Former capital of Mewar Kingdom, Udaipur was founded in the year 1559 by Maharana Udai Singh II. The city is also known as City of Lakes or the Venice of India because of series of artificial lakes surrounding the city and parts of the city also experience the Ayad river crossing under the several bridges. The vicinity of the city is so tranquil that one would get totally mesmerized in its beauty and culture. Udaipur is a city that unfolds the history and unique culture of Rajasthan. Also, the place is famous for its pristine beauty and royal architecture like forts and palaces. The Sajjan Garh fort is the best place for sunset view and the City Palace.
Reaching Udaipur
Udaipur can be reached via road, train or flight. Since Udaipur is a well-developed city it has well connected roads and rail gauge.
Udaipur Via Flight:
Travelling to Udaipur via flight is bit easier, it would take almost 100-120 minutes from any state in India which would cost somewhere around 3000-3500 INR. The airport is about 20 Km from main city and cabs are also available on the airport for commuting to the city.
Udaipur Via Bus:
The bus journey would take around 14 hours from Delhi, 17 hours from Mumbai and likewise from other states. The overnight bus journey would cost somewhere from 600-800 INR depending on the state of the origin.
Udaipur Via Train:
Udaipur is easily accessible via train, the train journey would cost from 460 INR for sleeper class to 800 for 3rd AC from Delhi. Railway station is just a km away from the city and the journey would take about 17 hours from Delhi or Mumbai. A luxurious travel can be planned from train – Palace on Wheels.
Udaipur Via Road:
One can also reach Udaipur via road if willing to drive for 12-13 hours, roads are smooth and Aravali Mountains can be seen on the way. We even find few tunnels and couple of very beautifully decorated and organized farms on the way.
Best Time to Visit Udaipur
The best time to visit Udaipur is from September till March since the weather in all other months is very hot from 40 degree going up till 45 degrees. Since weather from September to March is pleasant and ranges from 12 degree in night to 25-30 degrees in day. The festivities also happens in September till March that showcases the culture and tradition of particularly Mewar kingdom and Rajasthan.
Places to Visit In and Around Udaipur
Udaipur offers various interesting and breath-taking views, the Mewar festival at places and the series of lakes in the cities vicinity. Here are the few best places one can visit on their trip to Udaipur:
City Palace: The palace is a bit overrated but magnificent with amazing views. The palace was built over a 40 decades on the bank of Lake Pichola with Rajasthani & Mughal architecture and includes couple of more palaces in its complex. Visiting hours of the palace is 9:30 am to 5:30 pm.
Taj Lake Palace: I believe the palace can come in the list of most admired hotels in India and even in Asia. The palace is located in the centre of Lake Pichola that gives astonishing feeling. The whole infrastructure of the palace is constructed intricately with white marble depicting detailed art, carvings and glassworks.
Monsoon Palace: Built in 1884 the palace was owned by the royal famile of Mewar. One can see the stunning city surrounded with the lakes, palaces and the whole of Udaipur. The Monsoon Palace is also known as Sajjan Garh Palace, situated at hilltop it showcases the beautiful Fateh Sagar Lake. During the monsoon season, since the location of the palace is hilltop it looks exceptionally beautiful. Visiting hours of the palace is 9 am to 6 pm.
Bagore Ki Haveli: Built by the ruler of Mewar Province in 18th century, it is the oldest haveli with 138 rooms in Udaipur now converted into museum. The haveli is located in Gangori Ghat and one can find the longest turban many art pieces in the museum turned mansion. Visiting hours of the haveli is 10 am to 5:30 pm with entry fee of 25 INR per head.
Lake Pichola: Once you enter Udaipur you can’t find the best place other than Lake Pichola. The location looks like a movie site with four islands Jag Mandir, Jag Niwas, Mohan Mandir and arsi Vilas surrounding it. The lake is the prominent site for boating, sunset and sunrise amid which you can enjoy the boat ride. Boating hour of the lake is 9 am to 6 pm with entry fee of 300 INR per hour for an adult and 150 per hour for children.
Fateh Sagar Lake: The Lake was built in 1678 AD to the north of Lake Pichola situated in the middle of forests and hills. Fateh Sagar Lake is one of the five beautiful and famous artificial lakes of Udaipur and connects with three small islands. The islands are the tourist attractions and photoshoot spot here, best for couples.
Udai Sagar Lake: The Lake was built in 1565 by Maharana Udai Singh at about 13 km from the city to meet the water needs in his kingdom. The lake is the witness of battle between Maharana Raj Singh and Emperor Aurangzeb won by Maharana.
Swaroop Sagar Lake: Swaroop Sagar Lake also known as Kumharia Talab is an artificial lake built by Maharana Swarup Singh in the year 1861. The lake is connected to Fateh Sagar Lake and Lake Pichola and at a very beautiful site. The place is often full of visitors for site seeing and photography.
Jag Mandir: The Jag Mandir is built on the Jug Mandir Island of Lake Pichola with medieval architecture, luxurious and royal surroundings. People wishing to have a fairy-tale marriage, this is the best place to be in. The international music superstar Katy Perry experienced the fairy-tale marriage in her wedding done with Indian rituals in Udaipur’s Jag Mandir. Visiting hour here is between 10 am to 6 pm.
Saheliyon Ki Bari: Saheliyo ki Bari also known as Courtyard of Maidens is a famous garden and picnic spot in Udaipur. The infrastructure of the garden is designed beautifully with fountains, marble elephants and lush green lawns with many species of flora all around the garden. The place is suitable for photography and enjoying a day amidst nature. Garden opening time is 9 am and closing time is 5 pm with a entry fee of 5 INR per head.
Vintage Car Museum: Inaugurated on 15th February 2000 by Lord Montagu of Beaulieu, Vintage and Classic Car Museum is owned by Rana Shri Arvind Singh Ji Mewar. This one is the best place for vintage car lovers and thrill junkies. The Vintage & Classic Car Collection Museum offers the preserved vintage and classical cars, few of them can be seen in movies and television shows as well. Visiting hour here is between 9 am to 9 pm. The price of the ticket is 250 INR for adults and 150 INR for children.
Shilpgram: Shilpgram is a complex showcasing arts and crafts by the locals of Rajasthan. Every year in the month of December, a Shilpgram festival happens and people take part in the most celebrated and well-organized crafts fair. The festival basically showcases the textiles, crafts, and handicrafts of the state. One can learn the folk culture and diverse people of western Rajasthan in this festival. Visiting hour of the complex is 11am till 7 pm with entry fee of 15 INR per child, 30 INR per adult and 50 INR per foreigner
Karni Mata Temple: Shri Manshapurna Karni Mata often called the Temple Of Pride is a temple dedicated to the Hindu goddess Karni Mata located on the Machla Magra Hills in Udaipur. This temple in Udaipur often attracts people from all across the globe. Visiting hour here is from 4 am to 10 pm.
Jagat Niwas: It’s one of the heritage mansion in Udaipur and best place for food lovers. One of the speciality of Jagat Niwas is Laal Maas, a traditional Rajasthani non vegetarian dish.
Hathi Pol Bazaar: The market is best place for shopping artisanal Products, souvenirs and paintings at negotiable prices. Add colours to your wardrobe as you shop for ethnic things at this market in Udaipur. Market hours is from 10 am till 8 pm.
Eklingji Temple: Initially the temple was built by the 8th-century ruler but the idol and temple space were invaded and destroyed by the Delhi Sultanate rulers. The construction of the temple restarted in 14th and 15th century. People of Mewar kingdom believed that Eklingji was the ruling god of Mewar hence the temple was built. The temple opens at 10:30 am and closes at 6:30 pm.
Udaipur Solar Observatory: It’s a good place for star-gazers and astronomy lovers to enhance knowledge about the sun and other astronomical bodies. The observatory comes in the list of best Solar Observatory in Asia because of its location on an island in Fateh Sagar Lake. You can find varieties of telescopes to study the activities in space and it’s surroundings. Visiting hour here is 10 am till 6 pm.
Under The Sun Aquarium: This is the biggest aquarium open for public in India. We can find more than 200 species of marine life, the aquarium is open to enter the tank, feed the fishes and play with them. You can play with the aquatic species here and experience the giant fishes passing through your fingers. Visiting hour here is 8 am till 11 pm with entry fee of 120 INR per head.
Kumbhalgarh Fort: Famous as the birthplace of Mewar’s king Maharana Pratap, the fort is located at 84 Km north of Udaipur. The fort is the second important citadel after Chittorgarh in Mewar. Scattered in the Aravali Ranges it was built by Rana Kumbha in the 15th century AD. The fort was a refuge spot for the rulers of Mewar during battles as in for King Udai during his childhood. The fort carries an array of temples built by Mauryas with a bird’s eye view of the village.
Other than the above mentioned places few other places with amazing sites, light shows, architecture, temples and lakes one can give a visit to are:
Crystal Gallery | Jaisamand Lake | Rajsamand Lake | Bada Bazaar | Jawahar Nagar | Moti Magri |Doodh Talai | Purohito Ka Talab | Goverdhan Sagar | Madaar(Chhota-Bada) | Ahar Cenotaphs | Bhartiya Lok Kala Museum | Gangaur Ghat | Bapu Bazaar | Mewar Biodiversity Park | Aravali Nature View | Udaipur Ghat | Sahastra Bahu Temple | Jagdish Temple | Maharana Pratap Memorial | Ambrai Amet Haveli | Tribute
Stay in Udaipur
There are multiple options for stay in Udaipur ranging from 400 INR to 30-40 thousand INR. The price totally depends on your choice, higher budget would give high royalty lower budget would provide lower royalty. Despite of price range you can still witness the culture and tradition in almost every hotels, havelis or palaces. Here are few of the budget friendly stay options in Udaipur including the lake view, don’t forget to take the 1st floor rooms:
Hotel Panna Vilas Palace: Price ranges from 4000-5600 INR depending on room preference, located near Fateh Sagar Lake.
Lake Pichola Hotel: Price ranges somewhere between 3500-4000 INR depending on room preference and located at as the name suggests, Lake Pichola.
Karohi Haveli: Price ranges from 2800-4000 depending on room preference, located near Chandpole.
Jaiwana Haveli: Price ranges from 1500-3000 depending on room preference, located near Jagdish Mandir.
Mewar Haveli: Price ranges from 2000-4000 depending on room preference, located near Jagdish Mandir.
Hotel Amar Kothi: Price ranges from 1800-10,000 depending on room preference, located near Malla Talai.
Shikarbadi Hotel: Price ranges from 1800-4000 depending on room preference, located near Hiran Magri.
Jeevantara Club And Resort: Price ranges from 1600-4000 depending on room preference, located near Devali.
Amet Haveli: Price ranges from 4000-5800 depending on room preference, located near Ambamata.
Hotel Sarovar: Price ranges from 1800-4000 depending on room preference, located near Lake Pichola.
Now comes the high paid hotels or palaces with proper Lakeview and amazing sites. Few of them are used for production of songs and movies in India. They are literally designed with infrastructure and traditional sculptures like we see palaces or forts in movies. Some of them are:
Trident Udaipur | Shiv Niwas Palace | Taj Fateh Prakash Palace | Shree Vilas Orchid by Lake Pichhola | The Leela Palace | Jagmandir Island Palace | The Oberoi | Taj Lake Palace
All these palaces ranges from 10000 and goes up till 40000 INR, a bit expensive but believe me once you go inside you will definitely feel like you are a part of Mewar Kingdom and the hospitality of the staffs is really remarkable. I would say one can spend a day here and learn every bit of Mewar Kingdom and Rajasthan’s culture.
Eateries in Udaipur
The royal city is famous for its hospitality and traditional wellbeing. Since the city is connected with the Mewar Kingdom one can find a wide variety of cuisines. Here is the list of best places in Udaipur to take your tummy on a culinary roller coaster. Enjoy the royal meal on any of these best places on your trip to the city. Don’t forget to try Rajasthani Thali with spiced special pickle.
- Jaiwana Haveli Rooftop Restaurant
- Jheel’s Rooftop Restaurant
- Tribute
- Steam Restaurant
- Ambrai-Amet Haveli
- Kabab Mistri
- Rainbow Restaurant
- Upre By 1559 AD
- Charcoal By Carlsson
- Natural View Restaurant
- Cafe Ra
- Raas Leela
- Khamma Ghani
- Sunset Terrace
My Experience in Udaipur
Now comes what I experienced during my visit to Udaipur. I believe you would have seen my earlier blogs, same like those I visited Udaipur with my 4 other friends. We started the trip after my office via train from Gurugram to Udaipur that costed 860 INR per head for 3rd AC. Since it was an overnight journey we reached Udaipur early morning next day and hired an auto to Panna Vilas Palace. Even though we planned the trip in September it rained heavily for 2 daysL. But rain could not stop us we enjoyed whole trip and made it happening. After reaching Panna Vilas we waited for our room to get ready as we were early and planned our 1st day to Kumbhalgarh Fort. The view from the fort was mesmerising and since it rained heavily the greenery and clouds increased the beauty of the fortress. After visiting the fort we came back to Udaipur and visited few restaurants and tasted Udaipur’s famous cuisines. In the night, we walked through the banks of Lake Pichola and enjoyed the sound and light show going on in the City Palace. Next day in the morning we went for boating and enjoyed the morning ride in the Lake Pichola (You have to be in a long queue to get the tickets and see kids swimming around like a pro). After boat ride we had our breakfast at a nearby restaurant and headed towards City Palace, Gangaur Ghat, Jagdish temple, Swaroop Sagar Bridge and Jag Mandir. Then we went for some shopping at Hathi Pol and bought few different Udaipur’s traditional stuffs. The next day was for Vintage Car Museum (the best one), Udaipur Solar observatory and Under the Sun Aquarium…. Believe me you won’t want to leave the place, it attracts you like a magnet. Lastly, we went for dinner at Jaiwana Haveli Rooftop Restaurant. Along with tasty Rajasthani food they also offer best view of the city at night. Since the trip was ending next day, we packed our bags in the night and left for few other sites early morning. Next day we visited Shilpgram, Saheliyon ki Bari, Sas Bahu temple, Ahar Cenatophs and other nearby sites. In our trip to Udaipur we checked-in in 2 hotels (Hotel Panna Vilas and Amet haveli) and tried Rajasthani cuisines in restaurants (Jaiwana Haveli Rooftop Restaurant, Tribute, Steam Restaurant, Ambrai-Amet Haveli, Kabab Mistri and Upre By 1559 AD). Finally our trip to Udaipur ended as we had our train back to Delhi at 8 pm.
Enjoy your Udaipur trip 😃😃😃
