Pilgrimage Tours
Photo: VrMUSLIM · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 3.0 · cropped
Ajmer Sharif is the dargah — the tomb-shrine — of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti, the 13th-century Sufi saint of the Chishti order whom devotees call Garib Nawaz, "benefactor of the poor". He died at Ajmer in 1236, and the grave beneath the white marble dome, which was raised in 1532, has drawn pilgrims ever since; Mughal emperors from Akbar to Aurangzeb added gates, mosques and courtyards to the complex over the following centuries. The most photographed features are the tiered gateways — the Nizam Gate, the Shahjahani Gate and Buland Darwaza — and the two enormous degs, cauldrons donated by Akbar in 1568 and Jahangir in 1614, in which food is still cooked and distributed. It is among the most visited Sufi shrines in the subcontinent, and Hindu and Muslim visitors have come to it side by side for centuries; the offering here is a chadar of flowers and cloth laid on the tomb rather than a temple darshan.
October to March is the comfortable window — Ajmer sits on the edge of the Rajasthan desert belt and May and June are severe, often crossing 40 degrees, which is hard on elders standing in a marble courtyard. The one date to plan around is the annual Urs, the saint's death anniversary, observed in the Islamic month of Rajab and so falling roughly eleven days earlier each Gregorian year; in 2026 the main days run through mid-December. Urs is genuinely, punishingly crowded — several lakh people converge on a small walled complex and narrow bazaar lanes, hotels fill months ahead, and families travelling with the very old or the very young are usually better served by an ordinary weekday outside the Urs and outside Thursday and Friday evenings.
The nearest airport is Kishangarh (KQH), about 27 km from Ajmer, but it has few flights; most travellers fly into Jaipur International Airport, roughly 135 km away and about two to two and a half hours by road on NH-48. Ajmer Junction is a major railhead on the Delhi–Ahmedabad line with direct trains from Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Mumbai, and the dargah is only about 1 km from the station — walkable, or a short auto or e-rickshaw ride. By road Ajmer is about 135 km from Jaipur, around 390 km from Delhi and 200 km from Jodhpur; Pushkar is only some 15 km away, so most itineraries pair the two. Vehicles cannot go up to the gate — the last stretch through Dargah Bazaar is on foot.
Heads must be covered inside the dargah by men and women alike (cloth caps and scarves are sold at every shop on the approach lane), footwear is left outside, and modest dress covering shoulders and knees is expected. The final approach through Dargah Bazaar is a crowded, uneven lane walked barefoot or in socks, which matters if anyone in the group has mobility difficulty. Please confirm entry arrangements, prayer timings and any Urs-period restrictions with the Dargah committee before you travel — they change and are not something an outside agency controls.
Planned around you, not a fixed departure. Holiday Vibez arranges pilgrimages to Ajmer Sharif Dargah in Ajmer for families, elders and temple groups travelling from Chennai, Coimbatore, Kochi and Madurai. Tell us your dates and how many are coming — we build the route around that. 100% customisable.
- Stays near the shrine — so elders aren't driven back and forth at 4am.
- Private transfers — pick-up from your door, not a meeting point.
- Meals that suit the group — including pure-veg and fasting requirements.
- Group travel — 4 people or 40, one coordinator, one itinerary.
- Someone on the phone — when you're in a queue three states from home.
Temple boards run their own darshan queues and quotas. No travel agent can sell you a special one, and agencies that promise "VIP darshan" are either misleading you or breaking the trust's rules. We help you book the official slots and we get everything else right.
Most of the people we send on yatra are over 55, or booking for parents who are. We plan shorter driving days, stays within walking distance where the shrine allows it, and we'll tell you honestly if a site involves a long climb or a trek before you pay — not after.
Can non-Muslims visit Ajmer Sharif Dargah?
Yes. The dargah has received visitors of all faiths for centuries and Hindu, Sikh, Christian and Muslim pilgrims come alike. The only expectations are the ones that apply to everyone: covered head, footwear removed, modest dress and quiet conduct near the tomb.
What do people offer at the dargah?
The customary offering is a chadar — a sheet of cloth, often green or gold — along with flowers, and sometimes incense or a contribution towards the langar cooked in the great degs. All of it is sold in the bazaar lane leading to the gate. Nothing is compulsory; many pilgrims simply come, pray and leave.
Should we combine Ajmer with Pushkar?
Most families do. Pushkar, with its Brahma temple and lake, is about 15 km away over the Nag Pahar hill and makes an easy half-day addition. Two nights in Ajmer is enough to cover the dargah unhurried, Adhai Din Ka Jhonpra and Ana Sagar lake, and Pushkar.
Can a travel agent arrange faster entry to the tomb?
No. The queue and all entry arrangements inside the shrine are managed by the Dargah authorities alone, and no operator can reserve, skip or speed up your turn. What we can do is plan your dates away from the heaviest crowds, book hotels within walking distance and arrange transport and assistance up to the gate.
Plan your Ajmer Sharif Dargah yatra
Family & group yatras · Free expert callback
Enquiry received!
Our travel expert will call you back soon (during Mon–Sat · 9–6 IST).
Ref: —Couldn’t send right now
No problem — reach us instantly on WhatsApp or call and we’ll take your enquiry directly.