Udaipur
Udaipur is a city in the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan, about 415 km (258 mi) south of the state capital Jaipur.
It serves as the administrative headquarters of Udaipur district. It is the historic capital of the kingdom of Mewar in the former Rajputana Agency. It was founded in 1559 by Udai Singh II of the Sisodia clan of Rajputs, when he shifted his capital from the city of Chittorgarh to Udaipur after Chittorgarh was besieged by Akbar. It remained as the capital city till 1818 when Mewar became a British princely state, and thereafter the Mewar province became a part of Rajasthan when India gained independence in 1947. It is also known as the City of Lakes, as it is surrounded by five major artificial lakes.
Getting to Udaipur
Udaipur is easily accessible via major roads from every major destination in India including Chittorgarh (117 km), Ahmedabad (257 km), Jodhpur (260 km), Ajmer (307 km), Sawai Madhopur/Ranthambore (638 km), Jaipur (421 km), Bikaner (488 km), Agra (638 km), Delhi (676 km), Mumbai (725 km), and Khajuraho (776 km).
- 01Maharana Pratap Airport
Worth seeing
- 01Udaipur City Palace
A complex of small and big palaces, museums and gardens encompassing a rich blend of Rajasthani, Mughal, Medieval, European and Chinese architecture established in 1559 by Maharana Udai Mirza Singh.
- 02Jagdish Temple
Located 150 m north of the palace in Indo-Aryan architectural style, the temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu.
- 03Fateh Sagar Lake
An artificial lake constructed by Maharana in north of Lake Pichola in 1678 and to the north-west of Udaipur.
- 04Pichola Lake
An artificial fresh water lake, created in 1362 AD, named after the submerged Picholi village.
- 05Doodh Talai
A rock and fountain garden and the sunset point from which you can enjoy the sunset view in Lake Pichhola and a panoramic view of the old city.
- 06Gulab Bagh and Zoo
A rose garden laid out by Maharaja Sajjan Singh is near the palace on the east side of Lake Pichhola.
Things to do
Dharohar Dance Show @ Bagore-ki-Haveli, near Gangaur Ghat, deepakdixit.dharohar@gmail.com. A 60-minute Rajastani dance and marionette puppet show. Includes live music with local instruments, local folk dancing, and a lady balancing up to 9 stacked pots on her head. A must-see! Admission: ₹100; camera fee: ₹100.
Where to eat
Udaipur is famous for its spicy snacks such as mirchi bada and kachori. Other common local cuisines include Dal Baati Churma (Lentils and rice), Pyaz Kachori (onion/flour balls), and Gatte Ki Sabzi (gram flour dumplings with curry). These are common on the menu of just about every restaurant and should definitely be eaten! Cooking classes are also commonly offered in Udaipur.
Getting around Udaipur the local way
- Get aroundWhile most of the city can be covered on foot and the narrow alleyways in the old city make any other form of transportation a hassle, a taxi or autorickshaw/tuk-tuk is necessary to reach the Monsoon Palace or the wilderness park.
- Get aroundA tuk-tuk will usually cost around ₹50, and should never cost more than ₹100 within the city.
- Get aroundApp-based cab hailing services like Uber and Ola are becoming increasingly popular since they generally cost lower than the tuk-tuk and require no fare-haggling Also there are many local taxi providers.
From Wikivoyage: Udaipur, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Roshan kumarPhotomylife (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.
