The impressive heights of the Jaipur Wall will leave you breathless. It stands tall above the mountains of the city facing the Amer Fort. Climb the Amer Wall and take in the scenic views of the cityscape. It’s not the easiest place to arrive to, but we got you covered! Our guide will give you the low-down on how to visit and what to expect.
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All about the Amer Wall in Jaipur
In Jaipur, an impressive wall proudly stands at some 500m above sea level overlooking the Amber Fort, historically protecting it from the invasion of enemies. The Jaipur Wall, more correctly known as the Amer Wall or the Great Wall of Amer, stretches for 12km over the ridge of the mountains surrounding the city of Amer. It was built by the rulers of the city of Amer, which used to be the capital of the state of Jaipur, to defend it from constant invasions.
Today the wall is definitely one of the top attractions in Jaipur and it can be easily combined with a visit to the Amber Fort. When searching for how to reach it online, you’ll notice that the wall is marked as “permanently closed” on google maps. For this reason, we had some trouble getting there. We also noticed that it was common to see police patrolling the Amber Fort. They stopped us as we made our first steps on the stones, telling us we couldn’t visit.
That being said, there is one entrance where visitors can (officially or unofficially) enter and you won’t encounter any problems.
Something special about India is its rich cultural history and architectural wonders. There are many historical walls and fortresses and what makes this one particularly special and worth visiting is that it offers 360-degree views of the city, which many others don’t. We went for sunrise and highly recommend it.
Where is the Jaipur wall
The Jaipur wall (Amer wall) is located near Jaipur and it can be easily reached by car or rickshaw. It’s about 11km north of Jaipur and takes 20-30 minutes to reach by tuk-tuk/rickshaw.
The Instagram-worthy spot is marked on google maps as “Amber Fort Watch Tower”, with the main entrance referred to as “The Wall Of Amer”.
However, this is the entrance that is currently patrolled by the Indian police and they will not allow you to get up the wall from here! It used to be the easiest way to climb the Amer Wall, but unfortunately, it isn’t accessible anymore.
We visited in January 2023 at sunrise and as soon as we stepped on the wall, police were there and stopped us. To be fair, we did read about this on some of the recent Google reviews, but no blogs mentioned it so we gave it a go.
The situation was very disappointing at first, but luckily we found another way.
Find the right entrance
The right entrance (or simply the one that is not supervised by police) is located in the town of Amer. We found it by taking a better look at google maps and when we got there, everything went smoothly. This entrance is located in a quiet street of Amer and you’ll find just a few people, living their daily life and minding their own business.
Here is the exact location of the access point to the Amer Wall.
🗺️ HOW TO USE THIS MAP: Click the top left icon to get more info about this map. Use the star icon next to the title to save it in your Google Maps account. To view it on your phone or computer, open Google Maps, click the menu button, then go to “your places“, tap on “maps” and you will see this map on your list.
Our experience at the Amer Wall
When we visited, we hired a tuk-tuk and got to Amer before sunrise. Our biggest worry was to have the place to ourselves, but little did we know about the police patrolling the entrance of the Amber Fort (which is literally across the road) and – therefore – keeping also an eye on the Amer Wall entrance.
We tried to climb the stairs anyways hoping they wouldn’t say a word but, as we did, two policemen ran at us and immediately informed us that the wall was closed to the public. They didn’t speak to us in English, but we understood that they were trying to indicate that it was closed because they pointed at one sign – which was in Hindi – presumably saying the wall was closed for some safety reasons. We tried to ask them whether it was possible to access the Amer Wall from a different entrance but, unfortunately, that got lost in translation.
So we left the area and started checking Google maps (again!) hoping to find an alternative route, and we did!
Deeper in Amer, the wall cuts the city in half in what used to be the city’s defensive line. Here there is a gate: it’s easy to find but it’s a secondary street, therefore it’s quiet and there were no guards around.
On the left of the gate, you will find some stairs which lead up the wall. The path is actually marked with a blue arrow, and the same paint can be found along the way. Check the next pictures for reference.
The stairs and the wall are not maintained and there are some weeds growing along the path, but honestly, it isn’t a dangerous hike by any means. The only danger is that the right side of the trail is exposed and the drop is steep, but the steps are wide enough to feel safe. The stairs are also steep, so get ready for some stretching and cardio!
While the incline definitely requires some effort, it doesn’t take long before you reach the top of the mountain. Expect it to be just a 15-20 minutes climb from the gate all the way to the end of the Amer Wall.
If you visit in the morning, you’ll enjoy a spectacular sunrise on your left while on the opposite side, the wall offers one of the best views over the Amber Fort.
At the top, two watchtowers create the most picturesque set-up for your photos. Each tower is easily accessible by stairs, even though they are hidden. We climbed to the last tower and took photos looking backward.
In the background, you can see the other section of the wall, which continues north of the town of Amer. To access that, however, you’ll need to look for a different entrance. We didn’t visit that section so we can’t tell you exactly where you need to go.
Here are some more pics from that morning.
Best time to visit the Amer Wall (Jaipur Wall)
Sunrise is undoubtedly the best time to visit the Amer Wall (Jaipur Wall). The drive from Jaipur takes about 30-40 minutes and you’ll need an additional 20 minutes for the hike. Leave a good hour before sunrise time and you will love it!
After you’re done at the Amer Wall, you’ll be right where you need to be to visit the Amer Fort (Amber Palace). The fort opens at 8 AM and being there early is great to avoid the crowds.
Entrance fee
There is no entrance fee at the Jaipur Wall in Amer. Actually, you’re not even allowed to visit it as far as we know.
A rickshaw will cost you about 1000-1500 INR ($12-18 USD) for the entire day, depending on the kilometers and the number of places you want to visit. This is actually a very fair price, and you may be able to bring it down if you’re good at bargaining.
The sole tuk-tuk ride to the Amer Wall will cost you about 250-300 INR ($3-3,5 USD).
Things to keep in mind
- Arrange a tuk-tuk the day before if you want to visit it at sunrise. You can do that with your accommodation (recommended) or on the streets. We tried both options during our trip to India and everything worked out great, but it really depends on who you find and which deal you agree to. Also, make sure to always agree on the exact amount of the deal before hopping in the vehicle.
- Walk directly to the unpatrolled entrance and avoid having any problems with the local police.
- Winter mornings are cold in Jaipur, so make sure to dress accordingly. Also, if you visit the Amer Wall in summer you may want to stick to a sunrise visit and avoid India’s strenuous heat. Don’t forget a water bottle in such conditions.
