Amber Fort
A Rajput palace on a ridge, and a hall lined entirely with mirrors.
Duration
2 hrs – 3 hrs
Difficulty
●●○○○
Best time
At opening
Open
Every day
Entry price
To confirm
Amber was the Kachwaha capital before Jaipur was founded, and the present palace was begun in 1592 by Raja Man Singh, one of Akbar's generals. It is built of sandstone and marble on a ridge above Maota lake, with a wall running over the surrounding hills in the manner of the Great Wall.
The Sheesh Mahal, the mirror palace, is its centrepiece: walls and ceiling covered in thousands of convex glass shards brought from Belgium, so that a single candle produced the effect of a starry sky. The queen could not sleep under the open sky; they made her one indoors.
Getting there
Eleven kilometres north of Jaipur. Public bus from the Hawa Mahal gate, or taxi. The climb to the fort is fifteen minutes on foot, or by jeep.
What the price covers
paid entry, with a foreign rate distinct from the Indian one; a composite ticket with Jaipur's other monuments exists. Rates to be checked
Rules on site
An elephant ride up is offered at the gate: the animals work chained in high heat, and several veterinary investigations have documented foot injuries and blindness. The jeep costs less and is quicker.
