The so-called "Pink City" is the center for crafts and commerce in Rajasthan, offering an immersion into the dazzling riches of traditional India. Although many travelers make Jaipur part of a larger Indian circuit, experienced visitors will spend most of their time here, so that they can explore the region at their leisure.
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Courtesy Ravi Shekhar
3 Days: Essential Jaipur
Enjoy your days in this urban gem with a customized itinerary that balances guided tours of incredible monuments, special access to the world of fashion and design and time for relaxing at the lavish palace hotels. Here is just one example of what our destination experts can create for you.
Begin your day at the city's most important historic sites, with a guide who can unveil the Palace of the Winds, the Jantar Mantar Observatory and the City Palace. Here, you can visit the gift shop for lovely hand-made products that are made by craftsmen who work within the palace. After a traditional lunch at the landmark Niros, enjoy the spa at your hotel or dive into Jaipur's world of shopping, focusing on textiles and gemstones. End the day with a cocktail at the famous Polo Bar in the Taj Rambagh Palace.
After relaxing morning yoga, explore the chaotic but colorful Johari Bazaar with a local photographer or culinary guide for a specialized tour. In the afternoon, ride up to the Amber Fort in a 4×4 jeep to see the recently restored water gardens and hall of mirrors, and check out the boutique Hot Pink. Then, head to the country reserve of Dera Amer for a game of elephant polo and dinner under the stars, arranged just for Indagare members.
Spend this day exploring the countryside, participating on a philanthropic project or seeing some last-minute shops. You can also visit a village temple or school to learn about local religious and educational practices with a special-access guide. Enjoy your final Jaipur dinner like royalty: in the gardens of the Jai Mahal Palace at Giardino, or in the romantic candlelit courtyard of the Samode Haveli Palace.
We only feature hotels that we can vouch for first-hand. At many of them, Indagare members receive special perks, including upgrades, early check-in, spa credits, and more. Look for the Indagare Plus logo in the reviews.
Amanbagh
This 40-room boutique resort, spread across 24 acres, feels like an oasis in the Rajasthani desert, with historic forts and archaeological sites nearby.
Courtesy Taj Rambagh Palace
Taj Rambagh Palace
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This former royal residence, converted into a hotel in the 1950s, still retains plenty of history and glamour from the days of the Raj.
Suján Rajmahal Palace
A royal guesthouse with a hip twist that is perfect for design aficionados and those who prefer boutique properties.
Courtesy The Oberoi Rajvilas
The Oberoi Rajvilas
Though more recently built than the palaces that inspired it, The Oberoi Rajvilas features all the requisite royal Rajasthani touches as well as plenty of modern amenities.
Jawai
An approximate three-and-a-half-hour drive south of Jaipur, this elegant tented camp provides a lovely contrast to the many opulent palace hotels and forts that comprise most Rajasthan itineraries in addition to the option of seeing leopards in the wild.
"I love sharing 'my India' with friends. At first a few friends weren't truly comfortable outside their zip code, but after my first girls' trip to India, that anxiety disappeared. Indian hotels are like fairytales." Read the member postcard.
Lisa Fine, Indagare Ambassador and member since 2007
Courtesy Fram Petit
Neighborhood Place
Indagare's Eliza Scott Harris
"In India I experienced constant swings between emotional extremes: from heartbreaking squalor to fairy-tale splendor, from mad chaos to spiritual serenity."
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