Jaipur Bucket List
They colored the entire city pink in 1876 and never looked back. Forts atop hills in the desert. Palace walls designed like actual jewelry. Bazaars filled with the smells of chai, spices, and freshly printed fabrics. Jaipur is the ultimate sensory overload in the best way possible.
Why Jaipur belongs on your bucket list
You cannot prepare for Jaipur. No pictures, no books, nothing. It's the most visually overwhelming city I've been to. Founded in 1727 as one of the first planned cities in the world, it was painted pink in 1876 to welcome the Prince of Wales. They liked it so much that they decided to leave it that way. The forts and palaces are breathtaking: the mirrored halls of Amber Fort, the 953-window honeycomb exterior of Hawa Mahal, the City Palace that combines Mughal and Rajasthani styles in a way that shouldn't work but does. And then there's the street-level chaos: camels roaming the streets with autos, bazaars filled with hand-block printed fabrics that take weeks to produce, vendors serving thick lassis and frying kachoris on the sidewalk. Your senses will be overwhelmed. You will not be able to handle it. You will not want to handle it.
When to go
November to March. Period. Don't argue with me. The temperatures range from 20 to 25 degrees Celsius in the daytime, the skies are clear, and the sandstone buildings glow golden in the sun. April to June? Forget it. It's over 45 degrees Celsius. You can't see the monuments in that heat. They're actually hazardous. Monsoon season is July to September. Rainy days and greenery are nice, but the streets get flooded. If you can manage January, the Jaipur Literature Festival and the Kite Festival (Makar Sankranti) are not to be missed.
Must-visit places in Jaipur
Amber Fort
Rises up from a hillside overlooking Maota Lake, and it takes your breath away even before you enter. The Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Palace) is a must-see – thousands of small mirrors on the walls and ceiling make a single candle flame look like a galaxy. You can even see the Jaigarh Fort on the hilltop nearby, connected by a tunnel. Plan on spending at least two hours here.
Hawa Mahal
953 small windows. Five stories of pink sandstone. Built so royal women could look down the street below without being seen by anyone looking upwards. Most interesting feature? It's just a wall – only one room deep in most places. Don't bother going inside. Best view is from the cafe on the roof of a building across the street, where you can see the whole honeycomb pattern with a masala chai in hand.
City Palace
This is still home to the royal family. It covers a staggering one-seventh of the old city – a mix of Rajasthani and Mughal styles that is both grand and intimate. The Chandra Mahal has seven floors, each decorated in a style that is utterly different. The Pritam Niwas Chowk has its four doorways decorated in painting to represent the changing seasons – a photographer's dream. The textile and weapons museum is fascinating. Catch the Mubarak Mahal courtyard in the afternoon when the light is soft and golden.
Jantar Mantar
These are abstract sculptures. They're not. They're precise astronomical equipment from the 18th century, built in 1734. They still work. The Samrat Yantra sundial is 27 meters tall and can measure the time to two seconds' accuracy. Maharaja Jai Singh II was fascinated by astronomy. This collection of 19 precise instruments is the result. Get a guide to visit the place, otherwise you will not know what you're looking at.
Nahargarh Fort
The sunset spot. Situated atop the Aravalli Hills above the city of Jaipur, Nahargarh Fort provides its visitor with a panoramic view of the city of Jaipur, which is just insane during sunset when the Pink City actually turns pink. The interior of the fort has been converted into a sculpture park of sorts, and the rooftop restaurant Padao is one of the best dinner spots within the city of Jaipur. The drive up to the fort through the Aravalli Hills is just as beautiful.
Jal Mahal
A palace floating above the lake. Four of its five stories are actually underwater and invisible to the naked eye until the lake water drops to a certain level. Unfortunately, you cannot enter the palace, which is frustrating. The view of the lake promenade, however, makes up for it, especially during sunset when the reflection of the palace creates a perfect mirror image with the Aravalli Hills. The area around Man Sagar Lake has been restored to its former status as a bird habitat, so bring binoculars if you are interested.
Chand Baori
Located 95 kilometers outside of Jaipur and well worth the drive. Thirteen stories below the surface of the earth. 3,500 perfect and symmetrical steps descending in perfect geometric patterns like something out of an Escher painting come to life. Built to harvest rainwater back in the 9th century to combat the harsh desert climate, it is noticeably cooler down here than it is on the surface. Your camera will not be able to do it justice, but you will attempt to anyway.
Johari Bazaar
The oldest bazaar, the most overwhelming. Gems. Jewelry. Precious stones stacked to the ceiling in shops that are barely as wide as the doorway. Lac bangles, kundan jewelry, hand-block-printed fabric – both sides of the street, the entire length. You will haggle. You will fail at first. You will get better. Even if you don't buy anything, the sensory overload of the place is the most Rajasthani experience Jaipur has to offer.
LMB (Laxmi Mishthan Bhandar)
Feeding Jaipur since 1727. The thali is served on a gleaming steel plate – dal baati churma, gatte ki sabzi, ker sangri – and everything tastes as though the cook's grandmother spent years perfecting the recipe. Which she did. The sweets shop at the entrance is in danger of toppling over with the precarious piles of ghevar, mawa kachori, and other sweets that Jaipurites queue up for during festival time. This is not fine dining. This is not even good dining. This is something far more important – an institution that has been alive for almost three centuries.
Albert Hall Museum
Come at night-time when it's lit up – the Indo-Saracenic building is the real attraction here. Opened in 1887, it's in the center of Ram Niwas Garden and is the kind of dreamlike palace that would show up in the background of a Bollywood movie. Inside is just as lovely – the collection is randomly wonderful – Egyptian mummies next to Persian rugs next to Rajasthani miniatures next to clay models showing daily life in the 19th century. The randomness is what makes it work.
Jaipur insider tips
- Getting around: Auto rickshaws are the Jaipur experience. Haggle before you get in, or use Ola or Uber for the fixed price option if you don't want to haggle. A hired car with driver for the entire day is surprisingly cheap.
- Haggling: Expected. Not optional. Start at about 40% of asking price and work up. Be friendly, don't rush, and walk away if it's not right. They'll call you back nine times out of ten.
- Composite Ticket: Get this. It gets you into Amber Fort, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Nahargarh Fort, and Albert Hall Museum. It's good for two days. It will save you money, which you can spend on other things.
- Hydration: It's dry and dusty in Jaipur, even in the winter. Take water with you at all times. And don't forget the electrolytes. Summer heat exhaustion is not a question of whether, it's a question of when, unless you're careful.
- Textiles: Jaipur has some of the best hand-block printing in the world. Anokhi is good for fair-trade, curated collections. Sanganer or Bagru are villages just outside the city where you can see the printers at work. Be careful not to get sold to one of the touts; the commission they charge will be added to the final price.
- Golden Triangle: Jaipur, Delhi (270 km), and Agra (240 km) are the classic tourist itinerary. All three cities are connected by train. Or rent a car and visit the smaller towns along the way. It's well worth the time.
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