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The Kachwaha Dynasty of northeast Rajasthan was one of India’s most extravagant royal families. Generations of Kachwaha maharajas filled their kingdom – centered on the area around modern-day Jaipur – with fortresses, temples and palaces during a rule spanning nearly 1000 years. 

Of all their regal residences, the fabulous City Palace in Jaipur stands out for its opulence and the ambition of its design. This sprawling royal crib forms the centerpiece of a vast planned city bound by fortified walls – the brainchild of Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, who shifted his capital from Amber Fort to Jaipur in 1727.

Today, the City Palace is one of Rajasthan’s most iconic sights – the hub for a collection of royal structures that conjure up the full flamboyance of India’s royal rulers. Here’s how to get the most from a visit to the opulent palace that still forms a home for the royal family of Jaipur.  

What’s the history of Jaipur’s City Palace?

Before 1727, the Kachwaha kingdom was ruled from Amber Fort, just north of Jaipur, but Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II shifted his residence to the flat plain below in the 18th century, constructing a lavish new palace as the wow feature of a new royal city comprising palaces, temples, busy bazaars, formal lakes and gardens, and even a fanciful royal observatory, all bound by towering walls. 

The iconic pink color scheme of the City Palace and the surrounding streets was a later modification. Maharaja Sawai Ram Singh II had Jaipur’s old town repainted in salmon tones in 1876, reputedly to impress the visiting Prince of Wales (who later became Britain’s King Edward VII). 

The Kachwaha dynasty maintained its power through a combination of force and savvy politics – forging alliances with the Mughal Empire and later the British, and retaining considerable independence and wealth in the process. While the Kingdom of Jaipur was absorbed into India in 1949, the royal family still lives in a wing of the City Palace today.   

When should I go to the City Palace?

Rajasthan is affected by the rainy summer monsoon from June to September, and the stifling heat that precedes it. The best time to visit the City Palace and surrounding sights is just after the monsoon, from October to November, when the rain has subsided and the skies are clear and sunny. 

The weather stays mostly dry throughout the winter, but mornings and evenings can be chilly from December to February, before temperatures rise again in March. You’ll need resilience to visit Jaipur in April and May, when temperatures climb above 33°C (91°F), making exploring uncomfortably hot. 

How much time should I spend at the City Palace?

You’ll need at least half a day to explore the City Palace, and a full day if you also plan to visit nearby sights such as the Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal and Govind Dev Ji Temple. The entry ticket is valid for two days, also covering nearby sights such as the Jaigarh fortress and royal cenotaphs. 

If you stay in the center of Jaipur, you can reach the palace easily on foot through the city’s atmospheric bazaars, or just jump in a taxi or autorickshaw (or an Uber or Ola rideshare). 

What’s the best way to see the City Palace?

The best way to explore is to follow the chain of interlinked courtyards in order, starting at the public entrance at Virendra Pol on the east side of the compound, reached via a back lane to the north of Tripolia Bazaar. Before you enter, take a stroll along Tripolia Bazaar to view the Tripolia Gate, reserved exclusively for the use of the royal family.

On the same visit, you can also explore the nearby Jantar Mantar royal observatory, the Hawa Mahal palace, the atmospheric Govind Dev Ji Temple, and the "heaven-piercing" Isarlat minaret, reached via the Aatish hardware market just north of Tripolia Bazaar. 

Official guides – and audio handsets for self-guided tours – can be arranged by the palace entrance and ticket desk to get you under the surface of this expansive royal residence. You’ll need to book a Royal Grandeur or Royal Splendour tour to access the still-inhabited parts of the palace.  

How much do tickets cost?

Tour agencies and hotels can make advance bookings, but it’s just as easy to buy tickets on arrival. Online booking may also be possible via the palace’s , but check to see if payments are possible using non-Indian bank cards. 

Admission for foreign visitors costs ₹700 (around US$8.15), while Indian visitors pay ₹200 (US$2.35), and there are discounts for students, children and visitors with disabilities. The fort is open from 9:30am to 5:30pm daily; it’s best to arrive early to get a head start on the crowds arriving on bus tours. 

If you’ll be in Jaipur for a few days, the ticket for foreigners also covers entry to the Jaigarh fortress near Amber Fort and the Royal Cenotaphs and is valid for two days. There’s also a ₹1000 (US$11.60) night ticket, which includes a sound and light show at 7:30pm. For a guided tour of the parts of the palace used by the royal family, book a Royal Grandeur tour package for â‚¹2000 (US$23.25) or a Royal Slendour package for â‚¹3500 (US$40.70). 

What should I eat and drink at Amber Fort? 

Food stops inside the palace are limited but you can book in for lunch or dinner at the palace’s swish restaurant, set in a stylish courtyard at the rear of the palace complex. Alternatively, there are numerous places to eat in the bazaars south and east of the palace. 

Try on Johari Bazaar for Indian sweets, namkeen (savory snacks) and top-quality vegetarian meals, or the popular Lala Ji Pakodi Wale food stand on Tripolia Bazaar near the side entrance to the Hawa Mahal for kachori (stuffed pastries) and other fried treats.

What are the City Palace’s must-sees?

The palace is lavishly decorated and packed with royal heirlooms, so take your time exploring and visit every corner. Allow extra time to visit the royal sights just outside the palace, such as the Jantar Mantar observatory. 

Mubarak Mahal

After entering the palace via Virendra Pol, you’ll reach a vast, open courtyard dominated by the Mubarak Mahal (Welcome Palace), built in the late 19th century for Maharaja Madho Singh II as a reception center for visiting dignitaries.

A stylistic stew of Islamic, Rajput and European ideas, it was designed by British architect Sir Swinton Jacob. Today, it forms part of the Maharaja Sawai Mansingh II Museum, displaying a superb collection of royal chogas (robes), shawls and ceremonial outfits, including the capacious clothing of Sawai Madho Singh I (it’s said he was 2m tall, 1.2m wide and weighed in at 250kg).

Painting & Photography Gallery

On the far side of the courtyard is the Maharaja Sawai Bhawani Singh building, an atmospherically lit space displaying a fascinating collection of historic paintings – many daubed with real gold paint. Old photos depict Jaipur’s royal life, including snaps taken by early adopter of technology Sawai Ram Singh II in the 19th century.

The Armory

In the courtyard’s northwestern corner, the Anand Mahal Sileg Khana, formerly the Maharani’s Palace, houses the royal armory, one of India’s best collections of historic weapons. You’ll be gruesomely fascinated by the guns, knives, talwar swords, clubs, maces and katar punch-daggers – a favored weapon for Rajasthani royals. Most are elegantly engraved, belying their grisly purpose.

Diwan-i-Khas

A filigree, elephant-guarded white marble gateway leads on to the second courtyard, known as the Sarvatobhadra, and the marble-paved pavilion that was used as the Diwan-i-Khas (Hall of Private Audience), where the maharajas consulted their ministers. Delicately painted with floral motifs in white and sandstone pink, the pavilion contains two enormous silver ewers – reputedly the largest silver objects in the world – filled with holy water from the Ganges.

Diwan-i-Am

On the eastern side of the Sarvatobhadra, a doorway leads to the lavish Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience), an extravagant, chandelier-lit state room decked out with thrones and portraits of past maharajas.

Pitam Niwas Chowk

On the west side of the courtyard, a gateway leads to Pitam Niwas Chowk – an open courtyard flanked by four glorious gates representing the seasons, adorned with exquisite murals. The Peacock Gate (Varsha Deori) depicts autumn, the Lotus Gate (Grishma Deori) signifies summer, the Green Gate (Vasanta Deori) represents spring, and the Rose Gate (Sharad Deori) embodies winter. 

Chandra Mahal

Beyond Pitam Niwas Chowk is the private palace, the Chandra Mahal, residence of the present royal family; it’s mostly off-limits, but you can take a special 45-minute Royal Grandeur tour or Royal Splendour tour of selected areas, including elegantly decorated royal chambers and the rooftop for stunning views over the palace compound. 

For a taste of royal living to take home, the Princess Diya Kumari Foundation shop on the palace’s first courtyard sells stylish clothes and homewares; sales support disadvantaged women in Rajasthan.

Royal Temples

There are several royal shrines associated with the City Palace, including the famous Govind Dev Ji Temple immediately north of the palace compound. Spilling onto the lush Jai Niwas garden and Tal Katora lake, and enshrining a particularly sacred Krishna image, the temple’s vast main pavilion is thronged day and night by pilgrims. It’s also worth ducking into the often-overlooked Brij Nidhi Ji Temple southeast of the palace, built by Sawai Pratap Singh in the 19th century.

Other sights near the City Palace

Several other important sights are clustered close to the City Palace. Just east of the Virendra Pol gate is the glorious Jantar Mantar, constructed in 1728 on the orders of the scientifically curious Jai Singh II. This collection of fantastical objects was used to measure the movements of celestial objects – stairs to nowhere climb over calibrated crescents, dangling rings function as astrolabes, and marble-lined basins allow precise calculations of the movements of the spheres. 

To the west of the palace is the towering Isarlat minaret, erected in the 1740s by Sawai Iswari Singh: the viewing gallery at the top offers excellent views over the City Palace. There are similarly impressive palace views from the 18th-century Hawa Mahal – aka Palace of the Winds – an extraordinary residence fronted by a delicate honeycomb of fretwork and stained glass windows that allowed the ladies of the royal household to secretly peek out at the jostle of city life. 

My favorite thing to do at the City Palace

I’m a huge fan of the City Palace armory for the glimpse it offers behind the curtain of the elaborate pageantry and layered etiquette of Rajput royal life. As well as being lavishly ornamented, royal weapons were brutally functional, intended to be secreted under robes and pulled out if a peace treaty meeting turned sour or an official audience turned out to be an ambush. 

Is the City Palace accessible? 

Being mostly on one flat level, the City Palace is one of the more accessible sights in Rajasthan. Travelers with limited mobility (including wheelchair users) will be able to visit the main courtyards and museum buildings with few difficulties. The royal armory is upstairs, however, and visiting the Chandra Mahal involves navigating steps and narrow corridors. 

This article was adapted from Lonely Planet’s guidebook, published in November 2024.