Udaipur Travel Guide
Plan your visit to Udaipur, Rajasthan: the best time to go, how to reach, what to see, and practical, current tips from the Way to India Travel Desk.
When to visit Udaipur
The best months are October to March, with mild, sunny days and cool nights ideal for the palaces and the lakes. April to June is fierce desert heat.
- October to March: the peakMild, sunny days (rarely above 30 C) and cool nights, perfect for the City Palace, the lakes and the sunsets. The busiest and priciest weeks are around Christmas, New Year and the wedding season, so book ahead.
- April to June: fierce heatDesert summer, often 40 to 45 C, hot and tiring for sightseeing. Rates fall, but plan the palace and lakes for early morning and evening, and rest in the afternoon.
- July to September: the monsoonShowers fill the lakes and turn the hills green, a lovely, photogenic time with softer crowds, though some days are humid. The Monsoon Palace earns its name now.
The colourful Mewar Festival lights up Udaipur around March or April with processions and music on the lake. Lovely to catch, but book early, as the city fills. Whenever you come, keep the pace gentle; Udaipur is for savouring, not rushing.
How to reach Udaipur
Udaipur has its own airport at Dabok and a city railway station, and sits within easy reach of Jodhpur, Kumbhalgarh, Ranakpur and Mount Abu for a Rajasthan loop.
- By airThe Maharana Pratap Airport at Dabok (UDR) is about 22 km east of the city, with flights from Delhi, Mumbai and other metros. A taxi into town takes around 40 minutes.
- By trainThe Udaipur City railway station (UDZ) is right in town, with trains from Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and beyond. Handy and central.
- By road and as a loopUdaipur pairs with Jodhpur (about 250 km), the Kumbhalgarh fort and Ranakpur Jain temples (about 85 to 90 km), Chittorgarh (about 115 km) and Mount Abu (about 165 km). We arrange the car and the transfers.
Fly into Delhi or Mumbai and connect to Udaipur (UDR), or arrive overland as part of a Rajasthan tour. Udaipur is the soft, romantic heart of the state.
Connect via Delhi or Mumbai to Udaipur. An easy, gentle add-on to a Golden Triangle or Rajasthan trip for the diaspora.
Direct flights and trains reach Udaipur, and the roads link it to Jodhpur, Jaipur and the Mewar forts and temples.
The City Palace and the lakes
Udaipur is the great City Palace on Lake Pichola, the island palaces on the water, and the gardens, temples and hilltop sunsets around them.
- The City PalaceThe largest palace complex in Rajasthan, a maze of courtyards, balconies and the City Palace Museum above Lake Pichola. Allow a few hours and a guide to read the Mewar story; the museum is a separate, larger ticket.
- Lake Pichola and Jag MandirA boat from the City Palace jetty glides past the Lake Palace hotel and stops at the Jag Mandir island palace. Time it for sunset for the classic golden view of the city.
- The old city and Jagdish TempleThe lanes around the towering Jagdish Temple, Gangaur Ghat and the bazaars are made for a slow wander, with rooftop cafes looking over the water.
- Gardens and the Monsoon PalaceThe Saheliyon ki Bari garden, Fateh Sagar Lake and, for the finest sunset of all, the hilltop Sajjangarh (Monsoon Palace) overlooking the lakes and the Aravallis.
The dreamlike white palace in the middle of Lake Pichola is the Taj Lake Palace, a luxury heritage hotel, so you cannot simply visit it. Admire it from the shore or a boat, or come as a dining or staying guest. The same is true of the Jagmandir island restaurant, which is for guests and diners.
A sunset boat on Lake Pichola
The defining Udaipur experience is a sunset boat on Lake Pichola, the palaces glowing gold on the water, followed by an evening folk-dance show. Get the timing right and it is unforgettable.
- Take the boat at sunsetThe Lake Pichola boat leaves from the Rameshwar Ghat jetty inside the City Palace and stops at Jag Mandir island. The late-afternoon or sunset ride is the one to book; buy it with your palace ticket and confirm the time at the counter.
- Pick the right evening showTwo shows are easy to confuse: the City Palace light-and-sound show in its courtyard, and the one-hour Dharohar folk-dance show at Bagore ki Haveli on Gangaur Ghat (most evenings around 7 pm). The Dharohar dance is the local favourite.
- Dine by the waterEnd with dinner at a lakeside rooftop looking across to the lit City Palace, a simple, magical Udaipur evening. Try the local kulhad rabdi by Fateh Sagar.
- Sunset from the Monsoon PalaceOn another evening, drive up to the Sajjangarh (Monsoon Palace) for a sweeping sunset over the lakes and hills, the best high view in the city.
Gardens, the old city and the Mewar story
Around the palace and lakes, Udaipur offers a garden of fountains, an old-city temple walk, a vintage-car collection and the forts and temples of Mewar nearby.
- Saheliyon ki Bari and the gardensThe Garden of the Maidens, with its fountains, lotus pool and marble pavilions, is a cool, gentle stroll, lovely for a relaxed morning.
- The old-city and ghat walkWander from the Jagdish Temple down to Gangaur and Hanuman ghats, through the bazaars of miniatures, silver and Rajasthani crafts, with rooftop chai over the lake.
- The vintage car collectionThe Mewar royal vintage and classic car collection, with its grand old Rolls-Royces and Cadillacs, is a fun, easy stop, especially with children.
- The Mewar forts and temples nearbyAdd a day for the mighty Kumbhalgarh fort and the exquisite Ranakpur Jain temples (about 85 to 90 km), or Chittorgarh (about 115 km), some of Rajasthan's finest heritage.
Mistakes to avoid in Udaipur
Udaipur is easy and gentle, but a few simple missteps spoil the visit if you do not plan for them.
- Do not expect to visit the Lake PalaceIt is a hotel, not a public sight; you can only admire it from the water, or dine or stay as a guest. Plan a boat ride for the view rather than a visit inside.
- Do not skip the museum ticket confusionThe City Palace grounds and the City Palace Museum are separate tickets, with extra for the Crystal Gallery and cameras. Decide what you want and buy the right combination at the counter.
- Do not rush Udaipur in a dayThe charm is the slow pace, the lakes and the evenings. Give it two unhurried days at least, rather than a single rushed stop between Jodhpur and Jaipur.
- Do not sightsee in the midday summer heatFrom April to June the sun is brutal. See the palace and lakes early and late, and rest in the afternoon, carrying water and a hat.
Udaipur for every kind of traveller
Udaipur is the gentlest, most romantic city in Rajasthan, and suits very different visitors. Here is what it offers you, and the one tip that matters for each.
- Couples and honeymoonersUdaipur is India's most romantic city: a lakeside palace-hotel stay, a sunset boat and a candlelit rooftop dinner are the stuff of honeymoons. Splurge on one special lake-view evening.
- Families with childrenThe boat ride, the vintage cars, the gardens and the puppet and dance show all entertain children, and the pace is gentle. Keep little ones close on the ghats and jetties.
- Senior travellersUdaipur is the easiest-paced Rajasthan city, but the City Palace has ramps, stairs and uneven floors, so go slowly with a guide and take the lake boat and gardens at leisure. The Monsoon Palace sunset is reached by car.
- Photographers and art loversThe lakes at sunrise and sunset, the palace courtyards, the old-city lanes and the miniature paintings are endlessly photogenic. The golden hour from a boat is the shot.
- Budget travellersStay in an old-city haveli guesthouse with a lake-view rooftop, walk the lanes, and pick the daytime boat and the free old-city temples and ghats over the priciest options.
- Heritage and history buffsThe Mewar story runs deep here; pair the City Palace and museum with day trips to Kumbhalgarh, Ranakpur and Chittorgarh, with a good guide, for the full sweep.
Planning Udaipur from abroad
Udaipur is the soft, romantic jewel of Rajasthan, an easy, rewarding stop for overseas and NRI travellers, with palace-hotel romance and Mewar heritage in a gentle, walkable city.
- Fit it into a Rajasthan loopFly into Delhi or Mumbai and connect to Udaipur (UDR), then loop with Jodhpur, Jaipur and the Mewar forts and temples. Udaipur is the calmest, prettiest stop on the route.
- Know the tickets and the Lake PalaceThe City Palace and its museum are separate tickets (with extra for the Crystal Gallery and cameras), and the Lake Palace is a Taj hotel, not a sight, best admired from a boat.
- Book the romance and the showsA lake-view or palace-hotel stay, a sunset boat and the Bagore ki Haveli Dharohar dance show make the classic Udaipur evening. Reserve the special dinner ahead.
- Senior-friendly, with careUdaipur is gentle, but the palace has stairs and uneven floors, so pace it, use a guide, and let a car handle the Monsoon Palace sunset and the day trips.
Tour packages that visit Udaipur
Every journey below is private, hand-crafted and fully customizable. Tell us your dates and we tailor the itinerary, the pace and the priests or guides around you.
5D / 4N5 Days Rajasthan Tour Package
- Jaipur
- Pushkar
5D / 4NDelhi Jaipur Udaipur Tour Package
- Visit City Palace
- Visit Laxmi Narayan Temple