Palaces built to be seen from the water as much as lived in — where marble catches the evening light across Lake Pichola and eleven properties have earned a place in our collection, each for a different reason.
Udaipur was founded in 1559 by Maharana Udai Singh II, after the Mewar dynasty’s earlier capital at Chittorgarh fell to repeated siege — a deliberate retreat into the more defensible embrace of the Aravalli hills and a chain of artificial lakes. What followed over the next four centuries was a building tradition unlike anywhere else in Rajasthan: palaces raised not on hilltops or desert plains, but directly out of water, positioned to be admired from a boat as much as approached by road. Lake Pichola, Fateh Sagar and the smaller lakes that ring the city are not scenic backdrops to Udaipur’s architecture — they are the reason that architecture takes the form it does.
This produces a genuinely different hotel landscape from Jaisalmer or Jodhpur. Where those cities built forts and desert camps, Udaipur built palaces designed around water, marble and reflected light — the City Palace complex alone represents over four hundred years of continuous construction by successive Maharanas, and several of the finest hotels in our collection here are direct extensions of that same royal building tradition, rather than later additions styled to resemble it.
Udaipur’s luxury hotel market is also considerably deeper than Jaisalmer’s — genuine competition exists at every tier, from Relais & Châteaux palace conversions to boutique heritage havelis to contemporary five-star infrastructure. This meant our research here involved harder choices than in the desert cities, not because good options were scarce, but because so many genuinely qualified.
13 properties across three tiers — from a palace still owned by the Mewar royal family to a contemporary resort earning its place purely on design and service. Each one earned its position individually.
DELWARA VILLAGE, OUTSIDE UDAIPUR · AN 18TH-CENTURY PALACE, MINIMALLY RESTORED
An 18th-century hilltop palace in the village of Delwara, restored with a deliberately restrained contemporary hand — the interior is contemporary by design, but the walls, ramparts and the palace's original bones are genuinely centuries old.
HILLTOP · A HERITAGE RENAISSANCE HOTEL WITH PANORAMIC CITY VIEWS
A heritage-style property perched on a hilltop on the outskirts of the city with commanding views across Udaipur's rooftops toward the lake — a "heritage renaissance" property built recently by reassembling authentic antique elements from ruined forts, a detail we clarify honestly.
CITY PALACE COMPLEX · PART OF THE LIVING ROYAL RESIDENCE
A wing of the City Palace complex itself, converted into guest suites while remaining under direct stewardship of the Mewar family — genuine royal residence architecture at the most accessible price point in our Udaipur collection.
CITY PALACE COMPLEX · CRYSTAL GALLERY AND ROYAL BANQUETING HALLS
Another genuine wing of the historic City Palace, home to the Crystal Gallery's extraordinary collection of Osler crystal furniture commissioned by a 19th-century Maharana — history on direct display, not simply referenced in marketing copy.
The questions we are asked most often about staying in Udaipur —answered through first-hand knowledge of the city and the heritage stays we personally curate.
Taj Lake Palace, for the singular experience of a hotel reachable only by boat — or RAAS Devigarh for a quieter, more private hilltop alternative just outside the city.
Both are genuine wings of the same historic City Palace complex, each independently operated. Shiv Niwas Palace is a converted wing; Taj Fateh Prakash Palace is another wing that is additionally home to the famous Crystal Gallery.
Fatehgarh is a “heritage renaissance” property. This means it was built in the 21st century by respectfully reassembling authentic heritage elements (doors, pillars, windows) transported from ruined forts. It is not an original old structure on that specific site, a distinction we clarify honestly.
It sits on a private island in Udai Sagar Lake, roughly 20 to 30 minutes outside Udaipur city — a deliberate retreat rather than a city-centre stay.
Taj Aravali Resort and Spa, given its resort-scale infrastructure and wildlife sanctuary setting away from the lake-facing crowds.
Yes — this is one of our most requested combined itineraries, and we coordinate the full journey personally.
September to March offers the most comfortable temperatures for boat crossings and rooftop dining.
Yes — Trident is the Oberoi Group’s more accessible sister brand, offering similar service standards at a different price point.
Two to three nights is typical — enough for the City Palace, a lake crossing, and one quieter excursion such as Sajjangarh or Saheliyon ki Bari.
The old city and City Palace complex are walkable; lake-facing and island properties require a boat or car transfer, which we arrange as part of your stay.
The City Palace is where every Udaipur journey begins, but the city's story spreads across water as much as land. Floating palaces, royal gardens, carved temples and hilltop viewpoints each reveal a different chapter of Udaipur's four centuries as the Mewar capital. These are the places we believe are genuinely worth your time.
ROYAL HERITAGE
A complex of palaces built and expanded by successive Maharanas of Mewar over more than four centuries, rising directly above the eastern shore of Lake Pichola. Courtyards, mirrored halls and painted chambers trace the evolution of Rajput architecture across generations of the same ruling family. Still partly a residence of the Mewar family today, and home to a museum open to visitors.
LAKESIDE
An artificial lake created in 1362, later expanded by Maharana Udai Singh II when he founded the city in 1559. The Lake Palace, the Jag Mandir island palace and the City Palace all sit along or within its waters. Best experienced by boat at sunset, when the surrounding palaces catch the day’s last light.
ARCHITECTURE
A carved stone temple built in 1651, dedicated to Lord Vishnu, standing a short walk from the City Palace gates. Elaborately carved pillars, a towering spire and a large brass image of Garuda at the entrance make it one of the finest examples of Indo-Aryan temple architecture in the city.
GARDEN
A walled garden built in the early eighteenth century for the ladies of the royal court, featuring fountains, marble elephants and a lotus pool. Constructed with a natural spring-fed water system, the garden remains one of the city’s most tranquil public spaces, particularly atmospheric just after the monsoon.
LAKESIDE
A second, quieter artificial lake north of Lake Pichola, created in the 1680s and later rebuilt by Maharana Fateh Singh in the 1880s after a flood. Ringed by hills and home to Nehru Garden, an island park reachable by boat, it offers a calmer counterpoint to the more visited Lake Pichola.
ROYAL HERITAGE
A late nineteenth-century palace built by Maharana Sajjan Singh atop a hill overlooking the city, originally intended as an astronomical centre and monsoon-cloud observation post. The climb rewards visitors with a panoramic view over Udaipur’s lakes, palaces and the surrounding Aravalli hills, especially striking at sunset.
Our journey began in Rajasthan, but our curation now extends across some of India's most extraordinary destinations—from the Himalayas and Kerala's backwaters to Central India's wildlife and beyond.
Whether you’re planning a stay in Jaisalmer alone or combining it with the Thar Desert, Jodhpur, Udaipur or beyond, we’ll help design an itinerary that fits your travel style. From personally curated stays to transport and unique experiences, every journey is planned around you.
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