Udaipur was founded in the 16th century by Maharana Udai Singh II as the new capital of Mewar, and it grew around a chain of man-made lakes in the Aravalli hills of southern Rajasthan. Palaces and havelis sit directly on the water, which is why the city is so often called the City of Lakes and why it has become one of India's favourite places for honeymoons and weddings.
Compared with Jaipur or Jodhpur, Udaipur is smaller and slower. Most of the best things to do here are about the lakes and the light: a palace visit in the morning, a boat in the late afternoon, and dinner somewhere with a view of the water. Three unhurried days covers the essentials and leaves time to wander the old city.
Below, experiences are grouped by type, with practical notes on timing and who each one suits.
For how to get there, when to go and where to stay, see our Udaipur travel guide.
Quick answer: best things to do in Udaipur
- Tour the City Palace, including Mor Chowk and the Crystal Gallery
- Take a sunset boat ride on Lake Pichola past Jag Mandir
- Watch the Dharohar folk dance show at Bagore ki Haveli
- See the sunset from the Monsoon Palace (Sajjangarh)
- Walk around Fateh Sagar Lake in the evening
- Visit Saheliyon ki Bari's fountains and gardens
- Explore the old city lanes around Jagdish Temple
- Eat dinner at a lakeside rooftop restaurant
- Take a day trip to Kumbhalgarh Fort or the Ranakpur Jain temple
Want a day-by-day plan? Follow our 10 to 14 day Rajasthan heritage itinerary.
Going by road? See our guide to the Rajasthan road trip.
Interested in the history? See our guide to palaces in India.
Palaces and lakes: the must-see experiences
Explore the City Palace
The City Palace is the largest palace complex in Rajasthan, built over roughly four centuries by successive Mewar rulers on the eastern bank of Lake Pichola. The museum route winds through courtyards, balconies and rooms such as Mor Chowk, with three glass-mosaic peacocks, and the mirrored Manak Mahal. From the upper terraces you look straight down onto the lake and the Lake Palace hotel.
The Crystal Gallery, ticketed separately, holds a collection of crystal furniture ordered from England in the 19th century. It is unusual rather than essential; decide once you have seen the main museum.
- Where
- East bank of Lake Pichola, old city
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Best time
- Morning, before the midday crowds
- Good for
- Everyone
Take a sunset boat on Lake Pichola
The boat ride on Lake Pichola is the experience most visitors remember. Boats leave from jetties at the City Palace and near Lal Ghat, pass the Lake Palace (the Taj hotel on Jag Niwas island, not open to non-guests) and usually stop at Jag Mandir, the island palace where you can walk around the gardens and café.
The late-afternoon departures are the most popular because the palace walls turn gold as the sun drops behind the hills. In peak season they sell out early, so buy tickets at the jetty as soon as you can.
- Where
- City Palace jetty or Lal Ghat
- Time needed
- About 1 hour
- Best time
- Last departures before sunset
- Good for
- Couples, families
Watch the Dharohar show at Bagore ki Haveli
Bagore ki Haveli is an 18th-century mansion on Gangaur Ghat that now works as a museum. Every evening it hosts the Dharohar show, about an hour of Rajasthani folk music and dance, including the Bhavai dance performed with a tower of pots balanced on the head, and puppetry.
Arrive early for a good seat. Visit the haveli museum by day if you want to see its restored rooms and puppet collection.
- Where
- Gangaur Ghat, old city
- Time needed
- About 1 hour
- Best time
- Evening show
- Good for
- Families, first-time visitors
See the sunset from the Monsoon Palace
Sajjangarh, known as the Monsoon Palace, stands on a hill west of the city and was built in the 1880s to watch monsoon clouds gather. The building itself is fairly bare inside; people come for the view over the lakes and Aravalli hills, which is best at sunset.
The road goes through the Sajjangarh Wildlife Sanctuary, and you reach the top by taxi or by the vehicles that run from the sanctuary gate.
- Where
- About 5 km west of the city
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Best time
- Sunset
- Good for
- Couples, photographers
Walk around Fateh Sagar Lake
Fateh Sagar, north of Pichola, is where locals come in the evening. The lakeside road has snack stalls and cafés, and boats run out to Nehru Garden island. It is calmer than Pichola and a good place for a relaxed walk after a day of sightseeing.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Best time
- Evening
- Good for
- Families, anyone wanting a local atmosphere
Old city, gardens and temples
Explore Jagdish Temple and the old city lanes
Jagdish Temple, a 17th-century Vishnu temple with detailed stone carving, sits a short walk from the City Palace at the top of a steep flight of steps. From here the lanes run down to Gangaur Ghat and Lal Ghat, lined with miniature painting studios, textile shops, bookshops and small cafés. It is the best part of the city to explore on foot.
- Time needed
- 2 hours
- Best time
- Morning or late afternoon
- Good to know
- Dress modestly for the temple
Visit Saheliyon ki Bari
The Garden of the Maidens was laid out in the 18th century for the women of the royal household, with marble elephants, lotus pools and fountains that are still fed by the water level of Fateh Sagar. It is a short, pleasant stop that works well with Fateh Sagar on the same afternoon.
- Where
- North of the city, near Fateh Sagar
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Good for
- Families
Learn about miniature painting
Udaipur is one of the main centres of Mewar miniature painting. Many small studios in the old city let you watch artists work with fine brushes, and some offer short lessons. Buy from studios where you can see the work being made, as the quality varies a great deal.
- Time needed
- 1–3 hours
- Good for
- Art lovers, families with older children
Ride the ropeway to Karni Mata Temple
A short cable car runs from Deendayal Park near Doodh Talai up Machchla Magra hill to the Karni Mata Temple. The ride takes a few minutes and the top gives one of the best views over Lake Pichola and the City Palace, especially towards sunset. Doodh Talai's small garden and lakeside path at the bottom are pleasant in the evening.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Best time
- Late afternoon
- Good for
- Families, couples
Spend an evening at Ambrai Ghat
Ambrai Ghat, on the western shore of Pichola in the Hanuman Ghat area, looks straight across the water at the City Palace. It is where many photographers set up at dusk, and the restaurants here have some of the best palace views in the city.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Best time
- Sunset and after dark
- Good for
- Photographers, couples
Visit the Vintage Car Museum
The Maharana's collection of classic cars, including Rolls-Royces and a Cadillac, is displayed in the old palace garage near Gulab Bagh. It is a short visit that appeals to car enthusiasts and children.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Good for
- Families, car enthusiasts
Browse Shilpgram crafts village
Shilpgram, on the western edge of the city, is a rural arts and crafts complex with traditional houses from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra. It comes alive during the Shilpgram Utsav crafts fair in late December, when artisans and performers come from across western India.
- Where
- About 3 km west of Fateh Sagar
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Best time
- Late December, during the crafts fair
- Good for
- Craft lovers, families
Take a cooking class
Several family-run cooking schools in the old city teach Rajasthani home cooking in small groups: dal, sabzi, chapati and chai. It is a good way to spend a warm afternoon and meet a local family.
- Time needed
- 3–4 hours
- Good for
- Food lovers, couples
Food and evenings
Dinner with a lake view
Udaipur's rooftop restaurants around Lal Ghat, Gangaur Ghat and Ambrai Ghat are part of the experience, especially after dark when the City Palace and Lake Palace are lit. Try a Mewari thali, dal baati churma, gatte ki sabzi and laal maas. For a special occasion, the heritage hotels on the lake offer dinner with the best views in the city.
- Best time
- Sunset onwards
- Good for
- Couples
Browse Hathi Pol and Bada Bazaar
The older markets near Hathi Pol and Bada Bazaar sell block-printed and bandhani textiles, silver jewellery, puppets and miniature paintings. Evenings are the liveliest and coolest time to go.
Day trips from Udaipur
Kumbhalgarh Fort
Kumbhalgarh, about 85 km north, is a hill fort with one of the longest continuous walls in the world, running for roughly 36 km through the Aravallis. It is the birthplace of Maharana Pratap and part of the UNESCO Hill Forts of Rajasthan. A full day works well, often combined with Ranakpur.
Ranakpur Jain Temple
The 15th-century Chaumukha temple at Ranakpur is famous for its marble hall of more than a thousand carved pillars, no two of which are said to be the same. It lies on the road between Udaipur and Jodhpur, so it can also be visited in transit.
Chittorgarh Fort
About two hours away by road, Chittorgarh is one of the largest forts in India and the setting of Mewar's most famous stories of resistance. See the Vijay Stambh (Tower of Victory), Rani Padmini's Palace and the Meera Temple.
Eklingji and Nagda temples
Eklingji, about 22 km north, is the family temple of the Mewar rulers, a large complex dedicated to Shiva that is still in active worship. Nearby Nagda has the carved 11th-century Saas-Bahu temples beside a lake. The two fit into a half-day.
Things to do in Udaipur by type of traveller
Couples: Udaipur is one of India's most popular honeymoon cities. A sunset boat on Pichola, dinner on a lakeside rooftop, the Monsoon Palace at dusk and a night in a heritage hotel are the classic combination.
Families: The City Palace, the Dharohar show, boating on Fateh Sagar and Saheliyon ki Bari work well with children. Most sights are close together, so days need little driving.
History and architecture lovers: Add Kumbhalgarh, Ranakpur and Chittorgarh to the City Palace for a full picture of Mewar's history.
What to do in Udaipur with one day
Start at the City Palace when it opens, then walk to Jagdish Temple and down through the old city to Gangaur Ghat. After lunch, see Saheliyon ki Bari and Fateh Sagar Lake, then take a late-afternoon boat on Lake Pichola. Finish with the Dharohar show at Bagore ki Haveli and dinner on a rooftop overlooking the lake.
Plan the rest of your Udaipur trip
Udaipur things to do: FAQs
What are the best things to do in Udaipur?
The City Palace, a sunset boat ride on Lake Pichola past Jag Mandir, the Dharohar dance show at Bagore ki Haveli, sunset at the Monsoon Palace, Fateh Sagar Lake, Saheliyon ki Bari and the old-city lanes around Jagdish Temple.
How many days do I need in Udaipur?
Three unhurried days covers the main sights and leaves time to wander. Add a day for trips to Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur.
What can I do in Udaipur at night?
Watch the Dharohar show at Bagore ki Haveli, eat on a lakeside rooftop with views of the lit City Palace and Lake Palace, and walk along Fateh Sagar, which stays lively in the evening.
Is Udaipur good for couples?
Yes. It is one of India's best-known honeymoon destinations, thanks to its lake views, sunset boat rides, heritage hotels and relaxed pace.
Can you visit the Lake Palace in Udaipur?
The Lake Palace on Jag Niwas island is a hotel and is not open to casual visitors. Jag Mandir, the neighbouring island palace, is included on most Lake Pichola boat rides.
What is the best time to visit Udaipur?
October to February, when the lakes are fullest after the monsoon and evenings are cool. April to June is very hot.
Things to do near Udaipur
- Kumbhalgarh: the great wall of Mewar, about two hours north
- Things to do in Chittorgarh: Rajasthan's largest hill fort, a day trip east
- Things to do in Mount Abu: Rajasthan's only hill station and the Dilwara temples
- Things to do in Jodhpur: the Blue City and Mehrangarh Fort, via Ranakpur
More things to do in Rajasthan
Published by the Kudozz Club editorial team · Last updated · How we research our guides
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