The colourful, busy and bustling city of Jaipur became my favourite destination in India when I first visited in 2016, and so I was delighted to return this year on my 6-day whistle-stop tour of Northern India. If India is thought of as an assault on the senses, Jaipur is at the heart of this, and simply walking down the street can be quite the experience. Couple the curious locals, garbage-eating cows and tuk-tuk horns with the heat, humidity and dust of Rajasthan and the smells of street-cooked curry and that’s only the half of it.

Amer Fort

My favourite location to photograph in Jaipur is the wall directly opposite Amer Fort. Amer Fort is one of the most visited forts in India, and was built in the 16th century. On this visit, I noticed some steps close to the carpark leading up to a fort wall on top of the hill, and decided to hike up and enjoy the views. From the top, you can see sprawling Jaipur on one side, and it looks down into Amer Fort on the other. The bell-towers dotted throughout the wall are great photography spots, and if you bring a zoom lens, you can really capture the scale and density of the city below.

Panna Meena Ka Kund

Next on our list of places to visit was Panna Meena Ka Kund stepwell, just a short drive from Amer Fort. Rajasthan is home to many of these ancient stepwells, as the area has always suffered from water shortages, and over time they transformed from merely a practical solution into a work of art. There is usually a security guard patrolling the area, and whilst many people have managed to pay off the guard in order to walk inside the stepwell, I wouldn’t recommend it as it has been closed off for a reason. I chose instead to photograph the local women walking down to the water below, who still use the step well to this day.

Patrika Gate

After visiting the stepwell, we hailed down a tuk-tuk, stopped for some lunch and then headed straight to the Patrika Gate. Unsurprisingly, this spot is much less busy than Amer Fort (partly due to its location), and the intricately hand-painted walls and pillars has attracted local photographers for years. The walkway has only recently made an appearance in the international Instagram community, however, so get there quickly before it becomes overrun with tourists.

The streets of Jaipur

Later in the afternoon once the midday sun had calmed, we decided to walk around the bazaars and streets and test out our bargaining skills, which it turned out were no good. Shopping in Jaipur is some of the best in Rajasthan, and it’s great to get a feel for local life whilst you are there. It is Incredible India, after all.