7 Things to Do in Udaipur (Rajasthan)

You have limited time and lots of things to see and experience. How to make the most out of your visit to Udaipur? Where to stay in Udaipur? Our “7 Things to Do” series helps you identify the “must see” / “must do” things in Udaipur. We have summarized hundreds of traveller reviews and suggestions available online and compiled a list of things no tourist to Udaipur should miss. Enjoy reading!

City Palace & Lake Pichola, Udaipur

About Udaipur – The ‘City of Lakes’, the ‘ Venice of the East’. Travellers describe Udaipur as “Hill-tops, lakes, and palaces”, “huge water bodies, lots of greenery, and hills in an otherwise barren and arid land of Rajasthan”. Another traveler wrote “a quaint, quiet old town with a plethora of historical monuments to visit”. Weather is “cool and pleasant” – again very unlike the rest of Rajasthan. Tucked in the Aravalli hills, Udaipur virtually breaths on Lake Pichola which is the hub of tourist activities. Another tourist to Udaipur wrote “Cities like Udaipur are rare to see in this modern world. All the monuments, the cultural activities, and the people - all are very different and unique to what I have ever seen in my life.”

Have a couple of days to see the palaces and lakes and a few more days to visit the temples of Udaipur. Here are the 7 things your must not miss out on your next Udaipur trip:

1. Ranakpur Jain Temple – As one visitor put it “Best religious site in India…such a wonderful place for wandering around, with helpful priests who will answer your questions instead of pushing for money”. A “must-see for its fine architecture and sculptures in marble”. Ranakpur temple showcases spectacular carvings on over one hundred domes, walls and 1442 pillars. “It sure can be rated within the top 20 wonders of the world”. This place is also a delight for photographers and people who like ancient architectures. Tips: Don’t forget to visit the main Jain Sun Temple which is 300 meters to the side of the Marble temple. Entrance is free (Rs. 50 for cameras).
   Note: Ranakpur is a small village on about 55 kilometers north-west of Udaipur. It is well worth visiting the village and experiencing the temple. This is a the #1 Udaipur attractions as reviewed by tourists in Trip Advisor.
2. Visit the City Palace (1.5 hour tours available – one traveller wrote about the palace as “well maintained and well worth 2 visits during your stay”) and the Monsoon Palace which offers fantastic view of the sunset.
3. Don’t miss the Fatehsagar lake. The lake is a lovely blue with patches of green that can be seen from the Nehru Park. Hire a boat for for Rs.300 (around 9 seaters) or Rs. 80 per seat in a regular boat. The hired boat will take you around the lake for 45 minutes and wait for you while you explore the extremely pretty and well-manicured Nehru Park with fountains (which is in the middle of the lake). The lake makes for a pleasant visit during the middle of the day.
4. Lake Pichhola & Lake Palace - Lake Pichhola, “one of the most beautiful and picturesque lakes of Rajasthan” is located in the heart of the city. The lake is the oldest and largest lakes of Udaipur. Pichhola is enveloped by lofty palaces, temples, bathing “ghats” and elevated hills on all its sides. Lake Palace / Jag Niwas: Another enchanting tourist attraction of Udaipur, the Lake Palace (also known as Jag Niwas) is a beautiful island palace built by Maharana Jagat Singh II in 1754. Situated on Lake Pichhola, the white marble structure appears like emerging out of the shimmering blue waters on the lake, creating a spellbound effect on visitors.
5. Experience Rajasthan & Udaipur – Take a walk in the “galis” (i.e. the local streets) of Udaipur. “Whats good about Udaipur is its winding narrow roads that give you ample opportunity to walk through the colourful streets”. Camel safari in the country side around Udaipur - “A camel safari tour is perhaps one of the best ways of following the Udaipur trails as you stop to look at the architectural wonders in pure marble that dot the pristine Udaipur landscape”
6. Enjoy the famous Dal-Bati-Churama of Udaipur for lunch and/or dinner. Also famous is the Rabdi sweet. However you will also find lots of varieties of food including Italian and Spanish even in the simplest of Havelis. Dine at one of the Rajasthan Dhabas near City Palace where you can have typical Rajasthani food and “it will be a life time food you will get”
7. Shopping in Udaipur – Visit the Tourist Market in the old city and the Gandhi Market which is the cheaper of the two. Folk toys, hand printed textiles, dyed sarees, metal images, silver jewelry, and the Pichwal wall hangings are things to consider for souvenir shopping.

Hotels in Udaipur – Udaipur offer a broad range of hotels – starting from budget / low-range hotels to affordable Havelis as well as some of the best 5-star hotels in the country. Hotel Baba Palace (near City Palace) is a very affordable hotel (rates from Rs. 950 / $20) and is rated highly among visitors. Hotel Saheli Palace is another budget hotel (rates from Rs. 900). Heritage Resort and Rajputana Resorts are both mid-range Udaipur hotels with Rajputana Resort overlooking the Aravali Hills and offers a swimming pool. Reviews of Udaipur hotels are available at HotelPushpak.com.
Tips from other travellers:

• There are plenty of hotels in the old city area next to Lake Pichola at rates “that are easy on the pocket and have the advantage of being close to the main attractions”. The four and five-star hotels are a little further inside the city while there are a couple on the Fateh Sagar lake which are very beautiful but seemed likely to have transportation problems since they are a little farther away from both the city or the attractions.
• There's a lot of walking and climbing of steps to do in Udaipur. As the old part of the city is built on a slope, even the simplest of walks becomes an uphill climb. Be sure to take a pair of good walking shoes along!
• Advisable to stay out of the sun from between 11.00 am to 5.00 pm during the summer months.
• If visiting by your own car, avoid hotels near Lake Pichola as the place is pretty congested and roads to these hotels are very narrow.

How to reach Udaipur?

• Udaipur is well connected by train from Ahmedabad, Mumbai, and most places in Gujarat.
• Nearest airports from Udaipur are in Jaipur and New Delhi (663 kilometers)
• Udaipur is about 405 kilometers from Jaipur and 180 kms from Ajmer.

Udaipur photos: City Palace - Udaipur, Ranakpur Jain Temple, Lake Pichola, Food – Dal Bati, more Dal Bati, Udaipur Camel Safari
More Traveler Reviews of Udaipur:
One Udaipur traveler review has an excellent coverage of several temples to visit in and around Udaipur. You may want to plan a multi-day trip just to visit all the famous temples around Udaipur. Read another excellent review of Udaipur here. Another review says Udaipur – a Romantic City.
Related Links:

• 7 Things to do Series
• 7 Things to Do in Rameswaram (Tamil Nadu)
• 7 Things to Do in Ooty (Tamil Nadu)