Jaipur
Amber Fort, Jaipur
The most-visited fort in the state — pale yellow and pink sandstone, a mirrored Sheesh Mahal hall, and an elephant ride up the ramp if you time it before 10am.
Hilltop strongholds of the desert kingdoms
Forts of Rajasthan
Rajasthan has more intact forts than any other Indian state — each one built by a different Rajput kingdom to watch over a trade route or a water source. Four of these are UNESCO World Heritage Sites as part of the 'Hill Forts of Rajasthan' listing.
Jodhpur
Mehrangarh Fort, Jodhpur
Rising 400 feet above the Blue City on a sheer rock face — still owned by the former royal family, with one of India's best-curated fort museums inside.
Chittorgarh
Chittorgarh Fort
The largest fort in India by area, and Rajasthan's most historically loaded — the site of three separate jauhars (mass self-immolations) during Mughal sieges.
Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer Fort
A 'living fort' — roughly 3,000 people still live inside its walls, running havelis-turned-guesthouses and shops, unlike any other fort in Rajasthan.
Rajsamand
Kumbhalgarh Fort
Its perimeter wall runs 36km — the second-longest continuous wall in the world after the Great Wall of China — enclosing over 360 temples.
Jaipur
Nahargarh Fort, Jaipur
Built as a retreat, not a defence post — the best sunset view over Jaipur, a short drive up from Amber Fort.