Between the markets, the gems, rugs, palaces, leopard safaris, and natural landscape, Jaipur has A LOT to offer and it can be confusing to decide what to plan and what to… skip. Unfortunately, when we travel, we don’t always have the luxury to see everything we would love to (sad reality haha). So I hope that this article will help you choose for yourself what you want to prioritize during your trip to gorgeous Jaipur.
Amber fort, jaipur
Amber Fort, also called Amer Palace, is one of my favorite spots in Jaipur. It is outside of the city, in Amer village, so you need to rent a car to get there. As I was staying at the Hilton, I rented through them and when we got to the place we picked up their guide and he was great! I highly recommend asking your hotel to find someone for you, because sometimes they are not official guides and the service just won’t be as good. In India I noticed thqt guides usually offer to take photos of you and whoever you are traveling with. This should be in the package, at no extra cost.
There are different ways to get to the top but honestly for us there was so much traffic that we stepped out of the car to walk. It’s an interesting, pretty easy walk, it gives you an idea of what the village looks like. And I saw the most adorable puppy and his mama.
Below you will see the Maota lake which provides water and if you look closely you will see the precise patterns of the garden.
What I really liked in the Amber palace was the paintings of the walls which is made with natural dye (based on plants and flowers, earth…) and has remained all these days. You can see everything was made by hand and it’s really detailed. At some point you will walk under a door and see an evil eye or Ganesh. You never know what you will see next! And there is also a wall of mirrors just like in Versailles, but it is made of millions of tiny mirrors. I bet it looks so cool at night too!
There are also the different rooms for the Maharaja and all his lovers, which all had a bedroom and secret hallways in case he wanted to see one of them without the others knowing. haha
There are different ways to get to the top but honestly for us there was so much traffic that we stepped out of the car to walk. It’s an interesting, pretty easy walk, it gives you an idea of what the village looks like. And I saw the most adorable puppy and his mama.
Below you will see the Maota lake which provides water and if you look closely you will see the precise patterns of the garden.
What I really liked in the Amber palace was the paintings of the walls which is made with natural dye (based on plants and flowers, earth…) and has remained all these days. You can see everything was made by hand and it’s really detailed. At some point you will walk under a door and see an evil eye or Ganesh. You never know what you will see next! And there is also a wall of mirrors just like in Versailles, but it is made of millions of tiny mirrors. I bet it looks so cool at night too!
There are also the different rooms for the Maharaja and all his lovers, which all had a bedroom and secret hallways in case he wanted to see one of them without the others knowing. haha
Hawa Mahal
A true landmark in Jaipur, Hawa Mahal is the photo I chose to display at the top of this article. When you come visit, make sure you check out the inside. It is bigger than it appears, as what you are looking at is actually the back of the building!
The Hawa Mahal is a palace and it’s famous for its honeycomb-like architecture and the bright red color that is also seen all throughout the old town. This historical place was built in 1799 by the grandson of the Maharajah that built the city.
The inside is pretty crowded to get to the top, but if you take the time to go around the building you can get some really cool sights without feeling too overwhelmed.
Just like many palaces in India, when you look closer you will see many tiny windows that back in the days allowed women to look outside without being seen without their veil. These windows also were used to provide some fresh air before AC was invented! It’s quite extraordinary to see the tricks Indians used to keep cool back then. The Amber palace above also had special rooms that were built in a special way, sometimes with marble, to provide cool air.
PS: Behind me you see the top of a triangular building. This is Jantar Mantar, the Jaipur observatory, a place where you can see old tools to study astronomy and the solar system.
Just like many palaces in India, when you look closer you will see many tiny windows that back in the days allowed women to look outside without being seen without their veil. These windows also were used to provide some fresh air before AC was invented! It’s quite extraordinary to see the tricks Indians used to keep cool back then. The Amber palace above also had special rooms that were built in a special way, sometimes with marble, to provide cool air.
PS: Behind me you see the top of a triangular building. This is Jantar Mantar, the Jaipur observatory, a place where you can see old tools to study astronomy and the solar system.
City palace museum
In total honesty, this place makes me a bit confused. I only took the ticket for the museums which for me was more than enough. Someone was trying to tell us a 3000 rupees ticket at the entrance, saying we were missing out of some parts of the place. I didn’t got for it and to this day I have no regrets. If you have been and think I missed out on something, Id love to hear from you. Otherwise, I would say don’t waste your time and money. There are other gorgeous places in Jaipur that you can visit, I’d focus on those instead. 🙂
Galta ji Temple
This was definitely the most fun part of the trip. I went there with our driver, stopped to buy bananas on the way. It is located outside of the city. When we arrived, we got this amazing “monkey master” to help protect us from the monkeys and he also helped us interact with them. Believe me, I never would have done that on my own, and it’s only because the man really knew what he was doing that we felt safe and tried it ourselves. Looking around, I didn’t see any of the other tourists interacting with them, even those who had hired a “monkey master” too. Ours was amazing, so I hope you get this one too. I didn’t get his name but he was in his late thirties and was not carrying a stick. (It sounds like I am writing a murder mystery haha).
As you walk up and up, you will have a better view of the whole temple. I think the visit takes around an hour or two if you take your time. There is a pool for humans (believed to bring health and luck) and one for monkeys, it’s super cute to see them climb on the fence and jump in the water just for fun. Here’s a picture of a wet monkey for you hehe 🐒
As you walk up and up, you will have a better view of the whole temple. I think the visit takes around an hour or two if you take your time. There is a pool for humans (believed to bring health and luck) and one for monkeys, it’s super cute to see them climb on the fence and jump in the water just for fun. Here’s a picture of a wet monkey for you hehe 🐒
I know what you are thinking, it’s all great but where do we eat and sleep?
Well, I also wrote an article on my Hilton stay and one on where you can find the best food in the city! Check them out below ⬇️
Other attractions: a summary
Finding gems
I recommend the shop on the right of the Raj Kala Mandir gate, at the Gem Palace, the Hilton has also a shop.
Finding Gems
It was so interesting to learn about the different gems, whether you end up buying or not! Just be careful, to avoid scams, ask to see the certificate of authenticity.
Jal Mahal
Also known as the Water Palace, it's located in the Man Sagar Lake.
Jantar Mantar
Some of the instruments in the observatory are the biggest of their kind, and they date back from the 18th century.
I hope you get the chance to see this place in your life. I have spent 4 days, but I took my time. You can visit those places in less time, but I would say more than 2 days is good. Less than that, you’ll have to reduce the number of places you see, since some of them are a bit outside of the city.
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I need to to thank you for this good read!! I certainly loved every bit of it. I have you bookmarked to check out new stuff you post