How Not to Spend a Day in Jaipur

It took much less than per week in India for me to make my first mistake. 

Despite getting to know for so long about a way to make my time within the Golden Triangle the first-rate ever, I nevertheless managed to make a mistake. 

You see, when I started researching Jaipur, I came to two realizations: there’s so much I want to see in this city, but I also didn’t want to spend more than a day there. This traffic-clogged town seemed like somewhere I wouldn’t warm up to—and yet, it had so many world-class attractions I didn’t want to miss. While planning, I found it helpful to look up practical details like the Kanak Ghati ticket price, which made it easier to prioritize spots worth visiting within a limited timeframe.

It felt like the maximum logical step become to take a tour. I hopped on Viator and discovered a corporation imparting a day-long exploration of India’s pink city. They’d take me to all of the excellent spots: Hawa Mahal, Amber Fort, Jal Mahal, Jantar Mantar, and the City Palace. Not most effective that, but the tour agency had an average of 5 stars from 125 reviews. 

It appeared like the precise manner to peer as plenty of Jaipur as feasible. 

Hawa mahal

Let’s kick this post off via getting one issue out of the way: no matter Jaipur having the nickname the Pink City, it’s far from crimson. In fact, as you may see in the photo above, it’s a wonderful coloration of orange. Maybe pinky-orange at nice, but clearly now not red.

The city changed into painted this shade way lower back in 1876, to welcome Prince Albert Edward — the eldest son of Queen Victoria — to town, and it’s remained that shade ever due to the fact that. It’s now unlawful for buildings within the vintage town to be repainted some thing other than this tone of red and these days, the whole thing is frequently painted to make certain the walls look pristine at all times. 

Although I’d seen photos of Jaipur before I arriving, I become nevertheless transfixed by this best colour of salmon as our motive force took us thru the antique metropolis. Within minutes of leaving our guesthouse, we had been pulling up outdoor Hawa Mahal — arguably the maximum well-known enchantment in Jaipur. 

We met our manual for the day here, and were speedy knowledgeable that Hawa Mahal is truely a facade, designed so the royal women should take a look at what changed into going on at the streets without being visible. Behind the magnificent wall became a alternatively normal building.

It changed into right here that we encountered the primary unhappiness of our excursion. 

We weren’t allowed to see inside the constructing due to the fact we were on this kind of tight time time table. Despite the excursion list mentioning that we’d have an hour to discover Hawa Mahal, in truth, we had mins to take some snap shots and then we had been lower back inside the vehicle once more. We didn’t actually have time to pass the road and take pics from greater than six foot faraway from the building. 

Amber Fort in Jaipur

Mirrors at amber castle

Next prevent: Amber Fort.

This became a fair more marvelous building. 

“You realize, extra human beings go to right here than the Taj Mahal,” our manual advised us as we left the automobile.

I raised my eyebrows in marvel I hadn’t even heard of Amber Fort earlier than I’d commenced planning this ride, so I turned into astounded to find out that more humans have been touring it than India’s maximum famous attraction. It changed into terrific. 

It became also fake. 

Amber Fort receives two million visitors a yr; the Taj Mahal seven million. 

This turned into now not the first time my manual might skip on incorrect facts.

Elephant using at amber fortress

The one thing that was appropriate about this tour was that elephant driving turned into not at the agenda. Don’t trip elephants, please.

There are two approaches to reach the top of Amber Fort: with the aid of automobile and via elephant. And while it’s clean to romanticise the belief of using an elephant as much as a castle at the hill, as people might have done for hundreds of years in advance… it’s merciless to do so, and the elephants at Amber Fort are mistreated. Still, there has been an alarming quantity of people opting to elephant their manner as much as the entrance.

We started to discover Amber Fort at breakneck speed, racing through a series of four courtyards, palaces, halls, gates, and gardens. We dashed via the Hall of Mirrors, sped thru the Hall of Public Audience, and darted round Jas Mandir. 

“I’m making sure to expose you the first-rate of Amber Fort,” our manual reassured us. “We gained’t see some thing that isn’t well worth seeing.”

I nodded appreciatively. We have been moving quickly, but we additionally had a lot on our schedule for the day. 

With Amber Fort now under our belts, we sat outdoor inside the sunshine, waiting for our driver to go back to pick out us up. 

“How did you journey right here to Jaipur?” our manual requested us. 

“By automobile,” I said. 

“Oh, so that you noticed Chand Baori?” He turned into relating to the first-rate stepwell I shared on my Facebook page some days ago. 

I nodded.

“Very properly. In that case, you do no longer want to look the stepwell here. You have already seen the best stepwell in India, so you don’t want to see one that is worse.”

I paused, as I racked my brains to try and recollect if I’d wanted to peer this stepwell. In the cease, I went along with what he turned into saying and shrugged.

Lake Palace Jaipur

We had been back on the street once more and using toward our subsequent vacation spot, Jal Mahal — Jaipur’s lake palace. 

There, we stood at the banks of the lake, sun shining on our faces, huge pink signal at our ft. I needed to carry out some serious cropping to my photographs so that you can get the fence and trash out of the scene, and I desire we should have visible it from a one-of-a-kind angle.

One where there wasn’t a fence in the manner; one where the solar wasn’t blowing out the publicity in our pictures.

Despite the excursion list stating we’d forestall for an hour right here, we were lower back within the car within 5 mins prepared to move the next appeal from our list: Jaipur’s town palace.

City Palace Jaipur

The town palace is a large complex in the centre of the metropolis, with numerous courtyards, gardens, and museums to check. I’m never going to get excited about an armoury or an exhibit on Indian textiles via the a while, so this changed into a quite boring prevent for me. 

Pigeon at Jaipur city palace

The undisputed highlight of the metropolis palace become the pigeon-chaser.

As we wandered via Sarvato Bhadra, an open-air corridor in the middle of the complex, I noticed the neatly-dressed man retaining a watchful eye over the tourists. Or, as a minimum, I thought he became looking us roam around. 

It turned out he turned into without a doubt looking out for gadgets that have been a little more gray and flappy.

As quickly as a pigeon swooped into the hall, this guy would take hold of his stick and wave a purple piece of cloth at the chicken till it gave up and soared back out into the sky. 

The pigeon-chaser might then relaxation his pole back up against the column and regular himself for the subsequent invader.

Jantar Mantar

For our final prevent, we have been taken to Jantar Mantar — one of the spots I was maximum excited about seeing because I’m a dork.

Jantar Mantar is the largest stone observatory inside the global, constructed in 1724 by using Maharajah Sawaii Jai Singh II of Jaipur. Now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, the complicated is domestic to 19 devices that can be used to study time and the location of dozens of astronomical items. It’s even domestic to the arena’s largest stone sundial, which offers the time in Jaipur to an accuracy of just seconds. It became all so mind-blowing, thinking about the precision of the considerable stone contraptions and how lengthy in the past they have been built. 

Our manual was a chunk vain here, and kept wittering on about horoscopes and astrology and the way horoscopes were real because you can’t see the rays which might be emitted from TV remotes so that they simply should be. 

Amber castle lawn

“Lunch?” our manual requested, and I frowned.

“I don’t understand…” I regarded to my boyfriend to peer how he was feeling. “Where can we consume?”

“Very precise eating place,” he told us. “Rated properly on TripAdvisor.”

That was what I was frightened of. But, we had been hungry, so we agreed to go for lunch. 

And for the first time seeing that arriving in India, we entered a restaurant to be greeted with the aid of a sea of white faces. Giant tables crammed full of tour organizations, a menu with expenses triple what we’d be paying elsewhere, a great array of dishes to be had to choose from, from pasta to pizza to bird chow mein. 

Fortunately, in India it’s almost not possible to have a awful meal. So at the same time as our food turned into overpriced and our fellow diners were on package vacations and our manual turned into accumulating a hefty commission, the meal become nevertheless scrumptious.

And that concluded my excursion of Jaipur. 

It… hadn’t been superb.

What Was Wrong With the Tour?

I have a tendency to keep away from taking excursions whilst I tour, and this enjoy flawlessly showcases why. Let’s dig into the details:

On a tour, you’re running on someone else’s agenda, so that you often become seeing the points of interest on the worst possible time. Take Amber Fort. When I arrived at Ganesh Pol, it seemed like this:

Amber fortress with crowds

corridor of mirrors amber castle

Another sadness got here from taking our tour was feeling as although we had been rushed thru every attraction. 

Once we told our manual we didn’t need to do any shopping on the stop of the excursion — something I anticipate he might have made a commission from — he regarded to become bored and transfer to rushing us via each stop. 

On the Viator list, the excursion organization claims you’ll spend one hour at Hawa Mahal, three hours at Amber Fort, one hour at Jal Mahal, one hour on the metropolis palace, and one hour at Jantar Mantar.

In fact, we spent minutes at Hawa Mahal, one hour on the Amber Palace, mins at Jal Mahal, an hour on the metropolis palace, and half of an hour at Jantar Mantar. 

The listing made it appear as even though our tour would closing for seven hours, when in fact, we were completed in 3. I felt rushed for the duration of our tour. 

And finally, for the reason that we were completed inside half an afternoon, I desire we’d had been shown greater of what makes Jaipur special. 

I let my manual persuade me that I didn’t need to look the stepwell whilst, in fact, I love stepwells and dream of having a photo like the one above. Amber castle could have been my opportunity. I should have insisted we see it, instead of consider my guide that it wasn’t worth seeing.

Jaigarh Fort, beside Amber Fort, and it wasn’t on our agenda, either. 

And there’s colorful Patrika Gate, which I might have loved to have visible with my own eyes. 

We also overlooked Galta Ji, the monkey temple, and Nahargarh Fort, which looks out over Jaipur. We didn’t even have time to walk around the antique city to take pics of the lovely colours. 

The tour ought to have both covered a lot greater, or slowed matters down so we could have fun with our time at the sights. 

What I Should Have Done Differently

Not taken this tour, for starters. I assume that a great deal is apparent.

I concept this would offer a super way to explore the Pink City, however it became out to be the worst possible manner to peer Jaipur. I’m baffled via the severa high-quality opinions this tour receives. 

Still, I’m thankful that I took this tour because it approach that I recognize precisely how now not to look Jaipur. And that means that I can inform you how to see this city the proper manner. 

Here’s how I might now pick out to spend an afternoon in Jaipur:

You’re going to want to see those sights once they’re at their least busy — fewer people, in any case, equals less strain and higher images. The town of Amer is seven miles out of doors of Jaipur and its citadel is going to be the maximum famous attraction you’ll see. Because of this, you’ll want to be outdoor Amber Fort whilst it opens, that is at eight a.M. 

I’d be aiming to leave Jaipur at 7:30 in the morning that allows you to provide you with enough time to get there, and to additionally see the stepwell. 

Amer’s stepwell makes for a few critically badass pix, so in case you need to look the dizzying steps with out absolutely everyone else on them, you’ll want to get there early. It’s beside Amber Fort, so spend a few minutes taking stepwell images earlier than heading up to the citadel. 

Once the citadel opens, you’ll want to make the most of getting it all to your self, so prioritise seeing the maximum popular parts of the complex: the Hall of Mirrors is normally packed, so head immediately there. Once you’ve walked via the four areas of Amber Fort, make the trek over to Jaigarh Fort and spent an hour taking photographs from its walls. 

With the principle attraction out of the manner, jump in an Uber back closer to Jaipur and forestall off on the lake palace. Spend half an hour taking photos, taking walks up and down the beaches to ensure you land yourself with a photo that isn’t full of trash inside the foreground.

With that, it’ll be back to Jaipur, so grasp a rickshaw and ask the driver to take you to Hawa Mahal. Rather than dashing, take photographs from both sides of the street, and head inside to have a go searching. Several humans I met in Rajasthan informed me they loved going interior more than admiring the exterior. Make certain to grab a chai from the Wind View Cafe contrary to get one of the fine perspectives of the Hawa Mahal with out visitors getting in the way. 

While you’re in the antique city, head subsequent to the City Palace and Jantar Mantar, and experience snapping photos of the red buildings at the manner. I’d propose potentially skipping the city palace if you’re walking short on time, as it became the least impressive part of Jaipur for me. 

If you’re nevertheless feeling energised, you must head next to Nahargarh Fort, for an wonderful view of the metropolis. Visiting for sunset could be a remarkable way to look at darkness fall over Jaipur. 

And that’ll round off your one day in Jaipur! You’ll have seen more than I did on my trip, seen it in a better manner, and spent a long way much less money, too. 

Where to stay in Jaipur: At least I did something right in Jaipur, due to the fact I simply adored the guesthouse I stayed in at the same time as I was there! Le Fort Homestay changed into a chilled oasis in Jaipur, with a relaxing-out proprietor, and scrumptious breakfast alternatives. At $22 a night, it changed into extremely good to have a easy room in a welcoming place that felt like domestic. 

Where to consume in Jaipur: There are a couple of wonderful restaurants close to to Le Fort Homestay. My preferred became Kalyan Rooftop, but I also cherished Peacock Restaurant for their scrumptious thalis. 

How to get around: You can hire a driving force for the day, which will be inexpensive and less complicated, but I favor to take Ubers and rickshaws to provide me extra freedom. Uber is so cheap in India! You’ll possibly pay no more than a couple of dollars to get from one region to every other.

My overall influence of Jaipur: I’ve now been to eight towns in northern India, and Jaipur was my least favored. I even disliked it more than Agra, that is uniformly hated by means of guests! The touts have been overwhelming and there was so much problem to address that it become difficult to heat to the town. Just walking down the road might have people flocking to you and offering you rickshaws and attempting to influence you to enter their keep or cafe. I simply desired to stroll in peace!