59 Best Sights in Rajasthan, India

Originally the royal treasury, this dramatic-looking fort has large water tanks for storing rainwater channeled from the imposing Nahargarh. There are fantastic views of Jaipur from the watchtower. Star attraction of the fort is the Jaivana Tope, the largest wheeled cannon in the world, measuring more than 20 feet long and weighing in at around 50 tons. The mighty Jaivana was unsurpassed for power in its day; one of its cannon balls was found 35 km (22 miles) from here. This fort was responsible for the defence of Amer Fort (which is at a lower elevation) and its armory and museum showcases the weaponry it once had as well as photographs. Local lore has it that when Indian prime minister Indira Gandhi ordered a search of the water tanks in 1976 a vast collection of gems and jewelry emerged. Guides are available at the entrance—an English-speaking one will charge about Rs. 200, but it's recommended to negotiate the fee down. For a small fee you can enter the fort by car to reach the top (where the cannon is) and save yourself a long, uphill walk. It's possible to drive from Jaigarh to Amber, but be sure to get a driver who knows the way through the narrow roads.

Make sure to visit the seven intricately decorated Jain temples within the fort. They were built from the 12th to 16th centuries, and house thousands of carved deities and dancing figures in mythological settings. The carvings of both the exteriors and the interiors are notable. There are a few rules to observe: photographing some sculptures is not allowed; you'll have to leave any leather items at the gate; food, shoes, and cell phones are not allowed; and menstruating women are asked not to enter the temple. Open 8 am to noon.

The scholarly Sawai Jai Singh II was well aware of European developments in the field of astronomy and wanted to create one of the world's finest observatories. He supervised the design and construction of five remarkable facilities in northern India, and Jantar Mantar is the largest and best preserved of the five. Built in 1726 out of masonry, marble, and brass, this observatory is neatly laid out and equipped with simple solar instruments called yantras, which look like large, abstract sculptures, and are remarkably precise in measuring complex celestial data like time, the location of stars, angles of planets, and predicting forthcoming eclipses. Such accuracy was desired for creating astrological predictions. A guided tour is available for an additional Rs. 200, and guides will explain the history and how these devices work, as they're fascinating and, for nonscientists, somewhat complicated.

Avoid the observatory at noon, as it can be very hot.

The royal marble crematorium was built in 1899 for Maharaja Jaswant Singh II. Capping the enormous white structure are marble canopies under which individual members of the royal family are buried. You may see people bowing before the image of the king, who is considered to have joined the ranks of the deities. It's a peaceful spot to stop, either on your way up to the fort or on your way down.

Remove shoes before entering.

Jaipur's center for arts and crafts was founded by the state government with a specific vision: to create a space for understanding and experiencing culture and folk traditions. The center hosts regular theatrical, dance, and musical performances; check the website for schedules. It also holds regular classes on film, art, and traditional crafts. You can drop by the impressive modern building to meet some of the locals who exhibit and perform here, or have a look at one of the rotating exhibits.

This picturesque set of gardens and temples is just below the majestic Amber and Nahargarh forts and is nearly 300 years old. It was established by Jaipur maharaja Sawai Jai Singha. From here you can get a good look at the Jal Mahal Palace in Man Sagar Lake. The gardens also make a great picnic spot, especially on weekends if you like to people-watch. A few Bollywood films have been shot here, such as the famous romantic film Lamhe.

Udaipur is one of the few places in India with cable cars, and these colorful gems will save you a 20-minute climb up to the scenic hilltop. You can take the ropeway (as it is called locally), to the top of Machchala Hill near Karni Mata temple and feast your eyes on the view of the city lakes and palaces. While it's a local destination, it's still relatively unknown among foreign tourists.

Founded by the Jat ruler Suraj Mal in 1733, the city of Bharatpur is famous for the Keoladeo National Park (also known as the Ghana Bird Sanctuary), once the duck-hunting forest of the local maharajas. This UNESCO World Heritage site is home to many mammals and reptiles—blue bulls (antelope), spotted deer, otters, and Indian rock pythons—but birds, especially waterbirds, are the main attraction. It's an ornithologist's dream—29 square km (10 square miles) of forests and wetlands with 400 species, more than 130 of which are resident year-round, such as the Saras crane, gray heron, snake bird (Indian darter), and spoonbill. In winter, birds arrive from the Himalayas, Siberia, and even Europe.

The best way to see the park is on foot or by boat (Rs. 200 per person, per hour, depending on boat type, though these are usually unavailable due to lack of rains even in the monsoon; check at entrance), but there are plenty of other options. The park's main artery is a blacktop road that runs from the entrance gate to the center. Surrounded by marshlands but screened by bushes, this road is the most convenient viewpoint for bird-watching and is also traveled by cycle-rickshaws (the best option; Rs. 100 per hour, Rs. 1,200 for the day, but drivers usually expect more, plus a tip of at least Rs. 50), bicycle (Rs. 60 per trip), and the park's electric bus (Rs. 200 per person). The rickshaw drivers, trained by the forest department, are pretty good at finding and pointing out birds. You can also rent a bicycle and head into more remote areas; just remember that most roads are unpaved. The excellent guides at the gate (Rs. 200 per hour; Rs. 250 for groups of five or more) are familiar with the birds' haunts and can help you spot and identify them.

Try to bring a bird guidebook: former royal-family member Salim Ali's The Birds of India is a good choice. The best time to see the birds is early morning or late evening, November through February; by the end of February, many birds start heading home. Stick around at sunset, when the water takes on a mirrorlike stillness and the air is filled with the calls of day birds settling down and night birds stirring.

A simple government-run restaurant at the Ashok RTDC offers decent Indian food, sandwiches, and drinks, but service is slow.

Surrounding the fort, the modern-day Kumbalgarh Sanctuary makes for great treks. It is home to wolves, leopards, jackals, nilgai deer, sambar deer, and various species of birds. Inquire at your hotel if you're interested in going on a morning Jeep safari here. It's a pretty part of the country, though the wildlife is nothing too out of the ordinary. Tours start at about Rs. 1,500 per person.

Also called Luderwa, Lodarva was once the capital of the state in western Rajasthan ruled by the Bhatti Rajputs. The founder of "new" Jaisalmer, Rawal Jaisal, also of the Bhatti Rajput clan, lived here before shifting his capital to Jaisalmer fort on Trikuta Hill in the 12th century because Lodurva's location on a trade route through the Thar desert made it vulnerable to attack. Lodurva was attacked by both famous Afghan conquerors: Mahmud Ghazni, and later, Muhammad Ghori. The ruins of the former city are of interest to history buffs. The Jain temple complex is known for its nag devta (snake god), a live snake that appears on auspicious days and nights. The snake is worshipped because, as legend goes, it has been protecting this temple for thousands of years. The temples are famous for their graceful architecture and detailed carving. They, too, were ransacked by Ghori and were rebuilt in the 1970s.

In Bharatpur's Old City, this solid-looking fort, surrounded by a deep and wide moat, is also known figuratively as the Iron Fort, though it's built of mud. It has a colossal metal door that just might give you entryway envy. The structure might seem fragile, but it was tested and found invincible by a British siege in 1805. Armed with 65 pieces of field artillery, 1,800 European soldiers, and 6,000 Indian, sepoys did manage to win the battle, but they failed to break down the impregnable fort. There are palaces inside the fort and a museum that showcases wall paintings and pieces of sculpture and toys excavated nearby and dating from the 2nd century. The roads and trails leading to the fort are slippery during monsoon season.

Built in 1812 just outside Jodhpur, this old, walled monastery complex---mahamandir means "great temple"---is not very well maintained but still contains a few hundred houses and a school. The photogenic monastery belongs to the Nath community, warrior-priests who worked closely with the royal family to arrange support in times of war. Mahamandir is best known for the 84 beautifully carved pillars that surround it. Prayers are offered morning and evening in the main temple. It's in the Mahamandir area of town near the railway tracks and a bit difficult to locate. Check locally for best times to visit or inquire with your hotel about stopping here as part of a city tour. It is also called Natho ka Mandir.

Within the old Marwar capital at Mandore (before the capital moved to Jodhpur), these gardens house the exquisitely sculpted red-sandstone, carefully looked-after davals (memorials or cenotaphs also called chhatris) to former rulers; the most impressive is the one dedicated to 18th-century maharaja Ajit Singh. The Hall of Heroes depicts 16 colorfully painted heroes and deities carved from a single piece of stone. The small museum on the grounds has sculptures from the 5th to the 9th centuries as well as ivory and lacquerwork. There are many monkeys here, and people seeking alms, and there is also a temple devoted to the 330 million Hindu gods. This is a tranquil place to visit except on weekends and holidays, when locals arrive for outings. It's worth a visit for the davals, but keep in mind that the gardens, while visually stunning, are not well maintained and are full of trash.

Stop in here if you're curious about Mewar's tribal communities. The institute has a compact museum of tribal culture and a good library on tribal life and issues.

The scenic hilltop location of Nahargarh Fort provides breathtaking views of Jaipur and its natural defenses. One of the main reasons to arrive here after doing a round of Jaigarh and Amer, a few kilometers away, is to take in the panoramic landscapes below. Initially built by Sawai Jai Singh in 1734, it was enlarged to its sprawling, present-day glory in 1885 by Sawai Madho Singh, who commandeered it as a lookout point. Cannons placed behind the walls recall the days when artillery was positioned against potential attackers below. During the 1857 revolt, several Britishers took refuge here. The palace of nine queens—with nine separate apartments for the wives of Maharaja Ram Singh—within the fort is also worth a short visit. The massive channels that carried rainwater from Nahargarh to Jaigarh Fort, a few miles away, where it was stored in large tanks as part of a rainwater harvesting system, can still be seen from the approach road. For best views of the city, a sunrise at the fort can't be missed. Alternatively, the lights at sunset give the fort a pretty glow.

The sacred Nakki Lake, resting between green hills, is said to have been carved out by the gods' fingernails. Several types of boats ply the lake; rides cost approximately Rs. 300--Rs. 400 for half an hour. Around the shores of the lake are stalls selling local handicrafts. At Sunset Point, just southwest of the lake, you can take in a romantic Mount Abu sunset—but don't expect peace and quiet in the tourist high season. This is a major beauty spot, and you'll likely be joined by plenty of others.

Near the Patwon-ki Havelis, this 19th-century haveli was carved by two brothers, each working independently on his own half; the design is remarkably harmonious, though you can spot small differences. You can stop to admire the facade, but the family still lives inside. A good photo-op.

This hilltop temple in the new part of town is dedicated to the goddess of the mountain, also considered an avatar of Ambaji, and the climb to its summit (no vehicles are allowed) is rewarded by a beautiful view of the whole city and the Fateh Sagar lake. The shrine dates from the 17th century, although the building is newer. It's a steep, 20-minute climb on a paved, zigzag path, but you can pause often on the way up to take in the view (and catch your breath). Wear comfortable shoes and be respectful as it's an active temple.

Outside the fort, about 1½ km (1 mile) from the Gopa Chowk entrance, are the Patwon-ki Havelis—literally "five mansions"—a string of connected grand, ornately carved homes built by the Patwa brothers in the 1800s. The Patwas were highly influential Jain merchants who dealt in brocade (although it was rumored that they actually made their money on opium) back when Jaisalmer was an independent principality. The Patwa brothers forbade the repetition of any motifs or designs between their mansions, so each is distinctive. The first of these is arguably the most elaborate and magnificent of all—in addition to exquisitely carved pillars and expansive corridors, one of the apartments in this five-story mansion is painted with beautiful murals.

Udaipur's famous Garden of the Maidens was founded in the 18th century by Maharana Sangam Singh for the 48 young ladies-in-waiting who were sent to the royal house as dowry. Back then, men were forbidden entrance when the queens and their ladies-in-waiting came to relax (though the king and his buddies still found their way in). The garden, on the banks of Fateh Sagar Lake, is lush with exotic flowers, carved fountains, a famous lotus pool, and monolithic marble elephants. The fountains don't have pumps. Designed to take advantage of gravity, they run on water pressure from the lakes. If the fountains are not working, ask one of the attendants to turn them on.

High in the Aravali Hills just outside Udaipur, this fort–palace glows golden orange in the night sky, thanks to the lights that illuminate it. Once the maharana's Monsoon Palace and hunting lodge, it's now under government control and has lost some of its former glory. The panoramic view is spectacular from the fort's lofty tower, and locals claim you can see distant Chittaurgarh on a clear day. The winding road from the city to the top of Sajjan Garh, surrounded by green forests, is best navigated by car rather than rickshaw. On foot, it's a 45-minute uphill walk from the landing to the palace (or a taxi to the top will cost you Rs. 100 per person).

Whatever handmade paper you've seen back home may well have come from Salim's, a factory where you can see each step of the process. Some of the thick, beautiful papers are made with crushed flower petals; it's fun to see them thrown into the mixture of cotton and resin. At the showroom you can buy an enormous range of pretty paper products---gift bags, wrapping paper, gift tags, Christmas stars, albums, and gift boxes.

No trip to Jaisalmer is complete without a visit to this photographer's feast. Although the dunes have become somewhat touristy in recent years, with hawkers of all sorts dotting the sand, their wind-carved ripples still create fantastic mirages, and it's still a magical place to be. Many famous Hindi films were shot here. Expect some amount of heckling from persistent camel owners and girls offering to dance or sing for you, but don't let it put you off staying for the sunset, which is often spectacular.

A peculiar sort of peace descends on the dunes in the late evening, when the icy cold desert wind begins to blow, and this is the most enjoyable part of the dunes experience. Note there are no hotels here, but there are a few permanent camps, for which you need to book in advance; otherwise you must return to Jaisalmer at night. In summer or monsoon the going can be tough---heat, rain, sandstorms---but still try and take in the dunes.

Make an early start to check out the Savitri Temple on a hill overlooking Pushkar Lake. The 1½ km- (1-mile) climb up the long flight of stairs leading up the hill takes between a half hour and an hour, and the outstanding view at sunrise is worth it. Alternatively, the ropeway (cable car) to the top takes 6 or 7 minutes and costs Rs. 80.

Be careful of menacing monkeys, which tend to grab anything edible; don't venture out to the temple if it is getting dark—it may be badly lit and dangerous.

This rural arts-and-crafts village near Fateh Sagar lake 5 km (3 miles) west of Udaipur contains a complex with 34 re-creations of furnished village huts (authentic right down to their toilets) from various states across India, including Rajasthan, Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Odisha, with tribal relics on display. The town comes alive in late December with the nine-day Shilpgram Utsav Festival, when artists and craftspeople from around the country arrive to sell and display their works. Puppet shows, dances, folk music, and handicrafts sales take place year-round, however. There is a basic dhaba (eatery) inside the compound serving Indian food and tea.

On Highway NH 11 that heads to Bharatpur and Agra stands one of many palaces built for the ranis, or queens, of Sawai Jai Singh II. Built in 1728, the palace, though not as opulent as it once was, still looks lovely against the backdrop of hills. The palace is furnished with murals illustrating hunting scenes and the romantic legend of Krishna and Radha, while the terraced Mughal gardens are dotted with fountains and frequented by prancing peacocks and monkeys. Stop by on your way down the Bharatpur-Agra road. It's often used as a reception site for local wedding parties.

Built between 1929 and 1942 at the behest of Maharaja Umaid Singh during a long famine, this public-works project employed 3,000 workers. Now part museum, part royal residence, and part heritage hotel, it has an art deco design that makes it unique in the state. Amazingly, no cement was used in construction; the palace is made of interlocking blocks of sandstone, something to admire when you stand under the imposing 183-foot-high central dome. The museum's collection includes a model of the palace, royal finery, collections of palace crockery and cut glass, menus, a sample of palace rooms (dining room and lounge), miniature paintings, stuffed big cats, and a large number of clocks. There's a photographic history of how the palace was designed as well as some grand old photographs of the palace, the royal family, and famous visitors. You may catch a glimpse of the titular Maharaja of Jodhpur, who still lives in one large wing, but you certainly won't miss the magnificent peacocks that strut around the palace's marble chattris (canopies) and lush lawns.

The city's most elite wheels are found at the car museum, showcasing a small but gleaming selection of two dozen or so vintage (and still running) automobiles belonging to the local royal Mewar family. Look out for the 1939 Cadillacs, 1936 Vauxhall, and the 934 Rolls-Royce Phantom used in the Bond film Octopussy, which was largely filmed in and around the city. The museum is housed in the former Merwar State Motor Garage.

Run by enterprising local youths, this company organizes meticulously designed walking tours that bring alive diverse elements of the city's living heritage that underpin the main monuments. The off-beat tours—a leisurely two- to three-hour walk, including a break for tea and food sampling—begin (morning and evening) at the heart of the old walled "Pink" city, and explore hidden, derelict, abandoned homes, temples, monuments, and buildings. The knowledgeable guides point out living crafts, culture, and traditional cuisines (including sweet making) with a historical perspective, and walks can be customized to specific interests. The fee includes all admission fees, temple donations, food sampling and tea; tip of Rs.100 per person, to a maximum Rs. 500 for a group, is customary. Virisat Experiences also organize tours in Jodhpur and Udaipur. Book at least one day ahead.