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The views from Nahargarh Fort are not only the best in Jaipur but also some of the best I’ve ever seen. Watching the sunset from Nahargarh Fort’s Padao Restaurant is popular amongst locals and tourists alike. You can literally see the entire city from up there!
I already mentioned the fort in my last post as one of the top 12 attractions in Jaipur, but I wanted to write in more detail about it as well because Nahargarh Fort is by far the best place to watch the sunset in Jaipur.
In English, Nahargarh means the “abode of tigers” though I didn’t find out exactly how it got its name. Nowadays, in addition to the fort itself, the complex houses a couple of restaurants and to my surprise, a wax museum. Yes, I know, we didn’t really get it either. But wax museum aside, this is definitely one of the most Instagrammable places in Jaipur!
//Updated March 2021
How to get to Nahargarh Fort
Nahargarh Fort stands on the edge of the Aravalli Hills high above Jaipur city. It doesn’t look too far on the map but we found that it took about 30-40 minutes to get there by car for sunset. Partly because of the crazy traffic, but also because the only way up is a steep, windy road that seems to go on forever. Especially if you get easily carsick like me!
There is one other road up to the fort, but we were told that it was only for locals walking, biking or on a scooter. It will, however, make for a cool shot, as you can see further down.
Your hotel will most likely be more than happy to arrange a driver for you, or you could just go out and find one yourself. We met our driver on the street right outside our hotel in central Jaipur and agreed on a price of 800 INR / $11 which included him waiting for us at the fort. (By the way, definitely check out Pearl Palace Heritage Boutique Hotel. It’s stunning!)
If you do not book a return trip, you will be at the mercy of the tuk-tuk/rickshaw drivers who can then quote you a ridiculous price as you don’t have many other options up there. Some will probably say that 800 Rupees was way too much and yes we could have bargained more with our driver but we didn’t see the point as we felt $11 was more than fair.
Pro tip: If you want to get the most out of your stay in Jaipur, consider getting this 8 Jaipur attractions skip-the-line ticket. The attractions include Amber Palace, Jantar Mantar, Hawa Mahal, Nahargarh Fort, Albert Hall, Isarlat, and Sisodia Rani Garden. You won’t have to stand in line and you’ll save money. It’s a win-win!
Already on the way up to the fort, there are several viewpoints worth stopping at. Here you can see the gorgeous Jal Mahal, also known as the Water Palace. So if you’re going for sunset, remember to schedule enough time so you don’t have to rush. We left Jaipur at 4.30 pm which gave us the perfect amount of time to fully enjoy everything.
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About a minute after you enter the main gate the road splits and you can either go left or right. Keep left if you’re there for sunrise or want to explore the stepwell and walls facing east or keep right for the main fort complex and the best sunset views.
The walls by the “Bawadi of Nahargarh”, which I think is the name of the large stepwell, is the best place to watch the sunrise. However, the walls are quite steep there so you might have to peek through the small windows or somehow get up on the walls. The fort doesn’t officially open until 10 am, so this is the only accessible area early in the morning.
Related post: Mehtab Bagh (Moonlight Garden) – The best view of Taj Mahal
Sunset at Nahargarh Fort restaurant
Watching the sunset from Nahargarh Fort is definitely one of the most memorable things to do in Jaipur. The official closing time for the fort is 5.30 pm. However, this doesn’t apply to the walls and Padao Restaurant, only the Nahargarh Fort museum, so don’t be put off coming for sunset.
The west-facing walls, also known as Nahargarh Fort sunset point, offer in my mind the best views. You can either choose to enjoy the view from the terrace of Padao Restaurant while having some drinks and dinner, or you can just collect your free drinks and find a spot on the walls themselves.
But please don’t make the same mistake we did and spend all your time at the restaurant! It’s definitely worth shooting some photos from up there as well, but you will have a huge audience. Explore the wall closer to the entrance and I’m sure you’ll find an area you can have all to yourself. But please be careful! It’s a long way down.
Unfortunately, we didn’t realize there were other places to shoot photos until some large black clouds rolled in and we lost all the light. This was also our last night in Jaipur so we did not get another chance to get the photos I had been dreaming of. But that didn’t take away from the incredible beauty of Nahargarh Fort. It is worth a visit whether you’re after those perfect sunset photos or not!
Related post: Taj Mahal photography tips + important information
Nahargarh Fort Entrance Fee
No matter where you want to go inside the wall, there’s a small fee for the rickshaw or car to drop you off or park at the entrance to the fort. I think it’s between 30-80 Rupees depending on the vehicle.
Remember that you don’t have to pay any more if you just want to explore the Bawadi of Nahargarh part of the fort or the walls surrounding the parking area at the west side.
If you want to enter the main fort complex, however, you’ll need to pay an additional fee of 200 INR / $3 per person (for foreigners) which includes one drink of water, soda or tea each. We got a large bottle of water and a Coke, so the 200 Rupees was definitely worth it. Entrance to the wax museum will set you back 700 INR but when we said we didn’t bring enough money they quickly reduced it to 550 INR. But we didn’t end up going in as we were there for the incredible sunset views.
As I mentioned above, Nahargarh Fort is included in this Jaipur skip-the-line ticket. Be sure to check it out!
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You don’t want to miss sunset at Nahargarh Fort!
So remember to pin for later 😀
This is a great blog post on Nahargarh Fort. Certainly, the views are most amazing here. Pinned it for everyone’s benefit.
Thank you so much 😉
Hi…would u recommend a whole day tour at the fort or evening 3 -6pm tour will be sufficient? How late can we stay back to see the sunset?
Hi David. An evening tour will definitely be enough to explore both sides of the fort as well as inside. I don’t remember exactly when the fort closes for the night. We stayed until 7 pm and there were still lots of people at the restaurants on the sunset side 😉
Certainly, this place is among the most incredible to take a look at the city and cherish the views.