Jaipur

This beautiful Jal Mahal or water palace was made by the King of Amber in the middle of the Man Sagar Lake. The Jal Mahal represents the use of Mughal and Rajput architecture style.

A 450-year-old palace, built around 1550 by Jaswant Singh.

This is a relatively new temple made of white marble with beautiful carvings. It covers a vast area in Jaipur city and is built in a contemporary manner. Birla Temple is completely constructed with the finest high-quality white marbles. In addition to having statues and paintings of Hindu deities, the temple has pictures of famous philosophers from around the world including Socrates, Confucius and Zoroaster. No bags (besides purses), food, cameras. No photos allowed in the temple, but rules are not enforced outside.

An ancient Hindu pilgrimage site. The main temple, Galtaji, is constructed in pink stone. The temple has a number of pavilions with rounded roofs, exquisitely carved pillars and painted walls. The temple is surrounded by natural springs and reservoirs that are considered holy. There are also seven tanks or kunds here. There are two routes to reach the temple: if you arrive from west you will have to hike uphill and downhill for about 20 minutes; the eastern gate is easily accessible by car, though it is a longer journey to get there.

Locals and tourists come here to feed the surprisingly tame monkeys, use the temples, and enjoy the views. You can climb to the top of the hill and then down into the valley to see the Monkey Temple, while enjoying the company of countless monkeys, goats and other animals. At the top of the hill, you turn right to reach the Sun Temple for one of the best views of the city, especially at sunset. Monkey food is available for purchase at the bottom of the hill. Entrance to the temples are free, but local religious people may ask for donations and there is a ₹50 charge for using a camera.

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.

A 17th-century Hindu temple, and one of the few in India where Meera Bai, the poet-saint of the Bhakti movement, is enshrined alongside Lord Krishna. It is also a site of cultural interest during festivals like Janmashtami, where devotees gather in large numbers for special darshan and bhajans dedicated to Krishna and Meera.

Jain temple in Shivdaspura, well known as “Bara Padampura”, famous in north India for its very beautiful statue of God Padamprabhu (The 6th Teerthankar for Jains). God is sitting in a crossed leg seating posture. The statue is 0.7 m high and made of pure white stone. It was found while digging for foundation of a house.

This temple, dedicated to Lord Ganesha, is the main centre of religion for Jaipur people. Moti Dungri, meaning Pearl Hill, is a small hill that hosts a temple and a palace. It is said that this temple was built before construction of the rest of the city was begun, so as to protect the city.

A popular Jain temple.

A royal cremation site of the rulers of Jaipur.

A minaret with great views of Jaipur. There is an alternative to the minaret that's open 24/7. Just across the other side of the road (Chandpol Bazaar) from the minaret is a shopping complex with stairs up to a rooftop area where you can get basically the same view as from the minaret. To get there, go through the arched gateway almost opposite the minaret, then as soon as you get to the courtyard, look to the left for a metal spiral staircase and keep climbing until you reach the roof, walk around the corridor to the next set of stair and go up another floor until you know you can't go any higher.

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.

People come here to get water, swim or hang out with their loved ones.

Built in 1868 by Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh of Jaipur, this garden contains a bird park, zoo, Ravindra Rang Manch Theatre, art gallery, exhibition ground, gymnasium and several cafes and picnic spots.

This palace was established by Sawai Jai Singh for his queen Sisodia, rulers of one of the oldest kingdoms of India. There are tiered multi-level gardens with fountains, watercourses and painted pavilions. A double-storeyed palace occupies the top terrace of the garden. The palace has many galleries, pavilions and beautiful murals depicting scenes from the life of lord Krishna.

The garden is a real treat for those who want to see a fusion of Mughal and Hindu culture.

In the serene environment of Ram Niwas Bagh, this garden is prized for its rich flora and fauna.

A wildlife sanctuary on the Aravalli Hills. It is home to species like leopards, sloth bears, wild boars, jackals, hyenas, peacocks, owls, eagles, and various species of snakes and frogs.

Another leopard sanctuary on the Jaipur Ridge.

A large traffic circle with one of the biggest circular parks in India. Built by the Jaipur Development Authority (JDA), it is one of Jaipur's popular leisure destinations, close to the airport. There are multiple concentric tracks in the park, surrounded by rose gardens. The Patrika Gate may look like a Rajput-era structure, even though it was built in 2016.

A beautiful clean museum dedicated to the traditional art of hand block printing textiles, this museum is housed in a restored heritage haveli tucked into the back streets of old Amber. Small cafe (see "Eat"), clean toilets, small shop selling hand printed contemporary wearable clothes and textiles, friendly staff and a printer and block carver demonstrating their crafts every day.

A fine example of Indo-Saracenic architecture, this building was designed by Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob and was opened as public museum in 1887. Maharaja Ram Singh wanted this building to be a town hall, but his successor, Madho Singh II, decided it should be a museum for the art of Jaipur and included as part of the new Ram Nivas Garden. The museum has a rich collection of artefacts like paintings, carpets, ivory, stone, metal sculptures and colourful crystal works. It is named after King Edward VII (Albert Edward), during whose visit to the city as the Prince of Wales, its foundation stone was laid on 6 February 1876.

A jewellery museum, with a collection of 4000 objects. Over 800 objects are displayed over two floors while the remaining objects are kept in visual storage. The museum has fine jewellery, hand-crafted antiques, and exquisite curios to showcase the craftsmanship and rich tradition of Indian jewellery. Several different types of Indian jewellery at the museum constitute a visual representation of history of art and process of jewellery making.[2] The collection ranges from tribal jewellery, in wood and metal, to silver and gold pieces. It is an extensive collection that shows how the traditional craftsmanship has impacted modern and contemporary design sensibilities.

Statue Circle is exactly what it sounds like: a roundabout that contains a statue that is beautifully lit up at night. It is the life-size statue of the Great Ruler and Founder of Jaipur, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II

The seat of the Rajasthan Legislative Assembly (Vidhan Sabha). The building was built in 1994-2001 to replace the Sawai Man Singh Town Hall as the seat of the legislature. The exterior features jharokhas, chhatris, Kamanis, baradaris, arches, todis, etc., all examples of traditional Rajasthani architecture.

Experience the history, culture and life of Amber through this spectacular show. Amitabh Bachhan narrates the story of Rajasthani kings with a script written by Gulzar. Don't forget the mosquito repellent. The light show can be watched from outside the fort, but the sound won't be audible from there. There is also a sound and light show at Jantar Mantar for ₹100.

With a capacity of 30,000, this hosts the Rajasthan team and Rajathan Royals in IPL.

These are at the heart of Jaipur. This auditorium is spread over 9.8 acres and includes a computer centre, interactive science museum, an information processing centre, library, a processing planetarium, eight research divisions, a dissemination cell and an auditorium. The auditorium has a seating capacity of 1,350 and is among the largest in India. This auditorium is built up to international conference standards. However, people visiting Jaipur for leisure are likely to be most interested in the Planetarium (all shows in Hindi) or Science Museum (under renovation as of November 2015) that are part of the complex.

An experience in itself, and another "don't miss". Once known as the best cinema India, and still the best in Rajasthan, it offers an overwhelming experience. From the pushing, shoving, and general chaos in the ticket queue, to an audience that laughs, cries, cheers, claps, and consistently talks through the entire film, the Rajmandir provides an insight into Rajasthani culture. The films can be interesting; Masala movies are action, drama, mystery, suspense, and epics all wrapped into one single film, teeming with dances and obligatory wet sari scenes, and unabashedly lifting generous amounts of plot devices from Western films. The theatre-goers are very friendly and genuinely curious about overseas visitors who come to the Raj. Don't be put off by "House Full" notices at the entrance. The box office opens again a nominal 45 minutes before the next performance, and there are usually tickets available. Box seats at ₹120 go first, so it's worth going early to avoid disappointment. Shows at 12:30PM, 3:30PM, 6:30PM and 9:30PM. A great place to meet locals, with the nearby McDonald's as a central congregation spot.

Heiwa Heaven is a Jaipur-based luxury resort that hosts parties and destination weddings.

The largest park in Jaipur, at the middle of the city. A big lush green beautiful garden and Rambagh Polo Ground and golf club nearby makes it an enjoyable place. The park also has a 4 km long jogging and walking track. A number of migratory and native birds visit the park during the year. Furthermore, there's a 269 ft tall flag of India flying at the middle, one of the largest in India.

A popular destination among bird enthusiasts, with about 150 bird species flock around the eastern side of the dam every year, including the uncommon lesser whistling-duck and the widespread eastern cattle egret.

Around 18 km from Central Jaipur on the Jaipur-Tonk highway, Chokhi Dhani (Fine Hamlet in Rajasthani dialect) is a kind of virtual village and also a 5-star resort. There are lodging facilities available, but the real attraction is the evening fun-fairs. There are two excellent places to enjoy Rajasthani food served in the traditional mode at their resort. Chokhi Dhani a.k.a. Lalten Restaurant is a more popular place because it is on the main road near the airport and also has other attractions, such as horseback riding, camel riding, bullock cart rides, a maze, boating and kathputli (puppet) shows. You can also watch live folk dances and listen to live folk music for free. It gives the visitor a glimpse of culture from different parts of Rajasthan, and could be nice if you will not have time to see much of Rajasthan yourself. It opens at 5PM, and be sure to get there early as many of the sites are difficult to see when it gets dark. It's a 30-min rickshaw ride from Central Jaipur, or you can go there by bus or taxi, but you are best off making sure you have a ride back.
Consider buying the pass for AC hall, because the outdoor seating is a self-served buffet, while in the AC Dining you'll be served food. This makes a massive difference when there are too many people at the restaurant, as the restaurant is unable to keep up with the demand for buffet food.
If you would prefer to sleep at the resort, have a look at their accommodation. Avoid going there during the rainy season.