Must-see attractions in Jaipur

  • City Palace architecture

    City Palace

    Jaipur

    A complex of courtyards, gardens and buildings, the impressive City Palace is right in the centre of the Old City. The outer wall was built by Jai Singh…

  • Hawa Mahal palace, Jaipur

    Hawa Mahal

    Jaipur

    Jaipur’s most-distinctive landmark, the Hawa Mahal is an extraordinary pink-painted, delicately honeycombed hive that rises a dizzying five storeys. It…

  • Samrat Yantra (Giant sundial), Jantar Mantar, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

    Jantar Mantar

    Jaipur

    Adjacent to the City Palace is Jantar Mantar, an observatory begun by Jai Singh II in 1728 that resembles a collection of bizarre giant sculptures. Built…

  • The Galta Temple (known as Monkey Temple) near Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

    Galta

    Jaipur

    Squeezed between cliffs in a rocky valley, Galta is a desolate, if evocative, place. The temple houses a number of sacred tanks, into which some daring…

  • Shri Lakshmi Narayan Temple (Birla Mandir), Jaipur, India

    Birla Lakshmi Narayan Temple

    Jaipur

    This splendid modern marble edifice lies at the foot of Moti Dungri fort. The wealthy industrialist Birla family, from Pilani, Rajasthan, bought the land…

  • The view from Iswari Minar Swarga Sal Minaret in Jaipur, India; Shutterstock ID 293086646; Your name (First / Last): Josh Vogel; GL account no.: 56530; Netsuite department name: Online Design; Full Product or Project name including edition: Digital Content/Sights

    Isarlat

    Jaipur

    Piercing the skyline near the City Palace is this unusual minaret, erected in the 1740s by Jai Singh II’s son and successor Iswari. The entrance is around…

  • Roof top of Nahargarh Fort, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. (Photo by: IndiaPictures/UIG via Getty Images)

    Nahargarh

    Jaipur

    Built in 1734 and extended in 1868, this sturdy fort overlooks the city from a sheer ridge to the north. The story goes that the fort was named after…

  • Sisodia Rani Palace Garden, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India. (Photo by: IndiaPictures/UIG via Getty Images)

    Sisodia Rani Palace Garden

    Jaipur

    Six kilometres from the city, on Agra Rd via the Ghat Gate, this formal garden is enjoyable to wander around and take in a breath of fresh air. The grand…

  • Central Museum

    Jaipur

    This museum is housed in the spectacularly florid Albert Hall, south of the Old City. The building was designed by Sir Swinton Jacob, and combines…

  • Maharaja Sawai Mansingh II Museum

    Jaipur

    The Maharaja Sawai Mansingh II Museum comprises several buildings and courtyards within Jaipur's City Palace complex. The Mubarak Mahal (Welcome Palace)…

  • Royal Gaitor

    Jaipur

    The royal cenotaphs, just outside the city walls, beneath Nahargarh, feel remarkably undiscovered and are an appropriately restful place to visit. The…

  • SRC Museum of Indology

    Jaipur

    This ramshackle, dusty treasure trove is an extraordinary private collection. It contains folk-art objects and other pieces – there’s everything from a…

  • Philatelic Bureau & Museum

    Jaipur

    At the rear of the main post office, this curious little museum has historical stamps, telegrams and artefacts, including brass belt buckles and badges…

  • Jal Mahal

    Jaipur

    Near the cenotaphs of the maharanis of Jaipur, and beautifully situated in the watery expanse of Man Sagar, is this dreamlike palace. Its origins are…

  • Surya Mandir

    Jaipur

    On the ridge above the Hindu Temple Galta is the Surya Mandir, which rises 100m above Jaipur and can be seen from the eastern side of the city. A 2.5km…

  • Ganesh Temple

    Jaipur

    The old Ganesh temple below Moti Dungri is a special and very popular place of worship. Throngs of devotees attend the temple on Wednesdays (the…

  • Modern Art Gallery

    Jaipur

    This peaceful modern gallery makes a pleasant diversion during a stroll around the greenery of Ram Niwas Bagh. It’s housed in an old theatre, on the 1st…

  • Ram Niwas Bagh

    Jaipur

    Adjacent to, but a world away from, busy MI Rd is this oasis of green where you can wander through geometric gardens of roses, palms and ferns…

  • Moti Dungri

    Jaipur

    This small, romantic fort looms above J Nehru Marg. It has served as a prison, but today remains in the possession of the former royal family.

  • Govind Devji Temple

    Jaipur

    This early 18th-century Krishna temple is a popular place of worship set in gardens just outside the City Palace walls.

  • Sisodia Rani Palace

    Jaipur

    The outer walls of Sisodia Rani Palace are decorated with murals depicting hunting scenes and the Krishna legend.

  • Hathroi Fort

    Jaipur

    The precinct of Hathroi Fort is named after this derelict (but still occupied) fort perched on a hilltop.

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