Planning a Jaipur itinerary on your India travels? Amazing! We loved our 3 days in Jaipur, and we’re excited to show you how to plan the best 3 day Jaipur itinerary so that you can enjoy it too! As you might have heard, Jaipur is known as ‘The Pink City‘ in India, for its dusty pink buildings and rose-tinted city walls.
During your 3 days in Jaipur, spend your days hiking up to the forts, watching sunsets over the city, shopping in the bazaars and admiring the cultural temples dotted around. Jaipur is worth adding to your India itinerary!
Jaipur was in fact India’s first ‘planned’ city, with its grid-like infrastructure contained within the beautiful city walls. It was named after the Rajput ruler, Sawai Jai Singh II, and was built in only 4 short years (founded in 1727)!
Nowadays, Jaipur is a bustling travel destination well known for being on the well-trodden Golden Triangle, the cultural triangular-shaped route connecting Agra, Delhi and Jaipur in northern India. Jaipur is a must-visit, which is why we are here to present you our perfect 3 day Jaipur itinerary!
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Why is Jaipur known as ‘The Pink City’ in India?
Did you know that Jaipur hasn’t always been known as ‘The Pink City’? It was only since 1876 that the Maharaja of Jaipur painted most of the city pink. This was in anticipation of welcoming Prince Albert Edward, the eldest son of Queen Victoria, who at the time was on a 4 month trip around India, in the hopes of strengthening ties with Britain.
Pink is said to be a ‘hospitable’ colour, so the Mahajara went ahead and painted most of the city to make it a comfortable and memorable visit for the Prince of Wales.
Here are a few quick tips for visiting Jaipur:
Where to stay in Jaipur – Blue King for a lovely homestay experience!
How to get around India – Use 12.Go to browse trains & buses!
Travel Insurance: On a backpacking trip? Use Safetywing for flexible insurance!
Check if you need a visa – We grabbed an E-visa online, but every country is different!
Simcards – Get a physical sim from Airtel or use Airalo for quick E-Sim’s!
The Perfect 3 Day Jaipur Itinerary: India’s Pink City
Now that you know a little bit of history on Jaipur, let’s show you how to spend 3 days in Jaipur. From eating North Indian food, to exploring royal fortresses towering over the city, here’s the best things to do in Jaipur!
Day 1 – Cultural Jaipur, Busy Bazaars & Central Park
The first day of our Jaipur itinerary takes you to the heart of the city, exploring the beautiful Hawa Mahal, getting lost in the mesmerising bazaars and taking a peaceful stroll through Jaipur’s Central Park (not to be confused with New York!). Keep reading our 3 day Jaipur itinerary to plan your perfect trip in Rajasthan!
See the iconic Hawa Mahal
The Hawa Mahal is quite possibly Jaipur’s most famous attraction, and makes a great place for taking photos due to its unique honeycomb design and pink sandstone shades. As you can tell from the photos, it creates almost an optical illusion if you stare for too long!
Dating back over 220 years, the Hawa Mahal was opened in 1799 and allowed women of high status to look out into the city without being seen. This was thanks to the nearly 1,000 small windows carved into the front of the building with a mesh-like design. This was to follow the rules of the purdah system, separating women from public view through the use of clothes or unique buildings like the Hawa Mahal.
The Hawa Mahal is in the centre of Jaipur, offering a great place to start your Jaipur itinerary. You can get here by hopping off at the nearby metro station (end of the line) or riding in a tuk-tuk/autorickshaw.
You can snap photos from outside for free, we recommend crossing the street to get the best shot! Alternatively, you can pay for a drink or a bite to eat at The Tattoo Cafe & Lounge, they have a great, unobstructed view from their cafe!
💰 200 INR per person
Shop in the Bazaar’s
Shopping in Johari bazaar is not for the faint-hearted but is definitely worth experiencing! Shopping can be done along the main road on the outskirts of the market, or you can delve deeper through the winding alleyways and roads. You can find anything from spices, nuts, clothing and street food. And don’t forget the famous Masala Chai!
We happened to stumble across a backstreet near the bazaar, fully lined with traditional Rajasthani sarees and scarves. A great place to observe an authentic shopping experience! Wandering through the bazaars, and seeing where the alleyways and roads lead was a highlight of our 3 days in Jaipur!
💰 Entry is free
Admire the City Palace
A short walk around the corner from Hawa Mahal, brings you conveniently to Jaipur’s City Palace. Built by the founder of Jaipur, Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, City Palace was built between 1727 and 1732 and is a stunning blend of Rajput and Mughal design.
Still partially home to the royal family, the City Palace complex attracts visitors for its elegant courtyards, gardens, and buildings.
The main highlights include the Chandra Mahal with royal artifacts, the Mubarak Mahal’s textile museum, and the beautifully decorated Peacock Gate. It’s a great place for travellers to soak in Jaipur’s rich culture while visiting the city centre of India’s Pink City!
💰 1000 INR per person
➤ Book your train tickets on 12.Go or create an IRCTC account to use Ixigo.
Visit Jantar Mantar
Next on our Jaipur 3 day itinerary is another sight that’s close by is Jantar Mantar – the world’s largest stone sundial (which does truly tell the time)! We didn’t manage to visit this ourselves, but it’s worth a visit as it’s only round the corner from the City Palace. It’s quite affordable too!
Jantar Mantar is an old astronomical observatory that has been preserved over time. It’s one of the largest observatories in the world and a UNESCO World Heritage Site! In total, there are 19 astronomical instruments built in the early 18th century.
💰200
If you’re visiting Jantar Mantar and the City Palace, a combination ticket may be better value for you!
Stroll around Central Park
Jaipur’s Central Park is a great place to relax and walk away from the hustle and bustle of the city. There is plenty of wildlife to observe, from chipmunks to eagles, and a huge Indian flag! Relax, unwind, and enjoy a sit-down on the grass while other Jaipur residents host picnics with family and friends. Central Park is the perfect place to end the first day of your Jaipur itinerary!
💰 Entry is free
There are plenty of places to eat whilst exploring Jaipur! We recommend heading to Go with Vegan for some tasty vegan Indian food. The food was incredible!
Day 2 – Explore the amazing Forts of Jaipur
Get ready for day 2 of our 3 day Jaipur itinerary, it’s going to be an action-packed day! Jaipur is home to 3 amazing forts, Amer Fort, Jaigarh Fort and Nahargarh Fort, all nestled high on the hillside overlooking the city and each one offering a unique experience. Read on to discover some of the best things to do in Jaipur!
If you want a guide for the day, check out GetYourGuide – this sightseeing tour by car in Jaipur takes you to the best places in the city, especially the sights on day 2!
See Jal Mahal – The Water Palace
The infamous Jal Mahal, aka The Water Palace, is the perfect stop en route to Amer Fort to take in breathtaking views over Man Sagar Lake. Now, here’s a bit of history on Jal Mahal to give you a better understanding of why it is so unique!
First came Man Sagar Lake, a human-made lake built in the early 17th century to help with drought during the dry season when rainfall was scarce. Then, in the late 17th century and early 18th century, the royal family built Jal Mahal, hence the name ‘Water Palace’! It was mainly built as a hunting lodge for the royals so that they could come and go as they pleased.
As for Jal Mahal today, it can only be viewed from the lakeside near the road due to excessive water damage and flooding from high water levels in the lake. It is not currently possible to visit by boat, but maybe one day in the future, as the government acknowledge its historical importance and current decaying status.
💡 Travel tip: Arrange a tuk-tuk on Uber or Ola to go to Amer Fort, and add Jal Mahal as a stop on the way to take photos. Alternatively, arrange a tuk-tuk driver to drive you for the day. You only need 5-10 minutes to appreciate the view. This is what we did!
You can also stop by the Maharaniyo Ki Chatri Cenotaphs if you’re splitting this day into 2, as it’s already pretty busy! Or simply visit on your third day.
Admire the Panna Meena ka Kund (Stepwell)
If you love unusual photo spots, then Panna Meena ka Kund is perfect to visit before you embark on your Jaipur Fort expedition! Located a short walk from the entrance to Amer Fort is Panna Meena ka Kund, which roughly translates to ‘Panna Meena’s Well’.
This unique-looking, almost Squid Game-esque stepwell would have been used as a water well in the past, to collect and store rainfall in anticipation of the drought season for the local people.
At an impressive 200 metres deep, this impressive stepwell will be full of water all year round. Make sure to add this stop to your 2nd day in Jaipur, it’s certainly worth the visit!
You can’t climb on the steps for photos, as you need a government permit in advance. You could previously climb on the steps, but it became too dangerous so the local government imposed a ban. When we visited, there was a couple having wedding photos here!
Fancy a food tour? Here’s a great heritage walk with street food in Jaipur! Find it on GetYourGuide here!
Lunch at Kokum
If you happen to be feeling peckish around this time, like we did, we recommend having lunch at Kokum. Conveniently situated between Panna Meena ka Kund and the entrance to Amer Fort.
The owner is a nutritionist and has curated a great menu, with a clear understanding of veganism, which was perfect for us and other vegan travellers! Their crispy, grilled sandwiches had us full for hours!
Explore Amer Fort
Amer Fort was our favourite attraction in Jaipur! A royal fortress sat upon the towering hills above Jaipur. We quite literally couldn’t believe our eyes as our tuk-tuk approached the entrance, it is so much bigger and more impressive in person than we had expected!
There’s a long set of steps heading towards the entrance of the fort, where you’ll find lots of Langur monkeys! The closer we reached the temple, we also saw Rhesus macaques, which are a little more chaotic.
Also known as Amber Fort, Amer Fort has been standing watch over the land since before Jaipur was ever founded, for well over 400 years. It was built as a royal palace for the Rajput Maharajas and their families to live their lavish lifestyles in the comfort of their beautiful fortress.
Strategically perched on the hillside, Amer Fort also benefited from the protection of Jaigarh Fort just behind (we headed there afterwards)!
It’s easy to spend a few hours wandering around this history-rich fort, immersing yourself in how royal indian families would have lived generations ago. It’s important to note that there aren’t many information boards around for visitors to read.
You have the option to pay for an audio guide (app-based) or a guided tour at the ticket booth on arrival. It’s definitely worth visiting on your 3 day Jaipur itinerary!
💰 500 INR per person + optional audio guide 200 INR
➤ Book your guide in Jaipur here to take you to these sights!
Hike to Jaigarh Fort
Unlike Amer Fort, which was built to serve as a royal palace, Jaigarh Fort was built to protect! Towering behind Amer Fort, Jaigarh Fort stands tall over the land, benefiting from having the vantage point for any approaching enemies or intruders.
Interestingly, Jaigarh Fort was built 132 years later than Amer Fort, so it spent many years without its protection!
Connected via a network of underground tunnels, you can reach Jaigarh Fort from Amer Fort on foot, just like we did! Before you leave Amer Fort, be sure to look for the signpost labelled ‘tunnel’ so that you can find your way there.
After the tunnel, it gets quite steep, especially in the heat, so make sure you bring a hat! We travelled in March, and luckily it wasn’t too hot to do this trek! Alternatively, you’ll have to leave Amer Fort and catch a tuk-tuk.
Jaigarh Fort was built above Amer Fort for protection and protection alone. There was no palace here, just lots of artillery and military. It’s also home to the largest cannon on wheels in the world! Again, there isn’t much information available for visitors to read, but it’s a cool place to walk around and explore.
💰 500 INR per person
➤ Seeing more of India? Here’s our 3 day Udaipur itinerary so you can plan your trip!
See Sunset at Nahargarh Fort
Nahargarh Fort is the last fort we’ll visit on this 3 day Jaipur itinerary and this one has the best views of Jaipur! After a long day of exploring, try to get here for sunset to watch the busy city light up.
It’s really easy to get a tuk-tuk from Jaigarh Fort to Nahargarh Fort, and it won’t cost too much. We decided to walk the long road, and it was a pretty bad idea, so we wouldn’t recommend it! We saw a lot of peacocks though!
Another fort that’s also a very popular sunset spot! Sadly, we just missed sunset, but it was also very smoggy and we still watched the city light up.
Nahargarh Fort was built in 1734 for defensive purposes. There are two antique cannons at the entrance, and like many forts, you’ll find walls surrounding the complex. The courtyard in the middle is large with museums (Jaipur Wax Museum & The Palace of Mirrors), a restaurant and multiple viewpoints!
💰 202 INR per person
Have dinner at Chillout
At the end of your day, make your way down to the city centre to enjoy another tasty meal. We recommend Chillout for their incredible thali buffet!
For 350 INR each, we left extremely full. The food is all vegetarian, and Baloo (possibly the owner) had a great understanding of veganism.
As the restaurant is on the rooftop, you’ll be surrounded by the forts you visited earlier in the day. Baloo was so hospitable and friendly, you can really tell he loves to run his business.
Check out the hotel for Chillout so you can eat breakfast here every day! Find on Booking.com here – Chillout Boutique Hotel!
Day 3 – The Relaxed Side of Jaipur
Depending on whether you chose to spend the entire day walking the day before (like we did), it’s probably best to have a lie-in and take the morning easy!
The third day on this Jaipur itinerary takes you to some beautiful sights around the city that you may want to visit! It’s best to use tuk-tuks to get around Jaipur for this list!
Have breakfast at a trendy cafe
We took our third day in Jaipur pretty easy, but don’t worry there are still plenty of ways to fill your time here. Start your day with a visit to the popular Stepout Cafe to grab a bite to eat!
As much as we love Indian food, it was nice to have a break and try some vegan pancakes! Of course, we had to get a cup of Chai.
Patrika Gate
Next up on our 3 day Jaipur itinerary is Patrike Gate, but it’s quite far south in the city and close to Jaipur airport. It’s well worth a tuk-tuk ride across town though! The soft pink colours of this uniquely designed gate are unlike anything else we have seen on our travels. It was built in 2016, which is quite new compared to the older forts of the city.
The gate is beautifully designed with similarities to the Hawa Mahal and City Palace. The archways feel like walking through a rainbow! Take some time to take it in before walking through the park.
Walk through Jahawar Circle Park
We also wandered around Jahawar Circle Park during our 3 days in Jaipur and found another very unique gate, Toran Dwar. Unlike Patrika Gate, it is completely white! It’s another tall gate with impressive architecture!
The park is also very calming and filled with chipmunks and birds, a welcome respite from the busy center of Jaipur.
Visit Albert Hall Museum
The Albert Hall Museum in Jaipur is the oldest museum in Rajasthan, filled with art, relics and cultural pieces from India. The building is incredible, and it’s worth a visit even if you don’t go inside.
We only passed it on a tuk-tuk as we ran out of time, but we wished we had stopped to admire the building. But that’s why we’ve created the best 3 day Jaipur itinerary, so you can learn from our mistakes!
💰 300 INR per person
If you still have energy on day 3 after all of this exploring, continue to wander around the centre of Jaipur on foot to take it in one last time. Alternatively, you could take a Tuk tuk to hunt out all of the city’s walled gates.
Alternative Ideas for 3 days in Jaipur
If you have more than 3 days in Jaipur or need more suggestions! Here’s a few other alternative things to do in Jaipur:
- Monkey Temple – monkeys are pretty scary, but there’s a peaceful walk to do here! It’s a little out of the way, so it’s not worth the detour on this already jam-packed Jaipur itinerary.
- Maharaniyo Ki Chatri Cenotaphs – an underrated gem on the way to Amer Fort with amazing architecture.
- Gaitore Cenotaphs – beautiful cenotaphs that were made for some of the Royal Family.
- Shiromina Temple – a lovely Hindu Temple near Amer Fort.
- Take a day trip to Ranthambore National Park – book tickets here!
Where to stay in Jaipur
Blue King – We spent 4 nights in Jaipur at Blue King, and it was a lovely homestay experience! The family had many dogs, and they kindly upgraded our room upon arrival. It’s really affordable and the location is out of the hustle of Jaipur – Find here on Booking.com!
Chillout Boutique Hotel – Another lovely place to stay in Jaipur with modern rooms and a beautiful rooftop restaurant. We came here to eat dinner and they have an amazing buffet – Find it on Booking.com here!
Horn Ok Please Hostel – If you’re looking to meet other travellers, Horn OK is the perfect place! There’s a lovely common area and private or dorm rooms – Find it on Booking.com here!
💤 Find more places to stay in Jaipur on Booking.com!
Best Restaurants in Jaipur
There are lots of good places to eat when spending 3 days in Jaipur, from restaurants to cafes and street vendors. Just be careful when eating street food and choose from busy places with fresh food.
As vegans, we had to be extra careful of ghee and paneer when eating the delicious vegetarian food in Jaipur. Here’s a few places we can recommend:
- Go with Vegan – An amazing vegan restaurant offering a full menu of all things Indian. Our first soya chaap experience in India. It had us hooked!
- Sagar Ratna – Traditional Indian food, offering northern and southern dishes from all over the country. A great example of a pure vegetarian restaurant chain.
- Sri Moturam Prasadam – We shared a huge thali here, very different to the others we had tried in India.
- Stepout Cafe – Trendy cafe near Central Park, offering vegan cakes, drinks and food menu. Very popular with foreigners and Indian visitors!
- Chillout – Amazing veggie buffet food on the rooftop of a hotel with a lovely owner!
How to get around Jaipur
Tuk tuk – One of the easiest ways to get around Jaipur is by tuk-tuk. They’re fast, reliable and they’re usually everywhere. You can hail one down on the street to negotiate a price or order one on Uber. You can also order a car if you want AC or are a bigger group.
Walking – The city is too big to walk everywhere, but we’ve planned out this 3 day Jaipur itinerary so that you can sometimes walk to destinations close to each other. There are some pathways in Jaipur. You’ll always have tuk-tuks around the corner if you ever need.
Metro – Another good way to get to some destinations in Jaipur is the metro. It’s really easy to use and very affordable! We used it twice to get to the area of Hawa Mahal and back.
How to get to Jaipur
Train – If you’re backpacking around India, it’s good to know that the country is very well connected by its national railway system. Trains are very affordable in India, they accommodate everyone’s budget with the different options of class available. We caught the 6:00 am train from Agra (in CC), which took 4 hours.
Find train times and prices on 12.Go or IRCTC, the official website if you can successfully create an account. We also used Ixigo!
From Jaipur Railway Station, we walked to our accommodation as it was within 20 minutes. Alternatively, you can grab a tuk-tuk on Uber or negotiate the price in the street.
Bus – Buses in India are a great alternative if you missed out on train tickets or just prefer buses altogether. For longer journeys, you’ll even find convenient bunk bed sleeper buses, which are great for overnight travel! Check out 12.Go for bus times.
Car – If you are travelling locally from other Indian cities, for example, if you are doing a Rajasthan road trip, you could also reach Jaipur by car. The traffic is pretty crazy, though.
Plane – Alternatively, if you are pressed for time and options, you can fly into Jaipur International Airport.
Best Time to Visit Jaipur
We recommend visiting Jaipur in the winter months between November and March. Just like many areas of India, Rajasthan in the summertime can reach almost unbearable temperatures. You will also skip the wet monsoon season in the winter and still enjoy dry, sunny days!
How many days to spend in Jaipur
We think 3 days in Jaipur is the perfect amount of time to visit this amazing pink city. It allows you a day to cover the forts, a day to see the highlights in the city centre and then an additional day to recover and see anything else you didn’t cover on the previous days.
You could, of course, cover Jaipur in 2 days if you were to speed through, but we wholeheartedly recommend spending 3 days in Jaipur, if not more!
Do I need a guide for Jaipur?
No, you don’t need a guide to visit Jaipur. We’ve just show you exactly what to do in Jaipur! But it can definitely enhance your experience when learning about the history, culture and sight at the time of visit.
We chose to explore Jaipur independently, and it worked well. However, we did have to do a lot of research by ourselves to find out what is worth visiting (which we love doing anyway) and how to get to each destination.
The one thing that we would have loved a guide for was the information at each attraction. Some places to visit in Jaipur simply didn’t have any signs or information.
We recommend speaking to your accommodation on arrival or booking a tour on GetYourGuide or Viator.
Is Jaipur worth visiting?
Yes! We loved visiting Jaipur, and would recommend anyone reading this guide to include it in their India itinerary too! Our India trip started in Delhi and Agra, which we didn’t love, so when we reached Jaipur, it exceeded our expectations!
Our homestay was lovely, the city had some good food and it was easier to walk around. Jaipur felt refreshing, even though it’s also a pretty busy city! Rajasthan is full of forts, but Jaipur’s really stood out! We definitely recommend spending 3 days in Jaipur!
That’s the end of our 3 day Jaipur itinerary! If you need any more help planning – send us a message on Instagram (@thesunrisedreamers) or leave a comment below!
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