City Palace and Jagdish Temple
Start with the City Palace and the Jagdish Temple, a Hindu temple, at the centre of the old city. Rajasthan Tourism also lists Jag Mandir, the Monsoon Palace and Shilpgram, a crafts village.
3 daysHow long to stay
Budget to luxuryRough cost
Couples, Families, Friends, SoloWho it suits
RajasthanRajasthan
Is this for you?
Come for palaces on still lakes, narrow lanes and rooftop dinners. Couples get the most from it, and families enjoy it too. It's a popular stop and can get busy, so skip it if you want a place to yourself. Summers are very hot, so come between October and March.
When to go
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
Go in the coloured months. The black ones are best avoided.
What to do
Lake Pichola at sunset
Take a boat on Lake Pichola at sunset, the classic first evening. Pichola and Fateh Sagar are the two big lakes. We haven't checked current boat hours or fees, so ask first.
Saheliyon ki Badi and Bagore-ki-Haveli
Save an evening for Bagore-ki-Haveli, an old mansion. By day, see Saheliyon ki Badi, a garden, and Ahar, a site of cenotaphs (memorial monuments) a short ride away.
Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur
Go by private car, because it's a long day. Kumbhalgarh is a fort about 64 km out. Ranakpur, about 100 km out, has a Jain marble temple with 1,444 pillars, and it bars leather, so leave belts and bags behind.
What to eat
Udaipur splits in two: lake-view rooftops for the setting, and plain dining halls for the food. If you care about dinner more than the view, leave the lakeside for one meal.
Dal baati churma
Baked wheat balls with lentils and a sweet crumble. Rajasthan's signature meal, best at lunch in a thali hall, and very filling.
Vegetarian
Gatte ki sabzi
Gram flour dumplings in a spiced gravy. The one to order if you don't eat meat, and it usually comes on a thali.
Vegetarian
Hing kachori
A fried pastry flavoured with hing, or asafoetida, a pungent spice. Have it for breakfast in the old city.
Vegetarian
Laal maas
Rajasthan's red mutton curry, and it's hot. Recipes vary by kitchen, so ask how spicy it is before you order.
Machli Jaisamandi
A fish dish you'll find at selected restaurants, named after Jaisamand lake. Ask where it's on the menu.
Where to go
Ambrai RestaurantLakeside
Go for the view across the lake at dinner. Book through your hotel.
Mid-rangeMillets of MewarOld city
A break from fried food, with vegetarian-leaning meals.
Mid-rangeShiv Shakti ChaatNear Bapu Bazaar
Street kachoris, fried pastries, eaten standing.
Cheap eats
Getting there
Fly into Maharana Pratap Airport (UDR) at Dabok, 25 km from the centre. Trains reach Chittorgarh, Ahmedabad, Ajmer, Sawai Madhopur, Jaipur, Agra and Delhi. The Vande Bharat (fast modern train) 20979 to Jaipur at 07:50 reportedly runs only Sunday, Wednesday and Friday, so confirm first. Ahmedabad is about 6 hours by bus.
Where to stay
Lake Pichola shore One guide puts the luxury palace hotels here on the lake, so this is the one to splurge on.
Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.
Lakeside old city If you're watching your money, one guide points you to Lal Ghat, Gangaur Ghat and Chandpole. A ghat is a flight of stone steps down to a lake.
Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.
Residency Road and Panchwati One guide lists mid-range hotels here, in the newer streets. You give up being in the old city.
Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.
Worth knowing
Rules
Leave leather belts, wallets and bags in the car at Ranakpur. One source says the Jain temple there bars leather items.
Sources differ on this, or we have only one, so check locally.
