Jaipur or Jodhpur?

Neither city has anywhere to swim outdoors. Jaipur has no swimming lake, and Jodhpur's Kaylana is a reservoir you look at rather than swim in. In both, swimming means the hotel pool, so for a visit in the warmer months it is worth booking a heritage hotel that has one. In Jodhpur these are often courtyard pools.

The two kitchens overlap a great deal: ker sangri, gatte ki sabzi, laal maas, mirchi vada and pyaaz kachori turn up in both. Jaipur has more depth. It adds dal baati churma and seasonal sweets such as ghevar and feeni, it has long-established vegetarian canteens around Johari Bazaar and lassi stalls along MI Road, and it serves thali feasts in palace courtyards.

Jodhpur's best eating is at the snack stalls around the Clock Tower, where saffron-scented makhaniya lassi and sweet mawa kachori are the local signatures. Beyond them the choice narrows quickly, and the rooftop restaurants sell the fort view more than their cooking.

Jaipur has more to see and needs longer to see it. The planned Pink City holds the City Palace, the Hawa Mahal and the Jantar Mantar observatory, and Amber, Jaigarh and Nahargarh line the ridges above. The Albert Hall Museum, the Galta temples and the Gaitore cenotaphs fill a third day.

Jodhpur rests on one great monument. Mehrangarh rises straight out of its rock with one of Rajasthan's finest museums inside, and around it lie the indigo lanes, Jaswant Thada, the Toorji ka Jhalra stepwell and the Art Deco Umaid Bhawan. That makes two rich days rather than three.

Neither is a city for a night out, but Jaipur offers a little more. It has a few rooftop lounges in the old city, plus clubs and lounges in C-Scheme that fill up at weekends and in the wedding season. In Jodhpur the evening ends with dinner facing the lit fort and perhaps a drink in a heritage hotel bar, and the old city falls quiet early.

Jaipur has a slight edge, mainly thanks to Jhalana, a leopard reserve on the city's southern edge where jeep safaris often find big cats. The Aravalli ridges around Nahargarh, balloon flights over the forts and the birds of Sambhar lake add variety.

Jodhpur's outdoors is flatter and more desert-like. Its options are the trails of the Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park under the fort, ziplines over the ramparts, blackbuck and chinkara in Bishnoi farmland, and camel rides towards the Thar.

Jaipur has the richer choice of outings. The Chand Baori stepwell at Abhaneri, the painted palace at Samode, the ruins of Bhangarh and the printing villages of Sanganer and Bagru are all easy to reach. Pushkar, Ajmer and even Agra can be fitted in as long days.

From Jodhpur the main excursion is Osian, with its carved sandstone temples and dunes, and Bishnoi and Salawas craft villages make half days. Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh are usually visited on the road to Udaipur rather than as round trips.

Both cities are hard going with young children, and the same things wear families down: traffic, few pavements, cows in the lanes and scorching summers, with almost nothing built for children. Winter and a hotel with a pool help in either. Jodhpur is a little easier because its core is compact and the fort keeps children busy for most of a day. Jaipur means more time in vehicles between its scattered sights.

Getting around is equally awkward in both, but in different ways. Jaipur's sights are spread out, with Amber about 11km north, and its single short metro line misses most of them, so a car with driver or ride-hailing is the usual answer.

Jodhpur has no metro at all, but its main sights cluster together, so the old city, stepwell and market can be walked and the fort is a steep climb or a short ride above. Auto-rickshaws cover the rest, with fares agreed first.

Shopping is a main reason to choose Jaipur. Each bazaar specialises: gems and silver on Johari Bazaar, lac bangles in Maniharon ka Rasta, quilts and textiles in Bapu Bazaar. Block prints, blue pottery, rugs and miniature paintings are made nearby, and C-Scheme boutiques give the crafts a modern cut. Be wary of gem scams.

Jodhpur's strength is narrower: tie-dyed bandhani and leheriya around Sardar Market, embroidered slippers, and big warehouses of antiques and carved furniture that will ship home. There is little fashion or design.

Both are very cheap for street food, thalis, rickshaws, guesthouses and a car with driver, and in both the palace and haveli hotels charge international rates. The small differences lie elsewhere. In Jaipur foreigners pay more at the main monuments and alcohol feels expensive, while in Jodhpur even the fort's entry and audio guide are modest.

The two are level, but each has its own tradition. Jaipur has its own school of Kathak dance and puppet shows, and Jawahar Kala Kendra and Ravindra Manch host theatre, classical music and dance. Jodhpur is about the hereditary Manganiyar and Langa folk musicians, who play in Mehrangarh's courtyards, and its autumn folk festival at the fort is worth timing a visit for.

Neither city is restful outside its hotels, and in both, calm means shaded courtyards, gardens and Ayurvedic massage at heritage properties. Jaipur's hotels often add yoga. Jodhpur also has massage centres in the old town itself, and rooftop terraces at dusk give a quiet hour above the noise.