Udaipur Travel Guide + Things To Do

In this post, we’ll help you plan and perfect a trip to Udaipur, India. We’ll start by introducing Udaipur and some of the logistics that go into booking a trip there. Then we’ll dive into the best things to do in Udaipur, and also help you piece it together into an ideal 1 to 3 day itinerary. Keep reading to learn more about planning a trip to Udaipur!

What is Udaipur like?

Udaipur is the Paul Rudd of Indian cities. You simply cannot find anything bad about Udaipur on the internet, and for good reason.

Let’s start with the obvious: it is beautiful. The city is nestled against the Aravalli Hills (the same hill range that borders Jaipur), which serves as a stunning backdrop and is home to some of the best vantage points in town. Udaipur has lovingly earned the nickname “City of Lakes,” in reference to the man-made lakes that are the focal point of the city. There are seven lakes, but Lake Pichola and Fateh Sagar Lake are the biggest and most popular.

Udaipur has an unmistakable charm and ease to it, that you won’t find in the Golden Triangle cities (Delhi, Jaipur and Agra). Udaipur feels very laid back and has an artsy vibe. There is less soliciting and hustle from salespeople, possibly because there are more stores to go inside versus market stalls and street carts. (Though Udaipur has the later, too.)

It’s also more walkable than the other cities, with wider streets, less vehicle traffic (more cows though), and even a pedestrian bridge. That said, auto rickshaws are still easy to hail and will get you just about anywhere around town for cheap.

Another nickname Udaipur gets sometimes is “Venice of the East.” While I think that comparison is a bit of a stretch, it does have a certain Mediterranean resemblance. The buildings stacked along the waterfront reminded me a bit of Greece and the art shops and galleries all around town did give off some Florence energy.

This type of city attracts a type of traveler. We noticed substantially more western tourists in Udaipur than any of the Golden Triangle cities. It seemed like most of the tourists in the golden triangle were domestic Indian travelers, while Udaipur was mostly western tourists. This makes sense because Udaipur does have a more western feel to it than the other cities in India that we went to.

A trip to Udaipur will mostly likely include stunning sunset views, walks through lively bazars and winding streets, hopefully a boat ride or two, and of course a stroll through the colorful City Palace.

So yeah, we also don’t have anything bad to say about Udaipur.

Disclaimer

Lastly, I want to acknowledge that the Udaipur I talk about in this post is the tourist’s Udaipur. Like most of India, Udaipur has a lot of very intense poverty. We were riding the train with a young tech professional from Udaipur, and we told him we heard his city was lovely. He responded with a smile and said, “Yeah, it is if you’re a tourist.”

I never want to sound out of touch or over generalize an entire city. We saw the slums outside of the train station and the children running around barefoot. I am painfully aware that Udaipur is not all palaces and rooftop dining.

This post isn’t meant to ignore that fact. Instead, I’m trying to provide a realist overview of what a tourist will likely experience. We will focus on the touristy areas and the tourist experience, which I acknowledge is a privilege.

Plan your trip to Udaipur

Before we get to the fun stuff, let’s go over the logistics of actually planning a trip to Udaipur. Things like how to get there and where to stay.

If you’ve read any of our other India itineraries for Delhi or Jaipur, you’ll find that some of these sections (like visas, vaccines and weather) look a little familiar. Some of the content is similar, but it has been tailored to Udaipur specifically so don’t breeze over it entirely.

India Visa requirements

To get to Udaipur, you’ll first need to get into India. India requires a Tourist e-Visa for visitors from almost every country. The eVisa is available for three available durations (30 days, 1 year, 5 years).

You can apply for an Indian Tourist e-Visa online. You will need a valid passport, passport photo, and credit card to pay the application fee. The application fee varies based on your nationality, but most applicants will pay $10 or $25 USD for a 30-day visa.

In most cases, this is a quick and easy process, but don’t put it off to the last minute. It can take longer if complications come up. Kenny’s took a few weeks to resolve, while mine was approved within 48 hours.

Recommended vaccines for Udaipur

Vaccines are not typically required to enter India (unless you’re traveling from a Yellow Fever country). However, you should probably check what vaccines you’re current on and what ones you might want to get. In the United States, the CDC recommends the following vaccines for travelers going to India. Other countries may have different guidelines.

(Disclaimer: We are not doctors and this is not medical advice. Consult your physician or a travel clinic for a professional opinion.)

COVID-19
Hepatitis A
Hepatits B
Measles
Yellow Fever
Typhoid
Rabies
Cholera (not prominent in Udaipur)
Malaria (not prominent in Udaipur)
Japanese Encephalitis (not prominent in Udaipur)

We personally received or already had all of the vaccines that are bolded in the above list. We got the Yellow Fever vaccine a few years ago before traveling to Colombia, but we wouldn’t have otherwise gotten it for this trip. The only new vaccine that we got specifically got for this trip was Typhoid.

Typhoid spreads through contaminated water. We planned to be extremely careful with drinking water, but contaminated water can easily get into your system through sneakier ways. (There’s always the chance contaminated water was used to wash produce, clean cutlery or make ice, for example.) Even though we felt like our risk was low, this one seemed like it was worth it.

The Typhoid vaccine is expensive. It costs around $150 and most insurance doesn’t cover it. (Our insurance covered it for our child but not us adults.) It’s also really hard to find. In many cases you have to go to a travel clinic to get it, which can sometimes cost another few hundred dollars. Some CVS locations carry it though, especially in major cities, so be sure to check there first. (We got ours at a CVS in Astoria, NY, USA.)

When to go to Udaipur

The most important thing to consider when you’re planning a trip to Udaipur is the weather. Udaipur is hot all year, but it’s really hot in the summer. Plus there’s monsoon season to deal with.

Here’s a look at Udaipur weather by season. All temperatures are in °F.

Summer in Udaipur (April – June): Summer is extremely hot with temperatures regularly hitting 100°F or higher.
Monsoon Season in Udaipur (July – September): The monsoon season starts in late June and brings with it heavy rains and humidity. Highs dip down to the 80s with lows in the 70s.
Fall and winter in Udaipur (October – January): The rainy season gives way to a milder fall and winter. Highs still hover around 80°F but lows can dip down into the 40s and 50s.
Spring in Udaipur (February – March): Temperatures shoot up in a hurry come spring, but can very day by day. Highs will steadily climb from the 80s into the 90s and lows will get up to the 60s.

From a weather perspective, the best time to visit Udaipur is in the late winter or early spring (January through March). You definitely want to avoid the summer’s crippling heat and monsoon season in Udaipur.

Other than weather, you may also want to plan around holidays and festivals. Some holidays that are celebrated fervently in Udaipur include Teej (July/August), Gangaur (April), Diwali (October/November), and Holi.

We personally celebrated Holi in Udaipur and it was the highlight of our entire trip to India. Holi marks the start of spring, and it is celebrated with a flurry of brightly colored powdered paint. There’s music and dancing and lots of “Happy Holi” well wishes as every stranger smears a bit more color onto your face. If it’s possible to visit Udaipur for Holi (February/March), you should absolutely prioritize it.

Getting around Udaipur

Getting around to different places in Udaipur will require a handful of different transportation methods.

Walk: Walking is the best way to get around the old city area near City Palace and the surrounding bazars and shopping streets. The streets are narrow and windy, but there are lots of shops and restaurants along the way.
Auto Rickshaw (tuk tuk): This is the best way to cover medium distances across town. There’s tuk tuks available for hire all around the city, particularly in tourist areas. Be sure to agree on a price before you begin your ride. Rates are usually pretty reasonable. For example, a ride from City Palace to Rameshwar Ghat costs about Rs. 150 ($2 USD).
Boat: It is basically required to take at least one boat ride in Udaipur. If you’re staying on Lake Pichola, your hotel might offer a shuttle boat service to get to and from the old city. Otherwise, boat rides are more for fun and sightseeing than for transit. Although the only way to get to Jag Mandir, a castle in the middle of Lake Pichola, is by boat.
Uber: They do have Uber in Udaipur, so that’s the best way to cover further distances. This is the best way to get up to the hills (like to Monsoon Palace), get to hotels that are on the west side of the lakes or get to the train station or airport with all your stuff.

Udaipur does not have a metro or intercity train system.

Where to Stay in Udaipur

You can find really, really cheap places to stay in Udaipur and really, really expensive places to stay in Udaipur.

If you’re going the cheaper route, we recommend staying somewhere in the old city area on the northeast side of Lake Pichola. Jagat Niwas Palace Hotel is a popular and well-rated hotel in this area which goes for $50 – $100 USD a night. You can also get places much cheaper (like in the <$10 USD range), but we can’t say we recommend those if you can avoid it.

If you’re traveling on a luxury budget, you have some incredible options in Udaipur. One popular option is Taj Lake Palace, which is in the middle of Lake Pichola. Another is the Oberoi Udaivilas, which is the Udaipur location for the Oberoi brand which was named the World’s Best Hotel Brand in 2022 by Travel & Leisure.

We personally stayed at the Oberoi Udaivilas, and it was unreal. The entire property is stunning, the views are incredible, and the service is unmatched.

The Oberoi Udaivilas is located on the west side of Lake Pichola. They have complimentary boat service from the hotel to their jetty on the south side of Doodh Talai, which was then a short (Rs. 200) tuk tuk ride to City Palace. Honestly, the commute was half the fun everyday.

We used our Amex Platinum to book through the Amex Fine Hotels + Resorts portal which got us upgraded to an amazing room with a semi-private pool. Needless to say, our 2-year-old was impressed.

How many days do you need in Udaipur

How long you need to stay in Udaipur really depends on what you want to get out of it and also how much time you have. You can see and do a lot in just one day as part of a busy itinerary, but you can also stretch it out to fill your entire vacation.

1 day in Udaipur is enough if you’re already in the area. If you’re making your way through Rajasthan and Udaipur isn’t too far out of the way, one day is actually perfect. You can cover the must-dos in a single day, which is fine if you’re not wasting full travel days on either side to get there.
2 days in Udaipur is enough if you’re adding it onto the Golden Triangle or Mumbai. It takes a bit of time to get to Udaipur from Delhi or Mumbai, so you want to make it worthwhile. A 2-day trip is the perfect amount of time to enjoy Udaipur enough to justify the travel time.
3 days in Udaipur is enough to see most of the main attractions. If you want to see the highlights at a leisurely pace or pack in as much as possible, three days is generous. You won’t feel rushed, but can still do a lot.
4+ days in Udaipur is enough if you want to relax. You certainly don’t need four or more days in Udaipur. However, if you have the time, it’s a great place to spend it..

For most travelers, we’d suggest spending two days in Udaipur. That’s really the sweet spot. You can fill your mornings with activities and your evenings with rooftop drinks and sunset views. It’s not too rushed, but you won’t get sick of it either.

How to get to Udaipur

Udaipur is located almost exactly in the middle of Mumbai and Delhi. That means that it’s kind of a pain in the you-know-what to get to from either. (Honestly, I think that’s why Udaipur has been able to preserve its charm. If it was easier to get to, everyone would go there.)

If you’re going to Udaipur from either Mumbai or Delhi, it’s probably best to fly. From either city, the flight is only 1 – 1.5 hours, but it will still take the better part of the day when you factor in security and transit between airports and hotels. To get to Udaipur from Delhi, there’s also an option for an overnight train.

It’s also possible to add Udaipur to a Golden Circle itinerary, which is what we did. It fits in well between Jaipur and Agra. From Jaipur to Udaipur, it’s a 6.5 hour drive or 7-8 hour train ride. From Agra to Udaipur, its a 12-13 hour overnight train or 10.5 hour drive. We personally took the morning train from Jaipur to Udaipur and then overnight train from Udaipur to Agra.

Trains in India in generally are fine. They are relatively quick, mostly on time, and pretty cheap. We recommend booking through 12go Asia, and also be sure to book an AC cabin with a reserved seat or bed. The lower class cars are very hot, very crowded, and very much not for tourists. The overnight train (in First Class) wasn’t bad, but it was eventful. It’s definitely an experience I’m happy to say I had, but I’m also not in a rush to do it again.

Things to do in Udaipur

There’s a handful of must-see things in Udaipur, which we’ll walk through in this section. Beyond that, Udaipur is really about walking through the bazars and enjoying the views over the town and the lakes.

Most of the tourist attractions in Udaipur are around the lakes, primarily Lake Pichola and Fateh Sagar Lake, and in the old city. The old city is the historical city center of Udaipur and refers to the area around the City Palace on the northeast side of Lake Pichola.

Most popular things to do in Udaipur

Udaipur City Palace: This 400-year-old palace sits on east bank of Lake Pichola. It’s one of the largest palaces of its style, filled with colorful rooms and endless views. Many of the rooms showcase museum-style exhibits, historical artifacts and replicas, and art. Be sure to get there early (like, as soon as it opens) to beat the crowds and tour groups. There is a single route through the palace that has a lot of narrow passage ways, so once those get congested the experience takes a lot longer and cannot be sped up.
Jagdish Temple: This is a Hindu temple at the heart of Udaipur’s old city. It’s a small, but beautiful temple with intricate carvings and nice views of the surrounding chowk (or market).
Gangour Ghat: There are many ghats in Udaipur, which is a general term for steps that lead down to the water. Gangour Ghat is the main one because it’s the largest, most popular and prettiest. There’s an archway gate, some street art and a small temple. It’s a popular, free place to watch the sunset over Lake Pichola.
Boat ride on Lake Pichola: It’s hard to miss Lake Pichola if you’re visiting Udaipur. It’s the massive lake that sits beside the City Palace and old city. The best way to experience it is to get on the water. You can buy tickets for the boat ride at City Palace, and then walk to the jetty at Rameshwar Ghat. The boat runs every hour and takes you out around the lake and to Jag Mandir, which is a palace in the middle of Lake Pichola.
Rooftop bars and restaurants: The views are the highlight of Udaipur, so enjoying a meal or drink is a popular way to do that. There are several popular and well rated options including Rainbow Restaurant, Sun N Moon Cafe and Cafe Grasswood. We personally dined at Yummy Yoga, and the only thing better than the lake views was the Thali we ate. Definitely be sure to read reviews and do your research before dining or drinking out anywhere in India, as the water is not safe to drink and traveler’s diarrhea is common.

Other things to do in Udaipur

Fateh Sagar Pal: Along the east bank of Fateh Sagar Lake is a pedestrian waterfront pathway. It’s a great place for a run in the early morning or a casual stroll in evening. There are some food vendors, shops and an aquarium along the way, but people mostly come to enjoy the lake views.
Jag Mandir: This castle sits in the middle of Lake Pichola and is only accessible by boat, so you’ll probably combine it with the boat ride I’ve already mentioned. It’s a small castle and grounds with bar/restaurant and nice views.
Panchwati and Saheliyon ki bari: Panchwati is the neighborhood to the east of Fateh Sagar Lake. It is lively and a bit more modern with several new buildings, a handful trendy coffee shops and an odd amount of burger restaurants. Saheliyon ki bari is located in this area and is a beautiful garden with several fountains.
Pratap Gaurav Kendra: This is one of the more interesting tourist attractions in Udaipur and I can’t say that we personally experienced it. It’s a museum of sorts with several different types of exhibits including statues, gardens, films and art that explores the history of the region and Hindu culture. It specifically celebrates the life and legacy of former leader Pratap Gaurav Kendra.

Best views in Udaipur

Monsoon Palace: This hilltop castle sits to the west of Fateh Sagar Lake and offers panoramic views of Udaipur City and the surrounding Aravalli Hills. It is a bit of a pain to get there, but you can explore the castle museum in addition to the views.
Karni Mata Temple by Ropeway: This is a small, hilltop temple on the east side of Lake Pichola. The temple itself is not that impressive, but the views over the lake and city are incredible. What makes this experience even more fun is taking the Ropeway (cable cars) to the top. You can also walk if you’re really ambitious.
Ambrai Ghat: This particular ghat offers some of the best water-side views of City Palace looming over Lake Pichola. There’s also some cool murals and street art and a temple.
Neemach Mata Mandir: Head to this hilltop temple for the best views of Fateh Sagar Lake. Like most places in Udaipur, it’s particularly beautiful at sunset. It does require a 1K high and some stairs to get to the top, though.
Doodh Talai: This is a small lake (more of a pond) just east of Lake Pichola. It’s surrounded by beautiful white domes and archways, which makes for a very scenic and photogenic visit. It seemed to be most popular with locals and Indian tourists, but we enjoyed our walks around it on our way to the boat jetty for our hotel.

Bazars & shops in Udaipur

Bada Bazar: This is the main market street in Udaipur. The street is narrow, but still walkable. It is located on Mochiwada Road between Ghantaghar (notable clocktower) and the Jain Temple here. It’s a popular walking street for tourists, lined with shops and street vendors, along with several small, hidden temples and shrines.
Jagdish Chowk: This refers to area around Jagdish Temple and includes many of the streets that branch out from the busy traffic circle in front of the temple. Shops in this area are primarily art and souvenir shops, with lots of restaurants and street food vendors.
Ashoka Arts: Udaipur is famous for its miniature paintings, which where historically used as a way of record keeping and storytelling. There are several art shops around town where you can see and buy tiny paintings, and even chat with the artist who creates them. Ashoka Arts is popular and well regarded shop for these paintings.

Udaipur sample itinerary

Now we’ll take the best things to do in Udaipur, organize them by location and importance, and weave them into an easy-to-follow sample itinerary. This should help give you an idea of how much you can cover in a day, including how to move around to the different locations.

This itinerary covers three full days, but it’s organized with the most important things first. The itinerary will stand on its own whether you have one, two or all three days in Udaipur.

1-day Udaipur Itinerary

If you have only one day in Udaipur, you’ve got to hit the big ticket items in a hurry, which is exactly what we’ll do. This 1-day Udaipur itinerary gives you the chance to experience some of the very best things about Udaipur.

City Palace

Start your day early and arrive at City Palace when it opens at 9:30 AM. There are a few entrances, but the main one is near Tripoliya Gate, just up City Palace Road from Jagdish Temple. The ticket booth is right outside Tripoliya Gate and is clearly labeled.

For the most part, the City Palace has one route that will lead you through all the different rooms. There are several small corridors and staircases, so it’s prone to bottlenecks. If you get there early and move at an average clip, you can probably see the entire grounds in about 1.5 hours. However, if you catch the crowds, it will easy take two or three hours.

Hours: 9:30 AM – 5:30 PM, everyday
Price: Rs 300
Tickets: You can buy tickets from the ticket counters located on the north and south ends of the palace.

Lake Pichola Boat Ride to Jag Mandir

If you haven’t already done so, buy your ticket for the boat from the City Palace ticket booth. While you’re there, ask for specific instructions on how to reach the boat jetty. The boat departs from Rameshwar Ghat, which is part of the City Palace complex on the south end.

The boat runs regularly throughout the day, so it’s best to just head down whenever you’re ready. Each trip goes around the lake a bit and stops at Jag Mandir, where you can get off the boat and explore. We didn’t personally take this boat ride (because our hotel had a private boat shuttle), so we’ll send you over to The Wandering Quinn who did and has some tips for you.

Hours: 10 AM – 5:30 PM, everyday
Price: Rs 500 during the day and Rs 800 for sunset (Sunset is defined as 4 – 6 PM April through September or 3 – 5 PM October through March.)
Tickets: You can buy tickets from the City Palace ticket counter.

Lunch at Rainbow Restaurant

There’s a chance you have already eaten by now, either somewhere by the City Palace or the restaurant at Jag Mandir. If you’ve survived on packaged Masala Magic potato chips until now, then you’re probably starving and ready for lunch.

Hire an auto rickshaw from Rameshwar Ghat and ask for a ride to Lal Ghat. It should cost about Rs. 150. Rainbow Restaurant is located just steps from Lal Ghat. It’s a popular rooftop restaurant with great views over Lake Pichola.

Jagdish Temple & Chowk

After lunch, walk up Lal Ghat Road (the road that Rainbow Restaurant is on) until it ends, then turn right and you’ll hit Jagdish Temple. Depending on what time you get there, you might need to do the market streets first as the temple closes for a few hours in the afternoon (usually 1 – 4 PM and my guess is you’ll get here around 3).

For the sake of discussion, let’s start with the temple though. Walk up the stairs to the temple and remove your shoes at the entrance. There’s a shelf you can store them, or you can take them with you. If you leave your shoes someone will likely ask for a tip for “guarding” them.

After the temple, explore the rest of the neighborhood. There is a traffic circle in front of the temple with streets leading out in many directions. We’d suggest starting with City Palace Road, which is to your right when you exit the temple. Many of these shops were probably closed when you arrived at City Palace this morning. Then work your way around, going up each street a couple blocks and then back down to the temple.

The last street you get to will be the street that you took from Lal Ghat. This time, follow that street all the way to our next stop, Gangour Ghat.

Hours: 4:15 AM to 1 PM and 4/5 to 8 PM, everyday
Price: Free + tip for shoe storage
Tickets: NA

Sunset at Gangour Ghat

From Jagdish Temple, walk west to Gangour Ghat. On your way, you might want to grab a coffee from Cafe Edelweiss or a snack or tea from one of the street stalls.

You can take a short walk around the ghat to see some of the artwork and the small temple, or peruse the souvenirs laid out on blankets. Find a seat on the steps and enjoy the view as the sun sets over the lake.

2-day Udaipur Itinerary

If you have two days in Udaipur, follow the above 1-day itinerary and then add the following schedule for your second day.

The first day was all about the tourist essentials. On the second day, we’ll see the city from some different perspectives (literally) and venture out to more of the city streets.

Karni Mata Temple by Ropeway

The Ropeway is a cablecar that provides easy access to Karni Mata Temple.

Start your day around 9 or 10 AM and head to the base of the ropeway. It’s located here, not far from Pandit Deendayal Upadhyay Park. If you’re coming from the old city, you can take an auto rickshaw here for Rs. 150 – 200.

There’s a ticket office along the road where you’ll buy your ticket. Then follow the steps down to the boarding zone. If you arrive early, the queue is not very long, but the wait can get long later in the day.

The ropeway is a lovely cable car experience that takes you to the top of the hill. There’s a lookout point and a small temple, with stunning views in all directions. The temple is small and nice, but the views are really the highlight. After you’re done, follow signs to the ropeway station.

The station at the top is large and indoors. It has a VR experience, photo backdrops, restaurant and snack stands. Be sure to check in at the ticket counter when you get there. You’ll get a number which they’ll call over the speaker when it’s your turn to board.

The Ropeway isn’t a “must-do” in Udaipur, and many people complain about the long queues. We personally loved it, and you can avoid the queues by going early in the day. For our little one, who adores the Skyliner at Disney World, this was the highlight of their trip.

Hours: 9 AM – 8 PM, everyday. (NOTE: The ropeway station at the top does not start running until 10:30 AM.)
Price: Rs 190 per person round trip or a private cabin for RS 595 and up (depending on how many people you have). There are additional fees for the VR and 3D photo experiences.
Tickets: Tickets are sold at both ropeway stations (base and summit)

Doodh Talai

After the Ropeway, walk down to Doodh Talai. Lots of people will try to sell you a rickshaw ride when you exit, but don’t hire one just yet. Walk a little ways down the hill until you get to Doodh Talai.

Doodh Talai is a nice pond surrounded by pretty whites domes and arches. It’s a nice place to take a short stroll and snap some photos. Though it’s mostly popular with the locals, it’s still worth a stop since it’s so close to the ropeway.

Doodh Talai is open all the time and no tickets are required.

Lunch at Yummy Yoga

From Doodh Talai, hire an auto rickshaw — there will be plenty hanging out in this area. Ask them to take you to Daiji Bridge. (If they don’t know that bridge by name for some reason, you can also have them take you to Jagdish Temple. It’s only a 5 minute walk from Jagdish to the bridge.) It should cost about Rs. 200.

The bridge here is pedestrian only and is the shortest way to get to the restaurant. To go by rickshaw, you have to take a longer route, which is a bit more expensive but also just out of the way. The walk is nice.

Walk across the pedestrian bridge and on to Yummy Yoga. There is a sign at the entrance, and then you’ll have to walk up several flights of stairs to reach the rooftop restaurant. Trust me though, it’s worth it. Order the Thali for a traditional meal.

Bada Bazar

After lunch, head back over the pedestrian bridge toward Ghantaghar. It’s not particularly notable, but it’s a large clocktower and a helpful landmark to the start of the bazar.

Bada Bazar is a popular shopping street with lots of little shops and restaurants. Its about a half mile long, but there’s a handful of side streets and small temples that you can explore as well. Unlike some bazars and markets in India, this one is actually really pleasant to walk through. Traffic isn’t too bad and the soliciting is not very aggressive.

Most of the shops are open from 10:30 AM to 8 PM.

Sunset at Ambrai Ghat

Stroll back through the bazar (or take another route) and head to Daiji pedestrian bridge again. This time, head to Ambrai Ghat at the south side of this little peninsula.

Ambrai Ghat has some cool street art, but mostly you’re here for the views of City Palace and Lake Pichola. This is a great spot to watch the sunset.

3-day Udaipur Itinerary

If you have three days in Udaipur, follow the above 1-day and 2-day itineraries and then add the following schedule for your third day.

We’ve enjoyed lots of Lake Pichola views in the first two days, and day three is all about Fateh Sagar Lake and the Aravalli Hills.

We personally didn’t make it to most of these sites, since we only had two days. They were on our list and places we considered, so we wanted to be sure to include them here.

Monsoon Palace (also called Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace)

Start your day at Monsoon Palace. You can take an Uber or auto rickshaw to the the entrance of the grounds, but that’s still pretty far from the entrance to the actual palace (about 2.5 miles). Then you’ll need to take a special taxi, which will cost another Rs. 600-800. You want to get here early because the queue for these cars can get really long.

Once you reach the actual palace, you can explore the many levels of the palace. The best views are of course at the top.

We personally didn’t make it here (honestly it felt like a chore and kind of expensive), but people tend to love it or hate it. It seems like most people spend about 30 minutes inside the palace, but the entire experience can take a few hours.

Hours: 9 AM – 5 PM, everyday
Price: Rs 80 per person for entry (cab service will be more)
Tickets: Tickets are sold at the entrance

Neemach Mata Mandir

Our next destination is both a hike and a temple with a view. From the exit of Monsoon Palace, take an Uber to Neemach Mata Mandir. The temple itself is at the top of a hill, so they’ll drop you off at the entrance to the walkway. If you need to enter an exact address, use this one which is for the nearby parking garage.

The walk up the hill does some zigs and zags and includes inclines and stairs. The temple is pretty small but the view over Fateh Sagar Lake looks incredible.

This temple is open at all times and no ticket is required.

Saheliyon ki bari

After your hike, flag down an auto rickshaw. You might have to walk down to Udaipur road closer to the lake to catch one. Have them take you to Saheliyon ki bari, which shouldn’t be more than Rs. 100.

Not that Udaipur is particularly overwhelming, but this garden is nice for a city break. There are several fountains and pretty landscaping. It’s popular with Indian tourists and is very Instagrammable. It’s pretty cheap to enter and should only take about an hour.

There’s also several coffee shops in the area nearby, including a Starbucks, if you’re looking for an afternoon pick-me-up or a snack before or after the gardens.

Hours: 9 AM – 7 PM, everyday
Price: Rs 20
Tickets: Tickets are sold at the entrance

Sunset at Fateh Sagar Pal

From Saheliyon ki bari, it’s about a 15 minute walk to the south end of Fateh Sagar Pal. It’s a fine walk, but nothing you must do. If you prefer to skip the walk, you can hire an auto rickshaw for about Rs. 50.

Fateh Sagar Pal is a waterfront pedestrian pathway that follows the east bank of Fateh Sagar Pal. It has beautiful views of the lake and surrounding hills and is a popular place for an evening stroll. You can rent boats or kayaks, or even swim in the water.

Even though this is the last thing on our three-day itinerary, it is by no means the worst thing. So many people love Fateh Sagar Lake because it’s much less crowded and touristy than Lake Pichola.

You can stroll Fateh Sagar Pal at anytime and there is no ticket required.

Is Udaipur worth visiting?

The short answer is yes, Udaipur is worth visiting. The longer answer is that it depends how much time you have and what you’re willing to sacrifice to fit it in.

Why is Udaipur so great? It’s a more relaxing and scenic alternative to the more popular, loud and crowded cities in India. It’s more walkable and less intense than many other Indian cities, specifically the Golden Triangle cities. I think for most people, Udaipur serves as a much needed breather in the middle of trip to India.

Just like everyone else, we personally really enjoyed Udaipur. We did stay at an insanely nice hotel and celebrated Holi here, so both of those experiences definitely impacted our experience. It’s hard to know exactly how we’d feel if we stayed somewhere else on any other weekend, but I am pretty sure we’d still be sharing a positive review of the city as a whole.

The biggest problem with Udaipur is that it’s difficult to get to. In most cases, it’s going to take a day of travel on either side, plus at least a day or two exploring the city. That means you need at least four days to add a stop in Udaipur, which is a lot for most people

If you have two weeks, it’s worth adding Udaipur to the Golden Circle. If you have less time than that, I would go so far as to say I’d skip Jaipur to go to Udaipur instead. (That doesn’t always make sense given the geography, though.) I would not skip Agra or cut Delhi short to fit in Udaipur, though.

So yes, Udaipur is worth visiting if you have time for it. And most importantly, if there’s any way you can plan your visit during Holi, then it is a million percent worth visiting.