Udaipur was built around water in a state that has very little of it, and that contradiction is why it looks like nowhere else in Rajasthan. Lake Pichola, the City Palace running along its edge, and a rim of low hills behind.
It is the gentlest stop on a Rajasthan itinerary and the one people extend once they are there. Two nights is the minimum; three if you want one day without a monument in it.
October to March. Udaipur is a few degrees kinder than the desert cities in every season, which makes it the easiest place to lose an afternoon.
The lake the city was built around, and the reason Udaipur looks the way it does. Boats leave from the City Palace jetty through the afternoon; the last one before sunset is the one to take, when the palaces on the far bank go from white to amber. Jag Mandir, the island palace in the middle, is worth the stop.
The lake is worth seeing twice, and the second time should be at night. The light and sound show at the City Palace, folk performances at Bagore Ki Haveli, or simply the walk along Ambrai Ghat with the palaces lit on the far bank. Dinner on a rooftop is the local habit and a good one.
Udaipur is part of our multi-day private tours of Rajasthan and North India. You travel in your own car with an English-speaking driver who knows the roads, the opening times and where to stop — no group, no fixed schedule.
Other destinations: Jaipur · Agra · Delhi · Jaisalmer · Jodhpur · Pushkar
