Best Places to Visit in Jaipur in 2 Days

Jaipur, the famous Pink City of India, is a beautiful mix of royal palaces, massive hill forts, colourful markets and peaceful temples. In just two days you can see grand gateways, mirrored halls, ancient observatories and lakeside palaces, while also tasting local food and shopping for classic Rajasthani handicrafts. This 2‑day Jaipur guide brings together the best places to visit, the latest 2026 ticket updates, and practical tips so you can plan a smooth and memorable trip.

Although Jaipur has enough attractions to keep you busy for a week, most first‑time visitors come for 1–3 days as part of a Golden Triangle or Rajasthan tour. With smart planning, you can still enjoy the city’s highlights in 48 hours without feeling rushed. The itinerary below combines the most iconic monuments like Amer Fort, City Palace and Hawa Mahal with museums, markets and sunset viewpoints, all grouped logically to reduce travel time between stops.

Jaipur Monuments Tickets & Timings in 2026 (Quick Overview)

From 1 January 2026, the Department of Archaeology and Museums has increased ticket prices for major monuments across Rajasthan, including Jaipur. This means visits to Amer Fort, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Nahargarh Fort and Albert Hall Museum are slightly more expensive than in previous years, but the extra revenue is planned for better maintenance, lighting, digital guides and visitor facilities.

New composite tickets and updated fees help visitors cover multiple sites with a single pass. For example, a combined ticket option gives access to several Jaipur monuments without buying separate tickets at each gate, which saves both time and queueing. Before your trip, always double‑check exact prices on the latest official or partner pages, but you can safely expect higher rates for popular sites compared with the pre‑2026 structure.

Typical 2026 patterns for key Jaipur monuments:

• Hawa Mahal: Open roughly 9:00 AM – 4:30 PM; entry around ₹50 for Indian visitors and around ₹200 for foreign tourists, with inclusion in composite tickets.
• City Palace: Day visit usually 9:30 AM – 5:00/5:30 PM; approx. ₹300 for Indians and around ₹700 for foreigners for standard museum access.
• Amer Fort: Daytime 8:00 AM – 5:30/6:00 PM; latest reports show Indian tickets revised towards ₹200 for adults and foreigner tickets in the ₹1,000 band, after the 2026 hike.
• Albert Hall Museum, Jantar Mantar, Nahargarh Fort: Indian tickets generally around ₹100 after the increase and foreigner tickets around ₹600, with the option to cover them using a composite pass.

Travel tip: If you plan to see Amer Fort, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Nahargarh Fort and Albert Hall in 2 days, ask at the first monument about the latest composite ticket price and validity. It usually works out cheaper and saves time in queues.

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Day 1 – Palaces, Wind Palace, Observatory & Museum

Your first day in Jaipur focuses on the historic core of the Pink City. The main sights—City Palace, Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, Albert Hall Museum and Birla Mandir—lie close to each other, so you can visit all of them with a mix of walking, short auto‑rickshaw rides and a private car for the longer stretches. Starting early helps you avoid the harshest heat and heaviest crowds, and you will find that nearly every corner of the walled city presents you with pink façades, old city gates and busy markets worth photographing.

Jaipur's City Palace

City Palace stands at the heart of the old walled city and remains one of Jaipur’s most important royal complexes. Built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II and later expanded by his successors, it blends Rajput, Mughal and European architectural influences into a single elegant ensemble. Inside the complex you move through courtyards, ornamental gateways, shaded verandas and palace buildings, some of which are still used by the royal family for ceremonial events.

Visitors usually enter through a grand gate and then explore spaces like Mubarak Mahal, which now functions as a textile and costume museum with displays of royal robes, sarees and turbans. The armoury gallery exhibits historic weapons, including swords, shields and firearms that belonged to the rulers of Jaipur. In Pritam Niwas Chowk, four richly decorated doorways represent different seasons, with the peacock gate being the most photographed. Premium tickets allow access to more exclusive palace apartments, including richly painted blue‑and‑gold rooms that appear frequently in travel photography and social media posts.

In 2026, City Palace typically opens in the mid‑morning and closes by late afternoon for regular day visits. Indian guests pay a moderate museum ticket, while foreign visitors pay more for extended access and heritage fees. Most travellers spend between one and a half and two and a half hours here, depending on how deeply they explore the galleries and how long they pause in each courtyard to enjoy the atmosphere.

Hawa Mahal – Jaipur’s Iconic Wind Palace

When people imagine Jaipur, the honeycomb façade of Hawa Mahal, or the Palace of Winds, usually comes first. Built in the late 18th century by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, this five‑storey structure features hundreds of small windows and screened balconies known as jharokhas. The design allowed cool air to circulate through the building and enabled royal women to observe daily street life and royal processions without being seen themselves.

From the street, the terracotta‑pink façade looks like a delicate screen rather than a massive building. It is especially beautiful in the soft light of morning, when the intricate carvings, arches and latticework catch the sun. Inside, you climb narrow ramps and stairways to different levels, each offering small rooms, corridors and vantage points over the bustling bazaars below. The upper terraces provide excellent views of Jantar Mantar’s geometric structures, the domes of City Palace and the distant Aravalli hills.

Hawa Mahal normally opens in the morning and closes by late afternoon. Entry remains affordable by Indian standards, especially for locals, although foreign visitors pay more. Many travellers combine a short interior visit with the classic exterior shot—either from the opposite side of the street or from one of the small cafés opposite the façade that offer balcony views directly facing the palace.

Jantar Mantar – The Astronomical Observatory

Just a short walk from City Palace is Jantar Mantar, an 18th‑century astronomical observatory created by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II. This site is home to a collection of large fixed instruments made from stone and marble, each designed for specific astronomical purposes: measuring time, tracking planetary movements, calculating celestial positions and predicting eclipses.

The most famous structure here is the Samrat Yantra, a gigantic triangular sundial that ranks among the largest in the world. Standing near its high central gnomon and curved scales, you can watch the shadow move noticeably as minutes pass, making the idea of tracking time by the sun feel very real. Other instruments in the park measure declination, altitude and other astronomical parameters with surprising accuracy for a pre‑modern observatory.

In 2026, Jantar Mantar usually follows standard daytime visiting hours. Ticket prices for Indian visitors are moderate; for foreign visitors they are substantially higher, but the observatory is often included in multi‑monument passes that already cover other key sites. A guided visit of 45 to 60 minutes is ideal, as an informed guide can explain the function of each major instrument and demonstrate how readings would have been taken.

Jaipur's Albert Hall Museum

Later in the afternoon, you can drive a short distance south to reach Albert Hall Museum, set in the middle of Ram Niwas Garden. This is Rajasthan’s oldest public museum, housed in a grand Indo‑Saracenic building with multiple domes, arches and balconies. Many visitors first admire the structure from outside and take photographs of the museum and surrounding pigeons before heading inside.

The museum’s galleries cover several floors and display sculptures, miniature paintings, carpets, metal artefacts, pottery, clay figures, traditional jewellery, costumes and arms. One of the most unusual and talked‑about objects is an Egyptian mummy, which draws visitors because similar exhibits are rare in India. Walking through the displays gives you a broad overview of the region’s artistic traditions and the range of influences that shaped Rajasthani culture.

Albert Hall typically opens in the morning and closes in the late afternoon for interior visits. Indian tickets are affordable; foreign tickets are higher but often included in a composite pass. Most travellers allocate about an hour to an hour and a half here. Even if you do not enter the museum, it is worth driving past again after dark to see the illuminated exterior, which looks particularly striking against the night sky.

Birla Mandir (Laxmi Narayan Temple)

You can end your first day at Birla Mandir, also known as the Laxmi Narayan Temple, a modern white‑marble shrine at the base of Moti Dungri Hill. Built by the Birla family, this temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and Goddess Lakshmi and is known for its clean lines, shining marble and peaceful environment.

The walls and windows of the temple are decorated with scenes and verses from sacred texts, including the Bhagavad Gita. As evening falls, the entire structure is illuminated, and the white marble glows softly, creating a serene view against the dark hillside behind. Visitors typically walk around the main hall, sit for a few minutes of quiet reflection and then enjoy night‑time views of the temple complex and city lights beyond. Entry is usually free, although modest clothing and respectful behaviour are expected.

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Day 2 – Forts, Hills, Water Palace and Markets

Your second day in Jaipur is devoted to the city’s dramatic hill forts and a few complementary attractions. Amer Fort, Jaigarh Fort and Nahargarh Fort lie along the hills to the north, while Jal Mahal sits in the middle of a lake on the way, and Bapu Bazar and Isarlat bring you back into the life of the old city. Starting your day early again is important, especially in the warmer months, because fort complexes involve plenty of walking under open skies.

Amer Fort (Amber Fort)

Amer Fort, often written Amber Fort, is the highlight of many Jaipur trips and an essential stop on any 2‑day itinerary. Perched on a hill around eleven kilometres from the city centre, it was the former capital of the Kachwaha rulers before Jaipur was founded. The fort complex showcases grand Rajput architecture with influences from Mughal design, featuring high gateways, spacious courtyards, marble palaces, frescoed corridors and decorative arches.

Visitors usually enter through the main gate and pass into a large courtyard used for gatherings and ceremonies. From there, ramps and stairways lead upward through multiple levels. The Diwan‑i‑Aam, or Hall of Public Audience, impresses with its pillared hall and vantage points over the courtyard. The Sheesh Mahal, or Palace of Mirrors, is one of the most famous sections, with its walls and ceilings covered in mirror mosaic and glass inlay work; a single lamp once could create a star‑like effect across the entire room.

Beyond these spaces, you find gardens set out in geometric patterns, views over Maota Lake, and hidden passageways that give a sense of the fort’s defensive complexity. In 2026, Amer Fort opens from morning into late afternoon, with an additional sound‑and‑light show in the evening that tells stories from the fort’s history using lighting, music and narration. Ticket prices for Indian visitors have increased into a mid‑range band after the 2026 hike, while foreign travellers pay a significantly higher amount that matches the fort’s status as a flagship attraction. Most visitors spend two to three hours exploring Amer, especially if they combine the main palace section with outer walls and viewpoints.

Jaigarh Fort – The Fort of Victory

High above Amer on the Hill of Eagles stands Jaigarh Fort, a more rugged and practical fortress that once served as the primary military stronghold protecting the royal seat below. While Amer Fort is known for its decorative palaces and mirrored halls, Jaigarh feels like a working fort, with long walls, bastions, watchtowers, armoury chambers and storage areas.

One of Jaigarh’s main highlights is the Jaivana Cannon, a huge historical cannon mounted on wheels. It was built in the early 18th century and for a long time was considered the largest wheeled cannon ever constructed. Although it was fired only a few times, it still fascinates visitors as a symbol of the city’s military strength and engineering capabilities. From the fort’s viewpoints you get wide panoramas of Amer Fort, the surrounding hills and the plains stretching towards Jaipur.

Jaigarh Fort generally opens in the morning and closes by late afternoon. Ticket prices for Indian visitors remain modest compared with the cost of Amer, while foreigner tickets are higher but still lower than those at major palaces in some other cities. Most travellers spend about one to one and a half hours here, often visiting immediately before or after Amer Fort in a single combined excursion.

Nahargarh Fort – Hilltop Views Over Jaipur

Nahargarh Fort sits on another ridge of the Aravalli hills, overlooking Jaipur’s old and new neighbourhoods. Along with Amer and Jaigarh, it formed a ring of defensive positions that once protected the city and royal territories. Built in the 18th century and later used as a retreat and hunting lodge, the fort is now best known for its sweeping viewpoints and the palace complex known as Madhavendra Bhawan.

Inside Madhavendra Bhawan, a series of near‑identical suites for royal family members open onto central courtyards and are connected by painted corridors and staircases. Exploring these rooms, you see colourful walls, arched doorways and rooftop paths that are particularly photogenic. From the outer walls and designated viewpoints, visitors enjoy wide views across the entire city grid, spotting landmarks such as City Palace, Jantar Mantar and the distant outline of forts on other hills.

After the 2026 price revision, entry fees at Nahargarh Fort for Indian guests sit in the mid‑range for state‑run sites, while foreigner tickets are higher but can be included in composite passes. The fort usually opens mid‑morning and closes by early evening. Many travellers plan to reach Nahargarh in the late afternoon so they can watch the sunset from the ramparts, seeing Jaipur’s lights slowly appear as daylight fades.

Jal Mahal – The Water Palace

On the road between central Jaipur and Amer you will pass Jal Mahal, a striking palace seemingly floating in the middle of Man Sagar Lake. The building is several storeys high, but when the lake is full only the top level is visible above the water, creating an almost magical impression. While the interior is not part of regular tourist visits, the view from the lakeside walkway is one of Jaipur’s most photographed scenes.

Architecturally, Jal Mahal blends Rajput and Mughal styles, with symmetrical pavilions, domed chhatris and delicate railings mirrored in the quiet water. The shoreline promenade is lined with small stalls selling snacks, tea and trinkets, and the area is popular with both local families and visitors in the early morning and late afternoon. Bird lovers often spot waterfowl and other species around the lake, especially outside the hottest months.

Travellers generally stop at Jal Mahal for 15 to 30 minutes as part of a longer route to or from Amer. There is no entry fee to enjoy the view from the shore, and the palace looks particularly beautiful at sunrise and sunset, when the light reflects off the water and the hills behind.

Bapu Bazar – Colourful Market for Shopping

After exploring forts and hilltops, it is time to dive into Jaipur’s markets. Bapu Bazar is one of the busiest and most colourful shopping streets in the walled city, and it offers almost every kind of Rajasthani item a traveller might look for. Stalls and shops display block‑printed bedcovers, quilts, cotton and silk fabrics, leather slippers, lac bangles, brass items, wooden crafts, incense, sarees and ready‑made garments.

The atmosphere is dynamic: shopkeepers call out to potential customers, prices are negotiated, and goods are stacked from floor to ceiling. This is an excellent place to buy souvenirs and useful items at reasonable prices, provided you enjoy a bit of bargaining. In the surrounding lanes you will find food stalls serving street favourites such as kachori, samosa, jalebi, lassi and a variety of sweets and snacks, making it easy to combine shopping with casual local dining.

Bapu Bazar typically becomes lively from late morning and stays busy well into the evening. There is no entry fee to walk through the market; you only pay for what you purchase. Carrying cash and digital payment options gives you flexibility, as some small vendors still prefer cash while others are comfortable with UPI payments.

Isarlat (Sargasooli) – The Victory Tower

Rising above Jaipur’s rooftops, Isarlat, also called Sargasooli, is a tall tower built in the 18th century to celebrate a royal victory. It stands near Tripolia Bazaar and offers one of the best panoramic views of the Pink City from within the city itself. The name Sargasooli, often translated as “passage to heaven,” reflects the tower’s vertical design and symbolic link between earth and sky.

Inside the tower, a spiral ramp or stepped path winds upward to the top, where small openings and a viewing platform reveal 360‑degree views. From here you can clearly see the grid pattern of the old city: straight bazaars, intersecting streets, city walls and gates. Landmarks such as City Palace, Jantar Mantar and various temples and domes stand out when seen from above. For those interested in Jaipur’s history, Isarlat also connects to the complex story of succession disputes involving Maharaja Ishwari Singh and his rivals.

The tower usually keeps straightforward daytime opening hours and has a small entry fee that is lower than the prices at major forts and palaces. Many visitors spend half an hour to three‑quarters of an hour here, including the climb and time at the top. Late afternoon visits often provide the best light for photography while avoiding the strongest midday sun.

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Putting It All Together – A Practical 2‑Day Jaipur Itinerary

For a smooth experience, you can divide these places into two clear sightseeing days. On Day 1, focus on the central city highlights: start at City Palace, walk to Jantar Mantar, then visit Hawa Mahal. Take a lunch break in or near the Pink City, continue to Albert Hall Museum in the afternoon, and end your day with a peaceful visit to Birla Mandir in the evening. This cluster keeps most of your movements within a small area, so you spend more time exploring and less time in traffic.

On Day 2, dedicate the morning to Amer Fort and then drive up to Jaigarh Fort for panoramic views over the hills and Amber. On your way back towards the city, stop at Jal Mahal for photos of the water palace. After lunch in town, head to Nahargarh Fort for wide sunset views across Jaipur. Finish the evening with shopping and street food at Bapu Bazar. If your schedule and energy allow, you can also add Isarlat (Sargasooli) as an extra viewpoint either before sunset or on your way back into the old city.

If you have more than two days in Jaipur, you can slow down this plan and add extra experiences such as a cultural evening at Chokhi Dhani, photo stops at Patrika Gate and Jawahar Circle Garden, or half‑day trips to Galta Ji (the Monkey Temple) and nearby stepwells. If you only have one full day, you can still get a strong first impression of Jaipur by concentrating on Amer Fort, City Palace, Hawa Mahal, one sunset viewpoint such as Nahargarh, and a short visit to one major market.

Planning Your Jaipur Trip with a Private Driver

Because Jaipur’s main monuments are spread across hills, old‑city lanes and busy main roads, using a private car with an experienced local driver is often the most comfortable way to follow a packed two‑day itinerary. A good driver understands the best routes, parking spots, quieter entry gates and realistic travel times between attractions. This saves you time and energy and lets you focus on seeing the sights, taking photographs and enjoying the stories behind each place instead of worrying about directions, traffic and bargaining for transport.

Many visitors also combine a two‑day Jaipur stay with a longer Rajasthan journey that includes destinations such as Agra, Pushkar, Jodhpur and Udaipur. With flexible pick‑up locations, hotel suggestions for different budgets and 24/7 support, a reliable tour operator or car‑and‑driver service can easily turn this Jaipur itinerary into a customised trip that matches your pace, interests and travel style.

Book Your 2‑Day Jaipur Tour with Rajasthan Tour Driver

Rajasthan Tour Driver offers private, customised car and driver services for Jaipur city tours and longer Rajasthan trips.

Website: https://www.rajasthantourdriver.com/

Phone / WhatsApp: 095719 15083

Email: enquiry@rajasthantourdriver.com

Last Updated: 7 January 2026