Udaipur Travel : Places to Visit, Lake Palace and Best Hotels 

Udaipur is the city most people picture when they think of Rajasthan’s palaces. Think white marble on still water, the Aravalli hills behind, and boats drifting past at sunset. It sits in the old Mewar region, and you can see the main places to visit in Udaipur in two or three unhurried days. Come between October and March if you can. 

Prices below are in rupees with a rough dollar figure, at about ₹95 to $1 (September 2026 rates). 

Udaipur at a Glance 

Where	Udaipur city, Rajasthan, India (Mewar region)
Known as	City of Lakes, Venice of the East
Founded	1553, by Maharana Udai Singh II
Airport	Maharana Pratap Airport (UDR), about 22 km from the city
Best time	October to March
How long	2 to 3 days, 4 with a day trip
Don’t miss	City Palace, Lake Pichola boat ride, Dharohar folk dance show

Planning Your Trip from Abroad 

Visa. Most foreign passport holders, including Americans, Canadians and Britons, need an Indian visa. The e-Tourist visa is the easy route. For American citizens it’s US$25 for 30 days (July to March) or US$40 for a full year, as of 2026. Apply only on the official Indian e-Visa website, because lookalike sites quietly add their own fees. If you already hold an OCI card, you can skip all of this. Every foreign visitor needs to fill out a free e-Arrival card before landing. 

Flights. Udaipur has no international flights, so you’ll connect through Delhi or Mumbai. Delhi runs the most flights to Udaipur, roughly 130 a week, with Mumbai close behind. 

Safety. American government travel advice rates India as a whole at Level 2, “exercise increased caution.” The areas it says to avoid are Jammu and Kashmir, the strip within 10 km of the Pakistan border, Manipur, and parts of central and east India. Udaipur isn’t on that list. Normal city sense covers you here: settle the auto fare before you get in, keep your phone close in crowded lanes, and take a hotel car late at night. 

Timing for families. A lot of Indian families living abroad come in December and January, when the kids are off school. That’s also the peak wedding season, so book flights and hotels two to three months out for those weeks. 

Money. Cards work at hotels, good restaurants, and the City Palace. You’ll still want cash for autos, small shops, and tips. If you have an Indian bank account, UPI works almost everywhere. 

Top Places to Visit in Udaipur 

Here are the Udaipur tourist attractions we’d put first, roughly in the order first-time visitors enjoy them. The first six are close together in the Old City, so you can walk between most of them. 

1. City Palace Udaipur 

You can’t miss it. The City Palace runs along the east bank of Lake Pichola and is the largest palace complex in Rajasthan. Maharana Udai Singh II began building it after he founded the city of Udaipur in 1553, and the rulers who followed kept adding to it for about 400 years. Part of it became a public museum in 1969. 

Inside, the highlights are Mor Chowk with its peacock mosaics, the mirror work in Sheesh Mahal, and the painted rooms of Zenana Mahal. Climb to the upper terraces for the best view of the lake in the city. 

Tickets confuse a lot of people. The cheap one only gets you into the outer courtyards, so buy the museum ticket. Recent prices run about ₹300 to ₹450 for Indian adults (roughly $3 to $5) and ₹600 to ₹1,200 for foreign visitors (roughly $6 to $13). The Crystal Gallery and Durbar Hall are extra. An audio guide is about ₹200, and a licensed guide charges around ₹250 an hour. 

The museum is usually open 9:30 AM to 5:30 PM daily. Get there by 9:15. By late morning the narrow stairways inside feel like a rush-hour train. Big weddings sometimes close parts of the palace, so check with your hotel a day ahead. 

2. Lake Pichola Boat Ride and Jag Mandir 

If you only do one thing in Udaipur, make it this. Lake Pichola is about 4 km long and 3 km wide, and seeing the City Palace from the water is a different experience from seeing the lake from the palace. 

The catch is that not every boat goes to the same place: 

Where you board	What you get	Price (approx.)
Rameshwar Ghat (Bansi Ghat), City Palace side	Longer ride with a stop at Jag Mandir island	₹500 to ₹600 ($5 to $6); sunset ₹900 to ₹1,000+ ($10 to $11)
Lal Ghat	Short 25-minute ride, no palace ticket needed	About ₹250 ($3)
Municipal boats	Cheaper lake loop, usually no Jag Mandir stop	About ₹180 ($2)

Jag Mandir is worth the stop. Prince Khurram stayed on this island in the 1620s, long before he became Emperor Shah Jahan and built the Taj Mahal. Walk past the stone elephants and through the garden, then catch any boat back. In season, buy the sunset ticket a day early, and ask at the counter whether your boat actually stops at the island. 

3. Taj Lake Palace (Jag Niwas Island) 

This is the white palace that seems to float in the middle of the lake. It was built in the 1740s on Jag Niwas island as a royal summer retreat, and Taj has run it as a hotel since the 1960s. Bond fans will know it from Octopussy (1983). 

Getting a closer look is harder than it sounds. Only the hotel’s own boat goes there, and entry is generally for staying guests and people with a confirmed dining booking. Most visitors are perfectly happy seeing it from a boat or from the City Palace terraces. If you want to stay, prices are in the hotel section below. 

A quick note, because the names trip people up. Jag Niwas is the island under the Taj Lake Palace. Jagat Niwas Palace is a smaller heritage hotel on the shore at Lal Ghat. Different places entirely. 

4. Bagore Ki Haveli and the Dharohar Show 

Bagore ki Haveli is an 18th-century mansion on the water at Gangaur Ghat. It’s a small museum by day, but the reason to come is the Dharohar show at about 7 PM: an hour of Rajasthani folk dance and puppetry. Children usually go quiet when the dancer balancing a tower of pots on her head comes out. 

The show and the museum have separate tickets. In season, get your show ticket by about 6:15 PM, or you’ll be watching from the back. 

5. Jagdish Temple 

A short climb up from the City Palace gate brings you to Jagdish Temple, a large Vishnu temple built by Maharana Jagat Singh I in 1651. The carving on the outer walls is remarkably fine for its age. There’s no entry fee. Cover your shoulders and knees, and leave your shoes at the steps. 

6. Ambrai Ghat and Gangaur Ghat 

For the postcard photo of the City Palace glowing across the water, head to Ambrai Ghat on the west bank around sunset. Gangaur Ghat, beside Bagore ki Haveli, has a livelier evening crowd and is easy to reach on foot from the Old City. 

7. Fateh Sagar Lake 

North of Lake Pichola is Fateh Sagar, the city’s other big lake. There’s no ticket and no rush. Local families come out in the evening for a stroll and street snacks, and the hotels around it are calmer than anything in the Old City. 

8. Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace 

Maharana Sajjan Singh had this hilltop palace built in 1884 so the royal family could watch the monsoon clouds roll in. At about 944 m it gives you a full 360-degree view of the city and its lakes. The building itself is fairly plain. You come for the view, ideally at sunset. 

Entry is about ₹110 to ₹120 for Indians and ₹450 to ₹500 for foreigners (roughly $5), plus a jeep or car charge from the gate. It closes at 6 PM, and last entry is around 5:30. 

9. Saheliyon Ki Bari 

The Garden of the Maidens was laid out in the 18th century for the royal ladies, with fountains, lotus pools and marble elephants. It’s shady and flat, which makes it an easy stop near Fateh Sagar if you’re traveling with kids or older parents. 

10. Shilpgram 

Shilpgram is a crafts village on the edge of the city, with traditional homes from Rajasthan and the nearby states. It’s quiet most of the year and comes alive during its crafts fair in late December. 

Day Trips: More Places to Explore Near Udaipur 

Once you’ve covered the main places to visit in Udaipur, these trips out of the city are well worth a day: 

• Kumbhalgarh Fort (about 90 km), a UNESCO-listed hill fort whose wall is one of the longest in the world. Give it a full day. 

• Ranakpur Jain Temple, famous for its hundreds of carved marble pillars and easy to pair with Kumbhalgarh. 

• Chittorgarh Fort (about 117 km), the old Mewar capital and another UNESCO site. 

• Eklingji and Nagda, an important Shiva temple and old temple ruins, about half an hour north. 

Udaipur Entry Fees and Timings (October 2026) 

Place	Entry (approx.)	Timings	Time needed
City Palace Museum	₹300 to ₹450 Indian; ₹600 to ₹1,200 foreign	9:30 AM to 5:30 PM	2 to 3 hours
Lake Pichola boat (Rameshwar Ghat)	₹500 to ₹1,000+	Day to sunset	1 to 1.5 hours
Dharohar show, Bagore ki Haveli	Separate ticket	About 7 PM to 8 PM	1.5 hours with queue
Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace	₹110 to ₹120 Indian; ₹450 to ₹500 foreign, plus transport	Until 6 PM	1.5 to 2 hours
Jagdish Temple	Free	Morning and evening	30 minutes
Fateh Sagar Lake	Free	All day	1 hour

Prices shift with the season, so check at the counter or the official website before you go. 

Premium Experiences Worth Paying For 

• One night on the lake. Taj Lake Palace, The Oberoi Udaivilas, The Leela Palace or Raffles. Even one night means waking up to water instead of traffic. 

• A private sunset boat. Shared boats get crowded from October. Your hotel can arrange a private one. 

• Dinner on Jag Mandir. Darikhana looks straight across at the City Palace and you arrive by boat. Book 3 days ahead. Its New Year’s Eve dinner was ₹12,000 (about $126) a person. You’re paying for the view more than the food. 

• A licensed guide at the City Palace. The signs explain very little. 

• A private car for day trips. Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur in one day is long, especially with parents. 

Things to Do in Udaipur, India 

Food comes first for most people. Try dal baati churma, gatte ki sabzi and ker sangri, and if you eat meat, order laal maas. For more dishes to look out for, see our list of must-try foods in India. 

Many Old City restaurants around Lal Ghat and Gangaur Ghat have rooftops facing the palace or the lake, so dinner doubles as sightseeing. The bazaars are good for miniature paintings, silver jewelry, block-print fabric and leather. Ask the price first and bargain politely. 

If you’re up early, watch sunrise at a ghat. Before 7 AM the lake is still and almost empty. 

Best Time to Visit Udaipur 

The best time to visit Udaipur is October to March, when days are warm and evenings are pleasantly cool. 

Season	Months	Weather	Good for
Winter (peak)	October to March	October averages 17°C to 33°C (63°F to 91°F) with little rain. December and January are cooler.	Sightseeing, boat rides, weddings
Summer	April to June	Very hot afternoons. Fewer people and lower hotel rates.	Budget trips, mornings only
Monsoon	July to September	Green hills and full lakes. September gets about 95 mm of rain.	Monsoon Palace views, quiet stays

Keep the festival dates in mind as well. Dussehra is October 20, 2026, Diwali is in early November, and in spring the Gangaur processions fill the ghats. 

Hotels in Udaipur: Where to Stay 

Best Areas to Stay 

The Old City around Lal Ghat and Gangaur Ghat puts you within walking distance of the palace, temples and boats, though the lanes are narrow and noisy. The Fateh Sagar area is calmer, with newer hotels and nice evening walks. The big lakeside and hill resorts give you space and quiet, but you’ll need a car for sightseeing. 

Best Luxury Hotels in Udaipur 

Udaipur has some of the best hotels in India. The prices below are the lowest nightly rates for 2 adults that booking sites showed for spring 2026. Expect to pay more over the winter peak. 

Hotel	Why stay here	Sample price per night
Taj Lake Palace	The island palace on Lake Pichola, about 81 rooms, Three MICHELIN Keys in 2025 and 2026	Often above ₹50,000 (about $525) in peak months; suites much more
The Oberoi Udaivilas	Palace-style resort on Lake Pichola with large gardens, Two MICHELIN Keys	Top tier; check live rates
The Leela Palace Udaipur	On the shore of Lake Pichola, near the City Palace views	About $343 to $447
Raffles Udaipur	Private island on Udai Sagar Lake, Two MICHELIN Keys	About $374 to $401
Mementos by ITC Hotels, Ekaaya Udaipur	Hill retreat near Eklingji Temple with spa and archery, breakfast included	From about $294, taxes included

So what does the Taj Lake Palace hotel in Udaipur actually cost? It swings a lot with the date, the room and the season. Standard rooms face the inner courtyard and lily pond, while lake-facing rooms and suites cost more. The Taj website has live rates and offers. 

As for Mementos by ITC Hotels Ekaaya Udaipur, prices in spring 2026 started at about $294 to $324 a night for 2 adults, taxes included, with an extra bed at ₹5,000 (about $53). 

Taj Hotels in Udaipur 

When people search for “Taj palace Udaipur,” they almost always mean the Taj Lake Palace. Taj also lists Taj Fateh Prakash Palace inside the City Palace complex and Taj Aravali Resort and Spa out in the countryside. 

Radisson Hotels in Udaipur 

The Radisson Blu Udaipur Palace Resort and Spa sits near Fateh Sagar Lake with 244 rooms, two outdoor pools, a rooftop restaurant with lake views and plenty to keep kids busy. Its sample rate was about $121 to $128 a night. Close by, on Saheli Marg near Saheliyon ki Bari, Parallel Hotel Udaipur (a member of Radisson Individuals) came in at about $101 a night. 

Heritage and Mid-Range Stays 

Jagat Niwas Palace is a 17th-century haveli turned hotel at Lal Ghat, right on Lake Pichola. Some rooms have jharokha balconies hanging over the water, and the restaurant faces the lake. Rates have been listed from about ₹3,640 (about $38) a night, and it’s a few minutes’ walk from Gangaur Ghat and the City Palace. 

How to Reach Udaipur 

Maharana Pratap Airport (UDR) is at Dabok, about 22 km from the city, so plan on a 40 to 50 minute drive. Direct flights come in from Delhi, Mumbai, Jaipur, Hyderabad and Bengaluru. 

Flying in from abroad, you’ll land in Delhi or Mumbai first and take a domestic flight on. Plenty of people tack Udaipur onto a Delhi, Agra and Jaipur trip.

Our tips on finding cheap flights can help you save on the long-haul leg. 

By train, Udaipur City station links to Jaipur, Ahmedabad, Delhi and other cities. By road, Ahmedabad is about 250 km away and Jaipur about 400 km. 

How Many Days in Udaipur? An Easy 3-Day Plan 

Two days covers the main places to see in Udaipur. A third lets you slow down and add a day trip. 

Day 1, the Old City. Be at the City Palace Museum when it opens. In the afternoon, take the boat from Rameshwar Ghat with the Jag Mandir stop. Finish at Jagdish Temple, then the Dharohar show at Bagore ki Haveli. 

Day 2, lakes and views. Start at Saheliyon ki Bari and Fateh Sagar Lake. Spend the afternoon at Shilpgram or in the Old City bazaars, and save sunset for Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace or Ambrai Ghat. 

Day 3, a day trip. Kumbhalgarh Fort and Ranakpur Temple together, or Chittorgarh Fort on its own. 

Want to add Delhi, Agra and Jaipur?

Our 7-day Golden Triangle tour guide shows how to plan it, and Udaipur fits nicely at the end. 

Frequently Asked Questions About Udaipur 

What is Udaipur famous for? 

Udaipur is famous for its lakes and palaces. The best-known sights are the City Palace, Lake Pichola, the Taj Lake Palace on Jag Niwas island and Jag Mandir. It’s also one of India’s top places for destination weddings. 

How many days are enough for Udaipur? 

Two days are enough for the main places to visit in Udaipur: the City Palace, a Lake Pichola boat ride and the Dharohar show. Plan three days if you want a slower pace or a day trip to Kumbhalgarh or Chittorgarh. 

What is the best time to visit Udaipur? 

October to March. The weather is good for walking and boat rides. April to June is very hot, while July to September brings rain, green hills and fewer crowds. 

Do I need a visa to visit Udaipur? 

Yes, if you hold a foreign passport. Most tourists use the e-Tourist visa. For American citizens it costs US$25 for 30 days (July to March) or US$40 for one year as of 2026. OCI card holders don’t need a visa. 

Can I visit the Taj Lake Palace without staying there? 

Entry is usually only for hotel guests and people with a confirmed dining booking. You can only get there on the hotel’s boat. Most visitors see it from a Lake Pichola boat ride or the City Palace terraces. 

What is the Taj Lake Palace hotel price per night? 

It depends on the date and room. In peak months, entry-level rooms often cost more than ₹50,000 (about $525) a night, and suites cost much more. Check the Taj website for live rates. 

Is the City Palace the same as the Lake Palace? 

No. The City Palace is the big palace complex on the shore of Lake Pichola, open to the public as a museum. The Taj Lake Palace is a separate island palace in the lake that is now a luxury hotel. 

Is Jagat Niwas Palace the same as the Taj Lake Palace? 

No. The Taj Lake Palace stands on Jag Niwas island in the middle of Lake Pichola. Jagat Niwas Palace is a smaller heritage hotel in a 17th-century haveli on the shore at Lal Ghat. 

Is Udaipur safe for foreign tourists? 

Udaipur is one of the easier cities in India for first-time visitors. American travel advice rates India overall at Level 2, and Udaipur is not in any of its restricted areas. Agree on auto fares first, watch your bag in crowds and use hotel cars late at night. 

Book Your Udaipur Trip With GoGoTrips 

Most places to visit in Udaipur are close together, so the city itself is easy. The hard part is the long flight, the connection and finding a good hotel in peak season. That’s where we help. 

GoGoTrips can book your international flight to Delhi or Mumbai along with the connecting flight to Udaipur. We also put together Udaipur tour packages with hotels, airport pickup, the Lake Pichola boat ride and day trips. If you’d like to see more of Rajasthan, we can build a longer trip that adds Jaipur, Jodhpur or the Golden Triangle. 

Call GoGoTrips at [PHONE NUMBER] and tell us your dates and how many people are traveling. We’ll send you flight and package options to compare.