Jaipur Sightseeing Route: Old City to Amber
Jaipur sightseeing works best as three clusters rather than one long list. The old city’s monuments sit within a few hundred metres of each other, Amber and Jaigarh share a ridge to the north, and Nahargarh is a separate climb.
Cluster one: the old city
City Palace is a tiered-ticket complex of courtyards and museums, so budget by tier rather than assuming a single price. Jantar Mantar, built in 1734, has 19 instruments, among them the 27-metre Vrihat Samrat Yantra sundial, accurate to two seconds. Hawa Mahal, designed in 1799 by Lal Chand Ustad in the form of Krishna’s crown, has 953 small windows. Foreign adults pay about INR 600 at both Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal. The UNESCO page covers the observatory.
The Pink Line metro stops at Badi Chaupar, beside Hawa Mahal, though it only runs from Mansarovar and there is no airport station. Only the walled old city is painted pink, so the rest of Jaipur looks quite different.
Cluster two: Amer Road
Jal Mahal appears on the way to Amber. Stop at the lakeside promenade for a photograph, because the palace is not open to visitors. Then comes Amber Fort, with its Sheesh Mahal, Diwan-i-Aam and gardens. Foreign adults pay about INR 1,000. Walk up the ramp or take a jeep shuttle. Elephant rides still run, but animal-welfare groups object to them, so these two options are the better choice.
Above Amber, Jaigarh Fort has ramparts and the Jaivana Cannon, with entry at about INR 200.
Cluster three: Nahargarh and Albert Hall
Nahargarh crowns the ridge above the old city. Foreign adults pay about INR 600. Its Madhavendra Bhawan holds nine matching suites built for the queens of Maharaja Madho Singh II. Albert Hall in Ram Niwas Garden is the fourth INR 600 stop. Read more on Wikipedia .
The composite ticket
Amber, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Nahargarh and Albert Hall are covered by a two-day composite ticket, roughly INR 1,000-1,700, so confirm the price at the ticket office. City Palace is not included. Once you plan three paid sites, the composite is cheaper than single entries.
Moving between clusters
A car and driver for a full day costs about INR 2,500-4,000 per vehicle and links all three clusters. A full day of auto-rickshaw hire is INR 800-1,200. Compare car options on GetYourGuide .
A workable day
Amber at opening, Jaigarh before 11:00, a lunch break in the old city, then City Palace and Hawa Mahal in the cooler afternoon. Fort ramparts have no shade, and heat reaches 40-45C between April and June, so keep outdoor sights to the morning and late afternoon and drink only sealed bottled water.
Patrika Gate
After dark, Patrika Gate at Jawahar Circle, which opened in 2016, makes an easy final stop. It is free and the painted arches look good under lights.
For a slower style of sightseeing, try our walking tours page . Tip: on a hot-season trip, reverse the day and climb Nahargarh at sunrise.