Ram Niwas Garden

In 1868, Maharaja Swai Ram Singh built the Ram Niwas Garden in order for the Central Museum (Albert Hall), what then served as the city hall, to be surrounded by greenery. With the expansion of Jaipur, the 70-acre (28-hectare) park has shrunk to half its original size.

Besides gardens, pools, fountains and foliage, the Ram Niwas Garden houses several cafes, a bird park, the Ravindra Rang Manch Theater and the Jaipur Zoo. The zoological park, one of the oldest in India, was added to the gardens in 1877. The park is relatively small with only 70 or so species on display, and the animal living conditions don’t really live up to Western standards. If you’re traveling with young children, however, the zoo makes a pleasant stop on your way to or from the Central Museum.

The park is free and open to the public seven days a week, but the Jaipur Zoo is closed every Tuesday. As with many attractions in India, expect to pay a higher fee as a foreigner than what locals are charged.