In Jaipur
Museum About 9 km from us
Jantar Mantar
Jantar Mantar, the open-air observatory of Jaipur's founder: what the giant stone instruments measure, 2026 tickets, and how to make sense of it in an hour.
Some pictures are illustrations. The real places may look a little different.
Why go
- From us
- About 9 km
- Time needed
- About 1 hour
- Best time
- A sunny morning
- Entry
- ₹100 Indian, ₹600 foreign
An astronomer king
Sawai Jai Singh II, who founded Jaipur, was fascinated by the sky. Between 1728 and 1734 he built this observatory beside his palace, with around twenty instruments in stone and marble for telling time, tracking the sun and reading the stars. UNESCO made it a World Heritage Site in 2010.
How to see it
On your own it can look like a sculpture garden. Hire a guide at the entrance and the shapes start to make sense. Come when the sun is out, because most of the instruments only work with a shadow.
What to see
Samrat Yantra
The great sundial. Its tall triangular wall throws a shadow across curved scales, and it is built to tell local time to within two seconds.
Jai Prakash Yantra
Two sunken hemispheres that map the sky in reverse. You read the sun's position from the shadow of a small ring.
Ram Yantra
Round, roofless towers for measuring the height and direction of the sun and stars.
Rashivalaya Yantras
Twelve instruments, one for each sign of the zodiac.
Dhruva Darshak
An instrument aligned to the pole star.
Plan your visit
- Opening hours
Daytime, from 9 AM
Closing times have varied. Confirm on the state booking site before you go.
- Entry
₹100 Indian adults, ₹600 foreign adults
Indian students ₹50.
- Composite ticket
Included in the state's Jaipur composite ticket
- Getting there
About 9 km, beside City Palace
Checked on 2 November 2026. Hours, prices and rules change, so check before you set out, or ask us on the morning.
Sources
Tips from the family
- Go when the sun is out. On a cloudy day the sundials can't work
- Hire a guide at the entrance. It makes all the difference here
- City Palace is right next door
Questions people ask
See it with us
Days we plan for guests, with a car and driver from our door.
