Two nights is the honest number. One for the fort and the Patwon-ki-Haveli merchant houses, walked in the morning before the stone heats; one for the desert - Sam or the quieter dunes at Khuri, Kuldhara's abandoned village on the way, and a camp or a haveli rooftop for the evening.

Where you sleep is the real decision here. Inside the fort the lanes are atmospheric and the plumbing is period; outside, the havelis look back at the walls and the two desert camps are properly comfortable rather than glamorous. We will describe the trade-off honestly rather than sell the postcard.

The drive from Jodhpur is five hours across flat scrub with Osian's temples roughly halfway, which makes a useful lunch stop. Most guests fly out of Jodhpur rather than doubling back, and in winter the overnight train is a reasonable alternative to either.