Jaipur — the Pink City — is one of India's most beautiful and vibrant destinations, and a proud UNESCO World Heritage Site. Founded in 1727 by Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II, Jaipur was India's first planned city, its old walled streets laid out in a perfect grid and painted in a distinctive terracotta pink to welcome the Prince of Wales in 1876. Today, the city dazzles visitors with its magnificent Amber Fort perched on a rocky hill, the ornate City Palace still home to the royal family, the extraordinary Hawa Mahal (Palace of Winds) with its 953 windows, and the jantar mantar astronomical observatory. Jaipur's bazaars are among India's finest, overflowing with gemstones, jewellery, textiles, and blue pottery.
