Attraction
Amber Fort
Hilltop Rajput palace-fortress above Maota Lake in Amer, about 11 km from Jaipur, known for its courtyards, Sheesh Mahal mirror work and UNESCO-listed walls.
There are more things to do in Jaipur than most visitors expect. The capital of Rajasthan was founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II as a planned city, and its walled centre, the Pink City, is laid out in a grid of bazaars, temples and havelis around the City Palace, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal. North of the centre, the hill forts of Amber, Jaigarh and Nahargarh guard the Aravalli ridges, while the newer districts of C-Scheme and MI Road hold many of the cafés, bars and restaurants.
Food is a big part of a visit, from kachoris, lassi and vegetarian thalis in the old city to laal maas, palace dining rooms and a growing cocktail scene. Jaipur also has craft traditions such as block printing and gem cutting, leopard safaris at Jhalana and festivals such as the kite festival in January. Three days covers the old city and Amber; allow four or five to add crafts, a safari or a day trip to Abhaneri or Pushkar.
Attraction
Hilltop Rajput palace-fortress above Maota Lake in Amer, about 11 km from Jaipur, known for its courtyards, Sheesh Mahal mirror work and UNESCO-listed walls.
Attraction
The royal palace at the heart of the walled Pink City, begun in 1729, combining museum galleries, ornate courtyards and the residence of the former Jaipur…
Attraction
Jaipur's 'Palace of Winds', a five-storey pink sandstone screen of 953 small windows built in 1799 so royal women could watch street life unseen.
Attraction
UNESCO-listed 18th-century observatory beside City Palace with 19 masonry instruments built by Sawai Jai Singh II, including a giant stone sundial.
Attraction
Hilltop fort built in 1734 on the ridge above Jaipur, with the frescoed Madhavendra Bhawan apartments and wide views over the city at sunset.
Attraction
Defensive hill fort on the Hill of Eagles above Amber Fort, home to the 18th-century Jaivana cannon, an armoury, water tanks and wide Aravalli views.
Café
Jaipur's best-known modern chai house, overlooking Central Park on Prithviraj Road, with a long tea list, vegetarian snacks and a small design store upstairs.
Café
Pioneering Jaipur specialty roaster founded by former army officer Neeraj Sheoran, roasting Indian, Kenyan and Rwandan beans and serving all-day food in C-Scheme.
Café
Relaxed café beside the Anokhi store on Prithviraj Road, using produce from the Anokhi farm for salads, pizzettas, organic breads and fresh pomegranate juice.
Café
Jaipur micro-roaster set in a converted bungalow on Kamla Marg, serving Indian single-origin pour-overs and espresso alongside music, comedy and art events.
Café
Jaipur's original lassi shop on MI Road, founded in 1944 and serving thick sweet or salted lassi in clay kulhads until the day's curd runs out.
Café
Casual brunch café on Sahakar Marg serving bagels, burgers, risotto, smoothie bowls and flavoured coffees, with gluten-free options and a well-liked blueberry cheesecake.
Hotel
Taj-run former royal residence built in 1835 as a guest house and hunting lodge, with 78 rooms and suites set in formal Mughal gardens south of…
Hotel
Oberoi resort on 32 acres of gardens outside central Jaipur, with private-pool villas, luxury tents, a spa and an old Shiva temple in its grounds.
Hotel
Haveli-inspired luxury hotel on Palace Road, part of Marriott's Luxury Collection, with courtyards, an outdoor pool, Kaya Kalp spa and the Peshawri grill.
Hotel
A 225-year-old mansion in a quiet corner of the walled city, now a heritage hotel with hand-painted murals, bougainvillea-filled courtyards and terraces over Jaipur.
Hotel
A 1928 garden palace built by General Amar Singh of Kanota, now a 52-room heritage hotel with a pool, antique-filled rooms and the famous Bar Palladio.
Hotel
The 1892 Jaipur mansion of the Thakurs of Alsisar, now a family-run heritage hotel with quiet courtyards and painted chambers close to the old city.
Bar
Blue-painted Italian bar and restaurant in the gardens of Narain Niwas Palace, opened in 2013, known for its murals, tented pavilions and evening cocktails.
Bar
Bar and kitchen in a 150-year-old building near MI Road, named after architect Samuel Swinton Jacob, with a courtyard, pan-Asian restaurant and speakeasy rooms.
Bar
Open-air bar and restaurant in the lawns of Santha Bagh, opened in 2025 around a Trevi-inspired fountain, mixing Italian classics with Rajasthani flavours and live music.
Bar
Multi-level bar and modern Asian restaurant on Sarojini Marg with a rooftop bar of 38 feet, described as the longest in Jaipur, and regular DJ sets.
Bar
Rooftop bar and restaurant on the ninth floor of the Landmark Building in C-Scheme, with city views by day and DJs and dancing on several nights…
Bar
Raffles Jaipur's book-lined cocktail bar at Kukas, near Amer, serving a Jaipur take on the Singapore Sling, garden-herb cocktails and canapés from 11:00 to 23:00.
Restaurant
Rambagh Palace's formal Indian dining room, set in a hall styled on an 18th-century palace ballroom and serving royal recipes from Rajasthan and beyond.
Restaurant
ITC Rajputana's North-West Frontier restaurant, serving charcoal-grilled kebabs, breads and slow-cooked dal at lunch and dinner on Palace Road.
Restaurant
Long-established pure vegetarian restaurant and sweet shop in Johari Bazaar, known for Rajasthani thalis, dal baati churma, kulfi and paneer ghewar.
Restaurant
A long-running MI Road institution dating from around 1949, serving laal maas, kebabs and curries alongside Indo-Chinese and continental favourites.
Restaurant
MI Road restaurant opened in 1984 and loved by locals for Jaisalmeri laal maas, tandoori platters and Mughlai curries at fair prices.
Restaurant
Civil Lines restaurant at Achrol House known for smoked dhungar laal maas, Rajasthani vegetarian dishes and evening puppet shows.
Thing to do
The old city's jewellers' street near Hawa Mahal, lined with family-run shops selling gemstones, kundan and thewa jewellery in Jaipur's planned grid of pink shopfronts.
Thing to do
Jaipur's grand single-screen cinema, opened in 1976 off MI Road, where watching a Hindi film in the pastel Art Moderne auditorium is an experience in itself.
Thing to do
Charles Correa's arts centre on JLN Marg, built around a nine-square plan inspired by Jaipur's own layout, with galleries, theatres, festivals and a café.
Thing to do
A museum of hand block printing in a restored 16th-century haveli in Amer, with changing textile exhibitions, printing demonstrations and workshops.
Thing to do
Guided safaris in a dry Aravalli forest reserve on Jaipur's south-eastern edge, declared India's first leopard conservation reserve in 2017 and home to dozens of leopards.
Tour operator
Jaipur-based tour company running since 2008, best known for its morning and evening heritage walks through the artisans' lanes and bazaars of the Pink City.
Tour operator
Social enterprise running heritage, food, shopping and morning tours of Jaipur in electric rickshaws driven and guided by women from low-income communities.
Tour operator
Jaipur's first bicycle tour company, founded by two French residents, offering early-morning rides through the Pink City's markets plus longer routes to Amber.
Tour operator
India's first licensed hot-air balloon company, operating since 2008 with a base in Jaipur and offering early-morning flights over the countryside, villages and forts.
Tour operator
Jaipur cultural tour company running walking and cycle tours, craft workshops and village trips, with a focus on meeting families, artisans and local communities.
Three days covers the old city, Amber Fort and the hill forts; four or five allows time for crafts, a leopard safari at Jhalana or a day trip to Abhaneri or Pushkar.
The walled old city suits those who want heritage havelis close to the bazaars, while areas such as C-Scheme, Civil Lines and Rambagh offer quieter streets, palace hotels and easy access to restaurants.
Jaipur International Airport is at Sanganer, south of the city; prepaid taxis and app-based cabs are the simplest way into the centre, and many hotels arrange transfers.
Jaipur suits most budgets: street food, lassi shops and guesthouses are inexpensive, while palace hotels and fine-dining restaurants charge international prices.
Jaipur is generally safe for visitors who take normal precautions; watch for touts and gem scams in the bazaars, agree taxi fares in advance and avoid isolated forest areas around the hill forts after dark.