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Udaipur

Udaipur

city · Rajasthan

Udaipur, the 'City of Lakes', sits among the green Aravalli Hills, built around a chain of interconnected lakes created over the centuries for water and defence.

State
Rajasthan
Type
City
Best season
Winter
Things to do
3+

Udaipur, the 'City of Lakes', sits among the green Aravalli Hills, built around a chain of interconnected lakes created over the centuries for water and defence. The largest, Lake Pichola, is the visual centre of the city, its shores lined with white marble palaces, bathing ghats and lakefront hotels. The grandest is the City Palace, which is really eleven palaces built against each other over four centuries by successive maharanas — which is why the inside is a maze of levels and courtyards rather than a single plan. Udaipur has a noticeably slower pace than Rajasthan's other big cities. In bad drought years Pichola has emptied completely, so if the lake is the reason you are coming, check before you book.

A short history

Founded in 1559 by Maharana Udai Singh II of Mewar after Chittorgarh, his previous capital, fell to repeated Mughal sieges, Udaipur was built around the newly created Lake Pichola specifically for its defensible, water-girded position. That decision gave the city its enduring identity as the "City of Lakes".

Why Udaipur matters

The 'City of Lakes', built around Lake Pichola — considered one of the most romantic cities in India.

How many people come

25 lakh

city in 2024 · Rajasthan Tourism (estimate)

When to go

October to March, when the winter keeps the lakeside walks comfortable.

Why visit

Udaipur is the state's most romantic city — palace hotels, boat rides on Lake Pichola and lakeside dining make it a favourite for couples, photographers and slow travel.

Cultural notes

Maharana Udai Singh II founded Udaipur in 1553 as a new and more defensible capital for the historic Mewar Kingdom, and Mewar held its independence through the worst of the imperial pressure. The city remains a great centre for traditional Mewar miniature painting, silver smithing and classical puppetry.

How to reach

Udaipur is served by Maharana Pratap Airport, 22 km away, and Udaipur City Railway Station. National Highway 48 runs in from Ahmedabad and Jaipur, with regular multi-axle coaches daily.

Udaipur in 3 days

See the full itinerary

3 days in Udaipur

Take the whole plan, or add any single stop.

City PalaceDay 1

Day 1

City Palace

The largest palace complex in Rajasthan, built over nearly four hundred years by successive Mewar rulers. Udai Singh II began it in 1553, when he moved his capital from Chittor to the new city of Udaipur, and every ruler after him added to it — which is why it reads as a run of connected palaces rather than one building. It stands on a ridge on the east bank of Lake Pichola, so the courtyards look down onto the water and across to the island palaces. Glass and mirror work, mosaic courtyards and the Mewar collection are inside; boats to Jag Mandir leave from below it.

Lake Pichola

Day 1

Lake Pichola

Artificial, dammed in 1362 and named after the village of Picholi — one of a chain of lakes built around Udaipur to hold drinking and irrigation water, not for the view they are now famous for. Four islands sit in it, among them Jag Niwas, which carries the Lake Palace, and Jag Mandir. Boats leave from inside the City Palace and the sunset run is the one people book. In bad drought years this lake has emptied completely, so check the water level before you plan a trip around it.

Day 1

Rooftop dinner over the lake

Rooftop dinner over the lake

Day 2

Day 2

Jagdish Temple & old-city bazaars

Jagdish Temple & old-city bazaars

Day 2

Bagore ki Haveli museum

Bagore ki Haveli museum

Day 2

Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace for sunset

Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace for sunset

Day 2

Dharohar folk-dance show

Dharohar folk-dance show

Day 3

Day 3

Saheliyon ki Bari gardens

Saheliyon ki Bari gardens

Day 3

Shilpgram crafts village

Shilpgram crafts village

Kumbhalgarh Fort

Day 3

Kumbhalgarh Fort

Food & cuisine

Signature dishes and local flavours to look for in Udaipur.

Full food guide →
Dal Baati Churma

Dal Baati Churma

Baked wheat balls with spiced dal and sweet crushed churma

Laal Maas

Laal Maas

Fiery Mewari mutton curry rich with Mathania red chillies

Mirchi Bada

Mirchi Bada

Deep-fried chilli fritters and onion kachoris

Pyaaz Kachori

Pyaaz Kachori

Deep-fried chilli fritters and onion kachoris

Makhaniya Lassi

Makhaniya Lassi

Thick saffron-and-cream lassi

Ghevar

Ghevar

Honeycomb disc sweet soaked in syrup, best in the monsoon

Suggested Itinerary

Day-by-day plans other travellers have published for Udaipur

Royal Rajasthan: Udaipur, Jodhpur & Jaisalmer

Royal Rajasthan: Udaipur, Jodhpur & Jaisalmer

6 days 12 stopsCityDekho Editorial

Udaipur guide & itineraries

Udaipur is perfect for

couplesheritageluxuryfamily

Nearby getaways

Kumbhalgarh & Ranakpur

Kumbhalgarh & Ranakpur

~2-3 hrs

Chittorgarh

Chittorgarh

~2 hrs

Things to do

How to spend your time in Udaipur.

City Palace complex

City Palace complex

Rambling lakeside palace of the Mewar kings with courtyards, museums and Lake Pichola views

Lake Pichola boat ride

Lake Pichola boat ride

Sunset cruise past Jag Mandir and the Lake Palace

Jagdish Temple

Jagdish Temple

Ornate 17th-century Vishnu temple in the old city

Sajjangarh (Monsoon Palace)

Sajjangarh (Monsoon Palace)

Hilltop palace with sweeping sunset views over the lakes and Aravallis

Bagore ki Haveli dance show

Bagore ki Haveli dance show

Lakeside haveli museum with a nightly Rajasthani folk dance and puppet show

Popular attractions

The places in Udaipur most people come for.

City Palace

City Palace

Attraction

Lake Pichola

Lake Pichola

Viewpoint

Saheliyon-ki-Bari

Saheliyon-ki-Bari

Attraction

See all attractions

Frequently asked questions

How many days for Udaipur?

2 days for the city highlights; add a third for Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur.

Best time to visit Udaipur?

October to March for pleasant weather; the monsoon fills the lakes and is especially scenic.

Been to Udaipur?

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