The smallest of the three forts, notable primarily for excellent views over Man Sagar lake and the vast sprawl of Jaipur. Built in 1734 by the Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in a mix of Indian and European styles, the fort also houses the (relatively) compact Madhavendra Bhawan palace, although its former splendour is fading under layers of graffiti and pigeon droppings. Some of the film Rang De Basanti were shot at this fort. To get to 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 stand in front of the Amber fort. The fort also houses the Jaipur's Wax Museum and Sheesh Mahal, although tickets for these have to be bought separately and are ridiculously expensive. Beware if buying the Wax Museum and Sheesh Mahal combo ticket, you'll be paraded through the largely unimpressive museum and then be told to queue for the Sheesh Mahal which can last from 30 minutes to 2 hours.
10AM-6PM·₹50/200 for Indians/foreigners. Included in the 5-monument Composite Ticket. ₹400/₹700 (Indian/foreigners) for the tour of the Wax Museum and the Sheesh Mahal.
For Vaishnavites, particularly followers of Lord Krishna, this is the most important temple in the world after Vrindavan. Lord Krishna presiding in the temple were brought to Jaipur from Vrindavan during Mughal rein. According to popular legend, Lord Krishna's idol in the temple looks exactly like Krishna's form while his incarnation of Earth. It is at Jainiwas Gardens, Jalebi Chowk, in the same campus as City Palace. The temple was constructed in 1590.
Free
An imposing blend of traditional Rajput and Mughal architecture. It is a vast palace complex occupying nearly one-seventh of the Pink City. It was built by Maharaja Jai Singh II. The complex is divided into a series of courtyards, sprawling gardens and buildings. It is home to several palatial structures like the Chandra Mahal, (home to present Maharajah of Jaipur), Mubarak Mahal (housing a textile museum), Diwan-e-Khas (or Hall of Private audience housing the two largest silver vessels in the world, which are duly mentioned in the Guinness book), the Diwan-e-Aam ( or Hall of Public Audience) and the gateway Ridhi Sidhi Pol (with four small doorways decorated with motifs depicting the four seasons). Be warned that although they sell tickets for taking photos with a camera inside, most exhibits inside have a "no photography" sign.
₹400 for Indians, ₹1200 for foreigners, half price(₹200/₹600) for students, children below 12, Indian senior citizens and Indian defense personnel; a composite ticket (₹500/₹300) for Indians (₹1700/₹850) for foreigners gives extra access to Jaigarh Fort and Royal Cenotaphs
This UNESCO world heritage site is the largest of five astronomical observatories build by Maharaja Jai Singh during the period 1727-1734 in Northern India. The observatory consists of fourteen major geometric devices (or yantra in Hindi) for measuring time, predicting eclipses, tracking stars in their orbits, ascertaining the declinations of planets and determining the celestial altitudes etc. There is signage providing elaborate explanations for the use of each device, and guides can be hired to provide much the same information in a more digestible format. Guides' charge is 200 rupees for 4 people. For a better explanation, you can take a guide. The audio guide at the observatory isn't great and doesn't tell you very much more information than the already existent signs. The observatory, the water and the wind palace are free on 18 May.
9AM-5PM·₹40 for Indians, ₹200 for foreigners