Welcome to Jaipur, also called the Pink City. As the largest city and capital of Rajasthan, Jaipur is one of the most photogenic cities in India with beautiful palaces, incredible architecture, vibrant colors, and a rich history. While Agra has the Taj Mahal, our heart found a home in Jaipur, the shining gem of India’s Golden Triangle. Join us as we share the 9 best things to do in Jaipur, a city that’s sure to capture your heart!
Table of contents
- 1. City Palace
- 2. Hawa Mahal
- 3. Jantar Mantar
- 4. Jal Mahal
- 5. Amer Fort
- 6. Panna Meena ka Kund
- 7. Bihariji Temple
- 8. Patrika Gate
- 9. Birla Temple
- Where to stay in Jaipur
1. City Palace
The enchanting City Palace is one of the most important landmarks in the Pink City. Built in the 18th century by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, the palace still serves as the magnificent home for Jaipur’s royal family. The City Palace boasts beautiful gardens, charming courtyards, and colorful, luxurious buildings with incredible details. Strolling around here will make you feel like a royal yourself, with all that beauty around you.
There is so much to see within the City Palace, you can easily spend several hours here. If you’re tight on time, be sure not to miss Pritam Niwas Chowk and Diwan-e-Khas. Pritam Niwas Chowk features four stunning gates, each showing a different season. Lotus Gate is for summer, Peacock Gate is autumn, Rose Gate is winter, and Green Gate is the one for spring. Though crowded, the vibrant colors and patterns of these gates make them picture-perfect and a must-see. We especially loved the Peacock Gate due to its incredible details. Sadly, during our visit, the Lotus Gate was under construction, so we couldn’t see it in its full beauty. What a bummer!
Diwan-e-Khas, on the other hand, transports you into a fairy tale with its dripping crystal chandeliers, marble floors, and luxurious red stone archways. The most impressive thing here, according to us, are the giant silver jugs that can hold up to 4000 liters of water. These jugs were used to transport holy water from the river Ganges all the way to England, absolutely crazy!
Good to know
For the full experience, consider opting for a Royal Splendour ticket, which provides access to Chhavi Niwas, also known as the Blue Room. While it comes at a cost of around € 45 per person, the comprehensive experience is well worth it.
2. Hawa Mahal
Less than a 10-minute stroll from City Palace, you’ll find Hawa Mahal, meaning the ‘Palace of Winds’, is a famous sight in Jaipur. Chances are you’ve already seen this fascinating building in magazines or on postcards. This five-story palace has a gorgeous pink facade and 953 honeycomb windows. It’s located in the heart of the Pink City, making it almost impossible to miss. The main purpose Hawa Mahal was built was to allow royal ladies to watch daily life without being seen. They could look down on the street between the small gaps, without the people on the streets seeing their faces.
In addition, the windows also let the breeze flow through, keeping the palace cool in the summer. Fun fact: looking at Hawa Mahal from the street, you’d think that you’re looking at the front of the Palace. That’s not the case, it’s actually the back. That’s just the tour guide in us speaking!
Pro tip
Looking for a different view of Hawa Mahal? Make sure to grab some drinks at Tattoo Cafe and Lounge, right across the street. Their rooftop offers some of the best views of Hawa Mahal!
3. Jantar Mantar
Jantar Mantar, a UNESCO World Heritage site that is located right next to the City Palace, is an interesting astronomical observatory. It has 19 astronomical instruments made out of stone, all there to calculate time and measure the position and distances of the sun and the moon. We really liked Samrat Yantra, which happens to be the world’s biggest sundial, and has an accuracy of only 2 seconds. How incredible is that! Other than being super accurate, we found it the most beautiful building here, too. Just the geometrical shapes and yellow color make it really unique. Even if you don’t get everything, it’s really fascinating and totally worth the visit. There are some great photo spots as well, like we mentioned the yellow staircase of Samrat Yantra. It’s so pretty!
Fun fact
Did you know Hawa Mahal, City Palace, and Jantar Mantar are all connected to each other?
4. Jal Mahal
Jal Mahal, which means Water Palace, is a majestic palace rising from the center of Man Sagar Lake. While it gives the illusion of floating on top of the lake, a closer look reveals it partially submerged. Really well done, especially since it was built 400 years ago. Unfortunately, visitors can’t go inside, but you can take a seat on the banks of the lake and enjoy the view. It’s also on the way to Amer Fort, so no excuse not to stop here!
5. Amer Fort
Another UNESCO World Heritage Site you can’t miss when visiting Jaipur is Amer Fort. It’s located on a hill overlooking the city, which means the entrance is a bit uphill. It really shocked us how many people opt to go up on elephants. This is such an unethical thing to do, we truly hope you won’t! You can either book a tour that will get you up there, pay a local that will bring you there, or go on foot. Plenty of options if you ask us.
The fort has four levels, each showcasing enchanting courtyards, beautiful textures, dreamy colors, and incredible details. It gets super crowded during the day, so it’s best to go early in the morning. The later during the day, the more chances of traffic jams in the old town. No one wants to wait for 2 hours in the blaring sun whilst they could be out exploring this beautiful castle!
We also recommend hiring a local guide, as the fort has hidden corners and fascinating stories about the history and culture of Amer. We were really surprised by the fact that Raja Man Singh had 12 queens (!) for example. On top of that, you run less risk of getting lost inside the castle by following the guide. You would be surprised by the amount of secret passageways!
Last but not least: make sure to visit Sheesh Mahal, also known as the Hall of Mirrors. Definitely one of our favorite parts in Amer Fort!
Good to know
For an immersive experience, catch the popular Light and Sound Show every night at 6:30 PM, where the fort’s history comes to life with illuminating lights and visual effects. It’s a fun and interesting way to learn about this magnificent fortress!
6. Panna Meena ka Kund
Panna Meena ka Kund, also known as Amer Stepwell, is Jaipur’s most Instagrammable ancient stepwell. It’s a bit hidden, often overlooked by tourists, but believe us, it’s worth the short 10-minute walk from Amer Fort! The unique, symmetrical design of Panna Meena Ka Kund is impressive, to say the least. This place is a true photographer’s dream! Since 2023 you can’t walk down the stairs anymore for safety reasons, there are local guards to ensure the monument’s protection. Rumor has it that with a little incentive (💰) , you can still capture the magic through your lens.
7. Bihariji Temple
Right across from Panna Meena ka Kund you’ll find the Bihariji Temple, another hidden gem in Jaipur that not many people know about. This sacred Hindu temple is known for its circular dome with an open design. Standing inside and looking up at the sky is such a cool experience!
Depending on the sun’s position, you can capture some really cool pictures here as well (sunset, sunrise, …). But even if you’re not in a spiritual mood or the sun isn’t cooperating for pictures, we’d still recommend spending a few minutes at Bihariji Temple. It’s so well preserved, it would be a shame to just overlook and disregard it. Also, it was the first and only place in India where we saw little puppy (stray) dogs! They were accompanied by their mother, and every single one of those pups was cuter than their siblings. It’s like they only feel safe at this sacred place!
8. Patrika Gate
Patrika Gate is undoubtedly one of the most Instagrammable spots in Jaipur! Located a 30-minute drive outside the city center, the gate serves as an entrance to Jawahar Circle Garden, built in 2016 as Jaipur’s ninth gate. This picturesque sight is a dream with its dreamy pastel colors and gorgeous details. For the best photos, try to visit early in the morning. Since we visited Jaipur with a tour, we arrived at Patrika Gate in the afternoon. With 20 wedding shoots happening, we couldn’t get that perfect shot, but the gate was still amazing to admire!
9. Birla Temple
Birla Mandir is a gorgeous Hindu temple made of from white marble, located around a 20-minute drive from the center of Jaipur. Sadly, when we passed by in the afternoon, it was closed until 4 PM. Although we couldn’t explore inside, the outside looked incredibly impressive, leaving us curious about the temple’s interior beauty. We have never seen anything like it, from the outside it looked sooooo spectacular! Such a shame we weren’t able to visit it.
Where to stay in Jaipur
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