THE BEST PLACES TO VISIT IN JAIPUR FOR A BEAUTIFUL EXPERIENCE

​Jaipur, the city of palaces and alluring architecture, is named after its founder Maharaja Jai Singh II. The Pink City is famous for its cultural heritage, mouth-watering cuisine and colourful bazaars. With so much on offer, it is actually very difficult to experience the city in its entirety if you are short on time. Therefore, we have listed some of the best things to do based on our personal experiences to ensure that you can cover it all and take back the best memories from Jaipur.

AMER FORT (9am to 4pm; Entry fee – Rs.100; Elephant ride – Rs.1,200 for 2 people; Light & Sound Show – Rs.200 for English at 7:30pm and Rs.100 for Hindi at 8pm)
 
Scenes from the movie ‘Bajirao Mastani’ may start flashing in your front of your eyes once you are here. The fort, built in 1592 by Raja Man Singh, is the most famous tourist attraction in Jaipur. Famous for its endearing mirror work, the fort and its history come alive with the evening light and sound show.  

JAIGARH FORT (9:00 am to 5:00 pm; Entry fee – Rs.70)
The Jaigarh Fort, built by Maharaja Jai Singh II in the 18th Century, is a magnificent palace located on the "Cheel ka Teela" (Hill of the Eagle) promontory of the Aravallis in Jaipur, Rajasthan. The fort was built to depict the affluent culture of the city of Jaipur and mainly served as the residential building of the kings but later on was also used as the artillery warehouse. The fort also houses the world's greatest cannon on wheels known as the 'Jaivana Cannon'

NAHARGARH FORT (9:00 am to 5:00 pm; Entry fee – Rs. 50)
 
Situated high on the Aravali hills, the fort offers enchanting sunset views overlooking the city. The fort exhibits a beautiful Indo-European architecture housing several beautiful structures inside. The structure is two storied building with suites for king and his twelve queens. The movie Rang de Basanti had many scenes from this beautiful fort.

BIRLA MANDIR (6:00 am to 12:00 pm and 3:00 pm to 9:00 pm)

According to history, the Birla temple was built on the land given to the Birla family by the Maharaja, for just a token sum of one rupee. The temple, originally known as Lakshmi Narayan Temple, is situated below the Moti Dungri Fort in Jaipur. Built in pure white marble, the Birla Temple is unlike the traditional ancient Hindu temples, and is built with a modern approach. Inside this magnificent shrine, beautifully sculpted idols of Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi, as well as other Hindu Gods and Goddesses, can be seen. Visit this temple and relax your mind and body with its calm spiritual aura. 

ELEFANTASTIC (10:30 am to 6:00 pm; Average Cost per person – Rs.4,000)
http://www.elefantastic.in/

One of the most popular tourist destinations, Elefantastic is a small elephant farm in Jaipur. Here you can be friends with these royal creatures, walk with them, wash them, learn their lingo, feed them & feed yourself with home cooked veg meal. The wonderful initiative is aimed at elephant welfare along with a positive and mutually beneficial human elephant interaction. Visit this farm to know more about the cute Asian elephants up-close in a personalised way and have an experience of your life time. 

HOT AIR BALOON (Rs. 7,500 to Rs.12,000 per person depending on season)
http://www.skywaltz.com/rajasthan-balloon-safari.html

Sep – Nov: 6:15 am and 4:00 pm
Dec – Mar: 6:30 am and 3:30 pm
Apr – Jun: 5:45 am (no evening flights due to heat)

Live the most thrilling time of your life with the balloon rides in Jaipur. The Sky Waltz Balloon Safari is a safe and fun way of getting a panoramic view of the Pink City. You will surely be mesmerised as your drift slowly over the Amber Fort.

SHOPPING AT JAIPUR 

If you are the shopaholic types, Jaipur will be a paradise for you with so many options. You can visit Johari bazaar for precious gems, stones and jewellery or the Tripolia bazaar for lac jewellery and its beautiful variety of bangles. And if you want a one stop option for all your shopping desires, look no further than Bapu Bazaar where you can buy traditional clothes, footwear and novelties. However, be prepared for a hard bargain !

a. Johari Bazaar (10 am to 11pm – open on all days): Ultimate shopping destination for buying gems & jewellery. Most of the shops are authentic and wholesalers. The Jaipur speciality ‘Kundan’ and ‘Thewa’ jewellery is also available in this splendid bazaar. Apart from jewellery, you can also shop for fabrics, suits, lehengas and textile material.

b. Tripolia Bazaar (10 am to 7pm – open on all days): Known for its lac jewelry and the beautiful varieties of bangles, Tripolia bazaar is crowded throughout the day. The popular Bandini tie and dye fabrics with rich embroideries are also available here. You can also buy designer carpets, brass ware and other traditional wears.

c. Baapu Bazaar (10:30 am to 7:30 pm – open on all days): Not just shopping, you can also enjoy the old city view from this market. Situated between Sanganer Gate and New Gate, the market is known for its alluring Rajasthani quintessential products including textiles, handicrafts, brass works and precious stones. You can shop for Mojari, ethnic jewellery and textile items and dresses.

d. Other markets you may explore – Chandpole Bazaar, Nehru Bazaar, Sireh Deori Bazaar & Kishanpole bazaar.

FOOD AT JAIPUR
Jaipur is known for one more thing and that is its delicious cuisines. Dishes ranging from Daal bati churma to Ghewar Kulfi will surely leave you tongue-bound! Here are some of the items you can relish without a second thought 

a. Rajasthani thali at Chokhi Dhani (Entry fee Rs.450; Village Thali starting from Rs. 700 per person) : Situated 20 kms south of Jaipur, it is an artificial village setup inside a luxury heritage resort. It is a miniature model of the ethnic Rajasthani villages which provide you a dining experience you can never forget. Relish dall baati churma soaked in pure desi ghee.

b. Gulab Ji ki Chai (Rs. 100 for 2): This is the must visit place for all Chai lovers. Gulab Singh Ji Dheerawat established his tea stall 70 years ago and it is famous for it’s tasty and refreshing masala chai. Other than the masala tea, the savouriness of the bun muska samosa, samosa bun and kachori bun served here is also a craze among people.

c. Rawat Misthan Bhandar’ pyaaz kachori: Your Jaipur visit is going to be incomplete if you miss out on these onion kachoris. The kachori is not served with any sauce / chatni so that you can savour the real taste of the Kachori. The Kachoris are served from 6 am to 10 pm on all days. Other than its signature Pyaz ki Kachori, there are almost fifty varieties of Indian sweets and Rajasthani food as well. You can take your pick from Ker Sangri, Gatta Curry, Dal-Baati-Churma, and many more.

d. Purana Pandit’s Pav Bhaji: Don’t wait for your Mumbai trip to fulfil you Pav Bhaji desires. Head straight to the Pandit’s Pav Bhaji in front of the Birla Mandir. It’s perfect food at the perfect location.  However, be careful as you will find many stalls with the same name. Ask the locals about the real Pandit Pav Bhaji 

e. Kulfi faluda at Bapu Bazaar : Tired of shopping in Baapu Bazaar. We have got good news. The Indian Ice cream and Kulfi Faluda is the place to go. This 35 year old outlet serves faluda loaded with Kulfi and Rabri. At any time of the day, you will find this place loaded with people

OTHER POPULAR PLACES YOU MAY EXPLORE IN JAIPUR
a. Hawa Mahal
b. Jantar Mantar
c. Jal Mahal
d. City Palace
e. Sisodia Rani ka Bagh

​The city of forts and palaces, scintillating views and spectacular architecture is sure to leave you overwhelmed. Keep our list of best places in Jaipur handy while you are out in the sun…

With a dream to go around the globe and the passion to fulfil it, two friends – Kushal & Mohit have taken upon this task to share the beauty of their dreams with others. Myroamingsprit.me is a travel bogging website to inspire others to take the leap and experience life like they should. Myroamingspirit also offers an opportunity to all travellers and bloggers to share their experiences with the world by publishing their story on the website (Visit the ‘Contribute’ section to know more).