Udaipur’s Most Beautiful Places to Add to Your Holiday

Udaipur ends up on both wish lists and film sets for a reason, and it's not only because of its palaces. The entire city is situated around water, which means that during one evening you can enjoy a boat trip, a dinner on a rooftop and the sunset as well. The problem for someone visiting for the first time is that the map appears to be very crowded and you end up worrying about fitting everything into a short holiday or missing the places that are actually worth the praise. This guide resolves that issue. We have selected 12 of the best places to visit in Udaipur that are truly worth your time and have arranged them so that they follow one another rather than requiring you to go back and forth across the city. If you get the order right, the City of Lakes will become one of the easiest and most rewarding destinations in Rajasthan.

How Should You Plan Your Udaipur Days? 

Before looking at the list, it's useful to have a bit of organisation since the best approach to the places to visit in Udaipur is to group them rather than going through them in a random sequence. Since most well-known sites are around Lake Pichola, group them together to avoid travelling back and forth.

Here is the simple logic that keeps your days smooth:

• Base near the lake: Half the places on the list are within walking distance of the old city situated around Lake Pichola.
• Do the old city on foot: The City Palace, the ghats, the Jagdish Temple and the Bagore Ki Haveli are almost in contact with one another.
• Save sunset for a view: Finish each day at a ghat or at Sajjangarh. Do not stop in the middle of the afternoon.
• Use a cab for the outliers: The museum, the ropeway, and Shilpgram are a short drive by car or taxi.

The 12 Most Beautiful Places to Visit in Udaipur 

Well, here comes the good news. The following are the 12 best places to visit in Udaipur, listed in an order that approximates the route you'd take as you move around the city, with each one leading into the next. The times given are for guidance only and not strict rules.

City Palace 

Start where the city started. This is Rajasthan's largest palace complex: a 400-year-old layered structure of courtyards, balconies, and the mosaic peacocks of Mor Chowk, accessible via the triple-arched Tripolia Gate. As one of Udaipur's most famous places to visit in Udaipur, it is worth spending a full morning there.

• Best for: History, architecture, lake views
• Do this: The Crystal Gallery and the Mor Chowk peacocks
• Good to know: An audio guide is worth it; allow 2 to 3 hours
• Time needed: 2 to 3 hours

Lake Pichola

The lake is what makes the rest of the place possible; it was constructed in 1362 and is surrounded by ghats, palaces and hills, so a boat trip is something that no one should miss. It also provides a backdrop to the floating Taj Lake Palace, the white marble hotel which you have seen in hundreds of photographs.

• Best for: Boat rides, sunset, photos
• Do this: A late-afternoon cruise that stops at Jag Mandir
• Good to know: Boats run through the day; sunset slots fill fast
• Time needed: 1 to 2 hours

Jag Mandir

This 17th-century marble palace, situated on its own island, provides a peaceful contrast to the busy shoreline; eight full-sized marble elephants stand in front of it and the layout of the courtyards together with the views over the lakes make it a pleasant and relaxed spot for a visit during your cruise around Pichola.

• Best for: Island palace, a quiet hour
• Do this: Walk the garden courtyard and look back at the city
• Good to know: Reached only by boat, so pair it with your ride
• Time needed: About an hour

Jagdish Temple

This 17th-century temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu is the largest in Udaipur, with a carved spire well worth the time; it's also one of the easiest of the places to visit in the old part of the city and fits easily into a stroll around the city.

• Best for: Carvings, a calm pause
• Do this: Look up at the tiered, sculpted shikhara
• Good to know: Dress modestly; shoes off at the steps
• Time needed: About 30 minutes

Bagore Ki Haveli

This mansion, which dates from the 18th century, is a museum during the day but offers something unique in the evening. Every day at 7 p.m. there is a performance of the Dharohar folk dance in the courtyard of Neem Chowk, ghoomar and the act of balancing pots on the head being the ones that the audience most likes. When considering places to visit in Udaipur at night, this is the one you should book.

• Best for: Folk dance, culture, lake views
• Do this: Arrive early for the 7pm show; seats go fast
• Good to know: Museum open daytime; small camera charge applies
• Time needed: About 2 hours with the show

Gangaur Ghat and Ambrai Ghat

It is at these lakeside steps that Udaipur lets out a sigh in the evening. Gangaur Ghat sits right next to Bagore Ki Haveli, and on the other side of the water, Ambrai Ghat offers the kind of view you see on postcards as the City Palace lights up. These are the best free sunsets in the town and among the top places to visit in Udaipur for couples.

• Best for: Sunset, photography, slow evenings
• Do this: Cross to Ambrai for the City Palace reflection
• Good to know: Go 45 minutes before sunset for a good spot
• Time needed: About an hour

Saheliyon Ki Bari

The Garden of the Maidens dates back to the 18th century and was constructed as a retreat for the queen and her companions; the garden consists entirely of lotus pools, marble kiosks and fountains and acts as a cool, green respite among the more major attractions.

• Best for: Gardens, fountains, a quiet stroll
• Do this: Sit by the lotus pool and the fountain court
• Good to know: Compact; 45 minutes is enough
• Time needed: About 45 minutes

Fateh Sagar Lake

The lake which the locals use and which is connected to Pichola by a canal is the place where people come to relax in Udaipur. You can cycle along the shore, have a seat in a cafe or take a boat to Nehru Park island. It is at its most beautiful after 5 p.m. when the light becomes softer.

• Best for: Cycling, cafes, easy evenings
• Do this: A boat to the island or a lakeside coffee
• Good to know: Home to India's only island solar observatory
• Time needed: 1 to 2 hours

Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace

This 1884 hilltop palace, situated on the Aravalli Hills at a height of about 944 metres, offers the broadest view in the city and is the ideal place to see the sunset, with the lakes and the old town lying out below.

• Best for: Sunset, panoramas
• Do this: Time your arrival for the hour before sunset
• Good to know: Inside a wildlife sanctuary; go by taxi or jeep
• Time needed: 1 to 2 hours

Karni Mata Ropeway and Doodh Talai

This ropeway gives you a quick rush along with a magnificent view as it takes you from Doodh Talai all the way to Machla Magra hill in just a few minutes; furthermore, the gardens beneath Doodh Talai have a musical fountain in the evenings, so it makes for a pleasant combination at sunset.

• Best for: Skyline views, a short ride
• Do this: Ride up for sunset, catch the fountain after
• Good to know: Quick to do; pair with a Pichola sunset
• Time needed: About an hour

Vintage and Classic Car Museum

This exhibit offers a change of scene from the palaces, featuring the cars owned by the Mewar royal family, such as Rolls-Royce and Cadillac models that were previously used for royal duties. It's a lively and unusual attraction, particularly if you have children or people who love cars with you.

• Best for: Something different, families
• Do this: Look for the cars used in royal processions
• Good to know: Small and quick; near the old city
• Time needed: About 45 minutes

Shilpgram

Right outside the town, this rural arts and crafts village reproduces traditional huts from across western India, featuring artisans, folk performers, and a wide variety of goods for sale. For people who are interested in handicrafts, it is one of the more hands-on places to visit in Udaipur city.

• Best for: Crafts, culture, souvenirs
• Do this: Watch a craft demo and shop directly from makers
• Good to know: Biggest during the late-December Shilpgram Festival
• Time needed: 1 to 2 hours

What Is Udaipur Like After Dark? 

Udaipur excels in the evenings, not in a festive way but in a warm and illuminated manner. The most worthwhile places to visit in Udaipur in the evening are cultural and scenic rather than noisy.

• Bagore Ki Haveli: The 7 p.m. Dharohar folk show is the evening's highlight.
• Ambrai and Gangaur Ghats: The City Palace shines golden across the water.
• Rooftop dinners: The terrace restaurants in the old city offer you the view together with your thali.
• Doodh Talai fountain: To conclude the night, there is a gentle musical fountain.

When Is the Best Time to Visit Udaipur? 

The time you choose affects the entire holiday, and for most of the places worth visiting in Udaipur the answer is pleasantly straightforward: visit during the cooler, drier periods. Since the summers are severe, your plans should take them into account.

• October to March: The ideal time, with nice days and comfortable sunsets.
• July to September: The lakes fill and the hills turn green, even though it is interrupted by rain.
• April to June: It's very hot, so it's best to start early and take indoor breaks midday.

Ready to Fall for the City of Lakes? 

The advantage when visiting Udaipur isn't to see more sights, but to see them in the correct order, so that the palaces, the gardens and the sunsets over the lake become connected rather than scattered across your days; it is this kind of sequencing that we enjoy arranging for you.

At Holiday Tribe, we act as holiday advisors rather than travel agents,, and we create Rajasthan holidays as land packages tailored to your schedule and preferred pace. If you'd like everything to be arranged for you, choose one of our ready-made routes covering Udaipur and Rajasthan, or let our experts, together with our AI travel planner, design a personal one. Just let us know who is going and how you prefer to travel, and we'll take care of the rest.