Things to do in Jaipur

Sawai Jai Singh II founded Jaipur in 1727 and laid it out on a grid. It turned pink in 1876, for a royal visit. Most things to do in Jaipur sit inside the old walls or on the hills above them.

Inside the walls

UNESCO listed the walled city in 2019. It was planned in nine blocks, two for the palace and state buildings, with main streets 34 metres wide.

• Hawa Mahal. Built in 1799, five storeys and 953 small windows, so royal women could watch the street unseen. The pink front faces east, so mornings suit it.
• City Palace. Begun in 1729. The royal family still lives in part of it, and the rest is a museum.
• Jantar Mantar. An observatory of 19 instruments, built from 1728 to 1734 and UNESCO-listed in 2010. Its giant sundial is credited with telling local time to within two seconds.
• The bazaars. Johari Bazaar, commissioned by Jai Singh II, started the city's gem trade, and Jaipur still cuts coloured stones, emerald above all. Bapu Bazaar sells mojari shoes and Rajasthani fabric, Tripolia lac bangles.

Beyond the walls

• Albert Hall Museum. Open since 1887 in Ram Niwas Garden. It holds a Persian garden carpet and an Egyptian mummy.
• Amer Fort. Eleven kilometres from the centre, commissioned in 1592 by Man Singh I and UNESCO-listed in 2013. Its Sheesh Mahal is lined with mirror work.
• Jal Mahal. A palace in Man Sagar Lake, mostly submerged. It is viewed from the shore, not entered.

Onward by road

Most bookings from Jaipur are onward travel. A private driver takes guests one way to other Rajasthan cities, and longer circuits begin here. Two days cover the city itself.

• Delhi. 268 km, five to six hours.
• Agra. About five hours, through Bharatpur.
• Pushkar. Some 150 km south-west, about three hours.
• Ranthambore. For tigers, about three and a half hours.
• Jodhpur and Udaipur. Six to seven hours each.

Practical

• Weather. January days average 22C and nights 8C, so bring a layer. May averages 41C by day, with spells near 45C. July and August bring about 200 mm of rain each. October to March is the comfortable stretch.
• Tickets. A state composite ticket covers Amer Fort, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Albert Hall and several others.
• Metro. The Pink Line calls at Jaipur Junction and runs underground into the old city, ending at Badi Chaupar.
• Airport. Jaipur International lies 13 km south, at Sanganer.