Jaipur Travelers Recommend

With three days in Jaipur, you’ll have enough time to see its most important palaces and temples, with time left over to explore the celebrated Amber Fort and take a day trip out to Pushkar or the Taj Mahal. Here’s one way to divide your time.

Day 1: Pink City

Spend your first day in Jaipur seeing the highlights of the Pink City, the old part of town named for its salmon hue. The most popular attraction in this part of town is the City Palace, where the titular royal family lives to this day. The part of the palace open to visitors includes courtyards, a royal hall with images of former maharajas, and a museum filled with royal ephemera. Next to the City Palace stands the Jantar Mantar, a royal observatory and UNESCO World Heritage Site filled with gargantuan astronomical instruments. Other Pink City highlights include the honeycomb-shaped Hawa Mahal, or Palace of Winds, featuring some 953 latticed windows. Round out your day in the Pink City with some shopping at popular Bapu Bazaar, known for handicrafts and footwear, and Johari Bazaar, a great place to pick up bangles and fabrics.

Day 2: Forts and Temples

On your second day, head out to the Amber area on the outskirts of Jaipur, where the star attraction is the 16th-century Amber Fort, a gargantuan structure made of red sandstone and white marble. Highlights of the fort include the Sheesh Mahal (Palace of Mirrors), filled with tiny mirror shards in a mosaic pattern, and the zenana, a series of frescoed rooms once occupied by the king’s wives and concubines. Right below the fort sits the Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing, which focuses on one of the area’s most important textile crafts.

After Amber, head back into Jaipur to visit some of its most important temples. Start with Galtaji, dedicated to the god of the sun, Surya. It's often nicknamed the Monkey Temple for the large primate community that lives on its grounds. Finish your day of sightseeing with a visit  to the Birla Mandir, a contemporary, white-marble temple dedicated to Vishnu and his consort Laxmi.

Day 3: The Taj Mahal or Pushkar

Spend your last day in the area on a day trip. If this is your only chance to visit the Taj Mahal in Agra, it’s worth traveling the five hours each way. For something slightly closer, consider heading to the holy town of Pushkar, about three hours away. A beautiful lake sits at the heart of this desert-oasis town, and large numbers of visitors come here annually to bathe in its holy waters. Pushkar is best-known as the site of an annual camel fair, and the town is also home to one of the only temples in the world dedicated to the Hindu creator god Brahma.

While Jaipur is most often associated with its regal architecture and gargantuan forts, the Rajasthani capital is home to numerous temples, many dating back hundreds of years. Here are a few that shouldn't be missed.

Lakshmi Narayan Temple (Birla Mandir)

One of Jaipur's newer but more popular holy sites, the Lakshmi Narayan temple was built in 1988. Dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu and his consort Lakshmi, this white marble structure contains images of deities and historical figures from across cultures and religions. Stained-glass windows illustrate scenes from Hindu myth.

Galtaji (Monkey Temple or Temple of the Sun God)

Home to a community of rhesus macaque monkeys, this Hindu pilgrimage site sits on a complex of traditional sandstone architecture and multistoried water tanks. The temple is dedicated to Surya, the Hindu god of the sun. 

Moti Dungri Temple (Ganesh Temple)

Dedicated to the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesha, Moti Dungri is one of Jaipur's most famous temples. Built in 1761, the temple houses an icon of Ganesha believed to date to the Middle Ages. During the annual Maha Shivratri festival, you can visit the shrine to the god Shiva, located on the hill above the temple. 

Shila Devi Temple in Amber Fort

Inside Jaipur's sprawling Amber Fort, the royal Shila Devi temple houses an idol of the Hindu goddess Kali (a form of the goddess Durga) that Maharaja Mansingh carried to the region from Bengal in the late 16th century. If you don’t mind crowds, visit during the Navaratri festival, a nine-day celebration of Durga.

The capital city of Rajasthan, Jaipur is full of historic palaces and forts, with great shopping and gorgeous architecture to boot. While travelers could easily spend weeks in the city, one day is enough to hit up the highlights. Here’s how to make the most of a 1-day stay in Jaipur.

Morning: Pink City Highlights

Start your morning off with a visit to the Pink City of Jaipur, the old part of town, which was painted a salmon hue in honor of the 1876 visit of future King Edward VII. Start with a quick trip to the honeycomb-shaped Hawa Mahal, or Palace of Winds, a red sandstone structure built with tiny windows to allow women of the royal court to observe life below without themselves being seen. From here it’s a quick walk to the City Palace, a huge palatial complex that houses a museum displaying royal artifacts and costumes; the royal family of Jaipur still lives in part of the complex to this day.

Afternoon: Astronomy and Amber

Grab lunch at the on-site Palace Café before continuing on to the Jantar Mantar, a 1726 astronomical observatory filled with gargantuan instruments used to track and predict stellar occurrences. From here, head out to Amber Fort, an enormous 16th-century palace fort that features a fantastic blend of Rajasthani and Mughal architectural elements, with labyrinthine interiors and intricately detailed courtyards and royal halls. After your visit, make your way back to central Jaipur, stopping for a photo at the Jal Mahal, a 5-story palace situated right in the center of Man Sagar Lake.

Night: An Evening at Chokhi Dhani

After night falls, head out to Chokhi Dhani, designed to re-create a traditional Rajasthani village of sorts, situated about a half-hour drive south of the city. The park features a slew of amusements, from palm readers to miniature Ferris wheels, along with handicraft demonstrations, dance performances, camel rides, and craft sellers. Have dinner at one of the restaurants offering all-you-can-eat buffets of regional Rajasthani delicacies. While it’s nothing like visiting an actual village, it’s a great way to learn about local culture in comfort.

With two days in Jaipur, you’ll have the chance to see the most important palaces and forts in the city, with time left over to visit a few of Jaipur’s most important sacred spots. Here’s how to maximize your time.

Day 1: Iconic Jaipur

**Morning:**Spend your morning checking out Jaipur’s salmon-hued Pink City, home to many of the top historic attractions. Start with a visit to the honeycomb-shaped Hawa Mahal, or Palace of the Winds, followed by a trip to the City Palace, still a royal residence to this day.

**Afternoon:**Right next to the City Palace is the Jantar Mantar, an 18th-century astronomical observatory filled with gigantic instruments. From here, make your way to Amber, the former capital of the area, celebrated for its towering 16th-century fort. On your way, stop by the Jal Mahal, a palace in the middle of a lake, for a fantastic photo op.

**Night:**Stick around Amber Fort for the evening sound-and-light show, a 50-minute spectacle that tells the tale of the fort's 6-plus centuries in existence. Once the show is over, head back to Jaipur for dinner before calling it a night.

Day 2: Temples and Tradition

**Morning:**Start your second day checking out Jaipur's holy sites. Begin with Moti Dungri, dedicated to the Hindu god Ganesha, known for his elephant head. Right next to this temple is the Birla Mandir, a gorgeous white-marble structure housing a wide range of images and deities along with some beautiful stained-glass windows.

**Afternoon:**In the afternoon, make your way to Galtaji, also known as the Monkey Temple due to the large presence of primates here. It’s situated inside a sandstone complex replete with multistoried water tanks and intricate Rajasthani architectural features. At the top of the complex stands the temple itself, which is dedicated to the sun god Surya.

**Night:**After freshening up, make your way out to Chokhi Dhani, a replica of a Rajasthani village featuring all sorts of regional crafts, music and dance performances, and carnival-like attractions, from palm readers to camel rides. End your Jaipur stay with dinner here, served buffet style and with a focus on Rajasthan’s rich culinary traditions.

Many of the delicious local delicacies in the Rajasthani capital are inspired by the ingredients and climates of the surrounding desert, and the food here tends to be spicier than in other parts of India (many believe that eating spicy food will help keep you cool). Here are a few foods and food-related activities in Jaipur that you won't want to miss.

Must-Try Dishes

Come to Jaipur with a good appetite, as there’s plenty to sample here. Vegetarians have may options, but whatever your culinary inclinations, you won’t want to miss the regional staple dal bati churma, lentils served with hard wheat-bread balls and a mix of wheat cooked with ghee and sugar or jaggery. Nonvegetarians with a good tolerance for spicy food may want to try laal maas, mutton cooked in a fiery gravy. For something lighter, sample the city’s quintessential street-food item, raj kachori. This round pastry stuffed with lentils or onions and then deep-fried is best washed down with a cool lassi, a sweet yogurt drink usually served in terra-cotta cups.

Must-Do Experiences

• Take a food tour around Jaipur with a local guide who can show you the best places to sample local fare and share their knowledge for greater cultural insight.
• Learn how to cook Rajasthani food in a local Jaipur home.
• Venture out to Chokhi Dhani Resort, a reproduction of a traditional village, where you can sample all sorts of Rajasthani food, buffet style.
• Cool off with a cup of sweet lassi at the famous Lassiwala on M.I. Road.

Jaipur offers one of the best shopping experiences in all of India, with myriad markets and boutiques selling everything from sparkling costume jewelry to high-quality cotton textiles. Here are a few of the city’s top spots for shopping, along with a few ideas on what to take home.

Johari Bazaar

One of Jaipur’s most colorful market streets, the always-bustling Johari Bazaar is a great spot to pick up everything from traditional textiles to blingy costume jewelry (think wooden bangles and glittery oversized earrings and nose rings).

Bapu Bazaar

If you’re interested in picking up a pair of jootis, traditional leather shoes, head straight to Bapu Bazaar in Jaipur’s historic “Pink City” area. Although footwear is a specialty at this oft-photographed market street, it’s also a great place to pick up all sorts of handicrafts, from cloth parasols to intricate mirrored quilts.

MI Road

One of Jaipur’s busiest thoroughfares, MI Road offers a great assortment of high-quality, trustworthy shops. For fine jewelry, Gem Palace is your best bet—they’ve been selling gold and diamonds to the Indian elite and international royalty since 1852. Rajasthali, Jaipur’s government-run handicrafts emporium, is just a few doors down from Gem Palace, and while the myriad handicrafts here are a tad more expensive than in the local markets, their quality is also guaranteed.

Civil Lines

If you’re more into quiet boutique browsing than haggling in hectic markets, you’ll likely find solace in Jaipur’s upscale Civil Lines neighborhood. Many of the shops here specialize in high-quality textiles, handicrafts, and jewelry. Don’t miss the whimsical cotton tunics and dresses at Ambika or the gorgeous handcrafted (and fair trade) blue pottery at Neerja International.