Things to do · Udaipur · India
17 best things to do in Udaipur
17 sights and experiences ranked for a first visit, with honest notes on time, cost and crowds.
Updated By the AMZBooking editorial team
Photo: user:Flicka, CC BY-SA 3.0
Quick answer
The essential sights in Udaipur are City Palace, Lake Pichola boat ride and Lake Palace. Of the 17 picks below, 5 are free, 4 work on a rainy day and 8 suit children. Allow about 4 days to see the highlights without rushing.
Key facts
- Top sight
- City Palace
- Free sights
- 5
- Good on a rainy day
- City Palace
- Time to see the highlights
- 4 days
At a glance
| Sight | Area | Time needed | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| City Palace | Lal Ghat | 2–3 hours | Mid-priced |
| Lake Pichola boat ride | Lake Pichola | 1 hour | Mid-priced |
| Lake Palace | Lake Pichola | Viewed from the shore or a boat | Free |
| Jag Mandir | Lake Pichola | 1–1.5 hours | Mid-priced |
| Jagdish Temple | Lal Ghat | 45 minutes | Free |
| Bagore Ki Haveli | Lal Ghat | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| Saheliyon-ki-Bari | Fateh Sagar Lake | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Fateh Sagar Lake | Fateh Sagar Lake | 1–2 hours | Free |
| Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace | Sajjangarh | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| Ambrai Ghat | Hanuman Ghat and Ambrai | 45 minutes | Free |
| Gangaur Ghat | Lal Ghat | 30 minutes | Free |
| Vintage and Classic Car Collection | Gulab Bagh | 45 minutes | Mid-priced |
| Shilpgram | Western outskirts | 1.5–2 hours | Low cost |
| Ahar Cenotaphs | Ahar | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Karni Mata ropeway | Doodh Talai | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal | Fateh Sagar Lake | 1 hour | Low cost |
| Moti Magri and Maharana Pratap Memorial | Fateh Sagar Lake | 1 hour | Low cost |
The 17 best things to do
Palace · Lal Ghat
1.City Palace
Begun in the 16th century and extended by successive Maharanas, the City Palace stretches along the eastern shore of Lake Pichola with balconies, cupolas and courtyards. The palace museum includes the Mor Chowk with its glass-mosaic peacocks, mirrored chambers and royal galleries, and the Crystal Gallery displays a collection of cut-glass furniture.
Arrive at opening to tour the museum before tour groups, and hire the official audio guide to make sense of the maze of rooms.
- Time needed
- 2–3 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- History
- Architecture
- Views
- Rainy day
Experience · Lake Pichola
2.Lake Pichola boat ride
Boats leave from the City Palace jetty and circle Lake Pichola past the bathing ghats, the white Lake Palace on its island and the façade of the City Palace, usually with a stop at Jag Mandir. The sunset departures are the most popular, when the palace walls glow gold.
Take a sunset trip for the light on the City Palace, and sit on the side facing the palace on the return leg.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- Iconic
- Couples
- Views
- Photo spot
- Kids
Palace · Lake Pichola
3.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.
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.
- Time needed
- Viewed from the shore or a boat
- Cost
- Free
- Iconic
- Views
- Couples
- Free
- Photo spot
Palace · Lake Pichola
4.Jag Mandir
Built in the 17th century on an island in Lake Pichola, this palace of marble pavilions, courtyards and gardens is guarded by a row of stone elephants. Prince Khurram, the future Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, is said to have sheltered here while in revolt against his father.
Stay on the island for a drink or meal at the restaurant and catch a later boat back to see the City Palace lit up.
- Time needed
- 1–1.5 hours
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Couples
- Views
Religious site · Lal Ghat
5.Jagdish Temple
Built in 1651 by Maharana Jagat Singh I, this Hindu temple to Lord Vishnu stands on a high plinth at the top of a steep staircase near the City Palace gate. Its walls and spire are covered in carvings of deities, dancers, elephants and musicians.
Visit during the morning or evening aarti prayers to hear devotional singing, remove your shoes and dress modestly.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- History
- Architecture
Museum · Lal Ghat
6.Bagore Ki Haveli
An 18th-century mansion on Gangaur Ghat built for a prime minister of Mewar, now a museum of restored rooms, costumes and puppets. Each evening its courtyard hosts the Dharohar show of Rajasthani folk dances, including women balancing stacks of pots on their heads.
Arrive early for the evening dance show to get a seat on the cushions near the front.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- After dark
- Art
- Kids
- Rainy day
Garden · Fateh Sagar Lake
7.Saheliyon-ki-Bari
The 'garden of the maidens' was laid out in the 18th century for the royal women of the court, with lawns, lotus pools, marble elephants and fountains fed by water from Fateh Sagar Lake. A small museum displays royal items.
Visit in the morning when it is cooler and quieter, and look for the fountain courtyard, the garden's centrepiece.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Outdoors
- Couples
- Kids
- Photo spot
Waterfront · Fateh Sagar Lake
8.Fateh Sagar Lake
Udaipur's second big lake, north of Pichola, is ringed by hills and a lakeside road where families gather in the evening for snacks, boat rides and the sunset. Boats run to Nehru Park, an island garden in the middle of the lake.
Walk the Rani Road promenade at sunset and try snacks from the stalls along the shore.
- Time needed
- 1–2 hours
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Kids
- Views
- Outdoors
Palace · Sajjangarh
1.Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace
Built in the 1880s by Maharana Sajjan Singh on a hilltop west of the city, this palace was intended to watch monsoon clouds approach. It sits inside a wildlife sanctuary, and its terraces give the widest views over Udaipur's lakes and the Aravalli hills, especially at sunset.
Arrive about an hour before sunset; the road from the sanctuary gate is covered by shared vehicles, and the terraces get busy as the sun goes down.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Couples
- History
- Photo spot
Viewpoint · Hanuman Ghat and Ambrai
2.Ambrai Ghat
On the western shore of Lake Pichola, this ghat faces the City Palace directly across the water and is the classic spot to see the palace lit up after dark. Locals bathe and wash clothes here by day, and lakeside restaurants line the shore next to it.
Come after sunset for the lights on the City Palace and the Lake Palace, and keep to the steps rather than the slippery edge.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Views
- After dark
- Photo spot
- Couples
Waterfront · Lal Ghat
3.Gangaur Ghat
The old city's main ghat, with a triple-arched gateway leading down to the lake beside Bagore Ki Haveli. It is the focus of the Gangaur festival in spring, when women carry decorated idols of the goddess Gauri to the water.
Sit on the steps in the early morning to watch the city wake up, with pigeons, bathers and boats on the lake.
- Time needed
- 30 minutes
- Cost
- Free
- Free
- Photo spot
- History
Museum · Gulab Bagh
4.Vintage and Classic Car Collection
The Maharanas of Mewar's collection of vintage cars is displayed in the former state garage near Gulab Bagh, including Rolls-Royces, Cadillacs and other cars used by the royal family through the 20th century.
Combine it with the Gulab Bagh gardens next door, and visit in the afternoon heat as it is indoors.
- Time needed
- 45 minutes
- Cost
- Mid-priced
- History
- Rainy day
- Kids
Historic site · Western outskirts
5.Shilpgram
A rural arts and crafts village a few kilometres west of the city with reconstructed traditional houses from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra, craft demonstrations and folk performances. It hosts the large Shilpgram Utsav crafts fair each December.
Visit during the Shilpgram Utsav in late December for hundreds of craftspeople and performers from across India.
- Time needed
- 1.5–2 hours
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Kids
- Shopping
- Outdoors
Historic site · Ahar
6.Ahar Cenotaphs
About 3 km east of the city, this royal cremation ground of the Mewar rulers holds rows of white domed cenotaphs (chhatris), some of them richly carved. A small archaeological museum nearby displays finds from the ancient Ahar culture.
Come in the late afternoon when the low light picks out the carving and few other visitors are around.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Architecture
- Off the beaten path
- Photo spot
Viewpoint · Doodh Talai
7.Karni Mata ropeway
A cable car climbs from the Deen Dayal Upadhyay Park at Doodh Talai to the Mansapurna Karni Mata temple on Machla Magri hill, giving views over Lake Pichola, the City Palace and the old city.
Ride up in the late afternoon and stay for sunset at the top, then walk down to the Doodh Talai gardens.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Views
- Kids
- Photo spot
Museum · Fateh Sagar Lake
8.Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal
This folk-art museum and cultural institute displays Rajasthani puppets, masks, costumes and musical instruments, and stages puppet shows that keep alive the region's string-puppet tradition.
Time your visit for one of the puppet shows, a highlight for children.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- Art
- Kids
- Rainy day
Park · Fateh Sagar Lake
9.Moti Magri and Maharana Pratap Memorial
On a hill above Fateh Sagar, gardens surround a bronze statue of Maharana Pratap, Mewar's celebrated 16th-century warrior king, on his horse Chetak. Paths lead up to views over the lake.
Walk up in the early evening, then go down to the lake promenade for sunset.
- Time needed
- 1 hour
- Cost
- Low cost
- History
- Views
- Outdoors
Pick by interest
| Interest | Best picks |
|---|---|
| Art and museums | Bagore Ki Haveli, Vintage and Classic Car Collection, Shilpgram and Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal |
| History | City Palace, Jag Mandir, Jagdish Temple and Bagore Ki Haveli |
| Views | City Palace, Lake Pichola boat ride, Jag Mandir and Lake Palace |
| Outdoors and nature | Saheliyon-ki-Bari, Fateh Sagar Lake, Shilpgram and Moti Magri and Maharana Pratap Memorial |
| After dark | Bagore Ki Haveli and Ambrai Ghat |
| With children | Lake Pichola boat ride, Bagore Ki Haveli, Saheliyon-ki-Bari and Fateh Sagar Lake |
| On a rainy day | City Palace, Bagore Ki Haveli, Vintage and Classic Car Collection and Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal |
Plan the rest of your trip
Questions travellers ask
+What is the number one thing to do in Udaipur?
City Palace. Begun in the 16th century and extended by successive Maharanas, the City Palace stretches along the eastern shore of Lake Pichola with balconies, cupolas and courtyards.
+What can you do for free in Udaipur?
Lake Palace, Jagdish Temple, Fateh Sagar Lake, Ambrai Ghat and Gangaur Ghat. More free things to do.
+What is there to do in Udaipur when it rains?
Head indoors to City Palace, Bagore Ki Haveli, Vintage and Classic Car Collection and Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal.
+What is there to do in Udaipur at night?
Bagore Ki Haveli and Ambrai Ghat are best after dark.