Jaipur- The capital of Rajasthan, is popularly known as the ‘pink city’, it was founded in the year 1727.
Day 1 – Detailed Itinerary
Assuming you are coming from Delhi to Jaipur:
Early morning from the New Delhi railway station take the Shatabdi Express train to Jaipur – air conditioned chair class. Arrive Jaipur and check into your hotel.
Enjoy a sightseeing tour in the afternoon covering the City Palace, Hawa Mahal, Jantar mantar and the Museum.
Start at the Walled city as known as old city or “Shehar” in hindi (pronounced as ‘shay-her’). First visit the HAWA MAHAL- Palace of Winds, which remains only a façade today. For more on Hawa Mahal read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hawa_Mahal
Second Stop, The Jantar Mantar (Observatory). Jantar Mantar was built between 1728 and 1734. Each of the instruments that you see here serves a particular function and each gives an accurate reading. For more on Jantar mantar read: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jantar_Mantar_%28Jaipur%29
Third Stop: The City palace of jaipur & the S.M.S.II Museum. The City palace is an imposing blend of traditional Rajasthani & Mughal Architecture. The vast palace complex occupies one seventh of the walled city of jaipur. While in the City Palace, you can see the textile and costume museum, arms and armour museum, art gallery and hall of public and private audience. The City Palace and S.M.S II Museum. Opening Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. CLOSED ON SUNDAYS.
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| THE CITY PALACE |
Following this you can go to johri bazaar by a bicycle rickshaw or Auto rickshaw and have a traditional Rajasthani Lunch at LMB restaurant. Its nothing fancy and is a vegetarian restaurant but serves some nice rajasthani dishes. Try the world famous Ghewar when at LMB- mind you its extremely sweet and made with a lot of clarified butter. Diabetics, watch out!!! If you are not interested in a vegetarian Rajasthani meal then go to The PALACE CAFE at the City palace of Jaipur. This is a multi cuisine restaurant and you will get burgers and fries to pastas as well.
Post lunch take a nap and then early evening (5:00 p.m.) leave for some retail therapy. Go to Bapu Bazar for knick-knacks, souvenirs, mojaries (the typical rajasthni footwear), quilts, bangles, cotton kurtis, cheap jewellery, puppets, handicraft items etc etc. Make sure you bargain to get the best deal!
The shops here are open till about 8:30p.m/ 9:00p.m. You can also find henna artistes sitting by the road and can get a tattoo done on one hand for approximately 100 Rupees.
If you want more shopping go to Saraogi Mansion at the entry of Bapu Bazar and you have the big Saree Emporiums- Nikhaar fashions, Pratapsons, Utsav and my favourite Parineeta. You can also find the Bnaraswala store here for exclusive hand weaves of bananras/ Varanasi. At the basement of Saraogi Mansion are many stores selling beautiful footwear, handbags, bangles and cosmetics.
If you want more shopping go to Saraogi Mansion at the entry of Bapu Bazar and you have the big Saree Emporiums- Nikhaar fashions, Pratapsons, Utsav and my favourite Parineeta. You can also find the Bnaraswala store here for exclusive hand weaves of bananras/ Varanasi. At the basement of Saraogi Mansion are many stores selling beautiful footwear, handbags, bangles and cosmetics.
Post Shopping, you can explore one of the many restaurants of M.I. Road for Dinner. Some of M.I. Road restaurants:
Moti Mahal Deluxe- non veg Indian cuisine,
Dasaprakasa- Vegetarian- Specialty South Indian restaurant,
Niros- Non veg- Indian & continental cuisine,
Surya Mahal- Vegetarian- Indian cuisine
Natraj-Vegetarian- Indian cuisine,
Handi non veg- Rjasthani & North Indian cuisine
We also have KFC & McDonalds at M.I. road. For fine dining, go to the end of M.I. road towards Khasa Kothi circle- to the Country Inn & Suites- and try one of the 4 restaurants there- Chinese: dragon House/ Indian: Indian Spice/ Multicuisine: coffee shop or The Lebanese: Kasbah Lounge.
Day 2 - Detailed Itinerary
Start early. After breakfast head out first, to the Amber Fort. Here you can enjoy an elephant ride. You can leave your transport at the lower parking and take an elephant up to The Amber Fort. Amber Fort was built by Maharaja Man Singh, embodies the Rajput belief that the fort symbolizes the strength of the King in the 17th century. From Amber leave for The Jaigarh Fort- The fort, rugged and similar in structural design to the Amber Fort, is also known as Victory Fort and houses the largest canon on Wheels in the world- Jaibaan. Very close to The Jaigarh Fort is The Nahargarh Fort- was built mainly in 1734 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, it is partially in ruins. If you want to do one more fort, then you can go and spend some time here.
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| THE JAIBAAN |
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| THE JAIGARH FORT |
After this drive to the Jal Mahal- "Water Palace" is a palace located in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake. The palace and the lake around it were renovated and enlarged in the 18th century by Maharaja Jai Singh II of Amber. For more on Jal Mahal, visit: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jal_Mahal
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| JAL MAHAL PALACE |
From Jal Mahal proceed to The Albert hall- The Central Museum-Jaipur- open 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 pm. Post Albert Hall proceed to the famous LASSIWALA at M.I. Road have some Lassi (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lassi) and then further for Lunch, choose from one of the many restaurants at M.I. road.
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| ALBERT HALL |
Well that has been a long day so after lunch retire to the hotel for a nap!
For the evening if you are a bit adventurous and off the beaten path kinds, a visit to Chokhi Dhani. Chokhi Dhani is modelled on a typical village fair of Rajasthan. For all the foreign tourists who expect a village in rajasthan to be like one in Europe- please do not go there!! It is more of a cultural experience, great for those who have an open mind.
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| THE CLASSIC RURAL TAMASHA @ CHOKHI DHANI |
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| ELEPHANT RIDE @ CHOKHI DHANI |
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| KNICK KNACKS @ CHOKHI DHANI |
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| PUPPET SHOW @ CHOKHI DHANI |
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| TYPICAL VILLAGE FOOD of RAJASTHAN @ CHOKHI DHANI |
For those who do not want to go to chokhi Dhani, go for dinner at one of the many restaurants in Jaipur. The Taj Rambagh Palace is strongly recommended. Expensive but totally worth it! A 2 course meal with one drink/cocktail each will approximately cost Rupees 5000.
Day 3 - Detailed Itinerary
Post breakfast leave for SANGANER, just 16 Kms from Jaipur, Sanganer is a centre of hand blockprinted textile and handmade paper. You will enter Sanganer through the ruins of two Tripolia. The town is an important centre for handicraft industry and produces some of the finest hand printed textiles from numerous units of block and screen printers. Touring the Sanganer can be a great experience.
Or a DAY TRIP to ABHANERI VILLAGE. Abhaneri lies 95 kms from Jaipur, On Jaipur-Agra Road and is a 1.5 hr drive. The place is popular for the gorgeous 'Baoris' (step wells) and Harshat Mata Temple. The village was established by the King Raja Chand. Originally Abhaneri was named as Abha Nagri, which means the city of brightness, but due to mispronunciation of the term, it is changed to the present name.
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| ABHANERI BAORI |
After SANGANER/ ABHANERI visit the Birla Mandir also known as the Laxmi Narayan temple- beautiful and hand carved. If too tired, go to the hotel for a nap!
On your last evening in Jaipur, I recommend, you to go to the Light & Sound show at Amber. The show is an attempt to revive the pride of Amber, bring forth the traditions that moulded the lives of its people, the pomp and show that once existed in its fullest form. It brings forth The spirit of Amber. This musical extravaganza has highlighted the local legends, folklore, and a connoisseur of folk music that continues to give Rajasthan its unique identity. The show has been set in a very exotic location with the panoramic view of the Amber Fort & Palace Complex in the front, the rising Jaigarh on the left, the hills at the back and the gallery itself in the Kesar Kiyari Complex of Maota lake. The Show runs on daily basis at 6:30 pm (Hindi Language ) and in English at 07:30 pm This show is for 50 minutes. And approx Tariff for the Indian National is Rs.100 and Foreign natioanls Rs.200.
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| LIGHT & SOUND SHOW AMBER FORT |
Post The Light and Sound show you can have dinner at 1135 A.D., Expensive fine dining restaurant OR one my favourite restaurant- The Spice Court- Civil Lines, Veg & Non Veg Indian & Rajasthani Cuisine. For more details on of Spice court go to: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g304555-d1091582-r114380767-Spice_court-Jaipur_Rajasthan.html#REVIEWS
Another Great option for wonderful Rajasthani Food at a dhaba ambiance (very non pretentious) is HANDI, Maya Mansion- M.I. road. For more about Handi, visit-
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