Jaipur: Amber Fort & City Full Day Tour
- Duration
- 7 Hours
- Prices:
- On request
Drive along the streets of Jaipur, to Amber Fort, stopping en-route to view and photograph the Palace of Winds. Completed in 1799, the Palace was originally built to allow the sequestered ladies of the court to view the bustling life of the city. It is popularly known as Hawa Mahal, because of the perforated screen façade which catches the welcome breeze or "Hawa".
Continue on to the Amber Fort. On the crest of a rugged hilltop and overlooking Lake Moata, the fort evokes thoughts of legends and fairy tales. The fort has been constructed in white and red sandstone. The Fort is unique in that its outside, an imposing and rugged defensive structure, is markedly different from its inside, an ornate, lavish interior influenced by both Hindu and Muslim styles of ornamentation. The walls of the interior of the fort are covered with murals, frescoes, and paintings depicting various scenes from daily life. Other walls are covered with intricate carvings, mosaic, and minute mirror work.
Amber Fort is divided into four sections, with each being accessible via large staircases from a central location, or from a broad pathway leading to each of the sections. The pathways are currently used to transport visitors via an elephant ride. The main entrance of Amber Fort, Surajpol, leads to the Jaleb Chowk, the main courtyard of the Fort where the staircase to the palace is located. In ancient times, Jaleb Chowk was the area where returning armies were paraded back home.
Your exploration of the city continues with a visit to the City Palace complex that continues to evoke the splendour of a bygone era. In an unending series of delights, from its grand aged entrance to the play of ornamental fountains, the City Palace is a dazzling showplace of Hindu and Mughal architecture. Amongst the pleasures of the Palace is a museum with ample evidence of opulence.
Next to the city palace is Jantar Mantar, literally translated as Calculation Instrument. This Observatory was built between 1728 and 1734 by Maharaja Jai Singh, Jantar Mantar was built on a grand scale and was way beyond its time. This was modeled after the one that was built in Delhi, the then Mughal capital. He had constructed a total of five, of which the one in Jaipur is the largest.
Continue with a stroll through a local spice market and learn about the many Indian spices. In India from time immemorial spices like cardamom, ginger, mint, cinnamon and cloves have always been used to create mouth-watering aromatic dishes. Spices have always been more than just ingredients that add flavour and aroma to foods and have been known to have magical healing powers. They have been used as appetizers, digestives, anti- oxidants, and preservatives.
Duration: 7 Hours
Departs: 8 a.m. - Returns: 3 p.m.
From: Jaipur
