Udaipur Travel Guide: Lakes and Palaces
Udaipur runs at a different speed to the rest of Rajasthan. Where Jaipur and Jodhpur are cities with sights, Udaipur is a mood with a lake in the middle — best absorbed from a rooftop at dusk when the palace lights come on and the water holds them. Give it two nights minimum; three lets you add the best day trip in the state.
The heart of it: Lake Pichola
Everything orbits the lake. City Palace rises along its eastern shore — a 400-year accretion of courtyards, mirror halls, and balconies stacked into Rajasthan’s largest palace complex. Allow a half day; the views over the lake from the upper jharokhas are the payoff for the climb through the maze.
From the palace jetty, take the boat ride to Jag Mandir — the island palace where, so the story goes, the young prince who became Shah Jahan took refuge and stored ideas he later spent on the Taj Mahal. The late-afternoon boat, timed so you cruise back toward a sunset-lit city, is the single best hour in Udaipur. (More detail in our full Jag Mandir guide.) The other island, the Lake Palace, is now a hotel — guests only, admired from the water.
The rest of the essential list
- Jagdish Temple — the working 17th-century temple a few steps from the palace gate; go when the bells start.
- Bagore ki Haveli at Gangaur Ghat — modest museum by day; at dusk it hosts the Dharohar folk-dance show, the one cultural performance in Rajasthan worth planning an evening around. Buy tickets early; it sells out.
- Sajjangarh (Monsoon Palace) — the white palace on the ridge west of town. Ignore the sparse interior; you’re there for the sunset panorama over lakes and Aravallis.
- Fateh Sagar Lake and Saheliyon ki Bari — a breezier lakefront and a fountain garden built for the ladies of the court; pleasant fillers for a second day.
- Ambrai Ghat — the classic across-the-water view of City Palace, particularly at first light when the bathers arrive and the tourists haven’t.
The day trip that outranks the sights
With a third day, drive the loop to Kumbhalgarh Fort and Ranakpur’s Jain temple — a Great-Wall-scale rampart in the hills and a 1,444-pillar marble prayer in the forest, two hours from town. It’s the best single day out in Rajasthan; we’ve written it up turn-by-turn in the Kumbhalgarh from Udaipur guide.
Where to stay
Pay for the lake if you can. The Lal Ghat / Gangaur Ghat lanes on the east shore hold guesthouses and boutique havelis where a rooftop breakfast faces the water — the reason you came. Hanuman Ghat across the footbridge is quieter with the better view of the palace. Out-of-town resorts suit honeymooners with drivers; first-timers should sleep in the old city.
Getting there and around
Udaipur’s airport (Dabok) is ~22 km out with good domestic connections. Trains link Jaipur, Delhi, and Ahmedabad. By road, the drives from Jodhpur (4.5–5 hours via Ranakpur) and Mount Abu (~3 hours) are scenic Aravalli runs. The old city is walkable — mercifully, since its lanes defeat cars; autos and app cabs cover the rest.
When to come
September to March. A special word for late monsoon (Aug–Sep): the lakes are full, the hills green, and the Monsoon Palace earns its name — locals will tell you it’s the city at its most beautiful. Avoid May–June, when the lake levels and your enthusiasm drop together.
Udaipur closes the classic circuit — see the 3-day Udaipur itinerary for the full plan, or the 10-day Rajasthan route to see where it fits in the grand tour.