With kids · Jaipur · India
Jaipur with kids
Family-tested sights, a calm base and the practical details that make travelling with children easier.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: Sameergoyal ( talk ), CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
Children usually love Jaipur's forts, the cannon at Jaigarh, the mummy at the Albert Hall and an evening of puppets and camel rides at Chokhi Dhani. Heat, traffic and long drives are the main challenges, so plan sightseeing for mornings and choose a hotel with a pool or garden. Top picks: Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort and Nahargarh Fort. Families usually base themselves in Bani Park.
Key facts
- Family picks
- 6
- Best area for families
- Bani Park
- Rainy-day options
- 3
- Busiest months
- November–January
Best things to do with kids
Castle · Amer
1.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. 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.
Arrive at opening time and walk up the ramp from the lower gate or take a jeep; elephant rides raise serious animal-welfare concerns and are best skipped.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Book ahead
- 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.
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Views
- Kids
- Photo spot
Castle · Amer
2.Jaigarh Fort
Jaigarh crowns the hill above Amber Fort and was built in 1726 to protect it, with long walls running along the ridge. 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.
Combine it with Amber Fort on the same morning; a road links the two, and Jaigarh is usually far less crowded.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Views
- Kids
- Outdoors
Castle · Aravalli ridge
3.Nahargarh Fort
Built in 1734 on the ridge directly above the old city, Nahargarh is the best place to watch the sun set over Jaipur. 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.
Drive up via the Amer road in the late afternoon, explore the Madhavendra Bhawan, then stay on the ramparts for sunset; arrange your return transport in advance.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Couples
- History
- Photo spot
- Kids
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Museum · Ram Niwas Garden
4.Albert Hall Museum
Rajasthan's oldest museum occupies an Indo-Saracenic building designed by Samuel Swinton Jacob and opened in 1887. 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.
Visit in the afternoon heat for air and shade, then stay to see the façade lit up at dusk.
- Time needed
- 1.5 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Rainy day
- History
- Art
- Kids
- Architecture
- After dark
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Experience · MI Road
5.Raj Mandir Cinema
Opened in 1976, this single-screen cinema has a meringue-pink, Art Moderne interior of curving balconies and coloured lights. Watching a Hindi blockbuster here, with the audience cheering the hero's entrance, is a Jaipur institution even without understanding the dialogue.
Buy tickets a few hours ahead for evening shows at weekends, and choose the upper-tier seats for the best view of the auditorium.
- Time needed
- 3 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Rainy day
- After dark
- Kids
- Architecture
Museum · Amer
6.Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing
A restored haveli in Amer village houses this small museum devoted to Rajasthan's block-printing tradition. Displays explain carving, dyeing and printing, and craftspeople often demonstrate the process, sometimes letting visitors print their own piece of cloth.
Pair it with Panna Meena ka Kund, a few minutes' walk away, after visiting Amber Fort.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Rainy day
- Off the beaten path
- Kids
Rainy-day ideas
- Albert Hall Museum — Visit in the afternoon heat for air and shade, then stay to see the façade lit up at dusk.
- Raj Mandir Cinema — Buy tickets a few hours ahead for evening shows at weekends, and choose the upper-tier seats for the best view of the auditorium.
- Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing — Pair it with Panna Meena ka Kund, a few minutes' walk away, after visiting Amber Fort.
Where families should stay
$$ · Best for budget, families, quiet stays and solo travellers
Bani Park
North-west of the walled city, Bani Park is where many family-run heritage hotels occupy old bungalows and havelis with lawns, small pools and rooftop restaurants. It is quiet at night, about 10 minutes by auto-rickshaw from the Pink City and close to Jaipur Junction railway station and the Sindhi Camp bus stand.
- Good
- Good-value heritage guesthouses; Quiet nights; Easy station access
- Watch out
- Need transport to every sight; Few restaurants outside hotels
- Nearby
- Jaipur Junction station, Sindhi Camp bus stand, MI Road
Family travel tips
- Visit forts early in the day; by midday the stone courtyards get very hot from March onwards.
- Auto-rickshaws and many taxis have no seat belts or child seats; book a car with driver if this matters to you.
- Keep snacks hidden around Galtaji and the forts, where monkeys are bold.
- Chokhi Dhani's evening programme of folk dance, puppets and camel rides is designed for families.
- Pack sun hats, refillable bottles and electrolyte sachets, even in winter.
Day trips for families
- Ranthambore National Park (About 2–3 hours by train or road) — One of India's best parks for seeing wild tigers, Ranthambore combines dry forest, lakes and a ruined 10th-century fort.
When to go with children
The best months overall are October–March. November–January are the busiest, so book the big sights early. Weather by month.
Questions travellers ask
+Is Jaipur good for kids?
Children usually love Jaipur's forts, the cannon at Jaigarh, the mummy at the Albert Hall and an evening of puppets and camel rides at Chokhi Dhani. Heat, traffic and long drives are the main challenges, so plan sightseeing for mornings and choose a hotel with a pool or garden.
+What can kids do in Jaipur?
Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort, Nahargarh Fort, Albert Hall Museum and Raj Mandir Cinema.
+Where should families stay in Jaipur?
Bani Park: Leafy residential streets of heritage guesthouses near the railway station.