Jaipur Travel

Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, boasts its assembly of world-renowned monuments. Jaipur, dubbed "the Pink City" after the colour-wash of its old city’s walls, is indeed a visual treat. The monuments which draw the largest crowds to Jaipur are the Palace of Winds or Hawa Mahal – the five-story facade of 593 latticed-stone screened windows - Jai Singh's City Palace and Jantar Mantar Observatory, built by the city's founder, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, a man famed for his talents as a politician, astronomer, and mathematician.

Other attractions that will detain you in Jaipur are Ram Niwas Bagh and Govindji Temple, the most famous in the city and whose presiding deity is Lord Krishna. Ram Niwas Bagh, the city garden, houses Albert Hall (Central Museum).

Day-trips from the pink city of Jaipur can take in the important historic sites of Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort, imposing hilltop fort of Nahargarh, Lake palace of Jal Mahal and Samode Palace.

A trip to Jaipur will be incomplete without your visit to the traditional bazaars. It can be said with certainty that your shopping in Jaipur will be memorable experience. Jaipur is known for several fairs and festivals that bring out the extroverted side of the famously friendly people of the city.

Due to the extremity of the climate in Jaipur, best time to visit the capital of Rajasthan is from October to mid April.

Places of Interest in Jaipur

Hawa Mahal

Your lasting impression of Jaipur will be of the impressive the Palace of Winds or Hawa Mahal. Built in 1799 by Pratap Singh and situated near Johari Bazaar, this iconic landmark is a five-storey ornamental facade of more than five hundred latticed-stone screened windows. Behind these windows the women could view the city street below without being seen.

Jantar Mantar

Built by Sawai Jai Singh II, this astronomical observatory is the largest of its kind in the world, and the best preserved of the five observatories that were erected by him in different places in India.

City Palace

A beautiful fusion of Mughal and traditional Rajasthani architecture, the City Palace is one of the highlights of Jaipur. It is home to the Chandra Mahal, the City Palace Museum and Shri Govind Dev Temple whose presiding deity is Lord Krishna.

Amber Fort Palace

If there is one absolute must see in Jaipur, it has to be the Amber Fort. You can visit Sheesh Mahal, Shila Devi Temple, Jas Mandir, Sukh Mahal, and Palace of Man Singh I inside the fort.

Albert Hall

Situated at the heart of the Ram Niwas garden is Albert Hall, which houses the Central Museum. Designed by prolific architect Swinton Jacob, the building is an architectural marvel. The museum is a repository of artifacts like paintings, woodcarvings, and musical instruments etc.

Gaitore

Just below Nahargarh Fort is Gaitore, the final resting place of the Maharajas of Jaipur. Built in typical Rajput architecture the marble chhatris (cenotaphs) are erected over cremation platforms of the Jaipur rulers. The most impressive chhatri is that of Sawai Jai Singh II for its intricate carvings.

Sisodia Rani ka Bagh

This well planned garden was built by Sawai Jai Singh in 1728 for his Sisodia Queen from Udaipur. Laid in Mughal style it houses a palace whose walls depict scenes from the life of lord Krishna and his consort Radha.

Side trips around Jaipur

Amber Fort

A fine specimen of the seamless blend of Mughal and Hindu styles of architecture, Amber Fort is 11 km from Jaipur city. Amber was the capital of the Kachhawa rulers till 1727 A.D when Jaipur was made capital in place of Amber by Maharaja Jai Singh.

Jaigarh fort

15 km from Jaipur city, Jaigarh Fort commands spectacular view across Amber fort and Maota Lake below. Built of red sandstone, the fort is home to some fine structures.

Nahargarh Fort

10 km from jaipur city, the imposing hilltop fort of Nahargarh ranks among one of the most magnificent forts of India. It was built by Maharaja Jai Sawai Singh II.

Samode Palace

40 km from Jaipur, the historic palace of Samode is now a heritage hotel. The palace hotel features all the amenities a modern day tourist can ask for.

Sariska National Park

Situated 107 km from Jaipur, Sariska National Park is a famous wildlife destination. Originally the private hunting ground of the erstwhile rulers of Alwar, this national park in Alwar district is rich on fauna and flora

How to reach Jaipur

By Air: Jaipur is a famous tourist and commercial destination and is connected by air with different airlines with different cities in India. Sanganer Airport is 15 km from the centre of the Jaipur city.

By Rail: Jaipur is connected by rail with all different cities and places in India.

By Road: Jaipur is connected by 4 lane motorable road from Delhi which takes 5 hours to reach here from Delhi. Some of the cities and places connected with Jaipur by road are Ajmer (130 km), Alwar (141 km), Bharatpur (176 km), Bundi (206 km), Agra (235 km), Kota (245 km), Delhi (265 km), Menal (267 km), Bikaner (321 km), Chittaurgarh (322 km), Jodhpur (336 km), Udaipur (405 km), Mount Abu (505 km), Jaisalmer (621 km), Ahmedabad (657 km) and Mumbai (1202 km).

Where to stay in Jaipur

The accommodation options are plenty in Jaipur. The visitors can find a great number of hotels in and around the town. These hotels cater to the needs of everyone. While luxury hotels of Jaipur are synonymous with high-end luxury and unimaginable comfort the heritage hotels in fact havens of self indulgence.

Raj Vilas, Rambagh Palace, Rajputana Palace Sheraton, Jai Mahal Palace, Hotel Clarks Amer, Hotel Jaipur Palace are some of the top end hotels in Jaipur. For those who like to unwind after a day –long travel, there are quite a number of pubs and restaurants in the town area.