Amber Fort

Eleven kilometers outside Jaipur in Rajasthan, about five hours southwest of Delhi, Amber Fort climbs a whole mountainside in walls of amber sandstone. Begun in 1592, it was the capital of the Rajput warrior kings before they founded Jaipur, and grew over two centuries into a fortress palace where Hindu and Islamic styles fuse. This was the age when the Rajputs allied with the Mughals, the empire that ruled most of India and built the Taj Mahal. Inside the ramparts are vast courtyards, the mirrored Sheesh Mahal, and views across Maota Lake. A light and sound show plays against the walls every evening. October through March is the season, when the desert heat breaks.