History · Jaipur · India
8 historic sites to see in Jaipur
The places that tell the story of how the city came to be.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Chainwit., CC BY-SA 4.0
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Quick answer
Start with Amber Fort, Hawa Mahal and City Palace. Together the 8 picks below take roughly 12–13 hours across 4 areas; 1 is free.
Key facts
- Places in this guide
- 8
- Free entry
- 1
- Time to see them all
- 12–13 hours
- Areas
- Amer, Pink City (Old City) and Aravalli ridge
Historic sites in Jaipur
Castle · Amer
1.Amber Fort
Highlights are the painted Ganesh Pol gateway, the Diwan-i-Aam hall of public audience and the Sheesh Mahal, whose walls and ceiling are inlaid with thousands of mirror fragments. It is part of the Hill Forts of Rajasthan World Heritage site.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Views
- Kids
- Photo spot
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Palace · Pink City (Old City)
2.Hawa Mahal
Its five-storey pink sandstone façade is a honeycomb of 953 small latticed windows, yet the building is only one room deep in places. Inside, ramps rather than stairs lead to the top level, which looks down on Badi Chaupar and across to Jantar Mantar.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Iconic
- Architecture
- Photo spot
- History
Palace · Pink City (Old City)
3.City Palace
The Mubarak Mahal displays royal costumes and textiles, the Diwan-i-Khas holds two enormous silver urns made to carry Ganges water to London in 1902, and the Pritam Niwas Chowk courtyard has four painted gates representing the seasons, the Peacock Gate being the most photographed. The former royal family still lives in part of the seven-storey Chandra Mahal.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Art
- Rainy day
Historic site · Pink City (Old City)
4.Jantar Mantar
Its 19 masonry instruments measure time, track stars and predict eclipses; the Samrat Yantra sundial rises about 27 metres and tells local time to within a few seconds. The site sits next to the City Palace and is a UNESCO World Heritage site in its own right.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Photo spot
Castle · Aravalli ridge
5.Nahargarh Fort
Inside, the Madhavendra Bhawan has nine identical suites built for the king's queens, linked by corridors to his own apartment. The fort's cafeteria terrace and the ramparts look straight down on the Pink City and Jal Mahal.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Couples
- History
- Photo spot
- Kids
Castle · Amer
6.Jaigarh Fort
It holds the Jaivana, an 18th-century cannon often described as the largest on wheels in the world, plus armouries, water tanks and watchtowers with views over Amber and Maota Lake.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Views
- Kids
- Outdoors
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Museum · Ram Niwas Garden
7.Albert Hall Museum
Its galleries cover miniature paintings, carpets, arms, pottery, coins and textiles, and an Egyptian mummy is a reliable favourite with children. The building is floodlit after dark, when the forecourt fills with families and pigeons.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Rainy day
- History
- Art
- Kids
- Architecture
- After dark
Historic site · Amer
8.Panna Meena ka Kund
It was a cool gathering place for villagers in summer and is now one of the most photographed geometric scenes in Rajasthan.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Architecture
- Photo spot
- History
Grouped by area
| Area | Places | Time needed |
|---|---|---|
| Amer | Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort and Panna Meena ka Kund | 2–3 hours + 1.5 hours + 30 minutes |
| Pink City (Old City) | Hawa Mahal, City Palace and Jantar Mantar | 1 hour + 2 hours + 1 hour |
| Aravalli ridge | Nahargarh Fort | 2 hours |
| Ram Niwas Garden | Albert Hall Museum | 1.5 hours |
Booking and timing
Of these 8, 1 free, 5 low cost, 2 mid-priced. Book ahead for Amber Fort. The longest visit is Amber Fort; group the rest by area to save travel time.
- Amber Fort: Tickets can be bought at the gate, but the state composite ticket, which also covers Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Nahargarh and the Albert Hall, saves queuing if you plan to see several sites.
How to fit them into 3 half-days
Grouped by area and kept to about four hours each, so you walk more than you ride.
- Half-day 1 (Amer): Amber Fort → Jaigarh Fort → Panna Meena ka Kund, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 2 (Pink City (Old City)): Hawa Mahal → City Palace → Jantar Mantar, at least 4 hours.
- Half-day 3 (Aravalli ridge and Ram Niwas Garden): Nahargarh Fort → Albert Hall Museum, at least 4 hours.
The quietest months for queues
- May: highs of 40°C (104°F), about 2 rainy days, very quiet crowds. The hottest month, with afternoon temperatures often above 40°C and dust storms; only early mornings are comfortable outdoors.
- June: highs of 39°C (102°F), about 5 rainy days, very quiet crowds. Extreme heat until the monsoon arrives, usually late in the month, bringing humidity and the first storms.
- April: highs of 37°C (99°F), about 1 rainy days, quiet crowds. Hot and dry, with afternoons too hot for walking; hotel rates fall and monuments are quieter.
The neighbourhoods they are in
- Pink City (Old City) — Walled 18th-century grid of bazaars, havelis and the City Palace
- C-Scheme — Upmarket central district of cafés, boutiques and Central Park
- MI Road — The main commercial avenue between the station and the walled city
- Amer — Village of havelis and stepwells below Amber Fort
More of Jaipur
Questions travellers ask
+Where should I start in Jaipur?
Amber Fort. Begun by Raja Man Singh I in 1592, Amber (Amer) Fort climbs a hillside above Maota Lake in a series of courtyards, halls and gates of honey-coloured sandstone and marble.
+Which of these are free in Jaipur?
Panna Meena ka Kund.