Rajasthan
Udaipur
The City of Lakes — Rajasthan’s most romantic address
Photo: LBM1948 (CC BY-SA 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons
Overview
About Udaipur
Built around three interconnected lakes and ringed by the Aravalli hills, Udaipur is the softest, greenest city in Rajasthan’s desert-state itinerary — and its most requested honeymoon and wedding destination. The City Palace complex, Lake Pichola, and the floating Taj Lake Palace form one of the most photographed skylines in India.
Most visitors spend two to three days here: one for the City Palace and old city, one for the lakes (boat ride, Jag Mandir), and time set aside simply for rooftop dinners and sunset views that Udaipur does better than anywhere else in the state.
- A sunset boat ride on Lake Pichola past the Taj Lake Palace and Jag Mandir
- City Palace, Rajasthan’s largest palace complex, with its Peacock Courtyard
- Saheliyon-ki-Bari, a garden built for the queen’s attendants, with fountains that once ran without pumps
- Monsoon Palace (Sajjangarh) at sunset, for a wide view over the lakes and city
- The old city’s narrow lanes around Jagdish Temple, full of miniature-painting workshops
Top attractions
What to see in Udaipur
City Palace
A fortified complex of courtyards and balconies built up over nearly 400 years by successive Mewar rulers.
Lake Pichola
An artificial lake at the heart of the city, home to the Taj Lake Palace and Jag Mandir islands.
Jagdish Temple
A large, intricately carved Indo-Aryan temple just outside the City Palace gates.
Saheliyon-ki-Bari
A compact, elegant garden of fountains, lotus pools and marble elephants.
Monsoon Palace
A hilltop palace built for viewing monsoon clouds roll in, now Udaipur’s best sunset point.
Things to do
Experiences in Udaipur
Lake Pichola sunset cruise
The single most-booked Udaipur experience, and worth every rupee.
Crystal Gallery at City Palace
A room of rare Osler crystal furniture, including a crystal bed, commissioned by Maharana Sajjan Singh.
Rooftop dinner overlooking Lake Pichola
Udaipur’s old-city rooftops are purpose-built for this.
Day trip to Kumbhalgarh Fort
A UNESCO-listed fort with the second-longest continuous wall in the world, about 2 hours from the city.
When to go
Best time to visit
September to March; Udaipur is one of the few Rajasthan cities that also looks genuinely beautiful in the monsoon, when the lakes are full and the hills turn green.
Getting around
Transportation
Maharana Pratap Airport has daily flights to Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur. It is a scenic 4-4.5 hour drive from Jodhpur.
Where to eat
Restaurants in Udaipur
Multi-cuisine heritage dining
1559 AD
Set in a converted haveli with a direct Lake Pichola view.
Rajasthani & North Indian
Ambrai
A lakeside garden restaurant looking directly across at the City Palace.
Eating
Food guide
Udaipur’s food leans slightly milder than the rest of Rajasthan — try the lake-view thalis and the city’s excellent kulfi.
Practical
Travel tips
Book a lake-facing room well in advance during the October-March peak and wedding season, when the best properties fill up months ahead.
Questions
Udaipur: common questions
Yes — it is Rajasthan’s most-booked honeymoon destination, thanks to the lake views, palace-hotel stays, and rooftop dining that the rest of the state doesn’t offer in the same concentration.
Access to the island is generally limited to hotel guests and diners with a confirmed reservation; a Lake Pichola boat ride gets you the best views of it from the water.
Two to three days covers the City Palace, a lake cruise, and time for the gardens and old city without rushing.
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