The Pink City
Jaipur travel guide
Jaipur is Rajasthan's loudest, richest, most commercial city and it rewards planning more than any other. Get Amber Fort done by 9 am and the rest of the day opens up; leave it till eleven and you will spend it in a queue.
- Best time to visit
- October to March; the Literature Festival in January fills every hotel
- How many days
- 2 to 3 days
Top things to do in Jaipur
Amber Fort
Be at the ramp by 8 am. Sheesh Mahal before the coach groups is a different experience.
City Palace
The Chandra Mahal upper-floor ticket is expensive and genuinely worth it.
Jantar Mantar
Hire the audio guide — without it, it is a yard of odd sculptures.
Hawa Mahal
Photograph from the Wind View Cafe opposite, then enter from the rear courtyard.
Hidden places most visitors miss
- Panna Meena ka Kund stepwell near Amber, ten minutes and no queue.
- Gaitor ki Chhatriyan, the royal cenotaphs, empty most mornings.
- Chand Baori at Abhaneri, 90 minutes out on the Agra road.
Where and what to eat
- Laxmi Mishthan Bhandar for pyaaz kachori
- Rawat for a mirchi bada
- Handi for laal maas after dark
Photography spots
- Nahargarh at sunset over the whole city
- Patrika Gate's painted arches, best at 7 am
- Amber's Jaleb Chowk from the wall above