Udaipur travel guide: City Palace, Lake Pichola and best time

Lake PicholaCity Palace

The city of lakes, and the most romantic in Rajasthan

Built around Lake Pichola and a chain of connected lakes, with the City Palace running along the eastern shore. The most temperate of the Rajasthan cities and the usual choice for a slower two nights.

Ideal stay2–3 nightsTwo nights is the usual stay, with a lake cruise at sunset. A third lets you see the palaces and old town at an easier pace.

Nearest airportMaharana Pratap (UDR)45 min to Udaipur · Dabok, east of the city

Getting thereUdaipur Airport is about 45 minutes from the old cityThere are direct flights from Delhi, Mumbai and other major cities. Jaipur is about 6 hours by road, and Jodhpur about 5 hours.

Time zoneGMT+5:30Same time as India

Getting around. The old town and the lakeside ghats are compact and walkable. Auto-rickshaws and cabs cover the rest, and boats cross Lake Pichola from the City Palace jetty.

Part ofRajasthanJaipur, Jodhpur, Udaipur, Jaisalmer and 4 more cities

Things to do in Udaipur

3 experiences from our activity catalogue

MuseumCity Palace, UdaipurA 16th-century Mewar palace complex on the east bank of Lake Pichola, part of which houses the City Palace Museum run by the MMCF.2 hr₹400 (Indian and foreign national alike; the MMCF applies a uniform 'one fee' policy)

ScenicLake PicholaAn artificial freshwater lake in Udaipur, created in 1362, with the City Palace along its east bank and four islands including Jag Mandir.1 hrFree

GardenSaheliyon Ki BariAn 18th-century walled garden in northern Udaipur near Fateh Sagar Lake, with fountains, marble elephants, kiosks and a lotus pool.1 hr

Packages that include Udaipur

Ready-to-book itineraries with Udaipur on the route

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4 nightsRajasthan Quick EscapeJaipur · 2NJodhpur · 1NUdaipur · 1N4 Nights | 5 DaysFrom₹42,000 per personView package

6 nightsRoyal RajasthanJaipur · 2NJodhpur · 1NJaisalmer · 2NUdaipur · 1N6 Nights | 7 DaysFrom₹62,000 per personView package

7 nightsRajasthan Heritage CircuitJaipur · 2NPushkar · 1NJodhpur · 1NJaisalmer · 2NUdaipur · 1N7 Nights | 8 DaysFrom₹72,000 per personView package

9 nightsRajasthan Grand TourJaipur · 2NBikaner · 1NJaisalmer · 2NJodhpur · 1NUdaipur · 2NPushkar · 1N9 Nights | 10 DaysFrom₹88,000 per personView package

10 nightsRajasthan Wildlife & HeritageJaipur · 2NRanthambore · 2NJodhpur · 1NJaisalmer · 2NUdaipur · 2NPushkar · 1N10 Nights | 11 DaysFrom₹1,01,000 per personView package

12 nightsComplete RajasthanJaipur · 2NBikaner · 1NJaisalmer · 2NJodhpur · 1NMount Abu · 2NUdaipur · 2N+1 more12 Nights | 13 DaysFrom₹1,14,000 per personView package

Hand-picked hotels

Stays our experts book in Udaipur

Weather and best time to visit

Tap a month to see the details

Best time to visit

November

High / Low28° / 16°CRainfall9 mm

Best timeGoodOff seasonOpen-Meteo historical weather (ERA5), 2015–2024 averages

WinterNovember–FebruaryBest Time

The season the state is built around. Days run 20–28°C and clear, nights are cool. Forts, desert camps and lake palaces are all at their best, and so are the prices.

SpringMarch–April

Comfortable in March, heating up fast through April. Good for Ranthambore — thinning cover pushes wildlife towards the waterholes and improves sightings.

SummerMay–June

Daytime highs of 42–47°C across the desert districts. Sightseeing works only early morning and late evening. Mount Abu, at 1,220 m, is the one cool exception.

MonsoonJuly–September

Rain is light by Indian standards and the landscape briefly turns green. Ranthambore closes for the monsoon, roughly 1 July to 30 September.