Every year the Jaipur Literature Festival brings in thousands of writers, speakers, visitors to Jaipur over a 5-day event in January. The hotel rooms in the city are all sold out due to the JLF rush. Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) venue, Diggi Palace is packed to the full with visitors. It’s a mad rush, everywhere! Visitors to Jaipur Literature Festival usually plan for a 2-3 day trip to Jaipur. Here is a concise Jaipur travel guide on exploring the pink city during your visit to the Jaipur Literature Festival 2020.

For your easy reference here is a venue layout of Jaipur Literature Festival at Hotel Diggi Palace.

This is not a guide to the Jaipur Literature Festival. For a guide to Jaipur Lit Fest read – Tips For Attending Jaipur Literature Festival

Jaipur Food Guide

Here is a list of the best food to try in Jaipur during your JLF visit.

Jaipur Gajak

Even though people associate Dal Baati Churma with Jaipur, there are many interesting things to treat yourself during this season. One of which is Gajak. It is prepared using Til (sesame seed) and Gud (jaggery). Two good places to try are Narayan Ji Gajak in Johari Bazaar and Ishwar Ji Gajak in Chaura Rasta, Jaipur. The former has opened many outlets in Jaipur. Even though Gajak can be found in every nook and corner, the Gajak at these two outlets is consistent and famous.

Distance from Diggi Palace to Ishwar Ji Gajak Wale, Chaura Rasta – 2.2 Km

Distance from Diggi Palace to Narayan Ji Gajak Wale, Johari Bazar – 2.8 Km

Lassi at Lassiwala, MI Road

For many travelers, Jaipur is synonymous with Lassiwala’s Lassi on MI Road, Near Panch Batti. The outlet is well known to run out of Lassi by evening and the owners only sell fix quantity each day. The best thing to do is to start your day with this Lassi before you head to Diggi Palace. If you are staying in a hotel or guest house on MI Road, station road, Bani Park, Lassiwala will be on your way and a stopover is mandatory. Make sure you pick the right shop as there are imposters. The corner shop with Kishanlal Govind Narian Agarwal is the original Lassiwala shop on MI Road.

Distance from Diggi Palace to Lassiwala, MI Road -1.8 Km

 

Rawat Pyaaz Kachori

Even though it is Jodhpur which has been churning out legendary tasting Pyaaz Kachori for years, Rawat Pyaaz Kachori is synonymous with Jaipur. It is available only at Rawat Misthan Bhandar near Khasa Kothi.

Distance from Diggi Palace to Rawat Pyaaz Kachori -3.5 Km

Jaipur Ghevar and Fini

Although LMB in Johari Bazaar is a popular choice among travelers for Ghevar, there are many other options too try Gangaur Sweets in the C-scheme area, Sodhani Sweets on Tonk Road, and Rawat Misthan Bhandar near Khasa Kothi. Another great place to try both Ghevar and Fini is Sambhar Fini Wala in Ghee Walon Ka Rasta, Johri Bazaar.

Here is a Guide To Best Ghevar in Jaipur

Distance from Diggi Palace to LMB / Sambhar Finiwala, Johari Bazar -2.5 Km

Chokhi Dhani Jaipur

If you like to experience the ethnic Rajasthani village setting, Chokhi Dhani is a  must-visit, once the JLF sessions are over for the day.

Tapri Central

Visitors looking for a short break in between the JLF sessions, Tapri Central is a good getaway. Located close by, it offers a beautiful setting for great chai, snacks and lovely views of Central Park.

Read: Why Tea Cafe’s are becoming popular in Jaipur?

Distance from Diggi Palace to Tapri Central -1.5 Km

Curious Life Coffee Roasters

If you love coffee, Curious Life Coffee is a great place to head to. With their new outlet closer to the venue – Diggi Palace, it provides an added impetus.

Distance from Diggi Palace to Curious Life Coffee, Sarojini Marg, C-scheme -1.5 Km

 

Shikaar Bagh and Bar Palladio

For those who like to unwind with drinks, after a long tiring day at JLF, Bar Palladio at Narain Niwas Palace and Shikaar Bagh are great choices. Both these can be found at Narain Niwas Palace Hotel which is a heritage hotel.

Distance from Diggi Palace to Narain Niwas Palace Hotel -2.5 Km

Some other places to try in Jaipur are OTH, Jaipur Modern, F32, Café Bae and Anokhi Cafe.

Masala Chowk

If you need a quick eat place near the JLF venue, Masala Chowk is a great option. It is located close to Albert Hall Museum and a few minutes’ walk from Diggi Palace. Masala Chowk has kiosks of legendary food outlets from the old Jaipur city. It is a great affordable food option near the JLF venue.

Distance from Diggi Palace to Masala Chowk – 1.5 Km

For detailed post, read Insider’s guide to 5 Must see places in Jaipur / In a day

Shopping in Jaipur

Things to buy from Jaipur include handicrafts, block printed clothes & bedsheets, Jaipuri Rajai or quilts, Silver Jewelry, Kundan Meena and Jadau Jewelry. Must explore traditional markets in Jaipur are Johari Bazaar and Bapu Bazaar.

Distance from Diggi Palace to Bapu Bazar – 2 Km

Distance from Diggi Palace to Johari Bazar – 2.2 Km

The most popular shops to pick clothes are Gulab Chand Prints, Vasansi, Anokhi, Cottons, and Soma. For Jaipuri Quilts, head to the Chaura Rasta market.

Rajmal Bhuramal Surana is a pioneer as far as the Kundan Meena and Jadau jewelry goes. They are in the jewelry business for hundreds of years and were jewelers to the Jaipur royalty.

Must-See Places in Jaipur

The following are must-see places near the JLF venue that can be covered easily in a short time.

Albert Hall Museum

Albert Hall Museum is at a walking distance from Jaipur Literature Festival venue – Hotel Diggi Palace. The building has great architecture. It is one of the few buildings in India that was built in the Indo-Saracenic architectural style. It is even more amazing to know that the person in charge of the construction was not an architect but a PWD engineer -Swinton Samuel Jacob.

Distance from Diggi Palace to Albert Hall Museum – 1.5 Km

One of the most prized possessions of Albert Hall is an Egyptian mummy. It is one of the 6 museums in India to have an Egyptian mummy.

Egyptian mummy in Albert Hall Museum, Jaipur

 Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar

Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar are barely a few minutes’ drive from Diggi Palace, JLF venue. If you have not explored the Hawa Mahal complex, it is a good time to do so. While it takes around 20-30 minutes to complete the Hawa Mahal tour, Jantar Mantar will take around 30-40 minutes. Hiring a guide for Jantar Mantar will be a good idea. For Hawa Mahal, an audio guide will do.

Distance from Diggi Palace to Hawa Mahal – 3 Km

Night Tourism in Jaipur

Albert Hall Museum and Amber Fort are both open for night tourism, between 7 and 10 PM. It’s best to utilize your time after the JLF sessions by opting for the night tourism!

Distance from Diggi Palace to Amer Fort – 11 Km

Jaipur Walking  & Cultural Tours

For visitors who have already explored the tourist attractions of Jaipur, Jaipur Walking tours/ cultural tours or heritage walks in the old city area of Jaipur during the morning before the JLF begins is a good option. It allows one to assimilate the real culture of the city. Generally, the heritage walks in Jaipur lasts for 90-120 minutes.

Most Jaipur Walking tours start at Badi Chaupar, New Gate at Chaura Rasta, or Chotti Chaupar.

Distance from Diggi Palace to New Gate – 1.5 Km

Nahargarh Heritage Water Walk

Nahargarh Heritage Water Walk which takes place in and around Nahargarh Fort is an eye-opener of engineering marvels of yesteryears. The walk explores the entire system of water harvesting and conservation. Water was an important resource for all great civilizations and cities as they were built near water sources. Today we don’t realize its significance; this walk highlights the rise and fall of kingdoms due to one resource – water!

Distance from Diggi Palace to Nahargarh Fort – 17 Km

If you are in Jaipur for a longer stay, you might these Jaipur travel blogs useful:

Insider’s guide to 5 Must see places in Jaipur / In a day

How To Explore Jaipur In Two Days

There are many other options to explore Jaipur but I have only listed the popular ones which are in proximity to the Jaipur Literature Festival venue. I’m sure this will help you explore Jaipur, in a jiffy!

If you liked the post, don’t forget to share it on your social networks.

Stay updated with Jaipurthrumylens!! via: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google+