Best Things to Do in Udaipur (2026 Guide)

Udaipur was founded in 1559 by Maharana Udai Singh II after the Mughal siege of Chittorgarh forced the Sisodia Rajput dynasty to establish a new capital. The city grew around a series of interconnected lakes — Pichola, Fateh Sagar, Udai Sagar — created by damming the Berach and Sisarma rivers, giving Udaipur its enduring epithet as the City of Lakes. The Mewar dynasty, which ruled from Udaipur for over 400 years until independence, left a built heritage of extraordinary density: the City Palace complex is one of the largest palace complexes in Rajasthan, the Jagdish Temple is an intact example of Indo-Aryan temple architecture at its most refined, and the nearby Kumbhalgarh Fort — with its 36km perimeter wall, the second longest in the world after the Great Wall of China — demonstrates the Mewar rulers’ capacity for monumental construction even in the face of persistent Mughal pressure.

Best Time to Visit Udaipur

October through March is the primary season — temperatures of 15-28°C, clear skies over the lakes, and comfortable conditions for exploring the palace complex and hill forts. November is particularly pleasant. The Mewar Festival (March/April, coinciding with Holi) celebrates Rajasthani folk music and dance with processions from the City Palace. April and May become very hot (35-42°C); the monsoon (July-September) fills the lakes to their most dramatic levels and turns the surrounding hills intensely green — visually spectacular but with high humidity and occasional flooding. Summer visitors gain the photographic advantage of full lakes and near-empty sites.

Getting Around

Maharana Pratap Airport (UDR) has connections to Delhi, Mumbai, and Jaipur. By train, Udaipur is connected to Jaipur (7-8 hours), Delhi (12-14 hours), and Mumbai (18+ hours). Within the city, auto-rickshaws are the standard local transport; negotiate fares in advance or insist on meters. The old city and lake ghats are walkable from the City Palace area. For Kumbhalgarh Fort (82km north) and Eklingji Temple (22km north), taxis or day-tour operators are the practical option.

City Palace and Lake Pichola

The City Palace complex stretches 244 metres along the eastern shore of Lake Pichola — a succession of courts, towers, and pavilions built by successive maharanas from 1553 onwards, each adding his signature structure to the growing compound. The Crystal Gallery houses one of the world’s most extraordinary collections of crystal furniture, commissioned by Maharana Sajjan Singh in 1877 from F&C Osler of Birmingham — crystal beds, sofas, tables, and even a crystal carpet, never used in the maharana’s lifetime. The Mor Chowk (Peacock Courtyard) has inlaid glass mosaic peacocks. The Lake Palace, built in 1754 as a summer pleasure palace on the largest island in Lake Pichola, is now the Taj Lake Palace hotel — non-guests can visit the jetty for views, and boat rides on the lake pass close by. Jag Mandir, the smaller island palace (1628), is accessible by boat and open to visitors.

Jagdish Temple and the Old City

Jagdish Temple, completed in 1651 by Maharana Jagat Singh I, is the largest and finest temple in Udaipur — a double-storey Indo-Aryan shikhara temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu, carved from the grey stone of the surrounding hills. The main shrine contains a black stone image of Vishnu as Jagannath; the carved friezes depict elephants, horses, dancers, and musicians in exceptional detail. The surrounding old city — Ghanta Ghar clocktower, Hathi Pol bazaar for silver jewellery and miniature paintings, and the network of narrow lanes connecting Jagdish to the lake ghats — provides the most concentrated heritage streetscape in Udaipur. Gangaur Ghat and Lal Ghat are the most atmospheric waterfront points, particularly at dawn when the palace is reflected in the still lake.

Bagore ki Haveli and Cultural Heritage

Bagore ki Haveli, an 18th-century haveli on Gangaur Ghat, is now a heritage museum with 138 rooms of royal artefacts, costumes, puppets, and a roof terrace overlooking the lake. Each evening the haveli hosts a traditional Rajasthani folk performance — Ghoomar dance, puppet shows, and Kalbeliya dance — one of the best cultural performances available to visitors in Rajasthan. The Mewar Sound and Light Show at the City Palace provides historical context with dramatic illumination of the palace complex from the lake.

Kumbhalgarh Fort and the Surrounding Region

Kumbhalgarh Fort, 82km north of Udaipur on a ridge of the Aravalli hills, is the second most important Mewar fort after Chittorgarh — built by Maharana Kumbha in the 15th century, with walls extending 36km around the hill and enclosing over 360 temples. The fort is famous for having never been conquered by direct assault; it fell only once, briefly, to a combined Mughal-Rajput-Gujarat coalition force in 1576. The Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary surrounding the fort has wolves, leopards, and a significant bird population. En route, the Eklingji Temple complex (22km north) is the personal deity temple of the Mewar royal family — a complex of 108 shrines dominated by the 15th-century main temple with its four-faced Shiva image.

Sajjangarh Palace (Monsoon Palace)

Sajjangarh Palace, known as the Monsoon Palace, crowns a hill 944 metres above sea level at the edge of the Sajjangarh Wildlife Sanctuary — visible from virtually anywhere in Udaipur as a white silhouette above the Aravalli ridgeline. Maharana Sajjan Singh built it in 1884, originally intended as an astronomical observatory to track monsoon clouds. The palace is now government property but open to visitors for spectacular sunset views over the lakes, city, and surrounding hills — the panorama at dusk is among the finest in Rajasthan.

Food & Drink

Udaipur’s rooftop restaurant culture is unique in Rajasthan — dozens of restaurants on the lakefront and old city streets offer Rajasthani thalis, North Indian cooking, and continental food against lake views. Ambrai (Amet Haveli) and Savage Garden are among the more reliable rooftop options. Rajasthani specialities: dal baati churma (lentil soup with baked wheat balls), gatte ki sabzi (gram flour dumplings in yoghurt gravy), and ker sangri (desert beans with dried berries) are the regional dishes. Fateh Sagar Lake’s waterside stalls serve bhutta (roasted corn) and kachori — a local street food ritual in the evenings.

Practical Tips

• City Palace tickets: separate fees for the main museum, Crystal Gallery, and other sections. The composite ticket covers most areas. Allow 3-4 hours for a thorough visit.
• Lake boat rides: government and private boat services run from Rameshwar Ghat, passing Jag Mandir and offering views of the Lake Palace. The 30-minute evening ride is the most popular; book in advance during peak season.
• Kumbhalgarh: most visitors do it as a day trip combined with Ranakpur Jain Temple (160 marble columns, 1,444 pillars — one of the finest Jain temples in India, 90km northwest of Udaipur). A dawn start is recommended.
• Photography: the City Palace reflection in Lake Pichola at dawn (6-7am) is the iconic Udaipur image — best from the Ambrai Ghat area, before any boats are on the water.