Udaipur Travel Guide
Lakes, and the good sense to build a city around them
Written by Kishlay Kumar Kashyap · Last reviewed 2026-08-14 · 1,673 words
Udaipur was founded in 1559 when Maharana Udai Singh II moved his capital out of Chittorgarh after the third sack of that fort. He chose a valley in the Aravallis with a reliable water supply, and then his successors built a system of interconnected artificial lakes — Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Swaroop Sagar, Udai Sagar — that is still what makes the city work.
The result is the least dry-feeling city in Rajasthan and the easiest to simply be in. The City Palace complex is the largest in the state and rises straight out of Lake Pichola; the old town behind it is a compact tangle of lanes you can cover on foot; and there are enough rooftops that the standard evening activity is to pick one and watch the light change on the water.
It is also a city that rewards going slightly further out. Kumbhalgarh's fort wall is the second longest continuous wall in the world, the Jain temple complex at Ranakpur is arguably more impressive than anything inside the city, and the Aravalli drive between them is genuinely good. Two nights in Udaipur is not enough; three or four is right.
Best time to visit
October – March
Best overallDry, 10–28°C, lakes full after the monsoon. December and January nights are cold. Peak season for rates and crowds, especially around New Year.
April – June
Hot38–43°C, though the lakes and altitude make it slightly more bearable than Jaisalmer or Jodhpur. Rates drop significantly. Sightsee early and late.
July – September
Monsoon — genuinely good hereThe Aravallis turn green, the lakes refill, and the city looks its best. Rain is moderate rather than punishing. This is the most underrated window to visit Udaipur, and rates are low.
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How to get there
By air
Maharana Pratap Airport (UDR) at Dabok is 22km east, roughly 40 minutes. Direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Bengaluru. Small terminal, straightforward.
By train
Udaipur City (UDZ) is about 4km from the old town. The overnight Mewar Express from Delhi and the Vande Bharat service are both good options. From Jaipur it's roughly 7 hours.
By road
About 6.5 hours from Jaipur, 5 from Jodhpur, 4.5 from Ahmedabad on good highway. The Jodhpur–Udaipur drive via Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh is one of the better road days in Rajasthan if you can spare a full day for it.
Getting around
The old town around Lal Ghat and Jagdish Chowk is walkable and largely closed to cars anyway. App cabs work for anything further. Scooters rent for around ₹500 a day and are useful for Fateh Sagar and the Monsoon Palace.
Things worth doing
City Palace complex
Rajasthan's largest palace complex, built over four centuries by successive Maharanas, rising directly from the lake. Allow longer than you think — the Mor Chowk peacock mosaics and the crystal gallery are both worth the time. Enter from Badi Pol early to beat the tour groups.
Lake Pichola boat ride
The standard sunset activity, and it earns its reputation — you see the palace facade the way it was designed to be seen. Boats leave from Rameshwar Ghat inside the palace complex. The ride includes a stop at Jag Mandir island.
Jagdish Temple
A 1651 Indo-Aryan temple in the middle of the old town, on a raised plinth up 32 steps, still in daily use. Go at the 7:15pm aarti — it's crowded, loud, and the most alive place in the old city.
Ranakpur Jain temple
Ninety minutes out and, for many visitors, the single most impressive thing in Mewar — 1,444 marble pillars, no two carved alike, in a 15th-century temple that photographs badly and overwhelms in person. Open to non-Jains from noon.
Kumbhalgarh Fort
A 15th-century hill fort with a 36km perimeter wall — the second longest continuous wall on earth after the Great Wall. Birthplace of Maharana Pratap and never taken by direct assault. Combine with Ranakpur in one long day.
Bagore ki Haveli
An 18th-century lakeside mansion, now a museum, with a nightly Dharohar folk dance and puppet show at 7pm. Touristy, competently done, and the best hour-long introduction to Rajasthani performance you'll get.
Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace
A hilltop palace inside a wildlife sanctuary, built for cloud-watching and never completed. The building is a shell; the sunset view over the lakes and the Aravallis is the reason to go. Vehicles stop below and a shuttle takes you up.
Shilpgram & Fateh Sagar
A rural arts and crafts village 3km out, with reconstructed regional houses and resident artisans. Combine with a cycle or scooter loop around Fateh Sagar lake, which is where local families spend their evenings.
Where to stay
Lal Ghat & Jagdish Chowk
The tourist heart, right against the lake and the palace. Rooftop restaurants, budget to mid-range havelis, everything walkable. Noisy and touristed, and still the right choice for a first visit.
Hanuman Ghat
Across the water from Lal Ghat, quieter, with the same view pointed back at the palace. Reached by a footbridge. Better value and calmer for the same sunsets.
Fateh Sagar
North of the old town, more residential, popular with local families in the evenings. Better for longer stays and if you want to be away from the tourist economy.
Ambrai & Chandpole
West bank, a short walk over the bridge, with some of the best-positioned restaurants in the city looking back at the palace. A good compromise between atmosphere and quiet.
Lake Palace & Jag Niwas
The island hotels. Extraordinary and priced accordingly, with boat-only access. Worth it once if the budget exists; otherwise the view of them is free from any west-bank rooftop.
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What to eat
Laal maas
Mewar's signature mutton curry, red with Mathania chilli. Udaipur does a slightly less punishing version than Jodhpur. Ask for the traditional heat only if you mean it.
Dal baati churma
The regional staple. Ordered as a full thali it arrives with gatte, ker sangri, churma and far more ghee than you expect. A lunch dish, not a dinner one.
Mirchi vada and kachori
Street snacks done properly — a whole large green chilli in potato batter, deep fried. Milder than it looks. Best from a busy stall in the late afternoon.
Mewari gatte and papad ki sabzi
Vegetarian cooking built for a region without reliable fresh produce — gram flour dumplings and papad simmered in yoghurt gravy. More interesting than it sounds and genuinely local.
Malpua and ghevar
Fried syrup-soaked sweets, seasonal around festivals. Look for them in the old town sweet shops rather than restaurants.
Rooftop thali with a view
An entire local restaurant category. The food is usually decent rather than exceptional; you're paying for the palace across the water at sunset, and it's a fair trade. Ambrai and the Hanuman Ghat side have the better angles.
What it costs
Ranges rather than single figures, because season swings prices here far more than anything you can control. Per person, assuming two people sharing a room.
| Item | Budget | Mid-range | Premium |
|---|---|---|---|
| Accommodation (per night) | ₹700 – 1,500 | ₹2,500 – 5,500 | ₹20,000+ |
| Food (per day) | ₹400 – 650 | ₹1,000 – 1,800 | ₹3,500+ |
| Local transport (per day) | ₹150 | ₹600 | ₹2,500 (car + driver) |
| Entry & activities (per day) | ₹300 | ₹800 | ₹2,000 |
| Realistic daily total | ₹1,550 – 2,600 | ₹4,900 – 8,700 | ₹28,000+ |
Day-by-day itinerary
City Palace and the lake
City Palace at opening, working slowly through to the crystal gallery. Late lunch in the old town, then the sunset boat on Pichola from Rameshwar Ghat. Evening aarti at Jagdish Temple and dinner on a rooftop.
Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh
The long day out — leave by 7am, Kumbhalgarh first, Ranakpur after noon when it opens to non-Jains, back by evening. Hire a car and driver for this; it's roughly 250km round trip and public transport makes it painful.
Old town, Shilpgram, sunset palace
Walk the old town lanes and Bagore ki Haveli in the morning, Shilpgram and a Fateh Sagar loop in the afternoon, then Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace for sunset. Finish with the Dharohar folk show at 7pm.
Slow morning, or Chittorgarh
Either a genuinely slow morning — this is a city that rewards it — or a day trip to Chittorgarh fort, two hours east, which is where the Mewar story starts. Depart in the evening.
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Practical tips
Do Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh as one hired-car day, not two. They're on the same road and the combined trip is the best day in the region — but Ranakpur only admits non-Jain visitors from around noon, so do Kumbhalgarh first.
The monsoon is the best-kept secret here. July to September is green, the lakes are full, rain is moderate and rates are at their lowest. In a dry year, arriving in May can mean looking at partially empty lakes.
Rooftop restaurants are charging for the view, not the cooking. Eat one or two dinners up there for the palace at sunset, and take your other meals at street level where the food is better and cheaper.
The old town around Jagdish Chowk is genuinely walkable and largely vehicle-hostile. Don't book a hotel that requires a car for every trip unless you want one.
Sajjangarh's road is closed to private vehicles part-way up; you take a shuttle from the sanctuary gate. Arrive at least an hour before sunset because the queue builds.
Book anything over New Year at least two months out. Udaipur is a major Indian wedding and holiday destination and December 25 to January 2 sells out entirely.
Common questions
How many days do I need in Udaipur?+
Three nights is the right answer — one day for the City Palace and the lake, one for the Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh day trip, one for the old town and the Monsoon Palace. Two nights means dropping the day trip, which is a real loss.
Is the Ranakpur and Kumbhalgarh day trip worth it?+
It's the best day in Mewar. Ranakpur's 1,444 individually carved marble pillars are, for many visitors, more impressive than anything in Udaipur itself, and Kumbhalgarh's 36km wall is extraordinary. Hire a car for the day — roughly ₹3,000–4,500 — and do both together.
When is the best time to see the lakes full?+
September through February, after the monsoon has recharged them. In a weak monsoon year, Lake Pichola and Fateh Sagar can be noticeably low by late spring, which changes the character of the city considerably. If the lakes are the reason you're going, avoid April to June.
Is Udaipur good for a honeymoon?+
It is probably the most popular honeymoon destination in Rajasthan, and the reasons are obvious — lake views, palace hotels, boat rides, and a slower pace than Jaipur or Jodhpur. October to March is the season for it. Book well ahead for December and January.
Do I need to stay at the Lake Palace?+
No. It's a genuinely remarkable hotel and priced like one. The view of it from any west-bank rooftop at sunset is free, and the Pichola boat ride passes close by. Spend the difference on the Kumbhalgarh day trip.
Can I combine Udaipur with Mount Abu?+
Yes, it's about 4 to 5 hours by road, and Mount Abu is Rajasthan's only hill station plus the Dilwara Jain temples. Two nights there fits naturally after Udaipur, especially in April to June when the altitude is a relief.
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About this guide
Written and last reviewed on 2026-08-14 by Kishlay Kumar Kashyap. Prices, opening days and access rules change — if you find something out of date, let us know and we'll correct it. See our disclaimer for how to treat the cost and safety information above.