Things to Do in Udaipur

Udaipur is one of the most favourite destinations of all and with its plethora of beautiful lakes and palaces it is considered one of the most romantic cities in the world. Anything that you see in Udaipur speaks of its elegance and magnificence. On your vacation to this marvellous city, soak in the alluring beauty of the lakes, imposing palaces and forts.

This places offer hordes of interesting activities to its visitors like shopping, fort and palace tours, desert safaris and more. Admire the architecture of the some of the best places like City Palace, Monsoon Palace, Saheliyon ki Bari, Jag Mahal, Jagdish Temple, Moti Magri and Bohra Ganesh Temple. Also, don’t miss out to visit the city lakes.

Udaipur, the city of lakes is a much favoured destination among many tourists who visit the city for its numerous lakes, palaces and other adventurous activities. The sunset boat cruise on Lake Pichola and Camel safaris along the rustic terrain in the outskirts of the city, are popular tourist activities. Indulging in an elephant safari takes one around Udaipur and makes for a truly unique sightseeing experience.

Udaipur has the Aravalli mountain ranges as its backdrop, owing to which the city also offer some very good trekking trails. These trails offer great trekking opportunities for all adventure enthusiasts and nature lovers. Udaipur is a great destination for paragliding for its offering of stunning views of the city from above.

The sport can be best enjoyed from September to March when the weather and wind conditions are favourable.

Udaipur boasts of numerous lakes where some are naturally formed and the rest are artificial, like the beautiful Fateh Sagar Lake. The enthralling experience of looking at the vibrant city from above giving way to profusion of colours, make for an incredible experience.

A joyride above the city of lakes and palaces in a helicopter for one hour will provide one an experience of a lifetime. Helicopter joyride packages includes pick up from hotel in Udaipur and one hour ride in a well-equipped helicopter. An hour helicopter ride is priced at INR 28,500/440 USD per adult.

The true reflection of the grandeur and heritage of Rajasthan is the City Palace in Udaipur which is amongst the top places to visit in Udaipur. The city palace also houses a museum that displays interesting curious and artefacts belonging to the royal family during the days of the past.

All the sightseeing places in Udaipur speak of the grandeur displayed during the golden era. Saheliyon Ki Bari, Bhartiya Lok Kala Museum, Jag Mandir and Jagdish Temple are much visited heritage sites in Udaipur. Lake Pichola and Lake Fatehsagar are also among noted heritage places in Udaipur.

Enjoy 2-hour long horse rides going through farmland and smaller villages through palm groves and winding village roads. Horse riding is a popular and a pleasant activity among all families visiting Udaipur for a vacation.

The horse riders visit the beautiful Lotus Lake that look like a serene oasis covered by the hills and then they make their way back to the horse farm. Horse riding can be availed around Lake Fateh Sagar too at nominal prices.

Trekking is a popular adventure activity in Udaipur. Many trek organisers conduct weekend treks to the nearby regions housing mountain ranges around Udaipur, providing scenic nature trails to undertake hikes. Hiking from Morvanya village to Ubeshwarji is a popular short hiking trail where one gets to witness the scenic landscapes sprawling the 10 km region of this trekking trail.

The Kumbhalgarh Fort Trek commences from Ranakpur through a forest reserve encompassing the walls of the fort that stretches a length of 18 km. In this trek, nature lovers will be treated in watched species of animals and birds. Kumbhalgarh Fort is the largest wall in India and is the second largest after the Great Wall of China.

There is a certain joy camping out at the heart of an untrammelled wilderness and camping is an offbeat travel experience much preferred by the nature lovers. Udaipur is set against the backdrop of the Aravalli ranges boasting of lakes, streams and forest reserves.

The Jungle Camp at Ranakpur located inside a protected forest reserve provides for an amazing camp out experience. Similarly Sujan’s Jawai is also set amidst nature where leopards roam wild and free near the core areas.

Camping packages are also offered my many travel groups where they take groups out for short treks and camps around the remote areas of Achalgarh Fort and Jawai Village.

Udaipur is a pretty sight with its plethora of scenic lakes surrounded by the Aravalli ranges and architectural splendours that includes the city’s palaces, gardens and artistic temples. Templea are the best place to sit and meditate or catch the Rituals like Morning and evening Aartis.

Temples here are centuries old and display the spiritual and aesthetic nature of the city dwellers of Udaipur. The famous temples of the city are Jagdish Temple, Ranakpur Temple, Rishabhdeo Temple, Eklingji Temple, Nathdwara Temple and Kankroli Temple among others.

Sajjangarh or Monsoon Palace is a fort surrounded by dense forests that is home to rich flora and fauna by the nature. A wildlife safari experience here goes through the sanctuary which houses many wild animals like Panther, Sambhar, Chital, Jackal, Blue Bull among a wide variety of birds and other reptile species.

Other best destinations to visit for a wildlife safari experience in Udaipur are Kumbhalgarh Wildlife Santuary, home to various species like Panther, Wild Boar, Deer and other Antelopes, Leopard, Jungle Cat, Hyena and Fox etc and The Jaisamand sanctuary where the lake feed various reptiles and amphibians like Crocodiles, Turtles and a wide variety of sweet water fishes.

The forts in Udaipur are the true reflection of the grandeur of Rajasthan. Udaipur has its palaces built on its embankments The City Palace here is amongst the top places to visit in Udaipur which display the grandiose of the Mewar rulers and also reflect much about the society during the period.

Chittorgarh fort, Kumbhalgarh fort, Fateh Prakash Palace and Shiv Niwas Palace are among famous forts in Udaipur. Entry tickets to these palaces are charged at nominal prices for Indian citizens and are open every day from 11 am to 5 pm.

The Lake Palace is located on Jag Niwas Island in the middle of the Lake Pichola which is spread in the middle of the island. The former royal summer palace retreat is now transformed into a five star palace hotel. A visit to the palace will be an enriching experience for all rooms of the palace retains its original interiors characterised by pink stones, cusped arches, painted mirrors and the green lotus leaves.

The palace is also equipped with recreation facilities like swimming pool, conference centre and a bar for the guests. These attractions are mostly part of the hotel and are accessible only to in house guests.

Cycling tours around Udaipur gives one a chance to explore the city’s culture, heritage and countryside where each trip promises an enriching experience. Cycling trips are conducted by many cyclists groups in Udaipur and the city trail covers prominent landmarks and architectural splendours in the city.

The trip usually commences at Fatehsagar lake post which the group pedals their way past remarkable architecture and top attractions like City Palace, Shilpgram village, Badi Lake and many more.

Haldi Ghati is the infamous spot for the battle which took place between Rana Pratap Singh of Mewar and Raja Man Singh of Amber. Now this place serves as a memorial for tourists where the tour starts with a 5 minute speech by a guide appointed by the venue management (free of charge), post which a 5 minute film is shown in a small theatre followed by a 5 minute walk through movable statues depicting scenes from the war. The memorial is open for tourist visit from 9 am to 5 pm on all days except on national holidays.

Chetak Circle, known for selling a variety of Rajasthani items is flocked by tourists throughout the year. This shopping area sells the most popular products in Udaipur that includes turbans, folk toys, dye saris, silver jewelry, fabrics, painted wooden box, valuable stones, handmade papers, brassware and many more.

Bada Bazaar is a great place to shop for authentic rajasthani designs on apparels, mojris and jootis. Jadish Temple, Hathi Pol, Bapu Bazaar and Palace Road are few markets to shop in Udaipur

Shilpgram is a crafts village situated west of Fateh Sagar in the dusty, rolling countryside. At Shilpagram, there are 26 traditional village houses from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra, made up with glittering mirrored interiors, and craft exhibits. The performance of the traditional dancers and artisans, with groups are a delightful sight to watch.

The Mewar Sound & Light Show can be an enjoyable experience for many. The show happens in the City Palace Museum and is a popular entertainment activity among tourists. In the show centuries of Mewar, their war, establishments and reign are shown in form of commentary and light switching hour.

The show takes place for an hour in English from September to April and in Hindi on other months. Tickets are priced at INR 150/2 USD and stay open till 7 pm.

Udaipur is a city filled with numerous lakes and being a tourist hotspot, the activity of boating is a popular activity in some of the prominent lakesides. Avail an experience of an hour long boat ride across Lake Pichola and Jagmandir Island Palace at a nominal fee of INR 340/5 USD per adult.

Boating is also a popular activity around Fateh Sagar Lake, where there is beautiful island and a park in the middle of the lake.

Tourists visiting Udaipur can enjoy a thrilling rope way ride at Mansapurna Karni Mata Ropeway which is between popular tourist spot Deen Dayal Park on the top of hill near Lake Pichola and Machhala Hill Top near Karni Mata temple. The Ropeway is installed between two mountains right on the bank of Lake Pichola.

The ropeway ride ensures the best view of Udaipur of which tourists can see Lake Pichola, Lake Fateh Sagar, The City Palace, Jag Madir, Sajjangarh Fort and the Aravali mountains. Tickets are prices at INR 63/97 cents per return trip between Deen Dayal Park and sunset point at Machhala Hill Top.