Encircling the glistening Lake Pichola and surrounded by the jagged Aravalli Hills, Udaipur is considered by many to be the most beautiful city in Rajasthan, and arguably in all of India. Known simultaneously as the White City, The City of Lakes, and the Venice of the East, it was founded in 1568 by Maharana Udai Singh II as his new capital of Mewar when he set about building an abundance of ornate and extravagant palaces and havelis, eventually flooding the nearby village of Picholi to create the stunning expanse of water that sits at the centre of the city today.
Many of those buildings still remain and have been added to over the years, creating a city filled with fantastical palaces, temples, and labyrinthine streets for the intrepid visitor to explore. Although Pichola is the focus for most tourists, with tranquil boat rides to floating palaces and watching the sunset reflecting in the water from a rooftop vantage point as the sounds of Puja echo around, the city boasts colourful bazaars, an abundance of art galleries and a delicious foodie scene that is a good mix of traditional Rajasthani cuisine and a slight hipster cafe culture.
Add to this the city’s tag of ‘the most romantic spot in all of India’, given to it by Colonel Jame’s Tod back in 1829 and you will find a city that’s easy to love, and hard to leave.
Where to Stay in Udaipur
Like any big city in India, Udaipur has a good mix of Backpacker hostels, budget rooms, and more luxurious accommodation set within the opulent interiors of converted palaces and havelis. Most of the budget places cluster around the eastern edge of the lake around the tangle of noisy streets that make up the city’s touristic centre. I found that it was better to cross the footbridge from Lal Ghat and stay in the area around Hanuman Ghat or Ambrai Ghat where you will get a little more peace and more of a friendly, local vibe.
You may have to hop out of your rickshaw and walk across to Hanuman Ghat, as I found that a fair few drivers don’t want to take you all the way.
Bunkyard
Just 100 metres from the City Palace and 50 metres from Jagdish temple, Bunkyard is set within a colourfully and lovingly restored old building where you will find plants and vines tumbling down its central, winding staircase. The rooftop restaurant overlooks Lake Pichola and its floating Island Palaces and the hostel also offers bike hire, horse riding excursions and city tours.
GoStops Udaipur
Also located on Hanuman Ghat, just a short walk from Hostelavie in one direction and the main tourist hub of Lal Ghat in the other, GoStops has to be one of the coolest and most colourful hostels in the city. As well as having clean, stylish rooms, guests can enjoy breathtaking views of the City Palace and Gangaur Ghat from the roof terrace as well as take part in movie nights, live music or early morning yoga.
The hostel also offers a wide range of activities such as painting classes, leather workshops, cookery classes and city tours.
Zostel
If you have read my other India guides, you will know that I’m a fan of the largest hostel chain on the Indian subcontinent due to the fact they’re usually clean, reasonably priced and have friendly, helpful staff. Zostel tends to be the safe choice for a place to stay in India and the Udaipur branch is no exception. It is a social, centrally located hostel with killer lake views from the rooftop cafe.
Things to do in Udaipur
Visit the City Palace
Towering 30m over the lakeside at stretching over 200 metres along its shore, Udaipur’s City Palace is the largest and most impressive of all of Rajasthan’s palaces. Originally built in 1599 by Maharana Udai Singh, it was gradually added to by successive maharanas until it became the sprawling conglomeration of ornate buildings, balconies and towers (11 smaller palaces have been connected to it over time) that it is today.
Although you can enter the Palace complex (open 9 am – 11 pm) for 30 rupees through Badi Pol (the great gate) or Sheetla Mata Gate for 30 rupees, you will have to pay a further 250 rupees to enter the City Palace Museum, which makes up the main part of the Palace.
Inside you will find a collection of colourful, extravagantly decorated rooms covered in mirrors, tiles and lavash fittings as well as beautiful courtyards, pavilions, and terraces. I recommend renting an audio guide for 200 rupees if you want to really get a sense of the building’s history and giving yourself an hour and a half to 2 hours to really explore.
Museum opening times: 9.30 am – 5.30 pm.
Jagdish Temple
Originally built by Maharana Jagat Singh in 1651, this bustling Indo-Aryan temple is reached by a set of elephant flanked steps. The intricately carved main structure is worth a visit alone but inside you will find a black, stone image of Jagannath, Lord of the Universe.
Opening times: 5.30 am – 2 pm and 4 pm – 10pm.
Take a Boat Tour on Lake Pichola
4km long and 3km wide, Lake Pichola sits at the centre of Udaipur with the entire city appearing to revolve around it. Reflecting the mountains on one side and the city palace complex on the other, the lake has been the focus of the city ever since it was enlarged by Maharana Udai Singh II when he flooded Picholi village, giving the lake its name.
Boats leave every hour from Rameshwar Ghat, within the city palace complex (you have to pay the 30 rupee fee to enter the complex) and circle the east side of the lake, taking in the stunning Taj Lake Palace and Jagmandir Island. The boat makes a stop at Jagmandir’s palace and you are able to stay for as long as you would like, although there isn’t much to do there other than wander the gardens. Food and drink on the island are rather expensive, so make sure to take water with you.
Between 10 am and 2 pm, the boat trip costs 400 rupees per person (on top of the 30 rupees to enter the palace complex). The rides between 3 and 5 pm cost a rather extortionate 700 rupees, which probably isn’t worth it.
Visit the Crystal Gallery
Back in 1877, Maharana Sajjan Singh ordered an extraordinary collection of crystals from F & C Osler & Co in the UK, including crystal furniture such as tables, chairs and beds. He died before the order reached him. Although the boxes lay unopened for 110 years, the contents are now on display in the Crystal Gallery for all to see. Entry costs 550 rupees and photography is strictly prohibited inside.
Opening times: 9 am – 7 pm.
Walk around Hanuman Ghat
Cross the small footbridge from Lal Ghat over the river to Hanuman Ghat and you will feel as though you are in a different world. Away from the main tourist attractions, tangled, traffic-clogged streets and buzzing rickshaws, this area is positively serene compared to the city proper. Although it isn’t strictly out of the tourist area (you will still find your fair share of hotels, restaurants and shops catering to travellers), it has a little more of a quiet, ‘local’ vibe and is more residential than the area directly across the lake.
As my accommodation was located at the south end of the ghat, I would see the same people each day as I walked around, saying namaste and having brief conversations. Each time I passed a certain house, if I had my camera dangling from my neck, the children would run out and demand that I took their picture, no matter how many times I walked by in a day. At times I would feel like the only tourist. One morning, when I had the displeasure of being on the receiving end of an aerial pigeon shit bombardment, one man that I had seen each day even invited me into his home to get cleaned up. I sat and chatted to him while sipping chai and watching him make his daily batch of samosas. It just seemed a little more friendly and less hectic than the city centre.
Early evening, as the daylight is fading and the City Palace begins to be illuminated in an orange glow, head over to Ambrai Ghat for the perfect view of the city skyline and Jagmandir Island.
Watch a James Bond Film ‘On Location’
It was 1983 when Roger Moore’s incarnation of Bond arrived in Udaipur, and 35 years later, it’s as if he never left. Many of the city’s most spectacular landmarks were immortalised in John Glen’s Octopussy. Bond himself stayed at the Shiv Niwas Palace Hotel. The hotel is name-checked by the tuk-tuk driver who picks up Bond. Later, he gambles at the hotel’s casino and has dinner next to the swimming pool. Octopussy herself calls the Taj Lake Palace her home with the exterior shots taken at the Jag Mandir Palace.
Such is the pull of Bond, that Udaipur has become a must-visit destination for fans of the films. Places like the Ashiana Café and Cool Café have been taking advantage of this and have screened Octopussy every night for the last 20 years as a way to attract tourists. Udaipur was the first Indian city where a Bond movie was shot extensively. At first, the cafes and restaurants in Udaipur screened the movie as a matter of pride, and over the years, it has become their USP.
Sajjan Garh
Perched atop a mountain overlooking the city from afar, Sajjan Garh, or the monsoon palace was originally constructed by Maharana Sajjan Singh as an astronomical centre but soon became a palace retreat and hunting lodge. Nowadays, the palace is a little dilapidated and melancholy, but it is worth visiting for the sunset views.
To get there, you first have to reach the Sajjan Garth Wildlife Sanctuary (300 rupees entry fee) at the foot of the hill, about 9km from the city centre by road, and then ascend the final 4km by one of the taxis that are waiting to ferry passengers to the Palace (150 rupees per person). It will cost around 400 rupees to get to the sanctuary gates by autorickshaw from the city centre, including waiting time and return journey. Unfortunately, the rickshaws are unable to pass the sanctuary gates.
Visit the Markets
In Teej Ka Chowk, 20 minutes walk into the city from the lakeside, you will find a bustling market where vendors sit cross-legged on the floor, blankets spread all around them, covered in colourful fruit and vegetables. Baskets are stacked high with lettuces, cauliflowers and tomatoes with barely any space to move between them.
On the nearby streets, you will find men and women pushing wooden carts that overflow with stacks of chillis and turnips, calling out to passing mopeds in the hope of making a sale. Although there may not be anything you want to buy, it is worth visiting just to see a little more of Udaipur, away from the main tourist hub.
The tea and spice market, a set of shops that line the surrounding alleyways, caters more to tourists. Men sit behind counters, all manner of spices and ruby red chillies are laid out in front of them, spilling from the top of open hessian sacks or piled into neat pyramids, ready to e weighed on old-fashioned scales. Here you will find pre-packaged selections of different leaves and powders that you can buy, although when I was visiting, I appeared to be the only person there that wasn’t local.
Where to Eat & Drink in Udaipur
While I am an advocate for mostly eating street food for a fix of delicious but budget-friendly fare in India, Udaipur has scores of beautiful rooftop restaurants offering tasty food with incredible views of the lake, as well as some great cafes and bakeries. Many of the restaurants around Lake Pichola serve a range of Rajasthani and Gujarati thalis, but it’s the tasty street snacks that Udaipur is most famous for. I recommend trying mirchi bada and kachori.
Jheels Ginger Coffee Bar
With a small, rear terrace that juts out towards the water’s edge, this small cafe is the perfect place to sit with a coffee and cake in a morning while you watch people swimming and frolicking in the nearby ghats. There is a rooftop restaurant, but service can be slow and the food choice is limited.
Ambrai
On a lakeside terrace looking across at the Taj Lake Palace in one direction and the illuminated skyline of the city and City Palace in another, Ambrai’s candlelit tables set beneath illuminated trees provide the perfect romantic spot for an evening meal. It’s not just the location that sets it apart; the service and food more than match the setting and I ate one of my favourite meals that I tried in Rajasthan here.
It is a little more expensive than most of Udaipur’s other eateries, but even if you just go here for a sunset beer or cocktail, it is a must-visit.
Cafe Edelweiss
This tiny cafe-cum-German bakery beside Gangaur ghat is run by the owners of the popular Savage Garden Restaurant and serves up a mix of baked goods, breakfasts and decent coffee. The sandwiches aren’t brilliant, but you can pick up some delicious desserts like apple pies, plum cakes and brownies as well as German treats such as strudels.
Millets of Mewar
The ever-popular Millets of Mewar on Hanuman Ghat is an environmentally focused restaurant serving a good range of vegan and gluten-free food. known to be Udaipur’s first dedicated health food restaurant, the owners “believe in the power of food to inspire good health, good conversation, and environmental consciousness”. Local millet is used where possible instead of wheat and rice.
Hello Boho
Hello Boho is possibly the cosiest and the cutest café in Udaipur with its bohemian feel and menu offering a wide variety of coffee, shakes and mocktails. Head out the back to relax with your drink alongside a bewitching view of the ghat.
Sunset Terrace
As a city, Udaipur isn’t short on rooftop restaurants offering spectacular views of Lake Pichola. Unfortunately, many of them sell themselves on their vantage point alone and offer average or substandard food. That’s maybe why I didn’t have high hopes for Sunset Terrace. I stepped inside just to have a beer while watching the sunset over Hanuman Ghat, but decided to stay for food. It turns out that their meals match up to the scenery and the palak paneer that I ordered was surprisingly delicious.
Getting In and Out
By Air
Dabok Airport is located just 25km east of the city and is served by daily flights from Delhi and Mumbai on Jet Airways, Air India, IndiGo and SpiceJet. Expect to pay around 450 rupees for a pre-paid taxi to the city centre.
By Train
Udaipur has direct train services to a few of the main cities in Rajasthan and further afield; Agra takes 13 hours (10.20 pm daily/370 rupees); Ajmer is around 5 hours (4 daily – 6 am, 3.05 pm, 5.15 pm & 10.20 pm/140 rupees); Jaipur takes seven hours (three daily – 6 am, 3.05 pm & 10.20 am/ 270 rupees) and Delhi takes roughly 12 hours (5.15 pm and 6.15 pm/425 rupees for a sleeper).
The station is 2.5 km south of the city centre and should cost around 50 rupees to reach by autorickshaw.
Note that there are no direct trains to either Jaisalmer or Jodhpur meaning that bus or private car is the best way to reach them.
By Bus
Most buses run from the main bus stand, just p[ast the old Surajpol Gate, 1.5km east of the city palace. Buses to Jodhpur leave hourly and take around 6-8 hours at a cost of 273 rupees or 604 rupees for a bus with AC.
