Delhi to Jaipur by Road: A Self-Drive Guide to the Pink City

Jaipur is the most popular weekend drive from Delhi, and the easiest. The Pink City is about 280 km away on NH48, 4.5–5.5 hours at the wheel, and the new expressway route can be quicker still. With your own car you can stop at Neemrana on the way, see Amer Fort and the old city at your own pace, and add Jal Mahal and Nahargarh at sunset. This guide covers both routes, tolls, stops and a two-day plan.

Delhi to Jaipur at a glance

• Distance: about 280 km on NH48.
• Driving time: 4.5–5.5 hours; the expressway route can be quicker.
• Tolls: about ₹400 one way on NH48, more on the expressway.
• Best time: October to March.
• Good for: a weekend of two or three days, or the second stop of a Golden Triangle trip with Agra.

Which route to take

NH48 via Neemrana and Kotputli

The direct route runs south-west from Delhi through Gurugram, Manesar, Dharuhera, Neemrana, Behror, Kotputli and Shahpura to Jaipur. It is mostly a wide divided highway with dhabas, food courts and fuel all along, but it carries heavy truck traffic, and works around Gurugram and Manesar can slow you down.

The Delhi–Mumbai Expressway via Bandikui

From Sohna, south of Gurugram, the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway runs towards Dausa, and a new link from Bandikui takes you into Jaipur. It avoids NH48's trucks and is often quicker, especially from south Delhi or Gurugram. Tolls are higher and services on the newer stretches are still limited, so fill up before you join.

Stops on the way

• Old Rao Dhaba at Dharuhera, for a classic breakfast of parathas and lassi.
• Neemrana Fort-Palace, a 15th-century fort turned heritage hotel, about 120 km from Delhi; its zipline and restaurant draw day visitors.
• Behror and Kotputli, for food courts and fuel about halfway.
• Jal Mahal, the palace in Man Sagar Lake, on the road between Jaipur and Amer.

A two-day plan in Jaipur

1. Day 1: drive down in the morning, check in, and spend the afternoon in the old city: Hawa Mahal, City Palace and Jantar Mantar are close together.
2. Day 1 evening: dinner at Chokhi Dhani, a Rajasthani village-style restaurant about 20 km south of the city.
3. Day 2: Amer Fort early, before the crowds, with a stop at Jal Mahal on the way back.
4. Day 2 evening: drive up to Nahargarh Fort for the sunset over the city.
5. Day 3: drive back to Delhi, or carry on to Ajmer, Pushkar or Udaipur.

Inside the walled city, roads are narrow and parking is tight. Park near the sights you're visiting or at your hotel and use autos between them. Going further? Our Delhi to Udaipur guide carries on from Jaipur, and the Great Rajasthan circuit adds Bikaner, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur. For the full Golden Triangle, see the Delhi to Agra guide.

Tolls and fuel costs

On NH48 the tolls come to about ₹400 each way for a car, after the July 2026 revision; the expressway route costs more. Every Aadhya car has a FASTag, so you just drive through.

For fuel, a petrol car doing 15 km a litre uses about 19 litres each way: roughly ₹1,800 at ₹96 a litre, or about ₹3,600 for the round trip.

Renting a self-drive car for Jaipur

• Unlimited kilometres and an All-India permit on every car; you pay any state entry taxes.
• Trips over 48 hours get 10% off, so a three-day weekend costs less per day.
• For two, a Brezza or Fronx; for a family or group, an Ertiga, Scorpio N or XUV 7XO.
• Collect the car at our Mahipalpur office near IGI Airport, or have it delivered in Gurugram, Dwarka or anywhere in Delhi NCR.
• You need a driving licence held for at least a year, a government ID and a ₹5,000 refundable deposit.

See all our cars or read more about outstation trips from Delhi.