Description
Most one-day Jaipur tours start at ten, reach Amber Fort with four coachloads of other people, and spend the afternoon in a gem shop. This one starts at eight, reaches Amber while the light is still low and the ramparts are still empty, and never once stops at a shop that pays us commission.
Your guide is government-licensed and works in English, French, Italian, Spanish or German. Your driver stays with you all day, so bags, water and the air conditioning are never more than a few steps away.
How the day runs
08:00
Pickup from your hotel
We start early on purpose. The half hour between eight and half past is the difference between photographing Amber Fort and queueing at it.
08:45
Amber Fort
Two hours inside the fort with your guide — the mirror hall, the Ganesh Pol, the zenana courtyards and the view back down the valley. We walk up; the ramp is gradual and takes about fifteen minutes.
11:15
Panna Meena ka Kund and Jal Mahal
The stepwell below the fort, then a stop on the causeway for the lake palace. Twenty minutes each, and both are better before midday.
12:30
Lunch
Your guide will suggest two or three places at different price points and let you choose. Lunch is not included, which means nobody is steering you anywhere.
14:00
City Palace and Jantar Mantar
The royal apartments, the textile and armoury collections, and the observatory next door — a set of eighteenth-century stone instruments that still keep time to within a few seconds.
16:00
Hawa Mahal and the old city bazaars
The honeycomb facade from the street opposite, then a walk through Johari and Bapu bazaar. Bangles, block prints, and a stop for chai if you want one.
17:30
Back to your hotel
Or wherever you would rather be dropped — a restaurant, the station, a rooftop for sunset.
What’s included
- Government-licensed guide for the full day
- Private air-conditioned car with driver
- Fuel, tolls, parking and driver allowances
- Hotel pickup and drop-off in Jaipur
- Bottled water in the car
What’s not included
- Monument entrance fees — roughly $28 per person for the full circuit at current foreign-national rates, paid on the day
- Lunch and drinks
- Tips, which are never expected
- Camera fees at some sites
Where we meet you
Your guide and driver meet you in your hotel lobby at the time you choose. If you are staying outside central Jaipur, tell us and we will adjust the start time rather than rush the morning.
Good to know
- Amber Fort involves a fifteen-minute walk up a gradual ramp. Tell us if that is a problem and we will arrange a jeep.
- Carry your passport — foreign nationals need photo ID at ticket counters.
- Shoulders and knees covered for the City Palace temple areas.
- We do not use elephant rides at Amber. If you want one, we will tell you honestly what it involves first.
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