Jaipur

Jaipur closes out the classic Golden Triangle loop with a serious dose of Rajasthani colour and craft. The old walled city, painted its distinctive terracotta pink in the 1870s, still holds its bazaars, forts and palaces within the original city plan.

Amber Fort, on a ridge just outside the city, is usually the highlight of a Jaipur visit, but the City Palace, Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar observatory are all worth real time rather than a drive-by.

Highlights

• Amber Fort, with its mirrored Sheesh Mahal
• Hawa Mahal, the honeycombed 'Palace of Winds'
• City Palace, still partly a royal residence
• Jantar Mantar, an 18th-century astronomical observatory

Best Time to Visit

October to March for comfortable daytime temperatures.

Getting There

A 4.5–5 hour drive from Agra; typically the third and final stop on a classic Golden Triangle loop.