Heading to Jaipur? It’s one of our favorite cities for colorful backdrops, intricate textures, and gorgeous detail!

Here are some of our must sees for avid photographers and design lovers!

City Palace

Still owned by the Jaipur royal family, this architectural gem is a lovely mixture of intricate doorways, manicured gardens, and bursts of color that will dazzle your senses.

Diwan-I-Khas is the brick red building lined with arches and was used as a private audience hall for royal guests.

Continuing onwards, make sure you continue to the inner courtyard (Pritam Niwas Chowk) where there are four doorways that are elaborately decorated with the four season in mind.

Peacock Gate A favorite of many, this gate covered in peacocks represents autumn.

-> Lotus Gate The Lotus Gate is decorated with lotus petals and many other kinds of flowers in representation of summer.

-> Rose Gate The Rose Gate represents winter and is showcased by many roses.

-> Leheriya Gate The last gate, also called the Leheriya (waves) gate is dedicated to spring and is a lush green color.

To top it all off, paying an extra entry fee to access the wondrous Chandra Mahal is so worth it. You get private access to the beautiful rooms along with your own guide.

Entry Fee: 700 Rupees Chandra Mahal (Royal Grandeur) : 2000 Rupees Hours: 10 am to 5 pm, open everyday except national holidays

Hawa Mahal

Also called the Palace of the Winds, the majestic grand facade contains 953 windows to let air in. If you look closer at the windows, you’ll see that they’re pretty small, with some made of tiny holes. The reasoning for this was so the royal ladies could see out but the public couldn’t see in.

The best way to view the Hawa Mahal is first from the bottom and then at the rooftop cafes on the opposite side of the road.

We didn’t feel the need to go inside since the best part of Hawa Mahal is the part facing the street.

Jawahar Circle

One of the most spectacular sights in Jaipur - the main draw of Jawahar Circle is the mesmerizing and recently constructed Patrika Gate.

Standing at one end of the Patrika Gate and gazing down the intricately designed and layered archways is a must for anyone, especially if you’re into photography.

To avoid crowds and get the best lighting, try to get here right before sunrise. Although, in our experience, sometimes that doesn’t even make much of a difference if you want to get it empty.

We’ve been here at 1 pm before and had it completely to ourselves while one time we were here at 8 am, only to arrive with it completely packed. But overall, earlier would give you a better chance.

Entry: Free

Amber Fort

The most popular destination for both locals and tourists alike, the Amber Fort is a must see for it’s wide range of architecture, history, and epic views overlooking the city.

The best time to visit is right at open, as this place tends to get overrun by many visitors within an hour of opening. But if you can’t make it earlier in the day, that’s totally fine too. It’s the kind of place where you can wander and get lost in the hallways.

Gatore Ki Chhatriyan

The royal crematorium of Jaipur, this majestic cluster of royal tombs is barely on the tourist map, so it’s a great place to for quiet meditation and or a calm walk.

It’s also a great place for photos due to the lovely architecture and clean colors. Just watch out for the monkeys! :)

Entry: 30 Rupees

Galta Ji (Monkey Temple)

This unique Hindu temple has a large draw due to it’s colony of playful monkeys and religious pools. Many pilgrims come here to wash away their sins but we came here to check out the monkeys and unique architecture. It’s up to you which reason to come - maybe even both!

Entry fee: free but donation of 100 rupees expected

Note: We took an Uber here but it was quite difficult finding one to come pick us up after sunset. There are some rickshaws hanging around, which might be your only option down to the main roads below. Luckily, after a couple tries we got an Uber to pick us up.

Nahargarh Fort

Usually combined with visits to the Amber Fort and Panna Meena Ka Kund Stepwell, the views from Nahargarh Fort are one of the big reasons to visit. You can literally wander all the hallways and ramparts all day long if you wanted to.

But to maximize your visit, at least check out the meandering rampart fort walls around sunset which will afford you some grand views of Jaipur. There are some parts of the wall that you can climb onto for some epic photos. If there is a guard hanging around, you may have to bribe him to look the other way. Of course, any wall climbing is done at your own caution since some of the walls are crumbling.

Entry: 200 rupees Hours: 10 am to 530 pm

Panna Meena Ka Kund Stepwell

India is covered with many staggeringly beautiful stepwells, with the one in Jaipur being one of the most accessible and well maintained.

Looking like a real life, geometric MC Escher piece of art - the staircases crisscross in a mesmerizing pattern. In the past it was used as a water source, bathing spot, and a place for the community to gather.

Most likely you’ve seen photos of people posing inside, but guards there will not anyone down anymore. The only chance you’ll have at going into the step well is getting there before sunrise to bribe the guards, with the main key being that there aren’t any other tourists there.

Samode Haveli

Situated right in the hustle and bustle of Jaipur - Samode Haveli accomplishes the impossible - a quiet gardened paradise without the loud din of the chaotic streets.

Being one of the main homes of the aristocratic Samode family, the interiors and gardens of the haveli will make you literally go wow. I think I said ‘wow’ about 34 times during my stay and visit here.

Some of the highlights include the pastel pretty sitting room full of hand painted murals, the adjoining interior sitting room (which is almost more spectacular), the prettiest pool of Jaipur, and all the beautifully manicured gardens sprinkled throughout.

Every room here is quite different, with their own character, archways, and hand painted murals throughout.

If you’re in Jaipur for a couple nights, it’s definitely worth a stop here and a couple nights in a room too!

We thoroughly enjoyed the morning walk with one of the hotel’s concierge. He took us for a walk through the old city with stops for bites and chai along the way, culminating in an amazing morning temple and flower market visit.

Samode Palace

If you liked Samode Haveli, then you should make the short trek out to Samode Palace. Run by the same Samode family, who used to be lord of 45 villages in the area, is located in Samode village.

Built in typical Rajasthani palace style, this was the kind of place where royalty received audiences back in the day.

One of the main highlights include the outrageously impressive Durbar Hall, which is covered in intricate hand painted murals that all over 250 years old. The colors and detail of all the murals are astounding and well preserved.

You should also check out the the murals in the second floor sitting room. There is a bit better lighting there and you can spend a bit more time there.

There are also two pools here - the big main one and the upper floor one with a heated spa. Both are great for photos too!

If you’re only visiting for the day, you can have a tour of Durbar Hall while the rest of the hotel is for guests only.

If you’re making the short trek out here, I’d definitely recommend staying a night or two! It’s quite magical seeing the sunset here and waking up for sunrise for a walk around town.

Bar Palladio

For a slice of Italy merged with flourishes of Jaipur design elements, make sure to swing by Bar Palladio. Started by Italian owner Barbara Miolini in 2013 - she had originally moved to Jaipur to start her own textile factory. But after some time in Jaipur, she decided that city needed it’s own touch of Italian flair - thus Bar Palladio was born!