Jaipur
A complex of courtyards, gardens and buildings, the impressive City Palace is right in the centre of the Old City. The outer wall was built by Jai Singh…
Must-see attractions in Eastern Rajasthan
Eastern Rajasthan
This magnificent fort comprises an extensive palace complex, built from pale yellow and pink sandstone, and white marble, and is divided into four main…
Jaipur
Jaipur’s most-distinctive landmark, the Hawa Mahal is an extraordinary pink-painted, delicately honeycombed hive that rises a dizzying five storeys. It…
Jaipur
Adjacent to the City Palace is Jantar Mantar, an observatory begun by Jai Singh II in 1728 that resembles a collection of bizarre giant sculptures. Built…
Bharatpur
This tremendous bird sanctuary and national park has long been recognised as one of the world’s most important bird breeding and feeding grounds. In a…
Eastern Rajasthan
This national park contains 1334 sq km of wild jungle scrub hemmed in by rocky ridges, and is the best place to spot wild tigers in Rajasthan. At its…
Eastern Rajasthan
Hidden within the City Palace is the excellent Alwar Museum. Its eclectic exhibits evoke the extravagance of the lifestyle of the maharajas: stunning…
Bharatpur
One of the Lohagarh palaces, centred on a tranquil courtyard, houses this museum, which has royal artefacts, including weaponry, miniature paintings,…
Eastern Rajasthan
At the centre of Deeg – a small, rarely visited, dusty tumult of a town about 35km north of Bharatpur – stands the incongruously glorious Suraj Mahl’s…
Jaipur
Piercing the skyline near the City Palace is this unusual minaret, erected in the 1740s by Jai Singh II’s son and successor Iswari. The entrance is around…
Jaipur
This museum is housed in the spectacularly florid Albert Hall, south of the Old City. The building was designed by Sir Swinton Jacob, and combines…
Maharaja Sawai Mansingh II Museum
Jaipur
The Maharaja Sawai Mansingh II Museum comprises several buildings and courtyards within Jaipur's City Palace complex. The Mubarak Mahal (Welcome Palace)…
Jaipur
The royal cenotaphs, just outside the city walls, beneath Nahargarh, feel remarkably undiscovered and are an appropriately restful place to visit. The…
Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing
Eastern Rajasthan
This interesting museum in a restored haveli (traditional, ornately decorated residence) documents the art of hand-block printing, from old traditions to…
Sariska Tiger Reserve & National Park
Eastern Rajasthan
The Sariska Tiger Reserve and National Park covers 866 sq km (including a core area of 498 sq km). Private car access, as opposed to the gypsy and canter…
Dargah of Khwaja Muin-ud-din Chishti
Ajmer
This is the tomb of Sufi saint Khwaja Muin-ud-din Chishti, who came to Ajmer from Persia in 1192 and died here in 1236. The tomb gained its significance…
Eastern Rajasthan
A scrubby green hill rises above Amber and is topped by the imposing Jaigarh, built in 1726 by Jai Singh. The stern fort, punctuated by whimsical-hatted…
Jaipur
Built in 1734 and extended in 1868, this sturdy fort overlooks the city from a sheer ridge to the north. The story goes that the fort was named after…
Eastern Rajasthan
This imposing fort stands 300m above Alwar, its fortifications hugging the steep hills that line the eastern edge of the city. Predating the time of…
Ranthambhore National Park
From a distance, the magical 10th-century Ranthambhore Fort is almost indiscernible on its hilltop perch – as you get closer, it seems almost as if it is…
Bharatpur
The still-inhabited, 18th-century Lohagarh, or Iron Fort, was so named because of its sturdy defences. Despite being somewhat forlorn and derelict, it is…
Eastern Rajasthan
Around 35km from Sariska is an 8th-century temple complex, up a dramatically winding road that allows fantastic views. It sits on a small plateau ringed…
Eastern Rajasthan
Deep inside the sanctuary, this imposing small jungle fort, 22km from Sariska, offers amazing views over the plains of the national park, dotted with red…
Eastern Rajasthan
This small Hanuman temple, deep in the park, has a recumbent idol, adapted from a rock, which is painted orange and shaded by silver parasols. People give…
Eastern Rajasthan
Around 55km south from Sariska, beyond the inner park sanctuary and out in open countryside, is this deserted, well-preserved and notoriously haunted city…
Soniji Ki Nasiyan (Red) Temple
Ajmer
This marvellous Jain temple, built in 1865, is also known as the Golden Temple, due to its amazing golden diorama in the double-storey temple hall. The…
Eastern Rajasthan
Under the gaze of Bala Quila fort sprawls the colourful and convoluted City Palace complex, with massive gates and a tank reflecting a symmetrical series…
Eastern Rajasthan
About 22km out of town, off the Tonk–Sawai Madhoper Rd, is this huge elephant carved out of a single block of stone. The pachyderm was carved in 1200 –…
Cenotaph of Maharaja Bakhtawar Singh
Eastern Rajasthan
This double-storey edifice, resting on a platform of sandstone, was built in 1815 by Maharaja Vinay Singh, in memory of his father. To gain access to the…
Eastern Rajasthan
The mainly 17th-century old city palace was constructed over different periods; the oldest part has existed for 600 years. Occupied by the Karauli royal…
Eastern Rajasthan
The prime reason to visit Neemrana is this magnificent fort, located 2km from the eponymous village. Dating from 1464, it was from here that the Rajput…
Jaipur
At the rear of the main post office, this curious little museum has historical stamps, telegrams and artefacts, including brass belt buckles and badges…
Jaipur
Near the cenotaphs of the maharanis of Jaipur, and beautifully situated in the watery expanse of Man Sagar, is this dreamlike palace. Its origins are…
Jaipur
On the ridge above the Hindu Temple Galta is the Surya Mandir, which rises 100m above Jaipur and can be seen from the eastern side of the city. A 2.5km…
Pushkar
Pushkar’s most famous temple is the Brahma Temple, said to be one of the few such temples in the world as a result of a curse by Brahma’s consort,…
Eastern Rajasthan
Another building worth visiting in Tonk is the imposing Jama Masjid, Rajasthan’s finest mosque. Delicately frescoed inside and out with interlocking…
Bharatpur
Not far from the Lohiya Gate is this exquisite red sandstone two-storey temple dedicated to the goddess Ganga, with elaborately carved stone terraces…
Pushkar
The ropeway (9.30am to 7.30pm, return trip ₹119) makes the ascent to the hilltop Saraswati Temple a breeze. The temple overlooks the lake and the views…
Eastern Rajasthan
Worth seeking out is this early-19th-century palace, decorated with exquisite coloured Belgium glass, inlay work and gilding. It is all much in decay,…
Jaipur
Adjacent to, but a world away from, busy MI Rd is this oasis of green where you can wander through geometric gardens of roses, palms and ferns…
