Travel Report Jaipur, part of a 13 days round trip through Rajasthan (India)
What highlights are there to discover in Jaipur? What is a must-see?
Our Jaipur travel report summarizes the best highlights and “must sees” for you so that you also have an unforgettable trip. The main reason for our round trip was the desire to photograph wild tigers. India is still one of the best places for this and the best time to travel is between November and February if you want to avoid the really hot temperatures. But if you’re already there, you can also take in the many cultural highlights, such as Jaipur. Let yourself be inspired.
Where is Jaipur in India?
What you should definitely think about when traveling to Jaipur
Local currency: Indian rupee (INR). You can use your credit card everywhere for payments or cash withdrawals. Cash is mainly needed for tips.
Vaccinations: No vaccinations are required if you are coming from Germany. However, it is advisable to see a doctor before your trip to have your vaccinations checked and to have a number of vaccinations, such as rabies, carried out. Any doctor can provide more detailed information or, if necessary, the Tropical Institute.
Visas: German citizens require a visa for India. The visa must be applied for at an Indian diplomatic mission or as an e-visa before entering the country. Visas on arrival are not possible. Here is the Link to the official Website for Visa.
As always, there are a number of websites that will apply for a visa for a fee. For people with a good knowledge of English, the Indian website is not a problem. As a rule, you need a 30-day tourist visa. This costs just under 30 USD including all fees. You can only apply for the visa 30 days before entry and it is then valid for 30 days from entry.
Taking a drone to Jaipur (in India), is that allowed?
The short answer is NO. In India, Indians are allowed to have and fly drones, but it is almost impossible for tourists to get a drone permit. If you still want to try – without a permit – you should have a look at Indian prisons or visit one of the many websites where you can try to apply for a permit. Neither is nice.
Detailed travelogue Jaipur - important questions:
Is Jaipur cheap?
It all depends. Hotel prices, or accommodation prices in general, are not really cheap if you want a certain European standard. Flights and transfers with a guide/driver, on the other hand, are really cheap.
The highlights of Jaipur - Palace of the Winds
Jaipur is a 5-hour drive or 1-hour flight from Delhi, both of which are good options. The Palace of Winds is certainly the most famous landmark of Jaipur and unfortunately the least exciting from our point of view. The best place to see the Palace of Winds is from the Tatoo Cafe across the road, more on that later.
Do I need a rental car in Jaipur?
Our recommendation is definitely NO. Driving in India is definitely not for Europeans and is far too dangerous. The Indian way of driving has nothing to do with the way we are used to in Europe or the USA. In addition, you can book a driver with a car (preferably an SUV) for very little money and he will drive you around the whole time. Many hotels also offer this service. That’s why you should do without a rental car if at all possible.
Jaipur - Our round trip and highlights
Routing
1.Day: We flew directly to Delhi from Germany
Hotel: Aloft New Delhi Aerocity, 5B IGI T3 Road, Delhi Aerocity New Delhi, 110037
2.Day: Delhi – Agra (Taj Mahal) Transfer with an AC Innova: Travel time approx. 4 hours.
Hotel: ITC Mughal, a luxury collection, Taj Ganj, Agra, 282001
3.Day: Departure to Ranthambore, travel time approx. 6 hours (!). 300km
Hotel: The Ranthambhore Bagh, Village Khilchipur, Off Ranthambhore Road, Sawai Madhopur 322001,
4.-7.Day: Tiger safari in Ranthambore National Park, 7 safari drives in total
8.-9.Day: Departure to Jaipur, driving time approx. 3:30h. Approx. 160km.
Hotel: ITC Rajputana, a Luxury Collection Hotel, Jaipur, Palace Road, Jaipur, 302006 India
10.-11.Day: Transfer to the airport, flight Jaipur (T2) with Indigo to Jodhpur
Hotel: The Ajit Bhawan – A Palace Resort, Near Circuit House Road, Jodhpur, 342006 Transfer from the airport to the hotel organized with the hotel (!)
11.-13.Day: Transfer to Udaipur organized by hotel (12k INR + Tax), Innova AC. Travel time approx. 5:30h (!) . ca 260km.
Hotel: Moustache Udaipur Luxuria, 25-26 Navghat, Next to City Palace,
Udaipur – 313001,Rajasthan
13.Day: Transfer to the airport organized by the hotel. Flight Udaipur with Indigo to Delhi. Visit Delhi city, then return to the airport.
Due to the early return flight (01:50 am), we booked another hotel room on the last day to rest before our departure.
Hotel (again):Aloft New Delhi Aerocity, 5B IGI T3 Road, Delhi Aerocity New Delhi, 110037
How much should you tip?
The question of how much to tip comes up again and again. Even though India is actually a poor country, the culture of tipping has become established and 10% is now normal in restaurants.
Jaipur - Hotel ITC Rajputana
The city of Jaipur is large and bustling and the first impression is not necessarily the best. Garbage everywhere and a lot of very poor people on the streets. Even just before the hotel, there is absolute squalor.
We’ve already seen a lot of things, but this is yet another cap. Then, as always, you drive through the entrance to the hotel and a world of luxury opens up. Everything is clean, everything is top notch. A strange feeling.
The hotel is impressive from the very first second. The entrance hall is sophisticated, luxurious and at reception you are treated like royalty thanks to Marriott status.
Here too, status is rewarded with a suite upgrade. Furthermore, every evening from 6-8 p.m. there is Happy our for Elite Members, with free drinks and a good selection of snacks, so you can save yourself dinner.
Amber Fort
We have booked a driver for 4 hours through the hotel (2000 INR) and want to visit the Am(b)er Fort, the palace of Maharadsha. The journey takes a good 30 minutes for the 10 km, although we start at 08:15. The fort is impressive and on the way we pick up a German-speaking Indian guide (400INR for 2 hours). This was a very good decision as it meant we got to experience a lot more. He also shows us the historic step well, which you can visit on the way to the fort and which you wouldn’t otherwise see.
Water Palace
After the Amber Fort, we stop at the Water Palace, which can only be seen from the outside.
City Palace, Palace of the Winds and Tatoo Cafe
The journey continues to the City Palace, the seat and residence of the ruling family, which is still in power today. You can see the palace itself for 700INR, but if you want to see the residence palace, it’s 3000INR… we only see the palace and to be honest, you won’t miss anything if you skip this palace altogether.
Then we continue to the Palace of the Winds. It’s busy and crowded there, but it’s beautiful to look at. The best view of the palace is from the Tatoo Café opposite, which is characterized by really good food and an excellent view, as it is a rooftop restaurant (the name café is misleading). The prices are higher than normal in India, but the view makes up for it. Definitely go there!
Fort Jaighar
As the ticket for the City Palace also includes the ticket for Fort Jaigarh, we also go there, which means that our driver guide “Sumer” has now spent a total of 8 hours with us instead of 4. But the hotel doesn’t charge us any more for this, which was nice.
Fort Jaighar is home to the largest cannon ever built. A real attraction. From the fort you also have a very good view of Fort Amber below. Apart from that, Fort Jaighar is not particularly spectacular and you shouldn’t plan more than 1 hour for it.
We recommend for the Indian. We definitely recommend booking a driver and a guide for the whole day when visiting Indian cities, as this is very relaxing and you can always find a few quiet minutes in the car in otherwise noisy and bustling India.
After the fort is the end, you can hardly pack more into a day.
Fazit
One full day in Jaipur (2 nights) was more than enough for us. We saw everything there is to see and Fort Amber is actually the only attraction really worth seeing. The Palace of the Winds is also nice to see from the Tatoo Cafe, but that’s all there is to it. Overall, the stop in Jaipur was OK and as many people fly on from Jaipur on their tour, you can plan the extra day. But we wouldn’t make the extra trip to Jaipur again.
Calendar from our Phototours online?
as of 18,90€, Sizes A2-A5
Which photo equipment for Jaipur in India?
The photographic equipment we took with us to Jaipur is listed below. You also have the option of ordering the photographic equipment we used directly via our Photo-Shop and requesting further technical details. There are also lots of extras available there.
Cameras:
- Z8 (Nikon)
- Z7ii (Nikon)
- Apple Iphone 14pro
- Go Pro Hero 8
Lenses:
- Z 24-120mm f/4 (Nikon)
- Z 70-200mm f/2.8 (Nikon)
- Z 180-600mm f/5.6-6.3 (Nikon)