The Lonely Planet guide to visiting Rajasthan’s Amber Fort

Thousands of years of power struggles between dynasties, empires and faiths have left formidable fortresses scattered all over India, from the palatial Mughal strongholds of the central plains to Portuguese, French and British bastions dotted along the coast. But even in this fortress-filled country, Amber Fort near Jaipur is something special. 

Rising over a rocky valley to the north of Jaipur, this classic Rajasthani fort – also known as Amer Fort – is almost a fortified city, enclosed by invader-repelling yellow and pink sandstone walls. Its battlements gaze over Mughal-style gardens, ancient stone temples and a crocodile-stalked lake, creating an achingly evocative tableaux. 

Inside the walls, extraordinary audience halls and royal apartments reveal the complex ceremonial and private life of Sawai Jai Singh II, the 18th-century Maharaja of Jaipur. Exploring its warren of chambers and passageways – and the temple-filled lanes beyond the fortress walls – is one of Rajasthan’s great pleasures. 

What’s the history of Amber Fort?

Amber Fort was the official seat of the Rajput Kachwaha Dynasty from the 11th century until Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II shifted his residence to the newly founded city of Jaipur in 1727. The move was a sign of growing confidence and power for this ambitious clan, which expanded its influence through alliances with the Mughal Empire and, later, the British.

Fear of rival powers was one reason the Kachwahas chose fortified Amber (and the associated last-defence fort of Jaigarh) as an official residence. A maze of watchtowers and fortified walls spills across the surrounding hillsides, and a secret passageway links Amber Fort and the Jaigarh fortress further up the hillside – constructed to be used by the royal family in the event of attack. 

When should I go to Amber Fort?

Rajasthan – like most of India – is affected by the summer monsoon, which brings heavy rain and high humidity from June to September. The best time to visit Amber Fort is just after the monsoon, from October to November, when the landscape is green and the skies are clear. 

The weather stays mostly dry through the winter and spring, but mornings and evenings can be chilly in the desert from December to February, and daytime temperatures become uncomfortably hot from April to May. 

How do I get to Amber Fort?

Reaching Amber Fort is easy. Jaipur is well connected to other cities in India by trains, buses and flights, and local buses, taxis and autorickshaws can get you to the fort gates from the center in 20 to 30 minutes. The fort is a common stop on the popular Golden Triangle itinerary, visiting Delhi, Agra and Jaipur.

How much time should I spend at Amber Fort?

You’ll need at least half a day to explore, or a full day if you plan to investigate the temple-dotted village around the fort and the hilltop fortress of Jaigarh. Getting here from Jaipur is easy by rickshaw, taxi or local bus, so even a quick visit is doable, though there’s so much to see that you’ll want to spend several hours exploring. 

What’s the best way to see Amber Fort?

The best way to explore Amber Fort is to work your way through the compound, starting with the areas that were public-facing even in the medieval period and finishing with the private apartments once exclusively reserved for the royal family. 

From the ticket office on the Jaipur road, a zigzag pathway climbs to the imposing fort gates, or you can save yourself the 10-minute walk and pay for a transfer by 4WD or electric buggy. At the top, the soaring Suraj Pol (Sun Gate) was built to accommodate royal elephants – it’s best to avoid transfers by elephant today as carrying passengers can be harmful to these vulnerable animals.

If you come by public bus, autorickshaw or taxi, you’ll be dropped on the road near the ticket office. If you come with a chartered car and driver, or take a 4WD transfer to the fort, you’ll arrive at the Chand Pol (Moon Gate), on the west side of the huge Jaleb Chowk courtyard. 

Official guides can be arranged by the fort entrance and ticket desk to help you make sense of this vast, sprawling fortress. Alternatively, pay for an informative audio tour (though this doesn’t cover every corner). Every evening, a lively, ticketed sound-and-light show in English and Hindi illuminates the fort walls – watch from the ticket complex below the main gate.

If you explore without a guide, be sure to duck into unmarked doorways and secluded passageways – the fort is a veritable maze and you’ll discover all sorts of interesting details hidden around the compound.  

How much do tickets cost?

Tour agencies can make advance bookings, but it’s just as easy to buy tickets on arrival. Admission for foreign visitors costs ₹550 (around US$6.40), while Indian visitors pay ₹25 (US$0.30). The fort is open from 8am to 5:30pm daily; it’s best to arrive early to get a head start on the crowds.

Foreign students may be able to secure a special student rate of ₹100 (US$1.15). There’s an extra charge for the evening sound and light show – ₹100 for the Hindi-language show at 7:30pm, or ₹200 (US$2.30) for the English-language show at 8pm. 

What should I eat and drink at Amber Fort? 

Food stops inside the fort are limited – bring drinks and snacks or reserve a table at the fort’s swanky, royal-themed 1135AD restaurant. Alternatively, there are inexpensive places to eat in the village surrounding the fort. Make sure you carry plenty of water – clambering up the fort’s many stairways is thirsty work! 

What are Amber Fort’s must-sees?

Every inch of the fort is intricately ornamented and steeped in history, and poking into every corner is an essential part of the experience, but there are several spots to prioritize if you’re short on time. 

Jaleb Chowk

Victorious Rajput armies once displayed their captured booty to admiring crowds in Jaleb Chowk, the fort’s public courtyard, enclosed by robust walls with Suraj Pol on one side and Chand Pol on the other. Before you enter the sections of the fort reserved for royals and courtiers, glance up to the screened balconies where the women of the royal court viewed proceedings in the square. 

Look out for the side steps leading up to the revered Siladevi Temple; it’s closed to non-Hindus but you can admire the stunning repousse-work silver doors.

Diwan-i-Am

From Jaleb Chowk, a stairway climbs through the lavishly frescoed Singh Pol (Lion Gate) to the fort’s second courtyard, where courtiers, military officials and invited dignitaries were granted audiences with the maharaja. The Diwan-i-Am (Hall of Public Audience) is an airy, open structure, supported by rows of columns crowned by elephant-shaped capitals. Latticed galleries above allowed members of the royal household to view ceremonies in the courtyard without being seen.

Ganesh Pol

Marking the transition to the royals’ private quarters, Ganesh Pol is a riot of frescoes and carvings. Fusing elements of Hindu and Islamic architecture, this grand gateway is covered in painted flowers and foliage, surrounding an image of Ganesh, the elephant-headed Hindu god of wisdom, seated on a hexagonal throne. An alternative route to the upper levels winds through the maze-like royal hammam (Turkish-style baths) in the corner of the courtyard. 

Jai Mandir

The maharaja’s personal apartments surround the third courtyard, centred on the Aram Bagh, a Persian-style pleasure garden. On the west side is the Jai Mandir (Hall of Victory), a space for private audiences, adorned with inlaid panels, bas-reliefs of insects and flowers, and extraordinarily intricate mirrored mosaics.

Sukh Niwas

On the east side of the third courtyard is the Sukh Niwas (Hall of Pleasure), with a time-worn ivory-inlaid sandalwood door and a surprisingly modern-looking design scheme of floral carvings and vase-shaped niches. A channel once carried cooling water through this space to the gardens.

Zenana Apartments

The secluded women’s quarters surround the fourth courtyard – designed so the maharaja could visit his wives and concubines at leisure, without anyone being aware of his comings and goings. It’s a fascinating introduction to the structured lives of the royal household, and the power imbalance between men and women in 18th-century India. 

Be sure to explore the warren of passageways inside the walls, which lead to unexpected chambers looking out over the palace walls through jali screen windows made from lace-fine perforated stone. See if you can find the mechanism that once hauled water to the upper levels using clay pots attached to a rope.

Jaigarh

The ridge above Amber Fort is dominated by the imposing Jaigarh fortress, where the royals retreated when Amber was in danger. Tall watchtowers guard the walls and worn-looking palace courtyards lead to a garden fronted by three huge archways overlooking the valley. 

Also here is the imposing Jai Vana – the world’s largest wheeled cannon. Cast at the fort’s foundry, this 50-tonne monster required 100kg of gunpowder to fire, with a range of 30km. You can still view the enormous drill used to bore out the barrels of solid iron cannons inside the foundry. 

To reach Jaigarh, hike uphill from Amber Fort, or get dropped at the gates by taxi or autorickshaw. Alternatively, see if you can access the hidden passageway linking Amber Fort and Jaigarh - it’s hidden behind a (sometimes closed) doorway close to where visitors exit Amber Fort. The tunnel is poorly lit, so keep your phone handy to use as a light.  

My favorite thing to do at Amber Fort: Explore Amber village

Be sure to explore the village that sprawls around the base of Amber Fort. The tourist hubbub drops to a whisper and you can wander quiet lanes lined with lavishly carved temples and grand havelis (mansions) – some inhabited and some in ruins. 

To reach the village, head to the market just beyond the fortress ticket complex, where winding alleys lead west past the royal elephant stables, the early-17th-century Sri Jagat Shiromani Ji Temple and the Panna Meena step-well with its geometric stairways.

Nearby is the Anokhi Museum of Hand Printing, an intriguing space in a restored haveli where you can learn about the history of Rajasthani block-printing, see printers at work and even print your own scarf, bag or T-shirt.

Is Amber Fort accessible? 

Sadly, with its maze of cramped passageways and endless steps, Amber Fort was not constructed with accessibility in mind. Travelers with less severe mobility issues should arrange a vehicle transfer to the Chand Pol gate, and a guide to help them move between the first, second and third courtyards (the passageways and Zenana Apartments are harder to explore). The fort is not wheelchair accessible.

This article was adapted from Lonely Planet’s India guidebook, published in November 2024.