If there is any spot that you have to see at sunset in Jaipur, then it is Nahargarh Fort. The views from the fort are spectacular and look out over the city, pointing West, directly where the sun sets. There are so many vantage points to choose from that we ended up visiting twice during our stay in the city. It was definitely one of our favourite places in Jaipur.
History of Nahargarh Fort
Nahargarh Fort was built in the 18th Century on the hilltops of Jaipur alongside Amber and Jaigarh to provide a defensive retreat. Nowadays it houses a cafe and a wax museum (yep, don't quite get that one either).
In English, Nahargarh means the "abode of tigers" though no one was able to explain exactly why it was so named. The extremely long access road winds up from the city and the walls seem to go as far as the eye can see, joining up with Amber and Jaigarh to create a very impressive blockade. It was never attacked in its entire history.
The epic views from Nahargarh Fort
The views from Nahargarh Fort start on the drive up. As the road gradually gets higher you get your first view of the beautiful Jal Mahal - the lake palace. As the road continues you eventually make it into the fort where the views over the walls offer incredible views in every direction.
The walls by the Bawadi of Nahargarh would be the best for sunrise, pointing east to capture the sun rising over the city and the Lake Palace. However, the walls are quite steep at this point, so you'd have to peer through the holes or get up on the walls themselves.
The official opening time for Nahargarh Fort is 10am so you would have to watch the sunrise from Bawadi of Nahargarh part of the fort (outside the main complex). You will have to wait if you wanted to walk around the other walled section that lies within the ticketed section.
Nahargarh Fort Sunset Point
For us, the walls along the sunset point are probably the best views. From here you can either choose the view from up high above the walls on the terrace, drink in hand, or you can go to the walls themselves to watch the sun set directly ahead of you.
In the evening you can hear the bustle of the city in the distance: the music, the car horns and everything you associate with an Indian city. As the sun approaches the horizon and goes through the desert haze, the sky turns orange and it feels truly magical.
If you look up the official closing time for the fort on the website it is 5pm. However, this doesn't apply to the walls themselves only the museum part of the fort so don't be put off coming for sunset!
Nahargarh Fort Entry Fee
No matter where you go, there's a small fee for a rickshaw or car to drop you or park at the entrance to the fort. This is between 20-80 Rupees depending on the vehicle (about 30-60c USD).
You don't have to pay any more if you just want to go into the Bawadi of Nahargarh part of the fort (the area that faces East) or the walls before the parking area.
After this you'll need to pay an entry fee. The entry fee is 200 Rupees per person for foreigners (about $3 USD) and includes a drink of water or tea each. We received a one litre bottle of water, so it was pretty cheap.
How to get to Nahargarh Fort
Nahargarh Fort is deceptively far from Jaipur and we found that it took about 30-45 minutes to get there by rickshaw. This was partly because of the traffic, but also because the only way in is a windy and steep road by Amber Fort.
Google may show a road close to town, but it seems that no one can use it. We took an Uber for 150 Rupees but then realised for the return journey we were at the mercy of the rickshaw drivers who of course knew we had no alternative way down! This ended up meaning we paid an additional 500 rupees to get back to our guest house. We would recommend negotiating a price with a rickshaw or taxi to take you and then wait and bring you down.
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