Udaipur - The city of lakes

Udaipur is a beautiful city, set amidst the Aravalli Ranges of Rajasthan known for its picturesque lakes and the elevated hills is also known as the city of Lakes and was founded by Rana Udai Singh. father of Maharana Pratap.. Udaipur is regarded as one of the most romantic cities of the World. Udaipur had been the capital of former kingdom of Mewar for centuries. The palaces are straight out of a fairy-tale book. Lakes, forts, palaces, temples, gardens, mountains and narrow lanes lines withdrawn with stalls, relives the reminisces of a heroic past, valor and chivalry.

Apart from its history, culture and scenic location, it is also known for its Rajput-era palaces. The Lake Palace, for instance, covers an entire island in the Pichola Lake. Udaipur is undoubtedly a dream destination for a romantic holiday and a preferred for destination wedding and an exotic honeymoon destination.

Lake Pichola, Fateh Sagar Lake, Udai Sagar and Swaroop Sagar in this city are considered some of the most beautiful lakes in the state.

How to Reach Udaipur?

By Air
Dabok airport, also known as Maharana Pratap Airport, is 24 kilometres from the city centre.

By Rail
Udaipur City Railway Station provides connectivity with major Indian cities.

By Road
The city lies on the Golden Quadrilateral, midway between Delhi and Mumbai National Highway (NH) 8; it is around 700 kilometres from either metro.

Distances from Udaipur

Udaipur to Ahmedabad - 262 km             Udaipur to Bombay - 739 km 

Udaipur to Delhi - 670 km                      Udaipur to Jaipur - 407 km 

Udaipur to Chittorgarh - 115 km             Udaipur to Mount Abu - 185 km 

Udaipur to Bikaner - 525 km                   Udaipur to Jodhpur - 269 km 

Udaipur to Kota - 358 km                       Udaipur to Bundi - 312 km 

Udaipur to Jaisalmer - 574 km                 Udaipur to Ajmer - 288 km 

Sightseeing  in Udaipur
 

City Palace - The City Palace stands on a hill on the banks of Lake Pichola, surrounded by crenulated walls. Built in 1567, it is composed of 4 major palaces and several minor palaces that form a single facade. Its main entrance is through a triple arched gate, the Tripolia, built in 1725. The gate leads to a series of courtyards, corridors and gardens. The balconies of the palace provide panoramic views of the "Jag Niwas" (the Lake Palace Hotel). They also have great views of Jag Mandir on one side and the city of Udaipur on the other.  A complete tour of city palace takes approximately 2 hours.

Lake Pichola - Lake Pichola is a lake that has two islands, Jag Niwas and the Jag Mandir. This lake is 4 km long and 3 km wide, originally built by Maharana Udai Singh II. There are many ghats, like the bathing and washing ghats, which can be approached through boats from the City Palace of Udaipur (Bansi Ghat). In the heart of the lake the Lake Palace stands, which is now converted into a heritage palace hotel.

Lake Palace - The Lake Palace was built in 1743-1746. It is made of marble and is situated on Jag Niwas island in Lake Pichola. It was originally built as a royal summer palace, but is now a luxury 5 Star hotel.

Crystal Gallery - The Crystal Gallery in Fateh Prakash Hotel overlooks the grand Durbar Hall. It has a rare collection of Osler's crystal ordered from England by Maharana Sajjan Singh in 1877. It includes crystal chandeliers and crystal furniture like chairs, dressing tables and a bed.

Jagdish Temple - Built in 1651 AD by Maharana Jagat Singh I and dedicated to Lord Vishnu, the temple has an imposing 79 ft high pagoda covered with sculptures of dancers, musicians, elephants and horsemen. It is the city's largest and most resplendent temple and is an example of Indo - Aryan architecture.

Sahelion Ki Bari - Sahelion ki Bari, the garden of maidens, was built by Maharana Sangram Singh in the mid 18th century. Pools with elegant kiosks, flowerbeds, lawns, pools, fountains, along with an array of trees make this garden eye-catching. There is also a sitting room decorated with paintings and glass mosaics in the garden.

Shilpgram - A crafts village located northwest of Udaipur, Shilpgram hosts an annual crafts fair which is one of the biggest in India; people from different states in the country have stalls showcasing their art and crafts work.

Sajjan Garh - Also known as the Monsoon Palace, it is located on top of a hill overlooking Lake Pichola and dominates the city's skyline. Built in the late 19th century by Maharana Sajjan Singh as an observatory, it has a breathtaking view of the city and the surrounding lakes, rivers and Aravalli ranges. It is surrounded by wooded hillsides and was once a royal hunting ground. It is an excellent place to view the sunset.
 

Eklingji - Located at a distance of 22 km the complex of 108 beautifully sculpted temples dedicated to Lord Shiva was built in 734 AD. At Nagda, which lies, just 2 km away are the 10th century richly carved Sas-Bahu temples, and the splendid Jain temple of Adbudji. 

Jag Mandir - Jag Mandir is another island in Lake Pichola which is known for its garden courtyard. Shah Jahan took refuge here while revolting against his father. Presently it also has a nice restaurant.

Fateh Sagar Lake - Fateh Sagar Lake is situated in the north of Lake Picholas. It was originally built by Maharana Jai Singh in the year 1678 AD, but later on reconstructed and extended by Maharana Fateh Singh after much destruction was caused by heavy rains.

Doodh Talai - A rock and fountain garden and the sunset point from which one can enjoy the sunset view in Lake Pichhola and a panoramic view of the old city. Also one can enjoy the Aerial tramway (rope way) which connects one of the dudh talai gardens to Karni Mata temple.

Maharana Pratap Memorial or Moti Magri - Atop the Moti Magri or Pearl Hill, overlooking the Fateh Sagar Lake is the memorial of the Rajput hero Maharana Pratap with a bronze statue of the Maharana astride his favourite horse "Chetak".

Ahar Cenotaphs - Located about 2 km east of Udaipur is a cluster of cenotaphs of the Maharanas of Mewar. There are about nineteen cenotaphs of Maharanas cremated there. One cenotaph is that Maharana Amar Singh, who reigned from 1597 to 1620. Nearby is also Ahar Museum, where on display is limited but very rare earthen pottery, as well as some sculptures and other archaeological finds. Some pieces date back to 1700 BC, and a tenth-century metal figure of Buddha is a special attraction.

Neemach Mata Temple - This temple is located on a green hill in the Dewali area of Udaipur. It has both stairs and an uphill slope way to climb, which is around 800 meters.

Udaipur Solar Observatory - Asia's only solar observatory, the Udaipur Solar Observatory, is situated on an island in the middle of the Lake Fatehsagar.

Haldighati - The historic battle between Maharana Pratap and the Mughal Emperor Akbar was fought here in 1576 AD. A chattri stands dedicated to the valiant horse of Maharana Pratap, Chetak, who died after seeing his master out of danger. The Haldighati is 40 kms from Udaipur.
 

Ranakpur Temples - The temple on the banks of the river Maghai and sequestered by mountains at a distance of 95 km from Udaipur is one of the holiest Jain sites of India. Ranakpur's beauty is accentuated by its seclusion. The main Chaumukha (four faced) temple was built in 1439 and is dedicated to the first Enlightened One, Adinatha Rishabdeva. An inscription in it traces its origin to the reign of Rana Kumbha. Erected on a raised platform, it is surrounded by 66 subsidiary shrines. It has 1444 beautifully carved pillars, of which no two are alike. Its open from midday to 5 p.m.

Kumbhalgarh Fort - Kumbhalgarh fort at a distance of 95 km from Udaipur was built in the 15th century by Rana Kumbha, one of Mewar's greatest warriors, this vast bastion was renowned for its inaccessibility. It had 7 massive gates and 7 ramparts, one within another, strengthened by rounded bastions and towers. It encloses a smaller fort called Katargarh, the Palace of Rana Kumbha and the ethereal Badal Mahal or Palace of the Clouds along with numerous temples. A tour takes approximately two hours and involves some uphill walking. It is a full day's excursion, which can be combined with a visit to the Ranakpur temples.
 

 Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary - Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Sanctuary is an ideal place to sightsee the wildlife in Udaipur and it is one of the main tourist attractions. Lying across the Aravalli Range, Kumbhalgarh sanctuary swathes parts of Udaipur, Pali and Rajsamand districts. The sanctuary is a home to many endangered species of wildlife. It is a natural abode to many animals like hyena, wolf, sloth bear, leopards, jackal, jungle cat, chausingha, sambhar, nilgai, chinkara and hare.

Chittaurgarh - At a distance of 120 km from Udaipur lies Chittaurgarh which had been the most important bastion of Rajput power for centrueies. It's occupation was the primary objective of any would-be ruler. It survived waves of Turkish, Afghan, Tartar and Mongol invaders but is now deserted. The ruined palace of Rana Kumbha is its oldest building. The fort is dominated by two towers, the 12th century Kirti Sthambh (Tower of fame) dedicated to a Jain saint, and the 15th century Vijay Sthambh (Tower of Victory) built to commemorate a famous victory over the Sultan of Malwa.

                                                    Mewar Festival

Mewar Festival held in March at Udaipur is a festival welcoming spring with food, song and dance. Colourfully attired women take images of Goddess Gauri to Lake Pichola for immersion and a procession of boats ends the celebrations.

Rajasthan Holiday Packages

Royal Rajasthan (14 days)	Forts and Palaces tour (21 days)
Rajasthan with Golden triangle (16 days)	Rajasthan Cultural Tours (16 days)
Pushkar Fair Tours (19 days)	Rural Rajasthan Tour (12 days)