8 Awesome Things To Do in Jaipur

                                               Jaipur

The city of Jaipur was the very first stop on my journey through Rajasthan and as soon as I arrived I completely understood the saying: “You either fall madly in love with India, or you hate it.”

For me, it definitely was the first one and a sensory overload happened from the moment I got off the plane.

Jaipur is one of the most photogenic cities in India and there are so many amazing things to do in this vibrant city.

In this guide, I’ll tell you everything you need to know based on my own personal experience.

8 Awesome Things To Do in Jaipur

1. Amer Fort

Amer Fort, also known as Amber Fort, is located about 11km from the city center and it’s one of the most popular things to do in Jaipur! Therefore I recommend you visit it as early as possible in the morning.

The entrance to the fort is a little higher up and a narrow road will lead you to the main gate. The best way to reach the top is to simply walk, while you’re at it you’ll burn off some of that naan bread! To my horror, I saw a lot of people choose to go up to the fort by means of an elephant. This is one of the most unethical things you could ever do and I truly hope you won’t.

For elephants to behave in such a way they had to be tortured from a very young age and the carriage on their back alone is way too heavy for them to carry.

• Opening Hours – 8am to 5.30pm and 6.30pm to 9.15pm
• Entrance fee – INR 500
• Duration – 2 to 3 hours

2. Nahargarh Fort

Nahargarh Fort is one of the best forts in Jaipur and stands on the edge of the Aravalli Hills, overlooking the Pink City. Along with Amer Fort and Jaigarh Fort, it once formed a strong defense line.

But these days the Nahargarh Fort is mostly known as one of the best places to see the sunset in Jaipur and so we did on our first evening in India! We jumped in one of the Tuk Tuk’s in front of our hotel and after a bumpy ride of about 30 minutes, we arrived at the entrance of this magnificent fort. We settled on a return time with our driver and he would wait for us outside of the fort.

• Opening hours – Every day from 10am until 10pm. I would not attempt to hike down after 10pm cause Nahargarh Fort is located within a nature park that’s full of wild animals. And yes, there are tigers around Jaipur!
• Entrance fee – INR 200
• Duration – 1 to 2 hours

3. The Great Wall of Amer

Climbing the Great Wall of Amer is one of the most fun and free things to do in Jaipur! It gets its name from its impressive length and as a reference to the Great Wall of China. But no one knows exactly how long the wall is.

Unfortunately, a big chunk of this masterpiece is crumbling down fast but so far the local government only paid attention to the segments that are visible to the public and tourists. This could lead to loss of more than 50% of the wall in total.

• Opening hours – 24/7
• Entrance fee – Free
• Duration – 1 to 2 hours

4. Hawa Mahal

Hawa Mahal is a pink palace in the heart of the Pink City and you can’t visit Jaipur and not see this magnificent building.

When I was doing my research for my trip to India I came across several images of this structure and I got so fascinated by it! It was crazy to discover in real life that it’s not much more than a beautiful facade in the middle of a busy street. There’s a small sidewalk in front of it with a fence but the best view is from across the street in one of the rooftop bars.

Hawa Mahal means the “Palace of Winds” and it has 953 small windows that were built to keep the wind on blowing through the palace so it would cool off.

• Opening hours – Every day from 9am to 5pm
• Entrance fee – INR 200
• Duration – 30 minutes
• Things to do around Hawa Mahal – Visit the City Palace of Jaipur or go shopping in the Pink Bazaar.

5. Jal Mahal

Jal Mahal is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Jaipur. It’s a water palace located in the heart of Man Sagar Lake.

As a visitor, it’s not allowed to enter the palace but you can admire its beauty either from the shoreline or by boating on the lake!

6. Jaigarh Fort

Jaigarh Fort is one of the most famous and renowned forts in Jaipur and still, it is often overlooked by a lot of tourists. Therefore it’s one of the more unique things to do in Pink City!

Jaigarh Fort, also known as Victory Fort, is 3km long and is connected to Amer Fort by subterranean passages and is considered one complex.

    Opening hours – Every day 10am until 5pm

    Entrance fee – INR 100

    Duration – 1 to 2 hours

7. City Palace

The City Palace of Jaipur is one of the most important landmarks in Pink City! Upon visiting I highly recommend you take the full tour! This way you don’t just see the courtyard but also all of the other beautiful rooms!

As a photographer you have to know that it’s not allowed to use a tripod inside of the palace grounds and to bring in your camera, you have to pay a fee of INR 50.

• Opening hours – Every day from 10AM until 6pm (last ticket at 5pm)
• Entrance fee –  INR 700 but if you want access to all of the rooms I highly suggest the price is INR 2500 which also includes a guide.
• Duration – 2 hours

8. Albert Hall Museum

The Albert Hall Museum is the oldest museum in the entire state and functions as the state museum of Rajasthan. It was built in 1876 and originally intended as a concert hall. Its name comes from the Victoria and Albert Museum of London due to the similarity in building style.

These days there are 16 galleries in total inside the museum, all showcasing the beauty of Indian culture.

     Opening hours – 9am until 5pm

     Entrance fee – INR 150

     Duration – 1 hour

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