Amer Fort, (11 km from central Jaipur). This massive fort-palace complex built in hybrid Hindu-Muslim style dates back to Raja Man Singh and was the royal palace of the Kachwahas from c. 1600-1727. The name has nothing to do with the rather pretty pastel yellow colour; instead, the fort is named after the town of Amber, in turn named after the goddess Amba. The main sights within the fort include the Sheesh Mahal, adorned with thousands on thousands of mirror tiles on the walls and ceiling. The fort/palace grounds are sprawling and have no signage whatsoever in any language, so it's worth getting an audio guide or a real guide. It's a bit of a hike up from the town, and the touristy thing to do is to hitch an elephant ride to the top (in order to get an elephant it is better to to arrive there in the morning, otherwise at midday the elephants are over. But the road that elephants pass is not so long). The elephant riding costs 900 (fixed government price) as of July 5th 2011. The real guide will cost about Rs 70-100 and will also take you to the Rajasthan Kala Mandir (a government operated shop) to buy souvenirs. The guide gets a 2% commission on the items you buy. Another thing not to be missed is the sound and light show in the evening from 7 to 8 pm. Amitabh Bachhan narrates the story of Rajasthani kings and the script is written by Gulzar. Cost is Rs. 100 per person and don't forget to take the mosquito repellant. The light show can be watched from outside the fort but the sound won't be audible from there.Rs 10/50 Indians/foreigners, plus optional Rs 25/100 for still/video camera, Rs 100 for audioguide. �
Jaigarh Fort. Never conquered in battle, this was considered the strongest of the three forts in the area. It is best known as the site of the world's largest cannon, the Jaivana, which was test-fired only once ? according to legend, despite using only the half the design amount of gunpowder, the cannonball flew 35 km! A better reason to visit the fort, though, are the scenic gardens at the other end and the spectacular views over the Amber Fort and the hills around. The remains of the foundry where the Jaivana (and many more) were cast are also in the fort grounds. An autorickshaw can be taken to the top of the fort from the autorickshaw stand in front of the Amber fort and a round trip will cost about Rs. 200. It is also a 20-40min walk from bottom of Amber palace entrance (take the elephant's path and turn to the left of palace to Avahi gate). Worth staying 1h, very nice view/panorama, a lot less tourist than in Amber palace which makes it more appreciated. Please note, there are multiple board with "no tips allowed" if you have some unasked help/guide asking for it.Rs 50 + Rs 40 for camera. �
Nahargarh Fort. The smallest of the three forts, notable primarily for excellent views over Man Sagar lake and the vast sprawl of Jaipur. The fort also houses the (relatively) compact Madhavendra Bhawan palace, although its former splendour is fading fast under a new layer of graffiti and pigeon droppings. Portions of the movie Rang De Basanti were shot at this fort. To go the area where the "Pathshala" song was shot, take a left turn as soon as you enter the fort. An autorickshaw can be taken from the autorickshaw stand in front of the Amber fort and a round trip will cost about Rs 250. Rs 10 entry, Rs 35 for Madhavendra Bhawan. �
The Most Frequently Asked Travel Questions about Jaipur
Where To Stay & Best Hotels in Jaipur - updated May 2024
SAVE up to 75% on Last Minute deals! Search for discount Jaipur hotels, motels, apartments, hostels, guest accommodations and vacation resorts. Book now and pay at the hotel. Instant email confirmation!
Jaipur Travel Guide from Wikitravel. Many thanks to all Wikitravel contributors. Text is available under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0, images are available under various licenses, see each image for details.
