Explore Udaipur,the City of Lakes, like a local.
Founded in 1559 and ringed by the Aravalli hills, Udaipur is palaces on the water, temple bells at dawn and chai on a rooftop at sunset. Here's everything you need: what to see, when to come, how to get here and where to wander once you do.
Start wherever interests you.
Each guide below goes deep on one side of the city. Pick a door, or keep scrolling for the full overview.
Tell us why you're here.
How do you want Udaipur to feel?
Same city, ten different trips. Pick the one that matches your mood and we'll point you to the right corner.
The must-sees, and how to do them well.
Timings and ticket prices change, so check current timings and fees at the counter before you go.
Not sure where to start?
Tell us your dates, who's coming and what you love. We'll help you shape a plan that fits, so you spend less time on maps and more time by the lake. Udaipur is calling; don't leave it on read.
Plan My Trip
Planning a wedding or pre-wedding in Udaipur?
Udaipur is one of India's best-known destination-wedding cities, and it's easy to see why: palace hotels and heritage properties around the lakes, the kind of setting you find at places like The Oberoi Udaivilas, The Leela Palace Udaipur or Jagmandir Island Palace. Share your plans and we'll help with venue ideas, shoot locations and the right local contacts.
- Palace & lakeside venues
- Pre-wedding shoot spots
- Planning enquiries
Getting here, and getting around.
Udaipur sits in southern Rajasthan, close to the Gujarat border, and it's well connected by air, rail and road. Once you're here, the old city is small enough to walk.
We don't run cabs ourselves, but we can connect you with trusted local partners for airport pickups, cabs and bike or car rentals.
Get Travel AssistanceBy air
Maharana Pratap Airport at Dabok is about 22 km east of the city, with direct flights from cities such as Delhi and Mumbai. Pre-book a pickup if you land late.
By rail
Udaipur City station is the main stop, linked to cities including Delhi, Jaipur and Ahmedabad. Overnight trains save you a hotel night.
By road
Good highways connect Udaipur to Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Jodhpur. Buses and private cabs run regularly; the Aravalli stretch is a pretty drive.
Getting around
Walk the old city, take autos or taxis for longer hops (agree the fare first) and hire a scooter or car with driver for the hills and day trips.
A city built around water.
Maharana Udai Singh II of the Sisodia Rajputs founded Udaipur in 1559, on the shores of a lake that was already two centuries old. Lake Pichola was dug in 1362, credited to a grain trader called Pichhu Banjara, and Udai Singh enlarged it. When Akbar took Chittorgarh in 1568, this new city in the Aravallis became the capital of Mewar.
The Maharanas kept building, mostly towards the water. Jagdish Temple went up in 1651, Fateh Sagar in 1687, the Lake Palace on Jag Niwas island in 1743–46 and Sajjangarh on its hilltop in 1884. No wonder they call it the City of Lakes, or the Venice of the East, and the historian James Tod counted it among the most romantic spots in India.
Today the palace still dominates the skyline, but the real Udaipur is in between: kids diving off the ghats, a turbaned ravanhatta player by the water, and a wedding band somehow fitting down a lane built for cows.
Best time to visit Udaipur.
Udaipur has a hot, semi-arid climate. There's no bad season, just different trips. Festival dates follow the Hindu calendar and shift every year, so check before you plan around one.
October to March
Peak season
Warm, clear days and cool nights. Diwali lights up the ghats and Shilpgram Utsav fills December. Carry a light layer for evenings, and book stays early.
April to June
Summer
Hot and dry, with days that can cross 40 °C. Sightsee early and late, spend afternoons in palace museums, and enjoy thinner crowds.
July to September
Monsoon
The hills go green, the lakes fill and Sajjangarh finally earns its nickname. Expect showers, the Hariyali Amavasya fair and the Rath Yatra.
Explore more of Udaipur
Where in Udaipur should you start?
The city is compact, but each pocket has its own rhythm. Here's how the neighbourhoods fit together.
An illustrative guide to Udaipur's neighbourhoods, not to scale.
Old City & Jagdish Chowk
City Palace, Jagdish Temple, Lal Ghat and Gangaur Ghat. The heart of it all, best on foot.
Ambrai & Hanuman Ghat
Across the water from the palace, with the classic view and quieter evenings.
Fateh Sagar & Rani Road
Lake promenade, Moti Magri and Saheliyon ki Bari nearby. Locals' evening hangout.
Bazaars: Bada, Bapu & Hathi Pol
Textiles, silver, spices and everyday city life around Chetak Circle.
Doodh Talai & Karni Mata
Small lake, gardens and the ropeway up to the hilltop temple.
Sajjangarh Hills
The Monsoon Palace, wildlife sanctuary and biological park to the west.
Shilpgram & Badi
Crafts village a few km west, and Badi Lake around 12 km out.
Day trips from Udaipur
Mewar doesn't stop at the city limits. Distances are approximate, by road from Udaipur; a car with driver is the easiest way to combine two stops in a day, such as Kumbhalgarh with Ranakpur.
Eklingji Temple
~22 kmAncient temple to Shiva, the Mewar rulers' patron deity.
Haldighati
~40 kmSite of the 1576 battle of Maharana Pratap and his horse Chetak.
Nathdwara
~48 kmShrinathji temple and the home of Pichwai painting.
Jaisamand Lake
~50 kmA vast, quiet lake for a slow afternoon.
Kumbhalgarh Fort
~85 kmUNESCO-listed hill fort with a wall of roughly 36 km.
Ranakpur Jain Temple
~90 km15th-century marble temple with 1,444 carved pillars.
Chittorgarh Fort
~115 kmUNESCO-listed fort and Mewar's capital before Udaipur.
Mount Abu
~165 kmRajasthan's hill station, best as an overnight trip.
Stories from the City of Lakes.
New places, festival dates, food finds and the odd local secret. One friendly email when there's something worth telling you, never spam.
Questions travellers ask us most.
Two to three days covers the essentials comfortably: City Palace and the old city on day one, Lake Pichola, Bagore ki Haveli's evening show and Fateh Sagar on day two, Sajjangarh or the Karni Mata ropeway for sunset on day three. Add a day or two for trips to Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur, Nathdwara and Haldighati, or Chittorgarh. Udaipur also rewards slowing down, so an extra lazy day by the lake is never wasted.
October to March is the sweet spot, with pleasant days and cool nights (pack a light layer for winter evenings). April to June is hot and can cross 40 °C, so plan sightseeing for early morning and evening. July to September brings the monsoon: the Aravallis turn green and the lakes fill up, which many locals think is the city at its prettiest. Festival dates follow the Hindu calendar and change every year, so check before you plan.
By air, Maharana Pratap Airport at Dabok is about 22 km east of the city, with direct flights from cities such as Delhi and Mumbai. By rail, Udaipur City station is the main stop, with trains from cities including Delhi, Jaipur and Ahmedabad. By road, Udaipur has good highway links to Ahmedabad, Jaipur and Jodhpur, and plenty of buses and private cabs make the trip.
Udaipur generally has a relaxed, welcoming reputation and plenty of people travel here solo, including women. No place comes with a guarantee, so use the same sense you would anywhere: stay somewhere with good recent reviews, keep to lit, busier areas after dark, agree auto fares before you set off, share your plans with someone at home and trust your instincts. If you want a local contact on call, our Travel Assistance team can connect you with trusted partners.
Take your shoes off before entering temples and some havelis, and dress modestly at religious sites (shoulders and knees covered is a safe rule). Ask before photographing people, especially women and musicians. Bargaining is normal in markets, but keep it friendly. A smile and a 'Khamma ghani', the traditional Mewari greeting, goes a long way.
The old city around Jagdish Temple, Lal Ghat and Gangaur Ghat is best on foot, since the lanes are narrow and everything is close. For longer hops to Fateh Sagar, Sajjangarh or Shilpgram, autorickshaws and taxis are easy to find; agree the fare first. Rental scooters suit confident riders, and a car with driver makes sense for day trips. Udaipur Visit can connect you with trusted local partners for cabs and rentals.