Udaipur
A city of lakes founded in 1559, its royal palace stretched along the shore of Pichola and an eighteenth-century summer palace afloat in the middle, now a hotel.
- Arrival
- Maharana Pratap, Dabok · UDR
- To the city
- About 40 minutes to Lake Pichola by car
- Private jets
- Apron for private aircraft at UDR
- Best time
- November to March
The city
Mewar on the water.
Maharana Udai Singh II left Chittorgarh and founded Udaipur in 1559 on the banks of Lake Pichola. His City Palace grew along the eastern shore for centuries until its facade ran 244 metres; out on the lake, Jag Mandir became the royal summer retreat, and the palace that is now the Taj Lake Palace followed in 1740.
November to March is the season, with afternoons of 24 to 31 °C and dry skies. The monsoon fills the lakes from June to September, and April and May are the hottest months. The finest rooms are on islands or on the far shore, looking back across the water at the city.
Arriving
Dabok, east of the lakes.
Maharana Pratap Airport stands at Dabok, 22 km east of the city, and is run by the Airports Authority of India. The Lake Palace is about forty minutes away by car.
- Delhi 1 h 05
- Kathmandu 1 h 55
- Seychelles 5 h 15
- Tokyo 8 h 30 long-range jet
- Ibiza 9 h 10 long-range jet
When to go
November to March.
Warm and dry for most of the year, with a monsoon that brings nearly a quarter of a metre of rain in each of July and August. Winter is the time for the lakes: from November to March afternoons are 24 to 31 °C. April and May are the hottest months, near 38 °C.
- 24° J 5
- 26° F 3
- 31° M 8
- 36° A 5
- 38° M 13
- 35° J 89
- 30° J 244
- 28° A 249
- 30° S 137
- 32° O 13
- 29° N 15
- 25° D 3
What to see and do
Days in and around Udaipur.
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Landmark
City Palace
Palaces built over four centuries on the east bank of Pichola, part of them a museum since 1974, with a crystal gallery ordered from London in 1877.
-
Landmark
Jag Mandir
An island palace in Lake Pichola, completed in 1652 and used by the Maharanas as a summer retreat.
-
Landmark
Jagdish Temple
The great temple of the old city, raised by Maharana Jagat Singh I in 1651.
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Culture
Bagore Ki Haveli
Built in the 18th century for Mewar's prime minister Amar Chand Badwa at Gangori Ghat, the haveli stages an hour of Rajasthani dance most evenings.
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Culture
Monsoon Palace, Sajjangarh
Begun by Maharana Sajjan Singh in 1884, the hilltop palace stands about 340 metres above Lake Pichola inside a wildlife sanctuary, a favourite for sunset.
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Nature
Saheliyon ki Bari
Maharana Sangram Singh laid out this garden for the royal ladies between 1710 and 1734, with fountains, a lotus pool and marble elephants.
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Culture
Eklingji
Shrine of the family deity of the Mewar rulers since the 8th century, this temple complex stands in Kailashpuri, north of the city.
-
Culture
Vintage and Classic Car Collection
Kept at the Garden Hotel on Gulab Bagh Road, the Mewar royal cars include a Rolls-Royce safari jeep and a 1939 Cadillac convertible used by Queen Elizabeth II.
Where to stay
On the islands and along the shore.
Shown for information. We have no arrangement with any of these hotels.
- Taj Lake Palace A summer palace of 1740 on its own island, seen on countless postcards and in a James Bond film, and one of only two hotels in India with three MICHELIN Keys.
- The Oberoi Udaivilas A palace built in the 1990s in the old Mewari manner, facing the city across the lake, with nine pools between its domes.
- Raffles Udaipur A 21-acre private island reached by boat, every room looking over the water, and a Writers Bar for the evening.
- RAAS Devigarh A faded hill palace with white marble suites behind its jharoka windows, looking out over rugged Rajasthani country.
- Manuscript - Jhilwara Haveli A royal house of 1910, once a school and even a poultry farm, now thirty rooms and a rooftop restaurant looking at the City Palace.
Where to dine
Tables on the lakes.
No MICHELIN Guide covers India. Indagare, the travel planning guide, recommends the rooftop at the Taj Lake Palace; Sawai Kitchen won a national award for hotel fine dining in 2024, and Mewar by Vineet is the fine-dining room of the Oberoi.
- Bhairo Indagare Contemporary European Taj Lake Palace, Lake Pichola
- Sawai Kitchen Restaurant India Awards 2024 Royal Rajasthani Raffles Udaipur, Udai Sagar Lake
- Mewar by Vineet Signature restaurant, The Oberoi Udaivilas Mewari, by Vineet Bhatia The Oberoi Udaivilas, west shore of Lake Pichola
Elsewhere in India
More reasons to come.
- Delhi Mughal tombs, the old city, and the avenues of Lutyens.
- Agra The Taj Mahal at dawn.
- Jaipur The pink city, the Amber fort, and its palace hotels.
- Mumbai The Gateway of India, the Taj hotel, and the Art Deco seafront.
- Goa The baroque churches of Old Goa, and a coast of beach shacks and villas.
- Kochi An old spice port, and the backwaters of Kerala by houseboat.
Flying to Udaipur?
Choose how you arrive.
A Business or First Class seat on a scheduled airline, or an aircraft of your own. Tell us the date and how many are travelling, and we reply with one final price, our margin included.