Udaipur Travel Guide: Lakes, Palaces and Where to Stay
The first thing any Udaipur travel guide should say is that the postcards are not exaggerated. In the middle of the arid southern Rajasthan landscape, a series of artificial lakes holds the city together, and two islands in Lake Pichola carry white marble palaces that appear to float. Maharana Udai Singh II founded the city in 1559 after moving his capital from Chittorgarh, and his descendants spent the next three centuries building on and around the water. About 450,000 people live here now, and the city earns its living from marble, handicrafts, weddings and visitors.
What surprised me was how small the centre feels. You can walk from the City Palace to the lakeside restaurants in a quarter of an hour, and the roads out to the countryside start almost immediately beyond that. Udaipur is a city you can cover on foot and then escape from in twenty minutes.
Neighbourhoods and Where to Stay
Lal Ghat and the lanes behind the City Palace are the classic base: rooftop restaurants with a direct view of the Lake Palace, budget rooms in converted havelis, and everything walkable. The trade-off is noise, because the same restaurants keep music going until late.
Hanuman Ghat, on the opposite side of the old city, is quieter and popular with long-stay travellers, with guest houses looking east over Lake Pichola. For mid-range comfort, the roads around Fateh Sagar Lake are calmer, greener and a short rickshaw ride from the old town. The luxury hotels sit outside the centre: the former hunting lodge turned heritage hotel on one shore, the converted island palace in the middle of the lake itself, and several resort properties along the Fateh Sagar road.
Budget rooms in haveli guest houses start low and often include a rooftop with that view, which is the single best-value upgrade in the city. Mid-range heritage hotels occupy 200-year-old merchant houses with courtyards and stone carvings. At the top, staying on Lake Pichola costs a serious premium and delivers an experience you cannot get anywhere else, since guests arrive by boat.
The Palaces and What They Cost
The City Palace is the main sight, and it is big enough to lose a morning in. Construction began under Udai Singh II and continued under successive Maharanas, which explains why the architecture shifts as you move through it: courtyards, a museum of royal artefacts, glass and mirror work, and terraces facing the lake across the gardens. Entry is ticketed, with an additional charge for the museum and for the Crystal Gallery, and the cumulative cost is moderate rather than trivial. Opening hours run from mid-morning to early evening.
The Lake Palace, properly Jag Niwas, was built between 1743 and 1746 as a summer pleasure palace and is now a hotel, so unless you are a guest you view it from a boat or from a restaurant terrace. Jag Mandir, the second island palace, has an entry fee and is included in some boat tours. Sajjan Garh, the Monsoon Palace on the hill to the west, is worth going up for at sunset, with views over the lakes and the Aravalli hills. Jagdish Temple, a large Indo-Aryan temple near the City Palace dating to 1651, is free to enter and always busy in the evening. Bagore ki Haveli, by the water at Gangaur Ghat, holds a small museum of everyday royal objects and hosts a folk dance performance in the evening.
Food and Drink
Rajasthani food here is milder than visitors expect and heavily vegetarian, though meat is easy to find. Dal baati churma, lentils with baked wheat balls and a sweet crumble, is the state dish and usually served as a thali. Laal maans, a fiery mutton curry, is the local indulgence for non-vegetarians. The lakeside restaurants on Ambrai Ghat are where everyone eats at least once, and they charge for the view, which is worth it on the first night and less so on the third. The rooftops around Lal Ghat serve reliable Indian and continental food at better value with the same outlook, and the small cafes near Jagdish temple do good masala chai and kachori.
| Area | Character | Price | Good for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lal Ghat | Busy, lake views, rooftops | Budget to mid | First visits, walkability |
| Hanuman Ghat | Quiet, local, sunrise side | Budget | Longer stays, yoga crowd |
| Fateh Sagar | Open, green, residential | Mid to luxury | Families, quieter nights |
| Old city lanes | Markets, temples, havelis | Budget to mid | Shopping and street food |
Udaipur Travel Guide: Three Days in the City
Day one: the City Palace in the morning, lunch nearby, then a boat ride on Lake Pichola in the late afternoon when the light turns the marble gold, ending at the Gangaur Ghat for the evening aarti. Day two: sunrise at Fateh Sagar, the vintage car collection, Saheliyon ki Bari garden, and sunset at the Monsoon Palace. Day three: a trip out of town to the Ranakpur Jain temple complex with its 1,444 carved marble pillars, or to Kumbhalgarh, whose wall runs some 36 kilometres through the hills and is the second longest in the world after the Great Wall. Both are about two to three hours by road and make a full day.
Getting There and Around
Maharana Pratap Airport sits about 22 kilometres east of the city, with direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur. Udaipur City railway station is closer to the centre and connects to Delhi overnight, and there is a comfortable day train to Jaipur and beyond. Buses cover the Rajasthan circuit cheaply but slowly. Inside the city, auto-rickshaws are the standard, and they will not use the meter, so agree the fare first. Walking solves most central trips. Boat rides on Lake Pichola are priced per person for shared boats and much higher for a private one, with the shared option perfectly adequate.
The best season is September through March, when daytime temperatures sit in the twenties and the lakes are full after the monsoon. April to June is hot and dusty, and the lakes shrink. The Mewar Festival in the spring and the Gangaur procession in the same period are the two events worth planning around, and hotel rates climb accordingly.
Udaipur fits neatly into a Rajasthan circuit with Jaipur and Amber Fort and the Taj Mahal, and pairs surprisingly well with Golden Temple further north. Travellers crossing Asia often add Kathmandu or Osaka on a longer route, and lake cities such as Dublin or harbour cities like Golden Gate Bridge territory make good comparisons. More city planning lives in the Travel Cities archive.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many days do I need in Udaipur?
Three nights is comfortable: two days in the city and one for Ranakpur or Kumbhalgarh. Two nights is enough if you skip the day trip.
Can I visit the Lake Palace without staying there?
Not inside. It operates as a hotel, but boats on Lake Pichola pass close by and the restaurants on the opposite shore have a clear view across the water.
Is Udaipur safe at night?
Yes, by and large. The main risks are uneven pavements, aggressive touts near the palace and inflated rickshaw quotes after dark rather than crime.
What should I wear?
Modest clothing covering shoulders and knees suits the temples and the old city, and light cotton is right for most of the year. Winters are mild during the day but cold on a rooftop after sunset, so bring a layer between December and February.
Is haggling expected in the markets?
Yes, for textiles, handicrafts, miniature paintings and jewellery. Start around half the opening quote and be willing to walk away. Fixed-price government emporiums exist if negotiating wears you down.