If you’re looking for the most beautiful forts and palaces to add to your Rajasthan itinerary then you’ve come to the right place!
Rajasthan is a beautiful state in Northern India and is mostly known as the Land of the Kings. Besides the vast Thar desert and the stunning Aravalli mountain range Rajasthan is sprinkled with an insane amount of palaces and forts!
Some forts are only for visiting but there’s also actual living forts and forts that have been transformed into a hotel. If you can dream it it probably exists in Rajasthan. It’s one of the most magical places I ever visited and I would go back in a heartbeat.
If you’re into history and culture then visiting all of these beautiful forts and palaces in Rajasthan should be at the top of your list!
GOOD TO KNOW – Some of these forts and palaces come with their own article which will be linked underneath it. It contains all of the information you need to guarantee you’ll have the perfect visit and also a lot more images.
The Most Beautiful Forts & Palaces in Rajasthan
Forts & Palaces in Jaipur
1. Amer Fort
Amer Fort, also known as Amber Fort, is located about 11km from the city centre and it’s one of the most popular things to do in Jaipur! Therefore I recommend you to visit it as early as possible in the morning.
The entrance to the fort is a little higher up and a narrow road will lead you to the main gate. The best way to reach the top is to simply walk, while you’re at it you’ll burn off some of that naan bread! To my horror I saw a lot of people choose to go up to the fort by means of an elephant. This is one of the most unethical things you could ever do and I truly hope you won’t.
For elephants to behave in such a way they had to be tortured from a very young age and the carriage on their back alone is way to heavy for them to carry.
If you would like more insight into this topic please visit this article of mine – How to visit an Ethical Elephant Sanctuary.
When it comes to visiting the fort we did hire a local guide on the spot. There are so many hidden corners to this fort that it would be a shame to not see everything.
And this way you support the locals and you learn a thing or two about the history and culture of Amer.
TIP – In the evening there’s a beautiful light and sound show.
FULL GUIDE INCLUDING MORE DETAILS & PHOTOS – AMER FORT VISITING GUIDE
- Opening Hours – 8am to 5.30pm and 6.30pm to 9.15pm
- Entrance fee – INR 500
- Duration – 2 to 3 hours
2. Nahargarh Fort
Nahargarh Fort is one of the best forts in Jaipur and stands on the edge of the Aravalli Hills, overlooking the Pink City. Along with Amer Fort and Jaigarh Fort it once formed a strong defence line in Rajasthan.
But these days the Nahargarh Fort is mostly known as one of the best places to see the sunset in Jaipur and so we did on our first evening in India! We jumped in one of the Tuk Tuk’s in front of our hotel and after bumpy ride of about 30 minutes we arrived at the entrance of this magnificent fort. We settled on a return time with our driver and he would wait for us outside of the fort.
The view over the Pink City was absolutely mesmerising and at one point I had to pinch myself to believe I was actually sitting there, in the middle of India!
I climbed up the wall to get a better view, me being a midget and all, but always be cautious when doing so. The locals and the guards are not a fan of this so I would actually advise you to go a little more down to have more privacy.
- Opening hours – Every day from 10am until 10pm. I would not attempt to hike down after 10pm cause Nahargarh Fort is located within a nature park that’s full of wild animals. And yes, there are tigers around Jaipur!
- Entrance fee – INR 200
- Duration – 1 to 2 hours
3. Hawa Mahal
Hawa Mahal is a pink palace in the heart of the Pink City in Rajasthan and you simply can’t visit Jaipur and not see this magnificent building.
When I was doing my research for my trip to India I came across several images of this structure and I got so fascinated by it! It was crazy to discover in real life that it’s not much more than a beautiful facade in the middle of a busy street. There’s a small sidewalk in front of it with a fence but the best view is from across the street in one of the rooftop bars.
Hawa Mahal means the “Palace of Winds” and it has 953 small windows that were built to keep the wind on blowing through the palace so it would cool off.
Another legend actually states that Hawa Mahal was constructed by the Maharaja as a separate complex for the ladies of his harem. For each lady there was a window through which they could watch the daily life unfold down below.
- Opening hours – Every day from 9am to 5pm
- Entrance fee – INR 200
- Duration – 30 minutes
4. City Palace
The City Palace of Jaipur is one of the most important landmarks in the Pink City and one of the most beautiful palaces in Rajasthan! Upon visiting I highly recommend you to take the full tour! This way you don’t just see the courtyard but also all of the other beautiful rooms!
The City Palace was established at the same time as Jaipur itself and it’s one of the most beautiful places to visit. The royal complex is made up of a series of gardens, courtyards, and buildings, one more colourful and luxurious than the other.
As a photographer you have to know that it’s not allowed to use a tripod inside of the palace grounds and to bring in your camera you have to pay a fee of INR 50.
- Opening hours – Every day from 10AM until 6pm (last ticket at 5pm)
- Entrance fee – INR 700 but if you want access to all of the rooms which I highly suggest the price is INR 2500 which also includes a guide.
- Duration – 2 hours
5. Jal Mahal
Jal Mahal is one of the most famous tourist attractions in Jaipur. It’s a water palace located in the heart of the Man Sagar Lake.
As a visitor it’s not allowed to enter the palace but you can admire its beauty either from the shoreline or by boating on the lake!
6. Jaigarh Fort
Jaigarh Fort is one of the most famous and renowned forts in Jaipur and still it is often overlooked by a lot of tourists. Therefore it’s one of the more unique things to do in the Pink City!
Jaigarh Fort, also known as Victory Fort, is 3km long and is connected to Amer Fort by subterranean passages and considered as one complex.
PLANNING A TRIP TO JAIPUR? READ MY FULL GUIDE INCLUDING A LOT MORE DETAILS & PHOTOS TO PLAN THE PERFECT TRIP – 14 UNIQUE THINGS TO DO IN JAIPUR
Forts & Palaces in Jodhpur
7. Mehrangarh fort
Mehrangarh fort is one of the largest forts in India and one of the top things to do when visiting Jodhpur. The majestic fort is perched on top of a hill about 125 meter above the city and inside of its walls there are several palaces.
From the city you can easily reach the fort on foot by hiking up the winding road and if you look closely you can still see the impact of former wars when cannonballs were fired by the attacking armies of Jaipur. Before you enter through the many gates you’ll be greeted by several local musician’s playing traditional folk music.
Besides palaces there are also two temples and a museum located in the fort.
- Opening hours – Every day from 9am to 5pm
- Entrance fee – INR 400
- Duration – 2 hours
8. Umaid Bhavan Palace
The Umaid Bhavan Palace is an architectural marvel located next to the blue city of Jodhpur and it’s one of the most beautiful places to visit.
So what you have to know is that this palace is one of the largest private residences and it’s divided into three functional parts: the residence of the royal family on one hand and part of it is owned by the Taj group and transformed into a hotel. It’s not possible to visit this part of the palace unless you’re staying there but another part has been converted into a museum which is of course available to visit.
- Opening hours – Every day from 10am until 4.30pm
- Entrance fee – INR 100
- Duration – 1 to 2 hours
PLANNING A TRIP TO JODHPUR? READ MY FULL GUIDE INCLUDING A LOT MORE DETAILS & PHOTOS – 8 UNIQUE THINGS TO DO IN JODHPUR
Forts & Palaces in Udaipur
9. Taj Lake Palace
Taj Lake Palace is a 5-star luxury hotel in the middle of Lake Pichola in Udaipur and holds 83 rooms and suites covered in white marble walls. When it comes to forts and palaces in Rajasthan, Taj Lake Palace in Udaipur truly takes the cake!
It’s formerly known as Jan Niwas and was built by Maharana Jangat Singh II between 1743 and 1746. It’s walls of black and white marble are all lined with semi-precious stones and the entire palace is full with columns, pillared terraces, gardens and fountains.
They restored it to it’s full glory and it even became world famous after it was featured in the James Bond movie “Octopussy”. It’s the only hotel in Udaipur that is located on the lake and therefore gives you the best views over the City Palace, Jag Mandir and the hills.
At the back of the hotel you’ll find the spa facilities and the swimming pool. This used to be the Queen’s private swimming pool that is now open to guests of the Taj Lake Palace.
Click here to check the best current rates and availability of Taj Lake Palace.
FULL GUIDE INCLUDING MORE DETAILS & PHOTOS – TAJ LAKE PALACE
10. City Palace
The City Palace in Udaipur, located on the banks of lake Pichola, was one of my favourite palaces to visit in entire India! It’s the second largest palace in entire India after Mysore Palace.
The palace is a fusion of Chinese, Mughal, European and Rajasthani architecture and because of that it’s one of the most beautiful palaces in entire Rajasthan.
- Opening hours – 7am to 11pm
- Entrance fee – INR 30
- If you want to visit the museum as well the opening hours are 9.30am until 5.30pm and ticket prices are INR 250
- The camera fee is INR 250
- Duration – 2 to 3 hours
11. Jagmandir
Jag Mandir is a palace built on an island in Lake Pichola and is also called the “Lake Garden Palace“. In total it took 3 maharaja’s to complete this stunning palace in Rajasthan. The royal family used the palace as a summer resort and pleasure palace for holding parties.
Jag mandir palace can only be reached via boat ride from Bansi Ghat jetty. There are private boats and cruise rides available from the ghat and take about 30 minutes to 1 hour to reach the palace. The boat ride ticket price to Jag mandir is Rs. 450 per person from City palace. After 3:00 pm, the ticket fee for boat ride is Rs. 700 per person.
Besides all of that Jagmandir Palace is also a beautiful luxury hotel! Click here to check for current rates and availability.
- Opening hours – 10am to 6pm
- Entrance fee – Free
Forts & Palaces in Jaisalmer
12. Jaisalmer Fort
The Jaisalmer Fort is one of the most unique forts in Rajasthan and one of the very first places that you should visit during your stay in Jaisalmer. As I said before this is one of the last “living forts” remaining in the world and over a quarter of the original population still lives here.
Most forts in India are heavily guarded and require an entrance fee but not this one. The Jaisalmer Fort is completely free to visit and since it’s actually a city inside a fort it’s always open.
Make sure to make your way up for sunrise to get the most spectacular hazy view over the city. If you’re not a morning person then go here for sunset and you’ll see with your very own eyes why Jaisalmer is called ‘The Golden City’ of India.
If you want to learn more about the actual history and not just wander around without further explanation you should opt for this 5 hour private city tour! Not only will you visit the Jaisalmer fort but you’ll also visit some of the most beautiful Haveli’s!
It’s important to say that the Palace inside the fort is not free to visit. It’s open from 9am to 6pm and costs INR 250 for non Indian visitors.
- Opening hours – 24/7
- Entrance fee – free
- How to get there – You can simply walk up to the fort or have a TukTuk drive you up.
- Things to do around Jaisalmer fort – Street shopping, trying out all of the different eateries.
- Duration – 2 hours to a full day
13. Suryagarh
One of the best and most unique things to do in Jaisalmer is spending the night in a fort such as the Suryagarh Jaisalmer. As soon as you arrive you feel like you’ve been transported to another world. One wear maharaja’s ruled the land and where every evening is a celebration.
This hotel is located a little outside of the centre of Jaisalmer and perfectly knows how to combine the old traditions with a more modern feeling.
Saying you’ll feel like absolute royalty when staying here is an understatement. And for me it was one of the main reasons why I fell head over heels with this beautiful region in Rajasthan.
MY FULL GUIDE INCLUDING A LOT MORE DETAILS & PHOTOS – SURYAGRAH JAISALMER
PLANNING A TRIP TO JAISALMER? READ MY FULL GUIDE ON THE GOLDEN CITY IN RAJASTHAN INCLUDING A LOT MORE DETAILS & PHOTOS – 10 UNIQUE THINGS TO DO IN JAISALMER.
Other Forts & Palaces in Rajasthan
14. Chittorgarh Fort
The Chittorgarh Fort is the largest fort in India and considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the most talked about forts in Rajasthan as well. It was built in the 7th century by the Maurya rulers and has since then been home to many different rulers.
Once seen as an invincible and impenetrable fort it did fall into the hands of the Mughals and they completely tore the place apart. The remains that are now left are a reminder of how beautiful the architecture once was and for that reason the fort is a soft spot for a lot of Indians.
READ MY FULL GUIDE INCLUDING A LOT MORE DETAILS & PHOTOS – CHITTORGARH FORT, VISIT THE LARGEST FORT IN INDIA
- Opening hours – 9.30am until 5pm
- Entrance fee – INR 100
- Duration – 2 to 3 hours
SUDARSHAN PALIWAL says
WoW your post is very interesting
There are many places to visit in Rajasthan specially Udaipur