The Jaipur Stepwell (Panna Meena Ka Kund) was one of my favorite stops near the Amer Fort in Jaipur, Rajasthan.
The Northern Indian state of Rajasthan is widely known for vast forts and beautiful, intricately designed structures and monuments. Among these are its stepwells, or baoli, used historically for water storage and social gatherings, reflecting the region’s ingenious architecture and the ancient necessity of water conservation in the arid climate.
In this quick guide, I’ll detail how to visit Jaipur Stepwell and include some photos from my trip to inspire your visit.
Visit the Stepwell Near Jaipur on a Guided Tour
The best way to get to this beautiful orange baoli near Jaipur is to book the famous Jaipur Instagram Tour.
This is currently the best-rated heritage tour in Jaipur and includes a guided tour of all of the best photo spots in the city.
Where is the Jaipur Stepwell (Panna Meena Ka Kund)?
The famous stepwell near Jaipurl is actually located near the Kheri Gate in Amer, just a short walk from the Amer Fort. Contrary to conventional first impressions, the Jaipur Stepwell is not within the fort grounds, so visiting it is free.
However, since the stepwell is so close to the Amer Fort, combining it with a trip to the fort or the famous Jaipur Wall is a great bet.
For convenience, I've pinned the exact location of the Jaipur Stepwell below. You can also plug the pin into your Google Maps app to help you navigate. Otherwise, I've also written detailed directions below.
Google Maps Pin: "Step Well" (You can search "Jaipur Stepwell")
How to Get to the Jaipur Stepwell
To get to the Jaipur Stepwell, you'll first need to make your way to the Amer Fort, located just 12 kilometers north of Jaipur Junction. For directions to the fort, I've listed the options and prices below.
Once you arrive at the car park just beside the moat opposite the fort entrance, you'll need to walk for about 15-20 minutes to get to the stepwell.
Alternatively, there are many rickshaw drivers hanging out at the car park who would be more than happy to give you a ride.
If you'd prefer to walk, continue down Amer Road for a bit more than the moat's length and turn left at the Gandhi Chowk intersection.
Continue on this quiet road for 200 meters before turning right, just past the Ganesh Temple. The Jaipur Stepwell is located just 100 meters up the road. If you have any problems finding it, the Amer locals will point you in the right direction.
Getting to the Jaipur Fort
If you're not yet at the Amer Fort, the below options will get you there.
- Rickshaw: You can pick up a rickshaw pretty much anywhere in Jaipur to take you to Amer Fort. Expect to pay around 200-250 rupees for the one-way trip. Most Rickshaw drivers will probably try to talk you into a tour once you’re there.
- Uber: Using Uber to get from A to B is a good option for reliable and cheap transport. The cost from Jaipur to Amer is usually between 250-350 rupees one-way.
- Amer Fort walking tour: includes hotel pick-up/drop-off, an English-speaking guide at the fort, and a stop-by at the famous Panna Meena StepwellI
- Bus to Amer Fort: There are regular buses that depart from the Hawa Mahal in the Old City. These only cost 16 rupees each-way, or 25 rupees for an air-conditioned bus. This is the best option for travelers on a budget.
- Rent a motorbike: This is probably the least popular option for travelers in Jaipur. However, if you’re keen to explore the forts on the outskirts, you can save a bit of money by renting a motorbike or scooter. Expect to pay between 300-400 rupees per day for the cheapest motorbike rental.
My Experience At the Jaipur Baoli
The Panna Meena Ka Kund stepwell is a little different from many of the other popular and grandiose stepwells in Rajasthan.
This Jaipur Stepwell is much smaller and surprisingly, quite remote. Although being a staple of Rajasthani travel social media feeds, there wasn't even a single other tourists here when I visited in peak season.
Upon arriving, I'm sure you'll meet the lone guard that patrols the Panna Meena Ka Kund stepwell. Some other blogs written a few years back claimed that it was free to walk down the steps to take photos and explore.
Unfortunately, the guard on duty now forbids anybody from stepping down without a "permit".
However, I was told by another traveler that it's possible to bribe this guard 150-200 rupees for him to grant you permission to explore. I chose not to bribe him and instead snapped some photos from the top steps. If you do, let me know how it goes!
To speak honestly, when I first arrived at the Jaipur Stepwell, I was a little underwhelmed. However, don't get me wrong, it certainly wasn't disappointing and, I'd definitely visit again.
Rather, my elevated expectations were due to confusion between the Jaipur Stepwell and the Chand Baori in neighboring Abhaneri. Both stepwells feature the same arrays of pyramidic steps and share a very similar archeological design. However, Chand Baori is a much larger stepwell with a total of 3500 steps!
More About the Panna Meena Ka Kund Stepwell in Jaipur
The Jaipur Stepwell in Amer is a square-design well (baori, or baoli) with eight levels of diamond-shaped, crisscrossing steps leading down to a deep, green pool of water.
Maharaja Jai Singh built the Jaipur stepwell in the 16th century to provide an ingenious method of preserving rainwater from the seasonal monsoons. This enabled the citizens of Amer to access freshwater during the dry season and served as a central gathering place for people in the community.
The design of Panna Meena Ka Kund is impressive, to say the least.
This practical stepwell design features an array of symmetrical steps above rounded alcoves that enable access to the well water, no matter the water level. Although it's rarely used today, the beauty of the design attracts many visitors keen on snapping a shot with the stepwell backdrop.
I hope that this quick guide on how to get to the Jaipur Stepwell (Panna Meena Ka Kund) was useful. If you have any questions, updates, or feedback for this blog post, please let me know in the comments!
Otherwise, why don't you check out some of the other adventures and ideas for things to do in Rajasthan on the list below?
- Epic 1-month India Itinerary - the ultimate India travel itinerary covering the best places to go and things to see.
- Taj Mahal View Locations - best spots to see & photograph the Taj Mahal.
- Things to do in Rishikesh - explore the adventure & yoga capital of India in this travel guide.
- Training & HMI Darjeeling - my experience completing my Basic Mountaineering Course in Darjeeling.
- India Packing List - everything you need to bring on a trip to India (and what you should leave at home)
