Udaipur
The City of Lakes: white palaces reflected in calm water, with the Aravalli hills all around.
- Best time to go
- September to March, when the lakes are full and the weather is pleasant
- Local time
- –
- Currency
- Indian Rupee (INR)
- Reading time
- 4 min
- Language
- Hindi and English
Udaipur was founded in 1559 by Maharana Udai Singh II as the new capital of the kingdom of Mewar, and its rulers built palaces, temples and gardens around a series of artificial lakes in a bowl of green hills. Often called the most romantic city in India, it's a place of whitewashed palaces reflected in still water, narrow lanes winding up from the ghats, and rooftop restaurants watching the sun go down.
It's calmer than Jaipur or Delhi, and a good place to slow down on a journey through Rajasthan. Spend your days in the palaces and old city, your evenings on the lakes, and venture out to the great fortresses and temples of the surrounding hills.
The top 9 in Udaipur
- 1
The City Palace
Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A vast complex of palaces built over four centuries by successive maharanas, rising above the eastern shore of Lake Pichola. Inside are courtyards, balconies, mirrored rooms, mosaics of peacocks and a museum of royal treasures, with views over the lake from its upper terraces. Part of it is still the home of the royal family.
TipArrive at opening time, before the tour groups, and allow at least two to three hours.
- 2
Lake Pichola
Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The largest of Udaipur's lakes, surrounded by palaces, temples, ghats and hills. Boat rides from the City Palace jetty cross the lake to the island palaces, and are most beautiful at sunset, when the buildings glow in the evening light.
- 3
Jag Mandir
Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
An island palace in the south of Lake Pichola, built in the seventeenth century, with gardens, courtyards and a row of stone elephants guarding its edge. Legend says it once sheltered the young prince who would become the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. Boat trips stop here.
- 4
The Lake Palace
Photo: Navneet Sharma, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A gleaming white marble palace that seems to float on Lake Pichola, built in the eighteenth century as a royal summer retreat and now a luxury hotel. It can be seen from the shore and boats, but only hotel guests and diners may visit.
- 5
Jagdish Temple
Photo: Viraat Kothare, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A large Hindu temple near the City Palace, built in 1651 and dedicated to Vishnu, with elaborately carved walls of dancers, musicians and elephants. Climb the steep steps to watch the devotions inside.
- 6
The ghats and old city
Photo: Akbarzoda, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Steep lanes lead down from the City Palace to the ghats on the lakeshore, such as Gangaur Ghat, where locals bathe and wash clothes. The old city's narrow streets are full of miniature painting workshops, textile shops and rooftop cafés.
- 7
Bagore Ki Haveli
Photo: Jakub Hałun, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
An eighteenth-century mansion on the waterfront at Gangaur Ghat, restored as a museum of royal life, which hosts an evening show of Rajasthani folk dance and music.
- 8
Monsoon Palace (Sajjangarh)
Photo: Imatoz, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
A palace on a hilltop west of the city, built in the late nineteenth century to watch the monsoon clouds, with spectacular views over the lakes and the city, especially at sunset.
- 9
Saheliyon Ki Bari
Photo: Clément Bardot, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
The "Garden of the Maidens", built in the eighteenth century for the ladies of the royal court, with fountains, lotus pools and marble elephants among lawns and flowers.
When to go
The best time to visit is from September to March, after the monsoon has filled the lakes, with pleasant days and cool nights. Diwali, in October or November, is especially beautiful, with the city lit by lamps. April to June is very hot. The monsoon, from July to September, brings rain and green hills, and the lakes may be low before it arrives.
Getting around
The old city is compact and best explored on foot, though the lanes are steep and busy with scooters. Auto-rickshaws and ride-hailing apps are cheap for longer distances; agree auto fares before setting off. Hiring a car and driver is the easiest way to see the surrounding forts and temples.
Maharana Pratap Airport is about forty-five minutes from the old city. Trains and buses connect Udaipur with Jaipur, Jodhpur and Delhi.
Local tips
- Check visa requirements; many nationalities can apply for an Indian e-visa online.
- Book a sunset boat ride early in the day in peak season.
- Dress modestly and remove your shoes before entering temples.
- Drink bottled or filtered water.
- Bargain politely in shops, and be wary of touts offering "special" deals on paintings.
- Many rooftop restaurants have the best lake views; arrive before sunset for a good table.
Eat and drink
Try dal baati churma, the Rajasthani dish of baked wheat balls with lentils and sweet crumble; gatte ki sabzi, gram-flour dumplings in curry; laal maas, a spicy mutton curry; and kachori, crispy filled pastries, for breakfast. Udaipur's rooftop restaurants serve everything from Rajasthani thalis to international dishes, with sunset views over the lake. Finish with masala chai or a sweet lassi.
Day trips
Kumbhalgarh Fort, about two hours north, has walls stretching for some thirty-six kilometres across the hills, among the longest in the world. Nearby, the Jain temples of Ranakpur, carved from white marble with more than a thousand intricately carved pillars, are among the most beautiful in India. Chittorgarh, about two hours east, is a vast hilltop fortress steeped in Rajput legend, and Mount Abu, Rajasthan's only hill station, has the exquisite Dilwara Jain temples.
Where to stay
Udaipur has some of the most beautiful heritage hotels in India, from palaces on the lake to converted havelis, old mansions with courtyards, in the old city. Staying near Lal Ghat or Gangaur Ghat puts you close to the City Palace, the temples and the rooftop restaurants, often with lake views. Hanuman Ghat and Ambrai, on the western shore across the water, are quieter, with superb views back to the palace at sunset. Lake Fateh Sagar, to the north, is calmer and more residential.