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Udaipur

Udaipur has a romance of setting unmatched in Rajasthan and arguably in all India – snuggling beside tranquil Lake Pichola, with the purple ridges of the Aravalli Range stretching away in every direction. Fantastical palaces, temples, havelis (traditional, ornately decorated residences) and countless narrow, crooked, timeless streets add the human counterpoint to the city’s natural charms. For the visitor there's the serenity of boat rides on the lakes, the bustle and color of bazaars, a lively arts scene, the quaint old-world feel of its heritage hotels, tempting shops and some lovely countryside to explore on wheels, feet or horseback.

Udaipur’s tag of ‘the most romantic spot on the continent of India’ was first applied in 1829 by Colonel James Tod, the East India Company’s first political agent in the region. Today the romance is wearing slightly thin as ever-taller hotels compete for the best view and traffic clogs ancient thoroughfares.

Explore Udaipur

City Palace
Surmounted by balconies, towers and cupolas towering over the lake, the imposing City Palace is Rajasthan’s largest palace, with a facade 244m long and 30…
City Palace Museum
The main part of the City Palace is open as the City Palace Museum, with rooms extravagantly decorated with mirrors, tiles and paintings, and housing a…
L
Lake Pichola
Limpid and large, Lake Pichola reflects the grey-blue mountains on its mirror-like surface. It was enlarged by Maharana Udai Singh II, following his…
Durbar Hall
The restored Durbar Hall (royal reception hall) in the City Palace is one of India’s most impressive, with some of the country’s biggest chandeliers. The…
Sajjan Garh
Perched on top of a distant hill like a fairy-tale castle, this melancholy, neglected late-19th-century palace was constructed by Maharana Sajjan Singh…
Jagmandir Island
The palace on Jagmandir Island, about 800m south of Jagniwas, was built by Maharana Karan Singh II in 1620, added to by his successor Maharana Jagat Singh…
Jagniwas Island
Jagniwas Island is about 15,000 sq m in size and entirely covered by the opulent palace built by Maharana Jagat Singh II in 1754. Once the royal summer…
S
Sajjan Garh Wildlife Sanctuary
On the way to Sajjan Garh, at the foot of the hill you enter the 5-sq-km Sajjan Garh Wildlife Sanctuary. A good way to visit is with the daily sunset…
B
Bagore-ki-Haveli
This gracious 18th-century haveli (traditional, ornately decorated residence), set on the water’s edge at Gangaur Ghat, was built by a Mewar prime…

City Palace
Surmounted by balconies, towers and cupolas towering over the lake, the imposing City Palace is Rajasthan’s largest palace, with a facade 244m long and 30…
City Palace Museum
The main part of the City Palace is open as the City Palace Museum, with rooms extravagantly decorated with mirrors, tiles and paintings, and housing a…
L
Lake Pichola
Limpid and large, Lake Pichola reflects the grey-blue mountains on its mirror-like surface. It was enlarged by Maharana Udai Singh II, following his…
Durbar Hall
The restored Durbar Hall (royal reception hall) in the City Palace is one of India’s most impressive, with some of the country’s biggest chandeliers. The…
Sajjan Garh
Perched on top of a distant hill like a fairy-tale castle, this melancholy, neglected late-19th-century palace was constructed by Maharana Sajjan Singh…
Jagmandir Island
The palace on Jagmandir Island, about 800m south of Jagniwas, was built by Maharana Karan Singh II in 1620, added to by his successor Maharana Jagat Singh…
Jagniwas Island
Jagniwas Island is about 15,000 sq m in size and entirely covered by the opulent palace built by Maharana Jagat Singh II in 1754. Once the royal summer…
S
Sajjan Garh Wildlife Sanctuary
On the way to Sajjan Garh, at the foot of the hill you enter the 5-sq-km Sajjan Garh Wildlife Sanctuary. A good way to visit is with the daily sunset…
B
Bagore-ki-Haveli
This gracious 18th-century haveli (traditional, ornately decorated residence), set on the water’s edge at Gangaur Ghat, was built by a Mewar prime…

Top attractions

These are our favorite local haunts, touristy spots, and hidden gems throughout Udaipur.

See
City Palace
Surmounted by balconies, towers and cupolas towering over the lake, the imposing City Palace is Rajasthan’s largest palace, with a facade 244m long and 30…
See
City Palace Museum
The main part of the City Palace is open as the City Palace Museum, with rooms extravagantly decorated with mirrors, tiles and paintings, and housing a…
See
Lake Pichola
Limpid and large, Lake Pichola reflects the grey-blue mountains on its mirror-like surface. It was enlarged by Maharana Udai Singh II, following his…
See
Durbar Hall
The restored Durbar Hall (royal reception hall) in the City Palace is one of India’s most impressive, with some of the country’s biggest chandeliers. The…
See
Sajjan Garh
Perched on top of a distant hill like a fairy-tale castle, this melancholy, neglected late-19th-century palace was constructed by Maharana Sajjan Singh…
See
Jagmandir Island
The palace on Jagmandir Island, about 800m south of Jagniwas, was built by Maharana Karan Singh II in 1620, added to by his successor Maharana Jagat Singh…
See
Jagniwas Island
Jagniwas Island is about 15,000 sq m in size and entirely covered by the opulent palace built by Maharana Jagat Singh II in 1754. Once the royal summer…
See
Sajjan Garh Wildlife Sanctuary
On the way to Sajjan Garh, at the foot of the hill you enter the 5-sq-km Sajjan Garh Wildlife Sanctuary. A good way to visit is with the daily sunset…
See
Bagore-ki-Haveli
This gracious 18th-century haveli (traditional, ornately decorated residence), set on the water’s edge at Gangaur Ghat, was built by a Mewar prime…

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