Places to visit in Jaipur, and the order to see them

A hilltop palace of pale yellow and pink sandstone above Maota Lake, built from the late 1500s by Raja Man Singh. Walk through the Diwan-i-Aam hall of public audience, then the Sheesh Mahal, where thousands of small mirrors light up from a single flame.

A 16th-century stepwell a short walk behind Amber Fort, with criss-cross stairs running down all four sides to the water. It is small, free, and one of the most photographed corners of Amer.

The military fort on the ridge above Amber, built to guard it. It holds Jaivana, one of the largest cannons on wheels in the world, and long walls with views down over Amer and Maota Lake.

A fort on the Aravalli ridge right above the Pink City, joined to Jaigarh by a road along the hilltops. Inside is the Madhavendra Bhawan, a set of identical suites built for the king's queens, and outside are the best views over Jaipur.

The water palace that seems to float in the middle of Man Sagar Lake, its lower floors under water. You cannot go inside. You stop on the promenade along the Amer road and take it in from the shore.

The royal palace at the heart of the walled city, still home to Jaipur's former royal family. See the four painted gateways of Pritam Niwas Chowk, each for a season, and the two huge silver urns in the Diwan-i-Khas.

An open-air observatory of giant stone instruments built by Jai Singh II in the 1720s, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The tallest sundial still tells the local time to within a couple of seconds.

The Palace of Winds, a five-storey pink facade with 953 small windows, built so the royal women could watch street life without being seen. It is only a screen a room or two deep, so the climb inside to the top is quick.

A Krishna temple in the City Palace gardens, one of the most visited in Jaipur. The deity faces the palace so the king could see it from his rooms. At aarti time the hall fills with chanting devotees.

A slim seven-storey tower above Tripolia Bazaar, built in the 1740s to mark a battle victory. A narrow spiral ramp leads to the top and the best view over the walled city.

The jewellers' bazaar of the Pink City, lined with shops selling silver, gemstones, Kundan jewellery and block-printed fabric. It is also where to try Jaipur sweets like ghewar.

The market for camel leather mojari shoes, bandhani tie-dye, quilts and handicrafts, running inside the city wall near Sanganeri Gate. Prices start high, so bargaining is expected.

Rajasthan's oldest museum, in an Indo-Saracenic building in Ram Niwas Garden. Its collection runs from carpets and armour to miniature paintings and an Egyptian mummy.

A single-screen cinema from 1976 with a pink meringue-style auditorium, a city landmark in its own right. Watching a Hindi film with a cheering Jaipur crowd is the experience.

A white marble Lakshmi Narayan temple built in 1988 below Moti Dungri hill. The walls and windows carry carvings and stained glass of Hindu stories, scripture and figures from history.

Jaipur's best-loved Ganesh temple, at the foot of a small hill topped by a Scottish-style castle. Locals stop here before a wedding or a new car.

A group of temples and sacred water tanks in a narrow pass in the hills east of the city, fed by a natural spring. It is known as the Monkey Temple for the troops of macaques that live there.

A terraced Mughal-style garden built in the 1700s for a queen of Jai Singh II, with fountains, pavilions and murals of Radha and Krishna. It is quieter than the city sights.

A modern gateway to Jawahar Circle garden, painted floor to ceiling in Rajasthani patterns, with each arch showing a region of the state. A favourite photo stop for its colour.

A Rajasthani village resort on the Tonk road with folk dance, puppet shows, camel rides and a sit-down Rajasthani thali dinner, all in one ticket. Busy and touristy, but most families love it.