Jaipur

Intro to Jaipur

Local Expert

Jaipur at a Glance

Know Before You Go

Meet Our Local Expert

Arvind

Arvind is a passionate travel blogger behind JaipurThruMyLens, offers a unique perspective on the Pink City and beyond. He captures the essence of Jaipur through his blog, showcasing its rich heritage and vibrant culture from both a traveler’s and local’s point of view. With a deep knowledge of other cities like Udaipur, Arvind provides insightful content that spans Rajasthan’s diverse destinations. In addition to writing, he curates bespoke heritage walks and cycle tours, offering personalized experiences that bring Jaipur’s history and charm, along with those of other cities, to life.

Jaipur at a Glance

Welcome to Jaipur, the Pink City of India. Many people will tell you that Jaipur is called the Pink City because a lot of it is built using pink sandstone. The sandstone is the color of sand (surprise) and Jaipur is called the pink city because when the Prince of Wales came visiting 150 years ago the city was draped in pink.

A bit of history

Jaipur is a young city, having been set up around 300 years ago as the capital city of one of the Rajput Kingdoms. Its home to palaces, forts, temples and a slice of a rich heritage. Rajputs have been integral to the history of North India for nearly 1500 years. Famed for chivalry and daring as warriors, they have led armies and fought wars all over the world for their own kings, for Mughals and for the British.

An interesting tid-bit – a Rajput contingent led the last successful cavalry charge when the Jodhpur cavalry charged Ottoman forces at Haifa in modern day Israel at the end of World War One. That’s globalisation – Rajputs fought Turks, in Israel, for the British. They charged into cannon and machine guns and won.

What do you do in Jaipur? There are the big three, heritage and culture, food and shopping. We cover all three in our guide in some detail but here are some pointers

Heritage

There are palaces, forts, temples and museums to enjoy. Take some guided tours of you can – the stories are wonderful. There is a large selection of tours that we have available – choose one that you like.

Food and Beverages

Rajasthani food is unique. A mix of sweet, spicy and rich hearty breads it’s a medley of flavours.

Take a food tour. The walking food tours are great.
Have a Rajasthani meal. We have many options in our section on food but a quick cheat code – try a “thali”, a small buffet on your plate or one of the individual dishes we cover. Rajasthani street food is a delight too – but be careful where you eat, especially if you are not from India.

Shopping

Jaipur is rightly famous for its handicrafts (especially textiles) and jewellery. The jewellery can range from simple silver jewellery to really expensive diamond jewellery. Take a look at the shopping options.

Just a word of caution, if you are buying expensive jewellery make sure of the shop’s trustworthiness. Avoid “deals”, anything too good to be true is usually too good to be true.

Cheat code, Johari Bazar is a great one stop market for jewellery and textiles of all price ranges.

There are customised shopping tours which can be great if you want a complete shopping experience.

Nightlife

Like a lot of Indian cities there is a smart and chic nightlife scene emerging in Jaipur. See the nightlife section for multiple options.

Know Before You Go

Getting Around

Local Transport Options:

City Buses: Cheap (INR 10–20) but can be crowded and less frequent in off-peak hours.
Auto-rickshaws & Taxis: Negotiate fare or ask for meter. For sightseeing, many prefer hiring a private car for the day (INR 1,800–2,500).

Travel Cards: No dedicated travel card system like metros. Pay per trip on buses or use day-hire vehicles for convenience.

Ride-Hailing Apps: Uber, Ola available. Fares vary but are usually lower than tourist taxis if distances are short.

Google Maps: Fairly accurate for main roads and attractions. Bus routes may not always be updated, so verify locally.

Payments

Credit Cards: Accepted at larger hotels, restaurants, and shops in tourist areas. Smaller vendors prefer cash.

Cash: Essential for bazaars (e.g., Johari Bazaar), street food, and rickshaws.

ATMs / Money Exchanges: Accessible near popular tourist spots, in the city center, and malls.