People often get confused on what to see when they are on a short visit to Jaipur. This is true even for those who are visiting Jaipur either for work, conference or during  transit and have a tight schedule. They are able to manage very less time for sight seeing or exploring around. Visiting Jaipur and not being able to explore the right places is surely a let down. And with plethora of choices, it kind of gets overwhelming!

Here is a short guide that will help you strip down to the must see  tourist attractions in Jaipur. This is an Insider’s guide to 5 must visit places in Jaipur in one day.

Amer Palace.

Amer Fort is certainly the most popular tourist attraction in Jaipur city. The grandeur of its architecture is unrivaled!! Elephant ride to the palace courtyard is a highly coveted experience of Amer Fort, along with the sheesh Mahal situated inside the palace. It is located approximately 10 km from the city center – Albert Hall/Johari Bazaar.  Amer Fort is also called Amer Palace or Amber. In reality, it’s a palace and a fort.

Read: 5 Reasons why Amer Fort is the most popular tourist attraction in Jaipur ?

TIP! Take the elephant ride on your way up. Don’t be surprised to encounter a long queue of people for elephant ride during the peak season! Beat the rush and reach early!  The Amer Palace opens at 8 AM, try to reach the elephant stand around 7.30 AM.

City palace, Jaipur

City Palace is the residence of Jaipur royalty. It’s a royal abode!

Descendants of the royal family still reside in some sections of  the City Palace. However, some of it’s parts are open for tourists to explore. You can visit museums located inside the Palace. City Palace is located right in the heart of the city, very close to the Hawa Mahal.

TIP! Best time to visit the city palace is post lunch, you don’t have to walk around much. Its located very close to Johari Bazar, so commuting is not a hassle. Don’t miss seeing the two huge silver urns made by Maharajah Sawai Madho Singh II to carry holy water of river Ganga during his trip to England in 1902. Each of them weigh 345 Kg!! A Guinness record holder!

Jantar Mantar

It’s a must see! Surely, Jantar Mantar is  one of it’s kind solar observatory in the world!

This solar observatory was built by Maharajah Sawai Jai Singh II and is still fully functional and precise too. Built in 1738 AD, it’s a  UNESCO world heritage site!

TIP! Don’t forget to hire a guide!! Without a guide, it’ll be difficult for you to understand how each instrument functions. It won’t take you more than 30-45 minutes to complete the tour of Jantar Mantar.

Hawa Mahal

Hawa Mahal is  synonymous with Jaipur. There is no other building in the world that comes close to Hawa Mahal in terms of it’s beauty. It’s an architectural marvel. The facade of Hawa Mahal is actually its back side! The building has a different entrance. If you have time, do explore the entire structure. However If you are short on time,  a selfie with Hawa Mahal will do!!

Read: Hawa Mahal- Face of Jaipur

TIP! there are 953 windows in Hawa Mahal and are called Jharokhas in  the local language!  By the way, all the shops around Hawa Mahal sell tourist oriented stuff like garments, bed sheets, souvenirs etc. Do note that they only sell commercial quality. Bargain hard!!!

There is a very famous shop which is very popular and quite reliable. Popular  among locals & tourists, alike!  Gulab Chand prints! Famous for  great quality Jaipuri & sanganeri hand block print salwar suits,dresses and shirts! It’s  a small, congested “busy” shop. They also have two more outlets in Jaipur, outside the walled city area.

Nahargarh Fort

Nahargarh fort is very popular among locals, specially youth. It’s a favorite spot for locals to enjoy Sunset & sunrise, alike! The fort is spread over in a huge area and overlooks the city of Jaipur. It was recently restored. The Madhavendra Palace is it’s main attraction. It was a residential complex meant for the queens.

TIP!  The palace section closes at 5 PM. Visit Nahargarh fort around 4-4.30 PM. After visiting Madhavendra Palace section, head to the open air Padao restaurant and enjoy the sunset & city views. This restaurant is run by RTDC – Rajasthan Tourism Development Corporation. It serves only beer and snacks. The views are amazing and perfect way to end your Jaipur trip. Don’t worry, even if the palace  section closes at 5 PM, rest of the fort is still open, till late. It won’t be a problem if you wish to leave at 7 or 9 PM!! Do note however, there is no public transport service or taxis available for your return trip from Nahargarh fort. Arrange for your pick up well in advance or ask for the cab to wait.

Suggested Jaipur itinerary for 1 day :

Start early with  Amer Palace followed by Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar. This should set you free by 1 PM for a lunch break. After lunch break, visit City Palace followed by Nahargarh fort.

Following is the estimated time required to complete each of these attractions:

• Amer Palace-2-3 hours
• Hawa Mahal – 10 minutes for street side view/ 30 minutes to explore entire structure.
• Jantar Mantar – 45 minutes
• City Palace– 1 hour
• Nahargarh Fort – 30 minutes-45 minutes for Madhavendra Palace.

This sets you free to spend time at Padao restaurant, and wind your day at your pace!

TIP! You can avail a composite ticket for Amer Palace, Nahargarh fort, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal. It’s a good deal. Valid for a day!

Feel free to tinker around with this suggested itinerary of places to visit in Jaipur in one day.This itinerary  is not suggested for  summer months (March to June) when scorching heat makes it difficult to explore tourist attractions in Jaipur during the day time. 

This write up is now available on GPSmyCity app on iOS App Store, click here to download the GPS enabled article –  Insider’s Guide to 5 Must See Places in Jaipur / In a Day

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