1Start at Amer Fort at 8 am
Amer Fort is 11 km north of the old city and opens around 8 am. Get there first, before the tour buses and the heat. Your car parks below the fort by Maota Lake, and jeeps run up to the gate, or it's a 15-minute walk. Allow two hours, and add 20 minutes for the Panna Meena ka Kund stepwell, five minutes away.
2Jal Mahal and Hawa Mahal
On the way back, stop for photos at Jal Mahal, the palace in Man Sagar Lake, which you see from the shore. Then drive into the walled city. Hawa Mahal is best seen from across the street in morning light, and the rooftop cafés opposite give the classic view. Your driver drops you at the door and waits in a paid lot nearby, as the bazaar lanes have no parking.
3City Palace and Jantar Mantar
City Palace and the Jantar Mantar observatory are next to each other, a short walk from Hawa Mahal, so the car can stay put. Give City Palace about 90 minutes and Jantar Mantar 45; both open around 9 or 9:30 am. Have lunch in the old city, then leave before the afternoon traffic builds up on the main bazaar roads.
4Albert Hall, then Nahargarh for sunset
After lunch, Albert Hall Museum is 10 minutes south, with Birla Mandir close by if you'd like a temple too. Around 4 pm, drive up the hill road to Nahargarh Fort, about 40 minutes from the old city, and stay for the sunset over Jaipur. Coming down after dark avoids the old city's evening rush, and you're back at your hotel by 7:30.
5Tickets, distance and fare
The whole day is about 60 km of driving. The Jaipur composite ticket covers Amer, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Albert Hall and Nahargarh over two days; City Palace has its own ticket. Our Jaipur sightseeing car and driver starts from ₹1,500 for a half day and ₹2,000 for a full day of 8 hours and 80 km, as estimates. Tickets, guides and lunch are yours, and there are no forced shopping stops.
