There’s something about Jaipur that makes you want to slow down and look up. The pink walls, the women in sweeping skirts of red and orange, the men with their vivid turbans — it all reads like a scene rather than a street. I’ve put together this list of tours, getaways, and places to see because Jaipur is one of those cities where the right experience can change how you feel about an entire trip.
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Jaipur was founded by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II in 1727 as one of the world’s first planned cities. Today it’s a colourful mix of forts, palaces, bustling markets, and surprisingly hip cafes. It’s called the Pink City because the old city buildings are painted terracotta-pink. The city is also known for its artisans — gemstones, block-print fabrics, leather juttis, blue pottery, hand-embroidered textiles, and more.
Jaipur City Tours
Royal Footsteps
This tour covers Jaipur’s iconic sites and traces the city’s history from medieval times to now. It starts at Amer Fort, a UNESCO-listed medieval fort and palace in the small town of Amer, about 11 km from Jaipur. Amer was the original settlement before the Pink City was built in the early 18th century.
Afterwards, you return to the city for the magnificent City Palace — where the Jaipur royal family still lives today. The tour includes Jantar Mantar, an 18th-century observatory with massive astronomical instruments and the world’s largest stone sundial. It was built by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II and is a UNESCO World Heritage site. You’ll also see Hawa Mahal, the Palace of Winds, built in 1799 so the women of the court could watch street festivals unseen.
Duration: Half Day or Full Day
Tour Leader: Local licensed guide
Mountains and Monuments
Jaipur is surrounded on three sides by the Aravalli mountain range, one of the oldest geographic formations on earth. This tour heads out to Kishan Bagh Sand Dune Park, Galtaji (the Monkey Temple), and Sisodia Rani ki Bagh. You can add a visit to Jhalana Leopard Safari Park.
Duration: Half Day or Full Day
Tour Leader: Local licensed guide
Crafts, Shopping, and Artisans Tour
Jaipur is a shopper’s paradise. The markets burst with locally made textiles, block-print fabrics, gemstones, hand-knotted rugs, leather shoes, lac bangles, and so much more. This tour takes you to some of the best stores, workshops, and showrooms in Jaipur. It’s designed to be interactive — you’ll learn about the arts, how things are made, and the culture behind them.
Duration: Half Day or Full Day (or multiple days)
Tour Leader: Local guide
Workshops: Hands-On Crafts
Block Printing Workshop at Qala Creatives
Block printing is one of the crafts Jaipur is known for, and Qala Creatives teaches you how to do it. Qala means art in Hindi. This small woman-owned company preserves age-old techniques while empowering individuals to bring their creative visions to life. Owner Rajshree offers educational tours and workshops in central Jaipur. A session includes a hands-on introduction to block printing, stories of Rajasthan’s craft heritage, and the chance to create and take home your own printed piece.
Workshop Leader: Rajshree or Qala Creatives team member
Contact: Qala Creatives
Learn the Crafts of Jaipur at Rajasthan Studio
Rajasthan Studio bridges expert local artisans with travel and art lovers. They offer curated art events led by an art maestro. You can attend a hands-on workshop — Dry Flower Art, Tie and Dye (Leheriya), Rajasthani Miniature Painting, Meenakari Jewellery Making, or others — learn about the craft, and leave with a finished product.
Duration: 2-5 hours
Workshop Leader: Various artisans
Contact: Rajasthan Studio
Dawn Tour of Jaipur
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At about 6 am, as the city awakens, your guide meets you for an exhilarating dawn tour by bicycle or e-rickshaw. It blends culture, heritage, architecture, religion, cuisine, and daily life. You’ll experience the morning air and the aromas of the vegetable and flower markets, pickle street, and traditional snacks. Your taste buds get a chance at local specialties, and you’ll hear music and prayers at Govind Dev Ji temple on the City Palace grounds.
Duration: 3 hours
Tour Leader: Umesh or Seagull Jaunt team member
Contact: Seagull Jaunt
Heritage Water Walks
Award-winning Heritage Water Walks were created by Neeraj, who combines his passions for water and storytelling to showcase Rajasthan’s cultural heritage. Rajasthan is a desert state, but Neeraj calls it a water civilization. On this two-hour tour, you discover how water drives Rajasthani culture, art, and traditions. You’ll explore ancient water structures — channels, aqueducts, stepwells, and storage reservoirs — and learn about their purpose and history. It’s a relaxed walk through natural surroundings with stories from an ancient desert culture.
Duration: 2 hours
Tour Leader: Neeraj
Contact: Heritage Water Walks
Amer Untold: Secrets Beyond the Palace Walls
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Long before Jaipur rose to glory, there was Amer — the ancient capital of Dhoondhar, ruled by Kachwaha Rajput rulers and nestled in the Aravalli hills. The Amer Heritage Walk by Jaipur Retold invites you to step beyond the famous Amer Fort into historic Amer, a living medieval town that continues to be inhabited.
You’ll discover 14th–16th-century temples, ornate havelis, centuries-old step wells, and hidden courtyards. The Rajput rulers commanded campaigns stretching from Afghanistan’s passes to Bengal’s plains. This walk is storytelling on foot among locals who are living custodians of traditions passed down through generations.
If you’re adventurous, climb to a scenic viewpoint for sunrise. See the fort from an angle most visitors miss and watch the walls snake up the hillside. Sagar Lake, where the Aravallis mirror themselves in still water, is one of Amer’s best-kept secrets.
Tour Leader: Arv
Contact: Jaipur Retold
Sair with Shristi
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Sair means to explore in Hindi, and Shristi means universe. Shristi is a local storyteller who creates personal experiences that show Jaipur from a female perspective. She says she can be controversial at times, but the guests who choose her tour are receptive and positive about it.
Tour Leader: Shristi
Contact: Sair with Shristi
Jhalana Leopard Safari Park
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It’s hard to believe, but there is a leopard safari park right on the outskirts of Jaipur. The entrance is in a neighbourhood, but once you drive around the Aravalli hills, you find a thriving forest and leopard sanctuary. The reserve covers 20 square kilometers with immense flora and fauna. When I went, I saw leopards in three different places — about five leopards total, plus many beautiful birds and other mammals.
Duration: 2.5 hours, either morning or late afternoon
Contact: Book Jhalana Leopard Safari tickets
Rajasthan Getaways from Jaipur
If you have a few extra days, these destinations are all reachable from Jaipur:
Ranthambore National Park (approx. 160 km / 3.5 hours)
Located near Sawai Madhopur, Ranthambore has rich biodiversity and is one of the top tiger reserves in India for jeep safaris. It’s a paradise for nature lovers, bird watchers, and history enthusiasts. Sawai Madhopur was founded in 1763 by Maharaja Sawai Madho Singh. The Kachwaha Rajputs hunted tigers there until India became independent. In 1973 the forest was named a tiger reserve, and it became a national park in 1980. Ranthambore Fort inside the park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Recommended duration: Two-three days
Pushkar (approx. 145 km / 3 hours)
A small town surrounded by desert, Pushkar draws pilgrims, hippies, and anyone who likes a relaxed small-town vibe. A sacred lake lined with ghats and temples sits at the centre. Watching worshippers on the steps at dawn as the sun rises over the water is one of those quiet moments that stays with you.
Recommended duration: Two-three days
Sariska Tiger Reserve (approx. 130 km / 2.5 hours)
Sariska is a 1,200 square kilometre tiger reserve set in the Aravalli Hills northeast of Jaipur. The landscape — sharp ridges, deep narrow valleys, plateaus, and grasslands — is covered in dry deciduous forest. It’s home to tigers, leopards, striped hyenas, jungle cats, golden jackals, sambar deer, chital (spotted deer), nilgai, wild boars, the rare four-horned antelope, a massive peacock population, and over 200 bird species.
Recommended duration: Two-three days
Shekhawati (approx. 115 km / 2.5 hours)
The Shekhawati region, north of Jaipur, is famous for historic towns like Mandawa and Nawalgarh — home to elaborately painted havelis, intricate stepwells, and forts built by wealthy merchants.
Recommended duration: Two-three days
A Note from Ava
Jaipur is one of those cities that rewards curiosity. The pink walls are just the cover story — the real magic is in the workshops, the morning markets, and the places most tourists don’t make it to. If you can spare even one extra day for a nearby getaway, do it.
