Traveler’s Guide for Solo Trip to Jaipur

Traveling solo is like going on an adventure to a new place and can be an eye-opener as the traveller gets to explore various cultures and rituals of the area as well as gets a chance to make new friends. Travelling solo promises to be an experience that will be remembered for the rest of your life. Having a solo trip to Jaipur is also an opportunity to self-reflect and also offers a chance to realize different abilities that a person may not realize they had.

What to expect

What can be expected if you have a solo trip to Jaipur? Jaipur is known as the pink city and is the capital of the state of Rajasthan and is a UNESCO world heritage city. Two world heritage sites are also located in this city the Jantar Mantar and the Amer Fort. It is also one of the earliest planned cities in modern India and was designed by Vidyadhar Bhattacharya. There are a large number of tourist sites in Jaipur and it also serves as a gateway to other tourist sites in Rajasthan. The cuisine of Jaipur is varied and includes a lot of sweets. All these factors combine to make Jaipur a must-visit place for the traveler.

Pink Hawa Mahal

Pink Wall in Jaipur

When and how to reach

December and January are the most popular months to travel with the days being bright and sunny with cool evenings. Jaipur is located at a distance of 281 kilometers (175 miles) from the national capital of India, Delhi and has connectivity by road and rail to all major cities in the Indian subcontinent. The international airport is located at a distance of 13 kilometers (8 miles) from Jaipur and operates flights all over India and to select international destinations. The Jaipur railway station is located at a distance of 2.2 kilometers (1.4 miles) and the bus stand is at a distance of 4.4 kilometers (2.7 miles) from the city center. The official language of Jaipur is Hindi with an additional official language being English. Exchanging different currencies to the Indian rupee is recommended to be done only at authorized exchangers and a receipt for the same should be acquired.

Badi Chaupar (6.3 kilometers (3.9 miles) from the railway station, 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) from the bus stand, and 12.4 (7.7 miles) kilometers from the airport) is centrally located and is close to various monuments in Jaipur, very proper for the travelers who have a solo trip to Jaipur. Different hotels for discerning travelers are present in the area with budgets to suit everyone. Most of the hotels are situated at a walking distance from the largest local markets of Jaipur, tourist sites like the Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal, and City Palace. The Amer Fort, which is the second UNESCO heritage site in the city is located 7.7 km (4.8 miles) away.

Once in Jaipur and settled into accommodation of your choice, the next item on your list will be to visit the different tourist sites located in and around Jaipur. Different modes of transportation can be used to traverse who have a solo trip to Jaipur. A word of caution to the budding adventurist, It is preferable to hire transportation of any sort only from licensed operators (of which a list is available on the Rajasthan tourism department website) to avoid any untoward incident and to prevent being scammed. There is a functioning metro line that is at present limited to only nine stops along the Manasarovar-Chandpole route. Government buses can be used as alternate modes of transport to travel to different sites located in the city.

Things to do alone in Jaipur

Once the mode of travel has been finalized next in line is visiting the monuments. There are a large number of tourist sites of which a few are discussed in brief later in the article. To understand the various nuances and tidbits associated with the different sites, hiring a tourist guide will be the way to go. A full list of the tourist guides that are approved by the government and the tariffs that will be charged by them are available on the Rajasthan tourism department’s website.

Jantar Mantar

Amer Fort

Jantar Mantar has the world’s largest sundial inside its walls and is one of the two UNESCO heritage sites located in Jaipur. The monument was completed in 1734 and has nineteen architectural astronomical instruments. The monument was built by the founder of Jaipur, Sawai Jai Singh II. It is one of the most popular tourist sites in Jaipur.

Amer Fort is the second UNESCO World Heritage Site in Jaipur. The site is located in Amer Village which is hardly 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from the city center and is located on a hill. Mughal architecture has played a major role in the construction of the fort. Amer Fort is constructed with two of the most popular materials used by them, red sandstone and marble.

Hawa Mahal, also known as the palace of winds is built entirely from red and pink sandstone and was built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh. The palace consists of five stories that rise to a height of about 50 feet. It is pyramidal in shape and consists of a honeycomb-like structure that has various portholes.

Have fun at Jaipur’s best handicraft markets

After a long day of visiting monuments, a refreshing bath can be completed in the hotel. The largest local markets in Jaipur are a stone's throw away from accommodation in Badi Chaupar. Johri Bazaar is the oldest jewelry market in Jaipur and is famous for the traditional Kundan jewelry sold here. Apart from this, various ornaments are studded with precious stones along with a wide range of handicrafts. The authentic camel skin boots, known as Mojri in the local dialect is available in Bapu Bazaar and Nehru Bazaar. Various embroidered handicrafts and pottery unique to the city of Jaipur and the state of Rajasthan can be purchased. The prices that are quoted by the vendors are not the final prices and bargaining is encouraged to bring the price down.

Read more about Jaipur’s Best Jewellery Markets

Taste famous local food

Food that is special to the state of Rajasthan such as Dal Baati Churma and Missi Rotis are must-tries along with the sweet Ghevar which is very famous. Food and water are recommended to be purchased only from clean and hygienic places. Care has to be taken to avoid water and other articles of food offered by strangers. Also, avoid roaming to different places alone late at night.

Read more about 10 Best Jaipur Foods to Try