PalacesCity Palace
Eleven palaces built over four centuries, stacked along Lake Pichola.
₹300–400 adult (museum)2–3 hours
Heritage of Udaipur
Fourteen centuries of Mewar in one city: the dynasty, the lakes and palaces it built, and the stories behind them.
A short history of Mewar
From a Chalcolithic village on the Ahar river to the City of Lakes.
- c. 3000–1500 BCE
Ahar-Banas culture
A Chalcolithic farming culture settles on the Ahar river, on the edge of today's city. Its pottery is in the Ahar Museum.
- 8th century
The Guhila line in Mewar
Bappa Rawal establishes the dynasty that will rule Mewar for more than a thousand years, in the name of Eklingji.
- 1362
Lake Pichola
The lake is dug and dammed during Maharana Lakha's reign; tradition credits a Banjara trader.
- 1433–1468
Rana Kumbha builds
Kumbhalgarh and Chittorgarh's Vijay Stambha go up in Mewar's golden age.
- 1559
Udaipur founded
Maharana Udai Singh II chooses the shores of Pichola for a safer capital in the hills.
- 1568
Chittorgarh falls
Akbar takes Chittorgarh. Udaipur becomes Mewar's capital.
- 1576
Battle of Haldighati
Maharana Pratap faces the Mughal army in the pass north of the city.
- 1623
A prince on Jag Mandir
Prince Khurram, later Shah Jahan, shelters on the island palace.
- 1651
Jagdish Temple
Maharana Jagat Singh I raises the Vishnu temple near the palace.
- 1680s
Jaisamand
Maharana Jai Singh builds one of Asia's largest artificial lakes.
- 1746
Jag Niwas
The summer palace in the lake is completed; it becomes the Lake Palace hotel in 1963.
- 1884
Sajjangarh
Maharana Sajjan Singh builds the Monsoon Palace on Bansdara hill.
- 1888
Fateh Sagar
Maharana Fateh Singh rebuilds and enlarges the northern lake.
- 1948
Into the Union
Mewar joins the United State of Rajasthan.
Haveli balcony. Photo: Johan Mouchet, Unsplash
Heritage sites
11 palaces, forts, havelis and memorials with fees and timings.
Palaces
ViewpointsSajjangarh Monsoon Palace
A hilltop palace built to watch the monsoon clouds come in.
₹120 Indian adult + vehicle2 hours
MuseumsBagore Ki Haveli & Dharohar
An 18th-century haveli on Gangaur Ghat with Udaipur's best folk show.
Museum ₹60 · show ₹90–1501 hour + show
TemplesJagdish Temple
A 1651 Vishnu temple, carved from plinth to spire.
Free45 minutes
PalacesJag Mandir
An island palace of marble pavilions in the middle of Pichola.
Included in Pichola boat ride45 minutes
PalacesTaj Lake Palace
The white palace that seems to float on Pichola.
Hotel guests and diners onlyView from the boat
Day tripsKumbhalgarh Fort
A UNESCO hill fort whose walls run some 36 km over the Aravallis.
Check at gateFull day with drive
ViewpointsMoti Magri & Pratap Memorial
A hill above Fateh Sagar with the bronze statue of Maharana Pratap on Chetak.
About ₹100 adult1 hour
HeritageAhar Cenotaphs & Museum
Over 250 royal chhatris, and a museum of a 4,000-year-old culture.
Small entry fee1 hour
Day tripsHaldighati
The yellow-earth pass where Maharana Pratap fought in 1576.
Museum ticketedHalf day
Day tripsChittorgarh Fort
Mewar's first great capital, a UNESCO fort spread over a 180-metre hill.
ASI ticketFull day with drive
Stories behind places
The anecdotes guides tell, and a few they don't.
Eklingji & NagdaWhy the Maharanas were only regents
Mewar's rulers called themselves Dewan, minister, of Eklingji. The god was king; they ruled on his behalf. It's why the Eklingji temple sits at the centre of royal ritual even today.
Saheliyon Ki BariA garden for forty-eight companions
Saheliyon Ki Bari was laid out for a queen and the companions who came with her at her marriage. The fountains were imported from England and run on the water pressure of Fateh Sagar, with no pumps.
Sajjangarh Monsoon PalaceThe palace built to watch rain
Sajjangarh was meant as an observatory for monsoon clouds over the Aravallis. Maharana Sajjan Singh died young, and the palace was never finished as planned.
Jag MandirThe prince on the island
When Prince Khurram rebelled against his father Jahangir, Mewar gave him shelter on Jag Mandir. Some say its domes stayed in his mind when he built the Taj Mahal.
Bagore Ki Haveli & DharoharThe prime minister's house
Bagore Ki Haveli was built by Amar Chand Badwa, prime minister of Mewar, on Gangaur Ghat. Over 130 rooms now hold the city's folk museum.
Plan it with a local.
Tell us your dates and what you love. Our Udaipur team will suggest a plan, and can book stays, cars, guides and tables.
75K+people in our community
500+creators across Rajasthan
2016sharing Udaipur since
28places with fees and timings