Looking for a quick weekend getaway that offers romance, history, natural beauty and great food? Look no further, Udaipur has got to be your choice!
High level plan 🗓️
- Day 1: Reach Udaipur, visit Jagdish temple, Bagore ki Haveli, Karni Mata ropeway
- Day 2: City Palace, Jagmandir Palace, Ambrai Ghat for sunset
- Day 3: Fateh Sagar Lake, Saheliyon ki Bari, Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace for sunset, Sukhadia Circle
You can use autos/ Uber for commuting within Udaipur. However, if you’re planning to stay for at least 2 days and want to explore the town at your pace, it is recommended to rent a 2-wheeler.
Stay 🏡
Would highly recommend to stay in the old city area – has lot of options ranging from economical hostels to luxurious havelis
- Madpackers / GoStops/ Zostel – very accessible and all the main attractions are within walking distance
- Amet Haveli – located next to Ambrai Ghat and in-house restaurant Ambrai offers amazing views of Lake Pichola
- Burj Baneria – slightly away from the main city palace area, but has rooms with a beautiful view of Lake Pichhola
Food 🍜
- Masala Chowk/ Krishna Dal Baati Restro – Daal Baati Thali
- Ambrai Restaurant – for the City Palace view over Lake Pichola
- Paliwal Restaurant – Hot Kachoris and Gulab Jamun
- Sukhadia Circle – Sooji Pani Puri
- Pap’s Juices – Healthy smoothies and juices
Detailed itinerary 📝
Day 1: Jagdish temple, Bagore ki Haveli, Karni Mata ropeway
We landed in Udaipur, reached our accommodation, freshened up and left to explore the walled city, starting with the Jagdish temple.
The Jagdish Temple, located right outside the city palace, is one of the oldest temples, and in worship since 1651. The sanctum bears an idol of Lord Jagannath and is widely visited by tourists and locals.
We then headed to the Bagore ki Haveli, a folk museum-cum-cultural centre which has live puppet shows and Rajasthani folk dances. The museum is open from 9 am to 5 pm, but the performances happen late evening between 7-8 pm and require separate tickets. So you can plan accordingly.
Bagore ki Haveli is situated on the Gangaur Ghat of the river and there are quite a few temples by the Ghat within a distance of a short walk which one can visit. We decided to just walk around the area for a while among the narrow lanes of the old city. These 2 things are something of a must-do as we think – sitting by the ghats offers a sense of peace and calm amidst the bustling crowd and walking along the charming, quaint lanes of the old town which is a blend of history and the current is a unique experience.
We then headed to the Karni Mata ropeway for catching the sunset view. This is a short ropeway ride (about 5-7 minutes each way) and costs about INR 120 per person for a 2-way ticket. We would recommend reaching the ticket counter by 4.30 pm and reach the top by latest 5 pm to avoid the sunset-time crowd. Located at the top of the hill is a temple dedicated to the Hindu Goddess Karni Mata. The top of the hill offers some mesmerising views of the Lake Pichola, City Palace and is also one of the best spots to catch the sunset.
Day 2: City Palace, Jagmandir Island Palace, Ambrai Ghat for sunset
We started the day with the tour of the city palace. Would recommend reaching here at 8:45 AM and enter as soon as it opens at 9 AM to avoid the crowd. It feels like you have the palace for yourself if you are one of the first few folks to enter it.
Built over a span of 400 years, the City Palace in Udaipur stands tall and strong as a striking symbol of the legacy of the Mewar family. The palace is built atop a hill overlooking Lake Pichhola. Even though it was built over several generations, the architecture still retains consistency and the interiors have been designed with great taste and flamboyance and exhibit several forms of art – mirror work, inlay-work, murals, marble work and wood carvings. The courtyards in different parts of the palace also add a charm of their own.
There are 2 categories of tickets to the City Palace – 1 that allows a full tour (costs INR 450), and the other that just lets you take a tour around the external perimeter of the palace (costs INR 100). We would highly recommend taking out 3-4 hours and doing the full tour. Once inside, you will notice that only a small part of the palace is open for tourists, and even that will take at least 3-4 hours to explore, which is an indication of the sheer enormity of the palace.
Once done, you could either opt to have lunch at one of the restaurants located in the palace complex or at one of the numerous cafes around the city palace area.
We decided to head to Masala Chowk and tried the Rajasthani Thali there – definitely a must try!
After lunch, we set out to explore the estates behind the City Palace and took a boat ride on Lake Pichola to Jagmandir Island Palace. The boat ride (round trip) costs around Rs. 600-800, depending on the time of day. Along the way, you’ll be treated to stunning views of the City Palace. Once you reach Jagmandir Island you will be greeted by tranquil gardens and a restaurant. You will also get a glimpse of Jagmandir Place which is now a luxury hotel.
We ended our day at Ambrai Ghat – one other place to experience a magical sunset over the Lake Pichola. We believe this Ghat truly embodies the personality of the city – an elegant blend of modernity and heritage. The Ambrai Restaurant stands at one end of the ghat, a temple of Lord Hanuman on the Ghat and the City palace on the opposite side of the Ghat.
We had dinner at another rooftop restaurant near the Ambrai Ghat area.
Day 3: Fateh Sagar Lake, Saheliyon ki Bari, Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace for sunset, Sukhadia Circle
We headed to the Fateh Sagar Lake early in the morning for a serene boat ride. The Fateh Sagar Lake is an artificial lake originally constructed by Maharana Jai Singh in 1687 and later reconstructed by Maharana Fateh Singh in 1889. The lake is surrounded by Aravalli hills on 3 sides and offers some great views during sunset as well. You might even be able to get a private tour (for a group of 2 or 3 people) if you reach early in the morning (around 9 am).
There are also some properties around this lake if one would want to stay here. However, this is slightly far from the main area of the City Palace.
We then headed to the Saheliyon ki Bari (Garden of the maidens)- a fountain garden built in the 18th century as a retreat for the queen and her attendants. The garden is surrounded with lush greenery and is very aesthetically designed and makes for a great place to get some pictures for the ‘gram 😋
Post-lunch, we headed towards the Sajjangarh Monsoon Palace, widely popular for its sunset views, and rightly so.
Private vehicles will have to pay a parking fee of Rs. 300 if you decide to drive all the way up. The other option is to take govt authorised shared cabs. The shared cab costs around INR 100 per person for a to-and-fro ticket. While the palace itself is very simplistic in its architecture and interiors, the courtyard that offers a view of the surrounding Aravalli Mountain ranges coupled with the sunset, is a sight to witness. You can also get a bird’s eye view of the city of Udaipur from the other end of the palace.
After we witnessed the views of the sunset to our heart’s satisfaction, we headed to Sukhadia circle, a street food haven, quite popular among the locals where you can find anything under the sun – chaats to Chinese to South Indian. The chaats however, are a must-try.
Roamantic Affair 