Top 5 Things to Do in Jaipur (and Not!)

Last Updated on January 15, 2024 by Christine Kaaloa

top 5 things to do in jaipur
Jaipur’s Red Fort

 

What is there to see in Jaipur’s Pink City? One our scam group trip, we spent two and a half days in Jaipur and we experienced the sides of Jaipur you want to see if you’re a traveler and the side you don’t when you’re a tourist.  I’m sharing the the top things to do in Jaipur (and Not)

In Jaipur, “the Pink City”, is the once capital of Rajasthan and home of maharajas and Rajput Royals.  It got its nickname due to its coral sand architecture. Today, elephants are more of the preoccupation for me.

Our sightseeing itinerary took us to all the well-oiled tourist joints. Can you blow through Jaipur in a day?

Apparently.

Top 5 things to do in Jaipur (and Not!)

1.  Visit the historical sites

We hiked up to the Amber Fort or Amer Palace is a UNESCO World Heritage site (Jaipur has 6 forts) that is a sprawling fort and palace that was home to Rajput rulers.  To get to the entrance, it’s a 10 minute uphill walk.  There’s a fair amount of touts and guides wanting to sell you things. You can spend some time going through the different rooms.

Tip: This fort is on the Rajasthan Tourism site of inexpensive city and day tours.  It’s a deal I wish I learnt of earlier!

Then we visited the Hawa Mahal (aka “Palace of the Winds”), which stood a block long and covers part of the City Palace. The Hawa Mahal is literally like a movie set facade; it’s a little disappointing that there’s not much more to it.  There’s no back to the front.But the architectural design is beautiful and intricate.

The City Palace in Jaipur is not to be missed, especially if you are an architecture and art lover. The palace is well maintained and restoration work is ongoing.

Tip: After the Amber Fort you may not have as much energy to pursue another large historical grounds. Both City Palace and Amber Fort take a bit of time to go through. I think we abridged our tour of the City Palace because we were tired.

After doing the historical tour of Jaipur, visit the beautiful Lake Palace. There is one lake in Jaipur and this palace floats on it.  The real Lake Palace and romance of lakes is to be experienced in Udaipur!

 

Hawa MahalHawa Mahal (above)

city palace
city palace
city palace
artisans restore parts of the city palace

2. Elephant rides in Jaipur

Elephants were once considered the vehicle of maharajas and Rajput royalty. Today, royals own cars, so these giant and gentle creatures are used mostly for tourism.  You’ll see them about when you visit the Red Fort. I feel a little ‘iffy’ about animal rides. I know that they’re used as tourist attractions; they’re a way to make money. Not all keepers treat their animals well; likewise, camels are also used a lot in Jaipur and Rajasthan. You’ll see them do hard labor of pulling carts for farmers.

I was a bit reluctant to hop aboard this baby elephant. They’re quiet but social beings and sometimes, like to be little tricksters. My baby elephant was being playful with me, so I eventually hopped aboard. But the truth is, it still didn’t feel good to ride it. The keeper kept his baby at the side of the road, so the elephants walked on a concrete road. I’m not sure if I’d want to do this again.

Note: As of 2010, I stopped participating in animal tourism, which I consider a cruelty and exploitation of animals who cannot choose for themselves. I learned elephant riding is one of the cruelest forms of animal tourism as elephants are broken and babies are made to work alongside mothers because they don’t want to be separated. When I realized that, my heart broke for this baby elephant.  But I am keeping my old post up for the sake of transparency.

elephant 8405Riding Baby- even elephants smile in India

3. Avoid Commission-type tourist shopping

Jaipur is known for its craft work and gemstones, so it’s a popular city to shop in. However, many scams will take on a string of shopping tours where they get commissions for taking you.

When visiting one shop grew into two, we told our driver Kul, that we didnt’ want to do them. He said that he had to take us; it was part of the India scam tour we were on, where the operator got kickbacks. We didn’t need to buy anything apparently but just arrive and spend time there or these commission shops would complain to the operator if we didn’t arrive. That’s how it goes in commission shop India.

We looked through clothes factories and saris and when we got to the jewelry store, we shopped a little. Damn. The jeweler was also a “palm reader” and read each of our palms to prescribe a piece of jewelry to buy to bring us good luck! Okay, I fell for the “old tarot card reader scam” where they tell you a bad fortune in the hope of selling a crystal. I’m such a sucker for those things!  I bought an “aquamarine gem” on a necklace and bought Margaret, a birthday bracelet, that I could have bought at home for the price of fashion jewelry! Were they authentic gemstones?

I paid under $40 for each, what do you think?

clothes 8465
buying carpets in Jaipur?  Shopping at the tourist/commission stores vs. at local markets.

jewelry 8466

4.  Jaipur markets

Exploring Jaipur bazaar and markets is fun shopping i like to enjoy . The local markets are tucked in the alleyways and are rife with character: from men peeing at open air wall urinals to local juicers squeezing sugar water from sugar cane, money change dealers with mats laid out, to confectioners squeezing out jalebis (aka syrupy sweet pretzels) into the deep fryer. It’s color, fun and a little raw. Definitely do this!

Jaipur like much of the India I’ve been seeing so far, is populated with men and it’s men who are its visible workers. It’s hard not to feel intimidated when you’re stared at, which is a common with Indian folk. Staring.

5. Watch a Bollywood flick at Jaipur’s Raj Mandir Cinema

Before leaving Jaipur in the storm which we arrived, we went to the famous Raj Mandir Cinema. The cinema is the pride of Jaipur as it’s interior design is more opulent and impressive than most. Built in 1976, the Raj Mandir is like a well-preserved opera hall with plush red velvet chairs and various levels for audiences to sit in to watch the movie. It’s really a fun thing to try!

Our driver went to get tickets but generally, there’s both, ticket lines for both, Men and Women. Many queues are sex-segregated in India probably due to conservatism and the fact, women can easily be subject to sexual harassment. Due to the fact there’s several levels in the cinema hall, the admission seats are probably charged accordingly.

Singh is King
Photo credit: Outlook India

The movie we saw was “Singh is King”, one of my favorite jhodi couples,  Akshay Kumar and Katrina Kaif. A Bollywood fan, I saw this movie twice in the States as soon as it came out, but this is my first time watching it without subtitles. I decoding foreign films aren’t too difficult if you’re focusing on the actor’s expressions and the scenes taking place. Afterall, good acting should cross language barriers and Bollywood films come loaded with lots of song and dance numbers. Still, without subtitles, it takes patience and active interest or your audience will fall asleep.

I had seen the movie and knew what was going on, so I did a voiceover for Dan, who was trying his best to stay awake.  Surprisingly, I remembered the dialogue so could translate it pretty smoothly to the end. Not sure if Dan stayed with me for that long…

movie ticket booth
movie ticket booth
raj mandir
Outside the theater

 Onward to Bikaner…

Driving down a dark Indian Highway at night

Bikaner is about a 5-6 hour drive from Jaipur. Why Bikaner? Well, we’re not attending one of it’s famous camel festivals, but we’re bedding down in this city, because it’s near Deshnok, a small village town which houses the Rat Temple… and we had to see the Rat Temple.

We were trying to get to Deshnok and beat nightfall, but it was quickly falling over us.

Indian highways are dark with little to no light. You’re pretty much reliant on car headlights. Wanna know something more shocking?  Indian village folk still travel at night and by foot. Yes, they walk on the side of the highways, to get home.

They walk. In the dark. Without flashlights.

I know eyes adjust to darkness but the darkness on the highways, my eyes weren’t able to adjust to.

Thus, when you’re driving at night, you have to be careful. Cars can pretty much take people out if they don’t have car lights. You won’t see the pedestrians until you get up close. Kinda eerie.

Next stop, Karni Mata Rat Temple in Deshnok >>  then to  Jaisalmer >>

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