How to spend a day in Jaipur

Jaipur, also known as the pink city, is the largest city in the state of Rajasthan, India. It got its iconic name for having those unique pink-coloured walled structures all over the city. But it is not the case anymore. Spotting a pink coloured wall has become a rarity now. I was lucky to have spotted one while on the road.

I visited Rajasthan with my family in October 2014. When visiting Rajasthan, there are 2 most sought out cities- Jaipur and Udaipur. Our first day was dedicated to Jaipur sightseeing. We booked a car for the day to take us around all the attractions. Our day tour had the following places covered: Amer/Amber Fort, Jaigarh Fort, Jantar Mantar, Akshardham Temple.

Starting our day trip

We left our hotel at around 10 in the morning and it was already so hot. We started our journey for the day and we’re lucky to have booked a car with AC. Such a relief it was. Very common for locals, but a special site for us was spotting an elephant right in the middle of the road. Guided by his mahout, it was just right there. 

We got to see Hawa Mahal (The Palace of Winds) on our way to Amer Fort. It is said that Hawa Mahal has 953 windows (not that I stayed and counted them all but special thanks to google for this info). It had a very rustic red colour feel.

It took us around 15 minutes to reach Amer Fort from Hawa Mahal. A huge wait line awaited us. Our driver suggested that we go ahead as it might take a lot of time to get a parking spot. So, we did exactly he said. Now, another obstacle you will face the moment you reach the gate and get in line for the tickets are the guides following you around. We also decided to have a guide but do remember to bargain. 

Amer Fort

Timings: 10:00 AM – 05:30 PM
Entry Fee: Rs.50 for Indian & Rs.500 for Foreigner
Guide Fee (After bargaining): Rs.400

Upon entrance, there is a huge courtyard with the palace entrance in view. This is known as Ganesh Pol Entrance (named after Lord Ganesha). It is a huge picturesque entrance. Definitely our first stop for photography.

Our guide literally didn’t stop talking for a minute. He kept on explaining the history and sharing all the knowledge he had about the fort. From why the Sheesh Mahal (Mirror Palace) was built to where baths were taken. Also, very proactively telling us about places for good photography and also offering to click pictures of us together. 

The best location for me was the Kesar Kyari (Saffron Garden) in Maota Lake. It was made especially so that women can adore its beauty from there windows too. Just look at that beautiful creation.

It took us around 3 hours to complete seeing this wonderful fort. Next stop- Jaigarh Fort. We saw people going on foot too, but since it was such hot weather that day, we decided not to. Just a 15 min ride, and we reached our next destination. 

Jaigarh Fort

Timings: 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM
Entry Fee: Rs.35 for Indian & Rs.85 for Foreigner

You can see the Amer Fort and the Maota Lake from here. It was built to protect the palace from invaders. Hence, there is nothing much to see here. The main attraction at this fort is the Jaivana cannon.

Both the forts (Amer fort and Jaigarh fort) are connected by tunnels. Sometimes these tunnels are open for tourists too. So, after visiting Amer Fort, people can directly come to Jaigarh fort via these tunnels. After spending about an hour, we headed to our next destination for the day- Jantar Mantar (literal meaning- calculating instrument).

Jantar Mantar

Timings: 09:00 AM – 05:00 PM
Entry Fee: Rs.50 for Indian & Rs.200 for Foreigner

This is the largest Jantar Mantar among all the 5 in India. It holds a total of 19 huge instruments, each serving a different purpose. It also holds the world’s largest stone sundial. I would advise visiting at noon so that you can easily see the working of the sundial. 

It was so much fun to roam around the area, looking at different instruments. We were not able to quite understand what the purpose was for each and how they worked. But, it was very mesmerizing to see these huge structures. Just imagine how much precision must have been to create these.

It was such a hot day. We decided to retire for the day and went back to our hotel. After chilling for a while, we came to know about Akshardham Temple from our hotel staff. Not wasting another minute, we booked a cab and reached here.

Akshardham Temple

Timings: 07:30 AM – 12:00 PM & 04:00 PM – 08:15 PM
Entry Fee: Free

Akshardham Temple is dedicated to Lord Narayan. It has a garden at the entrance with a Swastika shaped hedge. The temple itself is built on a high platform. You can also circle the temple around as there is walking space around it. The architecture of this temple was so beautiful with such intricate details on the walls and ceiling. Locals were just lounging around as it was so peaceful. It was such a perfect way to end this day.