Udaipur
City of Lakes: palaces and postcard sunsets
Best time to visit Udaipur
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, shoulder season
- Aug, shoulder season
- Sep, shoulder season
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: November to February
- Shoulder: March and July to October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: April to June
Udaipur season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Best weather of the year. Lake boat rides and rooftop dinners without the sweat.
Summer March to May Shoulder
Lakes shrink and heat climbs past 38C, though evenings by the water stay tolerable.
Monsoon June to September Shoulder
Genuinely underrated: lakes fill, hills turn green, Sajjangarh's monsoon views are the year's best.
Autumn October to November Prime time
Post-monsoon lakes are full and the weather turns pleasant. Arguably the best month to visit.
What Udaipur is actually like
Lakeside rooftop cafes are full of backpackers swapping Rajasthan routes nightly.
Things to do in Udaipur
The local places worth your time in and around Udaipur, with how far each sits from the centre. Tap a name to open it in Google Maps.
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City Palace
Palace · in town
Mewar's lakeside complex of courtyards and mirrored rooms; enter at Badi Pol by 9.30 am, the Crystal Gallery costs extra.
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Jagdish Temple
Temple · in town
1651 Vishnu temple up a 32 step stair in the old city; come for the evening aarti and leave shoes with the stall boy.
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Lake Pichola
Lake · in town
Boats from Rameshwar Ghat inside the palace loop past Jag Mandir; the sunset slot sells out, so book earlier in the day.
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Bagore ki Haveli
Museum · in town
18th century haveli museum on Gangaur Ghat; its 7 pm Dharohar folk dance is worth turning up an hour early for.
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Sajjangarh (Monsoon Palace)
Palace · 8 km out
Hilltop monsoon palace above the lakes, inside a sanctuary so there is a second gate fee; go for the last hour of light.
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Fateh Sagar Lake
Lake · 4 km out
The second lake, with a walkable promenade and boats to Nehru Garden island; evenings fill with families and chai carts.
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Saheliyon ki Bari
Garden · 4 km out
Small 18th century garden of fountains and lotus pools built for royal women; 20 minutes, fountains run on request.
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Badi Lake
Lake · 12 km out
Quiet reservoir with the short Bahubali Hill scramble above it, the sunrise the hostel crowd rides out for on scooters.
Getting to Udaipur
Fly into Udaipur or overnight train from Delhi/Jaipur
Practical ways in: flighttrainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 3 days
- Budget
- Mid-range
- How busy
- Busy at its peak
- Solo travel
- Easy solo
- Altitude
- 598 m
- State
- Rajasthan
- Coordinates
- 24.5854, 73.7125
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Udaipur?
November to February is peak season in Udaipur. March and July to October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to June. Post-monsoon lakes are full and the weather turns pleasant. Arguably the best month to visit.
How many days do you need in Udaipur?
3 days is the usual stay. Lakeside rooftop cafes are full of backpackers swapping Rajasthan routes nightly.
How do you get to Udaipur?
Fly into Udaipur or overnight train from Delhi/Jaipur. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.
Is Udaipur expensive, and does it get crowded?
Mid-range by Indian travel standards, and it runs busy at the busiest time of year. Easy solo.
Is there a festival in Udaipur?
Mar: Mewar Festival (Gangaur). Time a trip around it and you see the place at its loudest, but book beds early.
What are the best things to do in Udaipur?
City Palace, Jagdish Temple, Lake Pichola, Bagore ki Haveli, Sajjangarh (Monsoon Palace) and Fateh Sagar Lake, and more. Mewar's lakeside complex of courtyards and mirrored rooms; enter at Badi Pol by 9.30 am, the Crystal Gallery costs extra.
Nearby, and where to go next
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Jaisamand (Dhebar Lake)
Rajasthan
17th century dam lake with marble ghats and island Bhil villages
60 km from Udaipur, roughly about 1 h by road
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Ranakpur
Rajasthan
Forest-valley home to a landmark Jain temple
80 km from Udaipur, roughly about 2 h by road
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Kumbhalgarh
Rajasthan
Fort behind the world's second-longest wall
100 km from Udaipur, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Polo Forest (Vijaynagar)
Gujarat
Jain and Shiva ruins lost in Aravalli forest by the Harnav
100 km from Udaipur, roughly about 2 h by road
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Jawai Bandh (Bera)
Rajasthan
Leopards on granite hills above an Aravalli reservoir
110 km from Udaipur, roughly about 2 h by road
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Dungarpur
Rajasthan
Juna Mahal's seven floors of frescoes above a Vagad town
110 km from Udaipur, roughly about 2 h by road
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Sitamata Sanctuary (Dhariawad)
Rajasthan
Teak and mahua forest with Rajasthan's only flying squirrels
120 km from Udaipur, roughly about 2 h by road
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Chittorgarh
Rajasthan
India's largest hill fort, steeped in siege history
130 km from Udaipur, roughly about 3 h by road
More places to visit in Rajasthan
- Abhaneri (Chand Baori) Rajasthan
- Ajmer Rajasthan
- Alwar Rajasthan
- Balotra & Tilwara Rajasthan
- Banswara (Mahi Backwaters) Rajasthan
- Barmer Rajasthan
- Bhainsrorgarh Rajasthan
- Bhangarh & Ajabgarh Rajasthan
- Bharatpur (Keoladeo National Park) Rajasthan
- Bikaner Rajasthan
- Bundi Rajasthan
- Chittorgarh Rajasthan
- Deogarh (Devgarh) Rajasthan
- Deshnoke (Karni Mata Temple) Rajasthan
- Dungarpur Rajasthan
- Garadia Mahadev (Chambal Gorge) Rajasthan
- Hanumangarh (Bhatner & Kalibangan) Rajasthan
- Jaipur Rajasthan
- Jaisalmer Rajasthan
- Jaisamand (Dhebar Lake) Rajasthan
- Jawai Bandh (Bera) Rajasthan
- Jhalawar (Gagron & Jhalrapatan) Rajasthan
- Jodhpur Rajasthan
- Karauli Rajasthan
- Khejarla Rajasthan
- Khichan (Demoiselle Cranes) Rajasthan
- Khuri (Desert National Park) Rajasthan
- Kiradu Temples Rajasthan
- Kishangarh Rajasthan
- Kolayat Rajasthan
- Kuchaman (Kuchaman Fort) Rajasthan
- Kumbhalgarh Rajasthan
- Mandawa (Shekhawati) Rajasthan
- Menal (Falls & Temples) Rajasthan
- Merta City Rajasthan
- Mount Abu Rajasthan
- Nagaur Rajasthan
- Nawalgarh (Shekhawati) Rajasthan
- Neemrana Rajasthan
- Osian (Osiyan) Rajasthan