JAIPUR WITH FAMILY:

If you are planning a Jaipur trip with family and do not want to rush then 3 Nights and 4 Days is necessary. However, most people are only able to manage 3 Nights-2 days and to me that is too short to cover a place as gorgeous and full of activities as jaipur, but sometimes when you are travelling and wanting to cover a country that is the maximum you can spend at one location. So here are some suggestions to make the most of your time.  

When travelling with the family, picking the right location to stay is very important. It will be great to stay on the M.I. Road as there are many restaurants here as well it leads to most of the historical sites. If that does not work out then you may look at hotels on The JLN Marg or Tonk Road- again 2 major roads that run through the city and have great connectivity and loads of hotels in every budget and every category possible.

For your packing needs, you may want to chk the weather of Jaipur on http://www.wunderground.com/history/airport/VIJP/2012/07/17/DailyHistory.html

And read my article regarding packing for jaipur on: http://thejaipurguide.blogspot.in/search/label/packing%20for%20jaipur%20vacation

DAY1:

Assuming you reach by 11 a.m.-  change, grab a quick bite at the hotel leave for your sightseeing tour by 1:00 p.m.

HAWA MAHAL/ THE PALACE OF WIND: Start with HAWA MAHAL- Palace of Winds it is the most recognizable monument of Jaipur and for many it has become the symbol of JAIPUR. You don’t need to spend too much time here. Just click a few pictures of facade and explore from outside. There isn’t much inside, except the views of old city and missing that isn’t that big a deal. Read more about Hawa mahal on my tripadvisor review page: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g304555-d317345-r121412884-Hawa_Mahal_Palace_of_Wind-Jaipur_Rajasthan.html

HAWA MAHAL

Second Stop: JANTAR MANTAR:  This is an 18th century Observatory and is great for those who have not been to The Jantar Mantar at Delhi. The architecture is very interesting and its a great learning /educational experience. There are audio guides available at the ticket counter in various languages, must take one if you are not taking a guide otherwise nothing will make sense!

JANTAR MANTAR

CITY PALACE OF JAIPUR: If you still have time and energy left you can cover The city palace. The City palace is a great mix of traditional Rajasthani & Mughal Architecture. Withinthe City Palace, you can see the textile and costume museum, arms and armour museum, art gallery and hall of public and private audience. Please Note: The City Palace and S.M.S II Museum. Opening Hours: 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. Again they have great audio guides in many languages and it makes a lot of sense to take one and then tour the palace. Read more about City Palace on my tripadvisor review page: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g304555-d324468-r25078887-City_Palace_of_Jaipur-Jaipur_Rajasthan.html

CITY PALACE

If you are tired with all the sight-seeing then you can move to your hotel, order room service and take a Nap. 

M.I. ROAD FOR DINNER:  Later in the evening if you are not interested in ordering at the hotel, you can explore one of the many restaurants of M.I. Road for Dinner. Some suggestions, in no order of preference: Niros (Non-Veg), Handi (Non Veg), Copper Chimney (Non Veg), Moti Mahal Deluxe (Non-Veg), Dasaprakasa (Veg), Niros (Non Veg), Surya Mahal (Veg), Natraj (Veg) and for the non experimental types we also have KFC & McDonalds at M.I. road.

For fine dining, go to the end of M.I. road to Country Inn & Suites- and try one of the 4 restaurants there- Chinese/ Indian/ multi-cuisine coffee shop or The Lebanese Lounge. For great dining options read the section on EATING OUT/ http://thejaipurguide.blogspot.in/search/label/food%20guide%20jaipur

 DAY 2:

AMBER FORT: Start your day early (appropriately and start with Amber Fort. Here you and your family can enjoy an Elephant ride. You can leave your car/ taxi at the lower parking area and take an elephant all the way up to The Amber Fort. The ride costs approx INR 1000 for one Elephant (2 persons can fit in one Elephant) and those are one way charges i.e. just to go up, to come back you will have to shell out the same amount.  If you are not interested in the elephant ride and don’t want to walk all the way up there is a way to go all the way up-to the main entrance. 

Just a bit ahead of where people take the elephants from is a narrow lane, just go up that lane (in your car/ taxi) and take a parking ticket for 30 INR. The car can be parked close to the entrance while you can finish your sightseeing. Read more about Amber on my tripadvisor page: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g304555-d319875-r114644001-Amber_Amer_Fort_and_Palace-Jaipur_Rajasthan.html

AMBER FORT

JAIGARH FORT: This rugged fort is also known as Victory Fort and houses the largest canon on Wheels in the world- Jaibaan. You can get some gorgeous views from jaigarh. Many movies are shot here, concerts held here and weddings hosted year after year. Read more about Jaigarh on my tripadvisor review page: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g304555-d325116-r114643001-Jaigarh_Fort-Jaipur_Rajasthan.html

JAIGARH FORT

STOP 3: NAHARGARH FORT: Nahargarh is mostly in ruins and is no-where as grand as Amber but if you are very keen on history then go ahead and see Nahargarh. However if you have had your dose of forts then skipping Nahargarh is perfectly OK.

JAL MAHAL: After the dose of Forts, drive down to Jal Mahal. Jal Mahal also known as "The Water Palace" for a photo session. The Jal Mahal 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. The palace is being converted into a resort and will very soon open to general public via a boat ride.

JAL MAHAL

If you have missed the City Palace on Day 1, you can cover it after Jal Mahal. Refer to more details on city palace on day1 part of the itinerary.

By the time you finish the Forts & Palace, it will time for lunch. Now there are 2 ways to go about it: ONE- The Touristy way, where you stay close to the sightseeing area and go to a place like LMB (Laxmi Mishthan Bhandar) or one of the many restaurants at M.I. Road. (Moti Mahal Deluxe (Non-Veg), Dasaprakasa (Veg), Niros (Non Veg), Surya Mahal (Veg), Natraj (Veg), Handi (Non Veg), KFC, McDonalds etc.) LMB: I personally feel, this is over-rated. The Ghevar is great here but the food on the whole is average. However its located very close to the main sight-seeing stuff, so one can grab a quick lunch and get going. Read more about LMB on my tripadvisor review page: http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowUserReviews-g304555-d2073244-r115744520-Laxmi_Mishthan_Bhandar_LMB_Restaurant-Jaipur_Rajasthan.html

TWO- U can relax a bit and go for a nice leisurely lunch at a great food place. Read the section on Eating Out/ Recommendations; also see the pictures of each of the suggested places and take a call accordingly.

After lunch, I strongly recommend a nap. So go back to the hotel and chill for a bit. But if you don’t want to head back, shopping is an option.

BAPU BAZAR: Go to Bapu Bazar for souvenirs, quilts, bangles, cotton kurtis and suits, knick-knacks, mojaries (the typical rajasthani footwear), cheap jewellery, puppets, handicraft items etc. Make sure you bargain & haggle to get the best deal! The shops here are open till about 8:30p.m/ 9:00p.m. You can also find henna (mehendi) artistes sitting by the road and can get a henna 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 will find all the big Saree Emporiums- Nikhaar fashions, Pratapsons, Utsav etc here. At the basement level of Saraogi Mansion are many stores selling beautiful footwear, handbags, bangles, nightwear and cosmetics.

For more on shopping and bazaars read shopping section. For any shopping related queries or personalised shopping assistance and a shopping tour with a guide, write to me on anubanerjee@hotmail.com

THE LIGHT & SOUND SHOW (SONNET LUMINAIRE JAIPUR): This is a unique experience by itself! The Light & Sound show at Amber- The sonnet luminaire is a wonderful thing to do with family. The show is set at the base of amber fort- known as Kesar Kyari; with the panoramic view of the Amber Fort & Palace Complex in the backdrop, the rising Jaigarh on the left, the hills at the back. It runs on daily basis at 6:30 pm (Hindi Language ) and in English at 07:30 pm This show is for 50 minutes & approx Tariff for Indian Nationals is Rs.100 and Foreign Nationals Rs.200.

Post shopping, you can explore one of the many wonderful restaurants. Below are a few places you can look at as dinner options. For more details and pictures visit the section on eating out.

Saffron at Marriot for wonderful Rajasthani & Awdhi cuisine

1135 Ad for a royal ambience and typical rajasthani pre-fixed menu

Steam at The Rambagh Palace for a quiet evening at an unique ambience with global food

Spice Court- for a not very expensive dinner with a large selection of Rajasthani Fare. You can also find a few continental selections here and in winters there are cultural shows or puppets shows every evening.

Dragon House at The Country Inn & Suites: Although many restaurants serve Chinese but the most authentic one is DRAGON HOUSE: Country Inn & Suites, Khasa Kothi Circle, M.I. Rd. Slightly expensive but worth every penny. The ambiance is very oriental and the food delectable.

Peshawari at Rajputana Sheraton: This is a high end Restaurant. An average meal for 3 without drinks will cost you INR 3000+ taxes. The Menu is not very elaborate but the food and ambience amazing.

Handi: I have been going to Handi for the past 10 yrs now. This was one of the only non-veg places (apart from Niros) jaipur had till just a few years back. HANDI is a place for the non-pretentious. It is no fine dining restaurant and do not go with that expectation. It spells, Good Food at a great price at the heart of the city! Read more about Handi on: http://www.handirestaurant.com/Default.htm
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/india/rajasthan/jaipur/restaurants/indian/handi-restaurant