If you love palaces and crave to have an insight on the lifestyle of the rulers of the bygone era, Jaipur is the city for you. If you are passionate about the strong forts and marvelous architecture that flaunt the expertise of the artisans of the past, Jaipur is where you need to be on your vacation. If you long to experience the flamboyant lifestyle of the past rulers even if it is only for a few days, Jaipur’s palaces-turned-heritage hotels are where you need to stay for a lifetime experience. If you fancy elephant rides, you need to be in Jaipur to have a royal ride on the elephants. You can customize the rides the way you need, take elephant rides on jungles, through villages, in Biological Park and many more. If these were not enough to decide in favor of Jaipur, go ahead to have a look at the top list of attractions in Jaipur and you cannot resist any more.

One of the most prominent landmarks of the pink city, ‘Hawa Mahal’ is located very near to the ‘City Palace’. Rajput customs used to be very stringent for the royal ladies in the past. Ladies were bound by a strict ‘Purdah System’ and were not allowed to go in public and interact with strangers. In order to enable ladies of the royal family observe the day to day life and carnivals celebrated in the streets of the city, without being seen by the common man, Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, in the year 1799 gave the orders to construct this special monument. Constructed with red and pink sandstone and symbolizing the shape of Lord Krishna’s crown, ‘Hawa Mahal’ is an architectural masterpiece with over 900 intricately carved ‘Jharokhas’ or small windows. These Jharokhas are designed in such a way that they allow proper ventilation of the air in the palace, keeping it cool and airy even during peak summers. Brilliant design of this palace makes it one of the ‘Must-Visit’ tourist attractions in Jaipur. When visiting this monument, make sure to go up to the topmost floor that offers panoramic views of the Jaipur city with ‘City Palace’ at one end and ‘Siredeori Bazaar’ at the other end.

Acclaimed to be the oldest museum of Rajasthan, the ‘Albert Hall Museum’ is located inside the ‘Ram Niwas Garden’ and was opened to public in the year 1887. Foundation stone of the museum was laid in 1876 by the then Prince of Wales, Albert Edward, after whom the museum is named. Beautifully carved arches and domes of the museum constructed with pink sandstone can be noticed from even a far-off distance. A rare collection of ancient artefacts including paintings, weapons, metal and wood craft items, musical instruments, carpets, and costumes and jewellery belonging to different tribes of Rajasthan, can be seen in the museum. What interests more to visitors are the sections exhibiting Rajasthan’s unique henna artwork and puppet collection. The museum is a ‘must-visit’ place in Jaipur for explorers, historians and researchers studying art and culture of Rajasthan.

Also known as the ‘Water Palace’, ‘Jal Mahal’ is situated right in the heart of the ‘Man Sagar Lake’, flanked by the majestic Nahargarh Hills. Unique location and charming beauty of the palace makes it one of the best photographic sites in Jaipur. Originally, believed to be built by Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh some 300 years back, as a lodge for his duck hunting parties, the palace was renovated by his son later on to beautify its exteriors with courtyards and gardens built in typical Mughal style. Tourists can book boat rides to visit the palace; only the terrace garden is allowed to be accessed by the visitors. Stunning views of the hills adorned with forts and temples from the terrace of the palace leaves you mesmerized for some time. If you have keen interest in bird watching, the palace gives you ample opportunities to spot flamingos and various other species of migratory birds. In the evenings, when the palace gets illuminated with thousands of flood lights reflecting on the waters of the lake, the sight really captivates your hearts and souls.

Overlooking the ‘Amber Fort’ and ‘Maota Lake’, the ‘Jaigarh Fort’ stands tall atop the ‘Cheel Ka Teela’ hill in the Aravali range. Built in the 18^th century by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II as a shield to protect Amber Fort and Jaipur city from attack of invaders, the magnificent structure of the fort boasts of the opulence of the Rajput rulers. Owing to the fact that the fort never witnessed any defeat, it also came to be called as the ‘Fort of Victory’. It is interesting to note that the temples, water reservoirs, and residential complexes inside the fort are still intact and well-preserved. Spread across 3 km. in length and 1 km. in width, the fort was connected to the Amber Fort through secret passages and served as the place to store ammunitions and armoury required for the wars. World’s biggest cannon, the ‘Jaivana Cannon’ is still housed in the fort complex and many tourists flock to the fort to just have a glimpse of it. This fort is also believed to have served as a treasury to the Kachchwaha rulers and many controversies are related to the seizure of a huge treasure buried under the fort by the Rajasthan Government. One of the best sightseeing places in Jaipur, a visit to this grand fort cannot be missed during your family vacation in this historic city.

Also popularly known as the ‘Kanak Ghati’ amongst the locals, ‘Kanak Vrindavan’ is a beautiful garden built in a picturesque valley surrounded by the hills of the Aravali range. Located at a distance of 8 km. from Jaipur towards Amber Fort, the garden complex was built on the orders of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh, some 275 years back. Resembling the stunning beauty of Vrindavan Gardens near Mathura, ‘Vrindavan’ was added to the name of this valley too and an idol of Lord Krishna was consecrated in a special complex, now called the ‘Shri Govind Deoji Temple’, inside the gardens. With lush green manicured lawns, series of fountains lined up along the pathways, statues of Lord Krishna, Radha and other gopis depicting the scenes from Krishna-Radha Raslila and intricate carvings and an excellent marble work inside the garden complex; the beauty of ‘Kanak Vrindavan’ is indescribable and can surely leave you spellbound. Owing to its stupendous beauty, ‘Kanak Vrindavan’ was chosen as an ideal spot for shooting of the famous Bollywood movie, Lamhe.

Located at the foot of the ‘Moti Dungari’ hill in Jaipur, ‘Birla Mandir’ is a great piece of beauty and splendour. Built by the famous industrialist family of Birlas in 1988, the name of the temple is prefixed with the word ‘Birla’. Dedicated to Goddess Laxmi and Lord Vishnu, the temple is also popularly referred to as ‘Laxmi Narayan Temple’. Alluring architecture of this magnificent temple makes it one of the most famous tourist attractions in Jaipur. Made of pure white marble, the temple walls adorn the carvings of the scenes of mythology and quotes from Gita. Main highlight of the temple is the images of Laxmi and Vishnu sculpted out of a single piece of marble. Unlike other Hindu temples, the outer walls of the Birla Mandir are decorated with images of famous personalities like Socrates, Buddha and Jesus Christ. The serenity of the place provides you with an extreme sense of peace and solace. Many devotees throng the temple throughout the year but, the crowd gets multi-fold on the occasion of Janmashtmi. Breath-taking splendour of the temple when it glows with thousands of lights in the evenings, captivates everyone with its unmatched charm.

The ‘Galtaji Temple’, located at a distance of 10 km. from the city of Jaipur, is another interesting tourist attraction. Built in the 18th century by the attendant of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, Diwan Rao Kriparam, the temple is surrounded by the majestic hills of the Aravali Range. Huge number of monkeys roaming around the temple complex, have also given this place, the title of ‘Monkey Temple’. According to the legends, the temple today sits on the site where a great sage ‘Rishi Galav’ performed a rigorous penance for 100 years. Pleased by his prayers, Gods blessed this place with abundance of water. It is for this reason, you will find the temple complex to be beaming with several water ‘kunds’ out of which the ‘Galta Kund’ is considered to be the most sacred. Several pilgrims and tourists flock to the temple to take a dip in the holy waters of the kund. The crowd gets multi-fold on the day of ‘Makar Sakranti’ in mid-January. The splendid architecture of the temple, which is no less than that of a magnificent ‘haveli’, also leaves you awe-struck for few moments. Tranquil settings and captivating views of the city during sunset, makes this temple a ‘worth visit’ for travellers.