Well, visiting Rajasthan someday with my husband and our cute little daughter has always been one of my travel wishlists and I was super excited just like a small kid that I was finally going to Rajasthan. We decided Jaipur, which is the buzzing capital of Rajasthan, as our entry point as it is closest to Delhi. And let me tell you that those three days we spent in Jaipur were indeed the most interesting and well-remembered days of our trip. If you have read my previous post, you would know how I planned about this Rajasthan trip, zeroed in on places we wanted to visit and chalked out an itinerary accordingly. This post My Trip to Jaipur | Day 1 is going to cover how I reach Jaipur from Delhi and what all I did on the first day in this beautiful Pink City Jaipur.
The approximate distance between Delhi and Jaipur is somewhere around 268 kms. So, if you are lucky enough not to get caught in traffic or if you won’t take any stops Enroute then it will take you about 6 hours to reach Jaipur via NH 48. We chalked out our itinerary and accordingly hired a chauffeur driven Innova for 12 days.
Day 1 Jaipur
MY TRIP TO JAIPUR | DAY 1
We woke up quite early at around 5 AM and then quickly took our bath and got ready. Our cab driver came at 6.30 AM sharp to pick us up from our Delhi residence (that’s my parent’s residence by the way). We started early in the morning at 7 AM from Delhi as we didn’t want to get caught in the traffic. Soon enough, we were on the highway and our Rajasthan trip had officially begun. We put on music in the car and had some lovely conversations. We enjoyed the scenic route, beautiful hills, greenery and the smooth ride too.
Since we left early in the morning from home, we didn’t get the chance to drink even a cup of tea. So, we planned to have it on some Dhaba on the way. After about one and half hours, at around 9.30 AM, we took our first pit stop for breakfast at Hotel Old Rao. I had already heard a lot about Hotel Old Rao. So, we asked our driver to pull over at this Dhaba only.
We were damn hungry so we quickly ordered their special Masala Dosa, Aloo Puri, tea and lassi. The food was decent and reasonably priced.
I was amused to see this big Dhaba with ample parking space. The washrooms were clean and well maintained too. Outside the Dhaba, there were several shops from which we bought few packet of chips, chocolates and cold drinks for the rest of the journey.
Reached Jaipur….!
The roads from Delhi to Jaipur were as smooth as butter and we reached Jaipur at around 1.30 PM. It took us around 7 and half hours to reach Jaipur with just one pitstop of 40 minutes. Soon we reached our hotel.
We had already pre booked Hotel Indana Palace for three days. My first impression of Hotel Indana Palace was it looks more beautiful in person than in pictures. After having our welcome drinks and check in process, we were quickly whisked to our room. We ordered our lunch in room itself and then decided to rest a bit. And yes, I will definitely talk about my experience of staying at Indana Palace in detail in some other post.
Since we were travelling with our 3 year old li’l daughter and it was her first road trip ever so we decided to take it slow and stayed in the hotel for the most part on the first day. We all took a nap and it was already 6 PM when we got up.
On the first day of Jaipur, we decided to explore local markets, eat local food and do some shopping.
It was then I realised our hotel was located a bit outside the main Jaipur City as it took us approx. 30 minutes to reach the Jaipur’s famous Johri Bazaar. Well, Johri Bazar is a busy and one of the most famous markets of Jaipur. It is open every day from 10 AM to 11 PM. Located at a walking distance from the Hawa Mahal, City Palace and Jantar Mantar, this place is a shoppers paradise. The markets had everything from colourful dresses for men, women, and kids, to jewelleries, bangles, gem stones, beautiful dupattas, colourful bedsheets, blankets, and what not! I shopped lots of silver fashion jewellery, dupattas, scarves, shawls from there.
We also checked Bapu Bazaar and let me tell you all the markets were flooded with people. After that, we took a short walk through the market in the Pink City and then got back in the car to quickly get back to our hotel. On our way back, we had a glimpse of Hawa Mahal and Jal Mahal. I must mention they looked lovely in night light.
Upon reaching hotel, we quickly went to our room, got freshen up and went straight to have our dinner. The spread was vast and I had some really lip smacking food in our hotel. After dinner, we explored the hotel’s property at night, clicked some pictures, went to our room and dozed off.
With this our first day at Jaipur comes to an end. I shall be back soon with a detailed post on which places I explored in Jaipur an day honest reviews on those places.
A brief about Jaipur which you must know
Jaipur is the capital of Rajasthan which was founded in 1727 by Mughal Samant Sawai Jai Singh II. The word ‘Jai’ is derived from Sawai Jai Singh (the ruler of Amer), and ‘Pur’ is used in Sanskrit to refer to a city or town. And hence this is how this city got its name ‘Jaipur’. Sawai Jai Singh II planned to shift his capital from Amber/Amer to Jaipur. Basically, Jaipur was founded by Jai Singh to accommodate the growing population of Amer and the increasing scarcity of water. Just have a look at Jaipur from a distance and you will understand that it’s is a remarkably planned city in terms of wide roads, channelled buildings, and what not!
Sawai Jai Singh consulted with several architects while planning the layout of Jaipur. He established the Jaipur city on the principles of Vastu Shastra and Shilpa Shastra under the architectural guidance of Vidyadhar Bhattacharya. The construction of the city began in 1726. It is one of the earliest planned cities of modern India. Jaipur is also known as the Pink City due to the dominant color scheme of its buildings in old city.
How to reach Jaipur ?
By Car: You can reach Jaipur by car just like us. The road trip from Delhi to Jaipur takes about 6-7 hours depending upon the traffic or the layovers you take. The best way is to hire a cab with a driver. We booked a AC Toyota Innova for 12 days along with a trusted and an expert driver.
By Train: The cheapest way to reach Jaipur is by train. By the way AII VANDEBHARAT (20978) is the fastest train among the Delhi to Jaipur Trains. It takes just 3 hrs 25 mins to reach Jaipur from Delhi.
By Flight: The fastest way to reach Jaipur from Delhi is flight to Jaipur International Airport. It takes just an hour only. Flights from Delhi to Jaipur flights are operating daily. Jaipur is well connected to major cities in India with regular flights.
What is the best time to visit Jaipur?
October to March is the Best time to visit Jaipur as well as other parts of Rajasthan. The weather remains pleasant during this time which is perfect for sightseeing and all other outdoor activities. October till December is winter season in Rajasthan. During thi period it becomes a lil bit chilly at night and in the early mornings. So just a light sweater or layering is all you need.
Please try to avoid visiting Rajasthan during April till September. The climate of Rajasthan is hot and scorching during the summers. The heat gets unbearable and you won’t be able to explore anything. In summer months, the temperature may be as high as 48ºC during the day.
That’s it for today! If you liked this post or have any suggestion, please leave a comment in the comments section below.
Much Love,
Neha
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