Jaipur or the Pink City of India is by far my favorite city on the planet. The entire damn world hasn’t compared to this gem where my dad was raised. Maybe it’s the history I have with this place or just the general feeling of belonging, I cannot recommend it enough. It’s an urban adventure filled with loud people, sneaky monkeys, an occasional camel and the best food you have ever tasted. To travelers from outside India it might be overwhelming to figure out where to start planning a trip to Jaipur. Well fear not! This city guide to Jaipur answers all of your questions and lists all the resources you would need to plan the perfect trip to Jaipur.
Hotels in Jaipur: Where to stay
Jaipur has some of the grandest and absolutely gorgeous palaces that have now been converted into heritage hotels. Sujan Rajmahal Palace for example used to be the resting palace for the queens of Jaipur before being taken over by the British and then later restored by Princess Diya Kumari into one of the best hotels in India. Similarly, Rambagh Palace was the previous residence of the kings of Jaipur and the sprawling lush gardens and expensive gold cutlery is testament to the royal treatment that you will experience here.
The best part about Jaipur though is that you don’t have to sacrifice comfort for money. 28 Kothi and Narain Niwas Palace are two stunning properties that offer lower prices. 28 Kothi caters to those that prefer minimalism and quiet at the end of the day while Narain Niwas Palace provides an all encompassing experience of the Indian culture to the traveler including the architecture, the food, the Ayurvedic treatments and Bar Palladio which is fast becoming the best bar in Jaipur.
Food in Jaipur: Top 50 Best Street Food
If you are going to India I know you are already researching the best restaurants and places to eat in every city. Sure the Indian restaurant next to your home might be nice for a takeout every week but when you actually come to India the taste and flavor will be 100x. Jaipur is known for its amazing street food. But it’s equally important you don’t mess up and eat from unsafe street vendors. Even I, who has been eating street food in Jaipur for years, managed to get food poisoning once.
So to keep you all safe and healthy during your travels to India I have created a list of the top 50 places in Jaipur that serve the best street food. It covers all of the local dishes and some unique add ons that are loved by the locals. The options include restaurants that you can choose for any meal – breakfast, lunch or dinner. Jaipur can be a unique and amazing gastronomic experience if you do it right.
When to visit: October – March
The best time to visit Jaipur is during peak tourist season between October and February. The day time temperatures are a mild 20 to 25 degree celsius which feels cosy in the sun. Night time temperatures drop to 5 degree celsius so its advisable to carry a sweater. My guide to the Best time to visit Jaipur delves into the seasons, the weather and the festivals each month so you can figure out what the best time to visit for you would be.
How long to stay: 4-5 Days
The ideal time to visit Jaipur and see all the important sites while not feeling rushed is 4-5 days. This will allow you to add a safari to Ranthambore to the itinerary as well. I would also recommend you set aside time to enjoy a rest day at your hotel. As I mentioned earlier, Jaipur has fabulous royal hotels that have amazing menus, Ayurvedic and international spa treatments and some gorgeous pools. It is a treat to be able to stay all day at your hotel and have a private dinner at the end of the day with your SO. I would not recommend a trip shorter than 4 days if you really want to enjoy Jaipur.
Things to do in Jaipur: Top 25 Places to see
There are so many palaces, forts, temples and other sites of historical significance in Jaipur that you can spend weeks here and not run out of things to do. But as a traveler you have to prioritize what you want to see. Every traveler has a different preference on what facet of the city they want to explore. Below here I have included my articles on the Palaces in Jaipur, Forts in Jaipur, 15 Historical Sites in Jaipur and Top 25 Things to do which includes all of the most important things you should definitely visit including some gorgeous other places like Bar Palladio, the restaurant 51 Shades of Pink and local markets.
I also have a complete single day itinerary for Jaipur which includes the top 4 important sites (City Palace, Hawa Mahal, Amer Fort and Jal Mahal), lunch at the best restaurant in town, shopping at the local bazar and dinner at the popping Bar Palladio followed by a midnight ice cream run to Patrika Gate. Check that out below.
Single Day Itinerary
Palaces in Jaipur
Forts in Jaipur
15 Historical Sites
Top 25 things to do in Jaipur
Experiences: Tiger Safari and Festivals
Safaris – Ranthambore National Park, which is situated just a couple hours away, is one of the most popular day trips from Jaipur to see tigers. You are driven to Ranthambore in the morning, have breakfast there, do a safari and on the way back stop for dinner in a local village. It’s a pretty amazing trip to get out of the cities of India and see the wildlife and local life. Checkout the day trip offered by Rajputana Tour and Travel.
Festivals – Jaipur celebrates all its local festivals with pomp. Teej, the Elephant Festival, Makar Sankranti, Gangaur, Holi, Camel festival, Dussehra and Diwali all take place between October and March which is peak tourist season. You will love celebrating these and getting involved in everything. It’s probably going to be the highlight of your trip. It’s very easy to find the dates for these festivals on Google. If you plan your trip around them it’s even more fun!
What to pack: Guide to clothing for women
If you are arriving during the tourist season between October and March then you can expect to pack summer clothes for the day time and a couple of sweaters or jackets for the night time. Other than this you shouldn’t require anything extra that you wouldn’t already carry to India. My guide to packing for India explains everything that you would need for your trip.
Health and Safety
The only two things you need to worry about your health are food poisoning and heat stroke or dehydration. While sightseeing make sure to keep drinking a lot of water throughout the day. During winters the temperature isn’t very hot but the sun shines brightly and constantly on top of your head which you might not be used to. To avoid food poisoning don’t eat from any street vendors that you don’t see on my list of restaurants. It might be ok for the locals since they have developed immunity to it but for you it could be catastrophic.
For women travelers to Jaipur I recommend reading up on my Guide for the Solo Female Traveler to India which explains in detail how to be safe.
Cost and Budget
India is very cheap and it’s possible to travel on a budget of $20 a day which also holds true for Jaipur. The only reason Jaipur trips get expensive is your choice of hotel. Jaipur has some of the most amazing hotels in the world and I recommend you try and stay at one of them to experience Indian hospitality. This will drive up your budget but it’s worth it.
- Hotels – Mid range guest houses and hotels are from $14 a night which cuts down on expenses drastically. $30-$50 for good Airbnbs and $70 above for luxury hotels that I have mentioned in my article above. The top 3 palace hotel costs are listed below.
- Sujan Rajmahal Palace: <$830
- Rambagh Palace: <$300
- Oberoi Rajvilas: <$280
- Food – $10 for every meal in a good high quality restaurant. If you cook for yourself you can do it for very cheap at about $3 per day.
- Travel – $1 if you take an autorickshaw. Uber prices vary but they are relatively cheap at $3 for a medium distance ride.
- Flights – Domestic flights range between $50-$100 depending on the season.
- Attractions – $1-$3 for foreigners depending on how popular the attraction is. Locals have to pay one tenth the amount.
Shopping: Handicrafts vs Boutiques
Jaipur has centuries old markets that are the center of the hubbub today. Johari Bazar, Chandpole Bazar, Tripolia Bazar sell local handicrafts, textiles, bangles and jewellery. It’s a very unique experience to go to a bazar in Jaipur. You will find all kinds of interesting and cool items to take back home.
If you are looking to invest in a good piece then I recommend you step into one of the boutiques in Jaipur. Anokhi, Kalee, Rasa are a few boutique stores with exceptional designers that create quality pieces you will be proud to take home.
Flights: Flying into which city?
Domestic flights in India cost between $50-$100 depending on where you are flying from. If you are traveling internationally and land in Delhi, you can also take the express train from Delhi to Jaipur which is what I prefer. It takes 4.5 hours between the two cities. The flight from Delhi to Jaipur takes 35 mins. If you are flying into Mumbai then flights are your only option to get to Jaipur. The flight takes 1.5 hours.
Transportation: Hire a Taxi!
DO NOT under any circumstances try to drive in India by yourself. Also don’t take Ubers all over the place trying to figure out attractions by yourself. It’s a waste of time. The best way to travel in the city is by hiring a taxi driver for the duration of your stay and let them figure out the best route and where to park. They are also invested in the tip at the end of your stay so they make sure you have a good experience. Most hotels have their own connections with taxi drivers and will be happy to book one for you.
Scams to be careful of
Scams are unfortunately very widespread in India. The culture shock combined with no local knowledge makes people from outside India very good targets for the scammers. Asher Fergusson has a very comprehensive guide of the Top 27 Scams in India to Avoid. This includes all the scams I have seen as a local and you should definitely read up on them to make sure you don’t end up getting scammed.
Photography: Gorgeous IG spots
Jaipur is my favorite city to photograph. It isn’t hard to figure out why. My favorite shots have come out of photographing the architecture in Jaipur. Whether you just want some good pictures from your trip or you want to really get some great shots for you IG it will do you good to read my Guide to Indian Photography and the Top 10 Instagrammable Places in Jaipur. The guide pinpoints the exact location that I took all my pictures at. This way you don’t have to figure out where the photos were taken since the forts and palaces are pretty big and finding a certain spot could take hours.
20 Amazing Photos of Jaipur
10 Instagram places in Jaipur
Photography tips for India
I hope you have an amazing time in Jaipur. Let me know in the comments below what other information about the city you would like for me to include in this guide.
