One day is enough for the big sights if you start early: Amber Fort before the heat, then Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar and City Palace in the walled city, with Albert Hall at the end. It is a long day of about 35 km by cab.
Amber Fort before the heat, Hawa Mahal and the observatory, lunch in the old city, then City Palace and Albert Hall as the lights come on.
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.
Tip: Stopping takes 15 minutes. Ask the driver to pause on the way to Amer.
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.
Tip: The climb from the lake is steep. Your cab can take the back road up to the parking near the Jaleb Chowk courtyard.
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.
Tip: For the classic photo, cross the road to a rooftop cafe opposite.
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.
Tip: There is little shade. A guide at the gate makes the instruments far easier to follow.
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.
Tip: Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal are a few minutes' walk away, so the cab can wait while you see all three.
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.
Tip: The building is floodlit after dark, and the square outside fills with pigeons and families.
Drive times come from road routing without traffic, so allow extra at weekends near Amer. Opening hours marked ? are not yet confirmed, so check them before you go.
Call or message a local Jaipur operator with this plan. Tell them your hotel and dates, and they send a price for the car and driver.
The hours we planned around. Check before you go on a public holiday.
| Place | Open | Best time | Visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jal Mahal | Seen from the lakeside, any time? | A short stop on the Amer road, best at sunrise or after dark when it is lit. | 20 min |
| Amber Fort | 08:00 to 17:30, every day | Go at opening time, before the tour buses and the midday heat. | 2 h 30 min |
| Hawa Mahal | 09:00 to 18:30, every day | Morning, when the sun is on the front. | 45 min |
| Jantar Mantar | 09:00 to 16:30, every day | Late morning, when the sundials cast clear shadows. | 1 h |
| City Palace | 09:30 to 17:00, every day | Opening time, to start your old city day. | 2 h |
| Albert Hall Museum | 09:00 to 20:00, every day | Early evening, so you see the building lit up as you leave. | 1 h 15 min |
Amer and the hill forts · The walled Pink City
See the 2-day plan →Amer and the hill forts · The walled Pink City · Temples and gardens
See the 3-day plan →Every sight with what to see, opening times and how long to stay.
See all places →Yes, the main sights. Start at Amber Fort at 08:00, then spend the afternoon in the walled city at Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar and City Palace. You miss the hill forts and the temples, which need a second day.
Leave by 08:00. Amber Fort opens at 08:00 and is quietest and coolest in the first two hours.
Jaigarh and Nahargarh forts above Amer, the Panna Meena stepwell, the bazaars and the temples. The 2-day plan fits them in.