Four-star Three MICHELIN Keys Lake Pichola, Udaipur
Taj Lake Palace
A summer palace of 1740 on its own island in Lake Pichola, with 83 rooms and suites and no way in except by boat.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.
- MICHELIN
- Three Keys, 2025 and 2026
- Rooms
- 65 rooms and 18 suites
- Built
- 1740, as a summer palace
- From the airport
- 40 to 50 minutes from Udaipur, then a boat
The hotel
A summer palace on Jag Niwas.
The palace was built for Maharana Jagat Singh II of Mewar in the 1740s as a summer retreat, on Jag Niwas, an island of about four acres in Lake Pichola. Later rulers added to it; the Chandra Prakash pavilion dates from the reign of Maharana Bhopal Singh, between 1930 and 1955. The palace still fills the island, and the only way in is by boat.
Maharana Bhagwat Singh turned the palace into Udaipur's first luxury hotel, and Taj took over its management in 1971. It was the company's first hotel after the Taj Mahal Palace in Mumbai. Fritz Lang used it in The Tiger of Eschnapur (1959), and in Octopussy (1983) it was the home of the title character. Its success shaped the palace hotels the group runs today.
- On the water The Gangaur, a historic barge rowed by hand, takes guests out for candlelit dinners on the lake.
- Amrit Sagar Once the Maharana's darbar, now a lounge for old wines, rare spirits and cigars.
- The views Many rooms look across the lake to the City Palace, Jag Mandir and the hills around Udaipur.
Rooms & suites
Lake views from every side.
The palace has 65 rooms and 18 suites. Many look over the water to the City Palace or Jag Mandir.
- Rooms Palace rooms Sixty-five rooms in the palace itself, on the island.
- Suites Grand suites Eighteen suites, many with views of the City Palace, Jag Mandir and the hills around the lake.
- Grand Presidential Chandra Prakash and Shambhu Prakash The two Grand Presidential suites. Chandra Prakash shares its name with the pavilion added under Maharana Bhopal Singh.
Dining
Rajasthani cooking on the lake.
Restaurants and bars as listed by the hotel. Shown for information.
- Neel Kamal Rajasthani and Indian Fine dining
- Bhairo European Fine dining
- Jharokha All-day dining Open around the clock
- Amrit Sagar Wines, spirits and cigars The old darbar hall
- Gangaur Private dinner cruise On a hand-oared barge
Recognition
Awards and listings.
- Three MICHELIN Keys India's first selection, 2025; held in 2026
Good to know
Before you go.
- Arrival Check-in from 2 pm, check-out by noon. The palace can only be reached by boat from the shore.
- Pets Not accepted.
- Transfers Limousine and yacht transfers on request.
Getting there
Flying to Udaipur.
Maharana Pratap Airport at Dabok takes domestic flights only, so the way in from abroad is through Delhi or Mumbai. Private jets use its separate apron for executive aircraft. The drive to the jetty takes 40 to 50 minutes, and a boat covers the last stretch to the island.
- Jaipur 45 min
- Mumbai 1 h 10
- Dubai 2 h 45
- Malé 3 h 20
- London 9 h 20 long-range jet
Questions
What guests ask first.
- How many MICHELIN Keys does Taj Lake Palace have?
- Three. It is one of only two hotels in India with three Keys, the other being Taj Falaknuma Palace in Hyderabad.
- How do we reach Taj Lake Palace?
- Fly to Udaipur through Delhi or Mumbai, or by private jet, then drive 40 to 50 minutes to the lake. The palace stands on its own island, and guests cross by boat.
- Was Taj Lake Palace in a James Bond film?
- Yes. It appears in Octopussy (1983) as the home of the title character.
- Can SkyCourtage arrange the flight to Udaipur?
- Yes. We arrange Business and First Class seats on scheduled airlines and private jet charter to Udaipur, with one final price, our margin included. The hotel is booked with the hotel or through our booking partner.
Also in Udaipur
Other hotels worth the trip.
- 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.
Staying at Taj Lake Palace?
Book the room, then the flight.
Rates and availability come from the hotel itself. For the journey to Udaipur, a Business or First Class seat or an aircraft of your own: tell us the date and we come back with one final price, our margin included.
Opens the hotel's own website. We have no arrangement with the hotel.