City in Rajasthan

Jaipur is the capital of India’s Rajasthan state. It evokes the royal family that once ruled the region and that, in 1727, founded what is now called the Old City, or “Pink City” for its trademark building color. At the center of its stately street grid (notable in India) stands the opulent, colonnaded City Palace complex. With gardens, courtyards and museums, part of it is still a royal residence.
Across from the City Palace is Jantar Mantar, an open-air astronomical observatory from the early 18th century. Also nearby is the Hawa Mahal (Palace of the Winds), a former cloister for royal women fronted by a rippling 5-story screen of pink sandstone. Several kilometers outside the city center, elephants carry visitors uphill to the imposing Amer Fort, which features elaborate wall carvings and paintings. On the way to the fort, many visitors stop on the banks of Man Sagar Lake to photograph Jal Mahal, a partially submerged palace that famously reflects in the water.

Things to do

Amber Palace

16th-century hilltop fort & palace

 
 
 

Hawa Mahal

Pink/red sandstone ‘Palace of the Winds’

 
 
 

Nahargarh Fort

Hilltop fort offering expansive views

 
 
 

Albert Hall Museum

Art & artifacts in an ornate museum

 
 
 

City Palace, Jaipur

Lavish 1700s palace complex & museum

 
 
 

Jawahar Circle Garden

City park with nightly fountain shows

 
 
 

Jantar Mantar – Jaipur

Instruments for astronomical observation

 
 
 

Birla Mandir, Jaipur

Modern Hindu temple of white marble

 
 
 

Jaigarh Fort

Historic hilltop fort with a museum

 
 
 

Moti Dungri Ganesh Ji Temple

Hilltop temple to Lord Ganesha

 
 
 

Jal Mahal

Historic palace in the middle of a lake

 
 
 

Central Park

Sprawling green space for public use