Visiting Lake Palace

About Lake Palace

Built in the 1740s as a royal summer palace on Jag Niwas island, the white marble Lake Palace appears to float on Lake Pichola and now operates as a luxury hotel. It famously appeared in the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy.

Tip: Unless you are staying or dining there by reservation, the best views are from a sunset boat ride or from the rooftops of Lal Ghat and Ambrai.

Plan your visit

• Time needed: Viewed from the shore or a boat.
• Cost: Free — no ticket needed for the main area.
• Book ahead: not usually needed; buy on arrival.
• Where: Lake Pichola.

Best time to visit Lake Palace

Lake Palace is indoors, which makes it a good plan for the wettest months:

• August: 29°C (84°F) highs, about 11 rainy days, quiet crowds.
• July: 31°C (88°F) highs, about 10 rainy days, quiet crowds.
• September: 31°C (88°F) highs, about 5 rainy days, quiet crowds.

For the view at golden hour: in mid-August the sun sets at about 19:10 local time (calculated for Udaipur).

When to visit Udaipur has the full month-by-month picture.

Fit it into your trip

Our 3-day Udaipur itinerary visits Lake Palace on day 2, together with Lake Pichola boat ride and Jag Mandir.

• No. 3 of the 17 sights in our Udaipur things-to-do list.
• Day 2 of the 2-day plan.
• Day 2 of the 5-day plan.
• Listed in free things to do in Udaipur.

Near Lake Palace

Also in Lake Pichola, so you can walk between them:

• Jag Mandir — 1–1.5 hours, mid-priced
• Lake Pichola boat ride — 1 hour, mid-priced

If you like Lake Palace

• City Palace — Lal Ghat, 2–3 hours
• Saheliyon-ki-Bari — Fateh Sagar Lake, 1 hour
• Fateh Sagar Lake — Fateh Sagar Lake, 1–2 hours
• Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace — Sajjangarh, 1.5–2 hours

Staying near Lake Palace

Where to stay in Udaipur compares every area by price and who it suits.

Questions travellers ask