this tour at the rate listed above. Please select ‘child’ above when booking. Children under the age of 6 are permitted to join this tour free of charge. Please inform us at the time of booking if you’ll be bringing a child under the age of 6. You can do so in the special request box on the checkout page.
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Dietary Notes
We can accommodate vegetarians and other dietary restrictions. Please notify us in advance if you have any dietary requests or food allergies. You can do so in the ‘Additional information’ box at checkout, or by emailing us at himanshi.s@jaipurrugs.com.
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Local contact
Office phone number: +91 7230003884
Email address: jrf@jaipurrugs.org
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