Photo: UnpetitproleX · CC BY-SA 4.0Udaipur is a city in southern Rajasthan, founded by Maharana Udai Singh II as the capital of Mewar and built around its lakes. Plan two full days for the main sights and three if you add a day trip. October to March is cooler: the mean daily maximum in January is 24.5 °C, against 40.2 °C in May.
What to see, when to come, how to get here and how to fit it all into your days.
Photo: Kandukuru Nagarjun · CC BY 2.0Udaipur guide
Eighteen places to visit in Udaipur, grouped by area, with how long to allow, fees as listed and road distances from the City Palace and from Sukher.
Photo: Jakub Hałun · CC BY-SA 4.0Udaipur guide
Timed one-, two- and three-day plans for Udaipur, with the drive from each stop to the next and what to cut first.
Photo: UnpetitproleX · CC BY-SA 4.0Udaipur guide
The India Meteorological Department’s 1991–2020 table for Udaipur, with a short note on each month.
Photo: Ji-Elle · CC BY-SA 4.0Udaipur guide
Flights, trains and road distances from 13 cities, with the airport and station distances measured rather than guessed.
Photo: Soundarya Varadarajan · CC BY-SA 3.0Udaipur guide
Road distances from Udaipur to 15 day-trip places and 13 cities, plus a sight-to-sight matrix, measured with one stated method.
The palace, the lake and the crafts village, with fees and hours as their operators list them.
Photo: Kandukuru Nagarjun · CC BY 2.0Udaipur guide
Listed hours, the undated ticket table, what to allow and how to pair the palace with Jagdish Temple and a lake boat.
Photo: Daniel Villafruela · CC BY-SA 3.0Udaipur guide
Which boats go where, what the one official tariff says and when it ran out, and what you can and cannot visit on the lake.
Photo: KHC Khushtar Heritage · CC BY 4.0Udaipur guide
A rural arts and crafts complex run by West Zone Cultural Centre, with listed fees, reported hours and a ten-day festival in late December.
Forts and temples beyond the city, with measured road distances from the old city and from Sukher.
Photo: Neurodhaval · CC BY-SA 4.0Udaipur guide
Twelve places near Udaipur compared by road distance, time to allow and what each is for, with routes that combine well.
Photo: Neurodhaval · CC BY-SA 4.0Udaipur guide
Road figures, conflicting reported fees, the long wall and a Ranakpur pairing for a day out from Udaipur.
Photo: WikiAnchor10 · CC BY-SA 4.0Udaipur guide
Road distances, how darshan sessions work, how to book the Statue of Belief and a half-day plan for Nathdwara.
Updated By Hotel Rudra Kripa3 min read
Udaipur is a city in the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan, near the Gujarat border. Wikipedia says Maharana Udai Singh II founded it in 1559 as his new capital, after Chittorgarh was besieged by Akbar. Rajasthan Tourism gives 1553, so sources differ by six years; both agree on the founder and on the purpose.
The city was the capital of the kingdom of Mewar until 1818, when Mewar became a British princely state. The Aravalli hills lie to its west. Wikipedia says the city is surrounded by five major artificial lakes, among them Lake Pichola and Fateh Sagar Lake, which is why Udaipur is called the City of Lakes. The City Palace stands on the Pichola waterfront.
Photo: UnpetitproleX · CC BY-SA 4.0Two full days cover the City Palace, a boat on Lake Pichola, a walk through the old city and an evening by Fateh Sagar Lake. Add a third day if you want a longer trip out of town. That is our reading of how far apart the sights are, not an official figure.
The itinerary guide lays out one, two and three days. The places to visit guide describes each sight, and the day trips guide covers Kumbhalgarh, Nathdwara and others.
The India Meteorological Department’s 1991–2020 table for the Dabok station shows the mean daily maximum at 24.5 °C in January and 26.0 °C in December. It reaches 33.4 °C in October and 40.2 °C in May. Rain is concentrated: June to September brings about 93% of the 674.2 mm annual total, with 235.6 mm in July alone.
Winter is the comfortable season for walking, and the monsoon months are green but wet. When to visit Udaipur goes month by month, and our page on the monsoon in Udaipur covers the rainy months. Rajasthan Tourism lists the Mewar Festival for 9–11 April 2027.
Maharana Pratap Airport is at Dabok, about 24 km from the City Palace by road and around 1 hr 5 min by car. Udaipur City railway station is about 3.8 km from the palace and the central bus stand at Udaipole about 3.0 km. Flight and train timetables change, so check them with the airline or the railway before you book.
The how to reach guide has the routes from Delhi, Jaipur, Ahmedabad and Mumbai. For road distances to other places, see the distances guide.
The old city around the City Palace and the Pichola ghats is best done on foot, since many lanes are narrow. Fateh Sagar Lake is about 3.6 km from the palace by road, which is a short auto-rickshaw or taxi ride. Sights further out, such as Shilpgram, need a vehicle.
The places to visit guide gives a measured road distance for each sight, so you can see which ones sit together.
The old city puts you within walking distance of the City Palace and the Pichola ghats. The trade-off is narrow lanes, which can make arriving with luggage awkward, and a busy centre. Fateh Sagar is about 3.6 km from the City Palace by road and suits people who want the second lake and its promenade close by, with the old city a short ride away.
Sukher is north of the old city and is a drive from the sights, not a walk. From Hotel Rudra Kripa it is about 9.2 km to the City Palace (around 25 min by car) and about 7.9 km to Fateh Sagar Lake. Choose it if you would rather be away from the centre and are happy to take a vehicle each day. Read the guide to Sukher and our comparison of Udaipur hotels before you decide.
| From | To City Palace | To Fateh Sagar Lake | To the airport |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Palace (old city) | Same place | about 3.6 km, 10 min | about 24 km, 1 hr 5 min |
| Hotel Rudra Kripa (Sukher) | about 9.2 km, 25 min | about 7.9 km, 25 min | about 23 km, 1 hr |
Start with the City Palace, which has its own page on hours and tickets. Then see Lake Pichola for boats and the ghats. For the places you can reach by road in a day, see Kumbhalgarh Fort and Nathdwara. We also explain how we write these guides.
Two full days cover the main sights in the city, and three allow a day trip. This is our judgement from the distances involved. The itinerary guide sets out each option.
October to March is the cooler half of the year. The India Meteorological Department’s 1991–2020 figures give a mean daily maximum of 24.5 °C in January and 40.2 °C in May.
In 1559 according to Wikipedia, or 1553 according to Rajasthan Tourism. Both name Maharana Udai Singh II as the founder, as the new capital of Mewar.
About 24 km by road, around 1 hr 5 min by car, to Maharana Pratap Airport at Dabok. From Sukher it is about 23 km.
About 3.8 km by road to Udaipur City railway station, around 10 min by car. From Sukher it is about 10.8 km.
It suits people who prefer to be north of the old city, as it is about 9.2 km from the City Palace and you will usually travel by vehicle. If you want to walk to the palace and ghats, the old city is closer.
Fees and hours change, so check them before you go. How these guides are made: how we write our guides. Spotted something out of date? Email info@hotelrudrakripa.com.
Hotel Rudra Kripa is in Sukher, north of the old city and about 9.2 km by road from the City Palace, with a rooftop pool, a restaurant and free parking. Send us your dates and the reservations team will reply with availability, or call or WhatsApp the hotel.
