3 Days in Jaipur, India
A lot has been written about the Pink City over the years. With beautiful architecture and loads of history, this is a common stop on a tour of India. I can see why. There was no shortage of gorgeous things to look at and there was no shortage of haggling, people trying to get my attention, and the constant feel as if I was about to be scammed.
We arrived in the afternoon after a very early morning from Bangalore and coming off a very intensely filled couple of days. I was exhausted and after visiting Bangalore - a city with not much in the ways of sightseeing but a gentler introduction to India for a non-Indian - my guard was down. It didn’t take long to realize that I was going to have to watch it.
Regardless, we met some amazing people while in Jaipur and they showed us around - taking us for shopping we likely wouldn’t have just wandered into and helping us haggle the best prices we could.
Jaipur is definitely worth seeing once. Spend a couple of days seeing the sites and reserve at least one day for shopping. With a rich history in cotton and block printing, there is an abundance of custom clothing to be made to your choosing.
Where to Stay
My visit to Jaipur was during Literary Week, so hotel availability was difficult. That being said, I stayed at Hotel Narain Niwas Palace and found it to be a comfortable base for sightseeing. Others in the group stayed at Umaid Bhawan Boutique Hotel and enjoyed the architecture, pool, and room balconies.
Beautiful, spacious and comfortable rooms. An oasis away from the traffic and noise with a pool, three restaurants and ample lounging space.
Day 1: Jantar Mantar, City Palace, Hawa Mahal
These 3 landmarks are close to each other - easy to walk to each one. There are many shops and vendors on the streets in this area and vendors will likely try to get your attention. Jaipur has a booming camel leather business and custom cotton and cotton/silk fabric clothing business. You’ll definitely find many things to buy!
Explore City Palace or Jantar Mantar first thing in the morning - both are popular and can get busy.
Looking for more personalized recommendations? I’ve got some recommendations for shops I personally visited in Day 2 that I found to have good quality.
Visit: City Palace
Ticketing can be confusing here. I recommend getting Royal Splendor ticket which gives access to beautiful palace rooms (like this one).
Visit: Jantar Manta
This 18th Century Observatory is worth seeing first thing in the morning. Hire a guide for an hour long tour and explanation - it’s worth it!
Visit: Hawa Mahal
Colorful windows adorn this architectural beauty.
Day 2: Jal Mahal, Amer/Amber Fort, Shopping
Tip: You will want a car and driver for at least 4 hours - this can be arranged through the hotel.
Today, you’ll head out of town in the morning to Amer/Amber Fort with a stop along the way to Jal Mahal (you can’t go inside, so best to pop out of the car to take some photos)
After lunch, choose your own adventure and get some shopping done!
Visit: Jal Mahal
A palace in the middle of the lake, and completely inaccessible by the public.
Visit: Amer/Amber Fort
From the parking lot, you can walk up the hill or hire a jeep. The jeep will take you to a stepwell in the village that is worth seeing.
Love history? Hire a guide for a 1hr long tour of the fort.
Shopping Recommendations
Arawali Textile - Custom Clothing
Spend some time in here. They’ll give you a demo on block printing and then take you up to meet the tailor and see the sample room. Choose the styles you want to have made for you, then head back downstairs to choose the fabrics.
Once fabrics are chosen (it can take awhile!), the tailor will come custom measure you and make some fit recommendations. You’ll pay and they will hand deliver it to you at your hotel by the end of the next day.
I got a long sleeve / long trouser pajama, dress, pleat front trousers, and robe in cotton all for less than $200.
I didn’t spend a lot of time here and kind of regret it as the cotton/silk fabric was gorgeous and I wish I had gotten a couple of button downs and boxy camp shirts in the fabric (next time!).
Sri Leather Industries - Shoes
Plenty of Rajasthani style leather slippers and sandals. The leather slippers have gorgeous embroidery and I ended up walking away with 3 pairs for less than $100.
Ratnavali Arts - Jewelry
CaratLane - Jewelry
Both Ratnavali Arts and CaratLane have a beautiful selection of jewelry and each gives personal attention to you when looking for your new special piece.
Day 3: Patrika Gate, Albert Hall, Elephants?
Patrika Gate is a quick stop. Some even recommend doing it on the way to the airport as it’s on the outskirts of Jaipur.
From there, it’s easy to head to Albert Hall. For me, I found this museum to be boring. There are loads of artifacts from all over (including Egypt!) but nothing really caught my eye and held it. This may be one to skip for you.
In the afternoon, head to Elephantastic, an ethical elephant sanctuary. Here you’ll feed, bathe, and walk with the sanctuary’s residents before going to the owner’s mother’s home for an authentic meal.
Visit: Patrika Gate
Get here bright and early. It gets crowded and the wedding photographers will bully you to stay out of their shots.
Visit: Albert Hall
A museum with loads of things to look at but it was admittedly boring to me. You may want to skip it if you aren’t into museums.
Visit: Elephantastic
This ethical elephant sanctuary is a fun visit - especially if you’ve never visited elephants before!
Where to Eat
Rainbow Restaurant - casual and good for lunch. Huge menu, great prices, and delicious food.
Baradari - Located in City Palace, this is an upscale bar and restaurant in a beautiful setting. Cocktails and dinner were delicious and the service was so attentive.
Bar Palladio - Located in Hotel Narain Niwas Palace, I was told this is the place to be on Friday night - and it might be true! While we were dining here one night, the prince of Jaipur was spotted hanging out with friends. The food is top notch as well.
Last Notes
Transportation: Uber is available, but with traffic can be hard to get. There are plenty of 2 and 4 person auto rickshaws and they are a fun and cheap way to get around.
Tipping: At all the main sites, if anyone offered to take a photo of you or if they were in the photo with you (such as ceremonial guards) or you asked to take a photo of someone, they expected a tip. Carry plenty of 50 and 100 INR bills to satisfy or simply politely decline when the offer is made.
Dress: For women, dress conservatively when out and about. Low necklines, high hems and tight fitting clothes will invite a lot of uncomfortable staring. At the restaurants in hotels, it was more relaxed and I was never stared at for wearing cocktail dresses.
Everything here is my own opinion and I received no compensation for this post. It also contains affiliate links. If you have any questions about this, just click here! All images except Albert Hall copyright Travel Well.Co
