Jaipur: safety, scams and fair fares

From the Wikivoyage guide to Jaipur, written by travellers. Quoted under CC BY-SA 4.0; source: https://en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Jaipur, fetched 2026-11-13.

By autorickshaw

• Autorickshaws (tuk-tuks) are probably the best way to reach places in the outskirts of Jaipur such as Amber Fort or Galtaji, where getting a taxi or Uber/Ola to go back to the city may be tricky. They are generally more expensive than Uber/Ola, but they are readily available and don't require waiting time.
• Hiring an autorickshaw for a whole day to go to Amber Fort, Tiger Fort, Jal Mahal, and other areas costs anywhere between ₹450 to ₹550 (as of 2018). A common scam is drivers asking for extra money throughout the day for parking fees, petrol, and other things along the way. Always agree on an ‘all-in’ price that includes their time, petrol, lunch, and parking fees. It's not uncommon for people to agree to ₹500 and pay close to ₹1000 with all of the surprise fees. Lastly, make sure you and the driver agree that they will take you to the site and not close to it ‘just for photographs’.
• Prepaid autos are available at the Jaipur railway station and the Sindhi Camp bus stand, although prices are a little inflated and often the same as you get with minimal bargaining.
• At a certain point, the rates were revised to ₹350-400. The autorickshaw wallas will tell you to take the slip from the police booths. You can also go directly without the slip, but don't forget to bargain over the price in that case; it could be much cheaper. It'll be best if you start your sightseeing by 10:00 as some of the major spots close by 16:30 and each spot takes a lot of time, especially the forts.
• Some autorickshaw drivers will try to trick you into paying more than the agreed amount after the trip is over, but you should stick to the original amount decided. Police in Jaipur are very friendly, so in case you feel the autorickshaw driver is trying to misguide you or force you to hand over extra money, just refer the dispute to the police officers at various spots.
• Also some autorickshaw drivers will tell you to buy artefacts and gifts from some shops especially some on the way to Amber Fort. These shops operate on commission to the auto driver and fleece you. If you want to buy souvenirs, get them in city's main shopping areas like Bapu Bazaar.
• Take along some of your own information about the eating and shopping places as the drivers have their fixed commissions at shops and eating outlets, so you might end up paying more for an item or eating at an undesirable place.
• Autorickshaw drivers have been known to work together with the gem scammers. If you hire an autorickshaw for the day, he may suggest that you 'go for a beer' afterwards, and if you accept you will be introduced to the main man on the scam attempt, usually a very charismatic person who is clearly much wealthier than his rickshaw-driving 'friend'. Use common sense: why would a rickshaw driver who earns ₹350 per day (minus petrol) want to take you to a bar where beers are ₹75? Politely decline these invitations as they are invariably more trouble than they are worth.

By cycle-rickshaw

• Cycle-rickshaws are cheaper, but the amount of time it takes quickly makes it worth paying a few extra rupees and going by autorickshaw, bus or taxi. The advantage of traveling by cycle-rickshaw is that you can cover some great places in the narrow lanes of Jaipur which can not be seen if you hire some other mode of transport.

By taxi

• The taxis in Jaipur are very convenient and comfortable. Most of the vehicles are Maruti Omni Vans or Tata Indica cars, which are much safer than Auto rickshaws, and the drivers are polite. If you are alone or going to an unknown destination, you are strongly advised to choose this option, even though the rates will be double that of an autorickshaw. you must call for a taxi, as it is nearly impossible to hail one unless you are at a major point like the airport. When you call, you should negotiate a fare (or agree on using the meter) and get the taxi's 'number'. The taxi will come pick you up, and call you when they are close. Taxis generally have yellow licence plates with black letters. Some taxis are yellow & black, which helps to differentiate them from the private cars.
• Rideshare apps are also popular locally.

Stay safe

• Beyond the standard dangers of travelling in India (thieves, hustlers, touts, questionable drinking water), Jaipur has developed its own set of unique scams.
• You may be approached by a local, sometimes youths on motorbikes, who claim that Westerners are unwilling to engage with the Indian people. "Why don't tourists want to talk to me?" or "I am a student, I want to learn about your culture" is a common opener. They may also try to make you feel guilty by claiming "It is Indian culture to be help." If you engage them, the scam artist will invite the visitor to drink tea. Frequently, the tourist will only be told of the gem stones the next day or after dinner. Usually it is some sort of tax problem. The unwitting mark is then sold fake stones for resale in his/her home country. Even if stones are posted in front of your eyes, you are more likely to see Elvis than the gems again. As a general rule, do not accept tea from strangers, but in addition be wary of any who invite you to talk in secluded areas. The easiest is a simple and polite refusal of any offer, even if just a drink and chat.
• If you are a Westerner and a person outside your hotel bumps into you, then it's likely the person is trying to pickpocket you. There have been reports of smugglers trying to entice foreigners to assist in smuggling items. Under no circumstances accept: smuggling is a serious offence.
• CKS Hospital, F 98 A, Road Number 6, Sikar Road, VKI, ☏ +91 141-3313233. 24 Hours. CKS Hospital is a trusted multi-specialty hospital, open 24 hours for emergency cases.
• 26.90564175.8155491 Sawai Man Singh Hospital. (updated Mar 2026)