Udaipur is known as the “city of lakes” due to the beautiful lakes that surround it. Well worth visiting on any India backpacking adventure!
If you find yourself in wondering what to do in Udaipur for 2 days, then this guide has got you sorted!
And as well as the best things to do, it's packed full of other useful travel tips for planning your stay here. Such as when to go, where to stay and where to head to after.
It’s pretty much a full-throttle Udaipur travel guide!
Let's get started ...
Based on our experience, the best place to stay in Udaipur is just on the outskirts of the city. We stayed at a hotel called Treebo Trend Park Classic; which is situated just outside of the main city centre. It's a quick 10 minute ride into the heart of the action, but you also have the choice to completely skip it out when exploring places to visit just outside Udaipur.
Location-wise, this hotel was great; but it certainly fell short in a number of other areas. Including customer service, dining and cleanliness.
Instead, here's a look at some much better accommodation in Udaipur, all designed to suit different budgets ...
Located 20km outside of the city, this is perhaps the most unique and mesmerising place to stay in Udaipur. Sure, you will need to travel back into the city to see the sites; however this camp offers a whole new experiencein itself! The camp is located on the banks of Bagdara Lake, nestled wonderfully within a nature reserve. The camp was set up as a joint venture with the states Forestry Department, offering guests the chance to get up close and personal and live amongst the wildlife. You get to stay in your own private glamping tent and can opt for a package stay which includes all of your meals.
Located in Udaipur's Old City, it's the perfect choice if you're backpacking through India and are looking for a fun place to meet people and enjoy Udaipur's night life. The hostel is within walking distance of a number of bars, shops and restaurants and they offer a range of both dorm rooms and private rooms. So great if you are travelling as a couple and still want a bit of privacy (like us!).
Located just 5 miles from the city centre, this is the perfect location that we recommend for escaping the main noise of the city, but still being close enough to grab a quick taxi ride in. Compared to Western standards, this place offers PHENOMENAL value for money, and is nothing short of a 5 star resort! It's spread over a 43 acre site, right besides the gorgeous Pichola Lake. There is a huge outdoor pool and relaxation area, as well as 3 on-site restaurants.
All across India, Oberoi hotels are some of the finest and most awe inspiring hotels you will find. Their Udaipur site is easily one of the finest, situated on the banks of Lake Pichola, spread across a 50 acre site, and designed in magnificent style to mimic the famous palaces of India. The 2 outdoor pools are heated and there are all of the luxuries and mod-cons you would expect including outdoor spa, high quality on-site restaurants and traditional outdoor music. Seriously, just check this place out!
There are many options for getting around Udaipur, including...
Now for the good part, the top places to visit in Udaipur in 2 days! I will take you through the various places we visited, and some places we didn’t quite make it too. Because we work when travelling, it can cut our “sightseeing” time short, but if you’re just travelling, then you will manage all these sights with two days in Udaipur.
As with any 2 days trip, things are going to be busy, but this list is full of great places to go in Udaipur that really very little should be missed. Start your day early to take full advantage of what Udaipur has to offer.
The Udaipur City Palace is one of the main, (if not the main) attraction in Udaipur and it should definitely be on your list of places to visit in Udaipur in 2 days. It will take around an hour or so to explore this beautiful palace and it’s a cheap experience.
It opens from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm, and Bradley and I went at 4 and had enough time. It can get super busy, but if you go super early you might be able to beat the crowds. The palace complex itself is beautiful and there is a restaurant that serves actual gold coffee (As you can imagine, that's kind of expensive!)
I would recommend getting a guide to tell you all the stories and history of the place. It’s not expensive and whilst everything is in English, you still miss out on some of the essences without a guide.
Cost: INR 300 (for foreigners)
Tour Option: Unique city palace tour with a night show
Pichola Lake is an artificial freshwater lake and one of the largest and oldest lakes in Udaipur. It is famous for its scenic beauty & surroundings. Basically, it’s the tourist hotspot and it offers some fabulous dining options with a beautiful view of the lake. We dined at one of the restaurants near the lake for sunset dinner and drinks and it was well priced, great staff and good cocktails, plus the view were beautiful.
For the life of me I can’t remember the name of it, but I am pretty sure it was on the first page of Tripadvisor for restaurants near lake Pichola. I think the lake is best appreciated in the evening, so make sure you include it in your Udaipur 2 day itinerary. This is one of the best places to visit in Udaipur at night.
You can hire a boat for the day and go to the lake, or you can even take a sunset boat ride which whilst I didn’t do it, sounds pretty romantic.
Tour Option: Udaipur city day tour + Lake Pichola
This is a fabulous Hindu temple just outside the city palace. It’s dedicated to Vishnu (preserver of the universe). You’ll naturally see this site on your journey to the temple.
Tour Option: Cheap walking tour to Jagdish Temple
Another essential lake on your list of awesome places to visit in Udaipur in 2 days.
It’s located north of Pichola lake and is just as beautiful. It may even be considered more beautiful due to the fact there are fewer tourists there. Around sunset, you will see lots of local families standing around ready to admire the beautiful view, and you should too!
There are a couple of street food vendors around if you’re feeling peckish.
If you seek beautiful views of Udaipur from above, then this is a great spot to visit. You can get an organised tour packages here from any of the tour agencies, rent a tuk-tuk or taxi, or rent your own moped to get up there. It’s on a hilltop so naturally offers panoramic views of Udaipur. Unfortunately, this is something I REALLY wanted to do, but couldn’t do, so please include it on your places to visit in Udaipur list and tell me what it was like! It’s open from 8 am to 6 pm.
Cost: 80 for foreigners/ 10 for locals
*Important note* You have to pay to enter the park that surrounds it.
Tour option: Half day tour to Monsoon Palace + Wild Life Sanctuary
This is the largest garden in Udaipur spreading over 100 acres, so if you like nature and beauty, this is a good place to visit in Udaipur. As a rose lover, this place will also delight you, there are LOTS of varieties of beautiful roses. Aside from the gardens, there is also a zoo on-site which is good for entertaining children. The zoo is open from 8.30am to 6 pm whereas the gardens are supposedly 24 hours.
Cost: 25 per person for Entry to the Garden/ 5 per person for Zoo Entry Fee/ 15 for Camera Fee (only for the zoo)
Another spot I wanted to visit but didn’t get the chance to visit was the Udaipur Solar Observatory. (Well, I drove past it on the moped- does that count? :P ) It’s open from 10 am to 6 pm and there is no entrance fee. It’s regarded as the best solar observing site in Asia and since it’s on the lake, it’s probably best seen from afar.
This is located just below the monsoon palace, and it’s the place I was saying you get charged to go into because you are going through it to get to the palace. (Or if someone knows different then tell me, but the guard insisted that’s what happens) It’s a zoological park filled with wildlife and plants galore. If you’re heading to the Monsoon Palace anyway, then I guess it’s worth a stop.
Cost: 300 for foreign tourists / 30 for local and there is a camera charge too
There are lots of chance to buy presents in Udaipur and there are lots of markets happening every day. I got myself my “famous” blue skirt in Udaipur for a couple of pounds. I say famous because you’ll notice I wear it a lot in my Indian travel photos. (I had a green skirt from home, but it ripped). Just wander around the main tourist area which is near the city palace and you'll naturally go by lots of markets.
Fancy something truly different whilst in Udaipur? Then add the Marvel Waterpark to your list of places to visit in Udaipur in two days. It’s cheap, cheerful and has very mixed reviews. Our plan was to go here, but we decided against it in the end, so I would love to know what people thought if they went.
I mean, for the price of 400 for adults and 250 for children, it’s not exactly a big loss if you hate it!
When it comes to Udaipur tourist places, this one doesn't always make the list, but I don't understand why.
Without a doubt, my favourite lake in all of Udaipur. It’s quiet, beautiful, peaceful and you might want to spend all your time there. We visited twice and it’s a beautiful place to catch a sunset. I am so glad there aren’t many tourists here, because it truly feels like it’s just you (and the massive monkeys).
When you have a moped it’s easy to reach here. You can also “hike” above the lake to a viewing point, but I’ve only ever seen pictures on Instagram of this happening, so if you’ve done it, tell me!
Tour Option: Morning cycling tour to Lake Badi + more
Renting a moped is definitely the best way to see all that Udaipur has to offer. We decided to take ourselves well outside the city area on a day trip and see what other temples and views were on offer.
We visited Sas Bahu Temple and Shri Eklong Ji Temple, both of which were worth a drive. One temple was under construction and the other was totally abandoned and no way in, so we simply walked on top of it and looked in. Still worth exploring and seeing something different.
So, let’s break this two day Udaipur itinerary up into two actual days. Here’s what I recommend.
If you've got more than 2 days in Udaipur, then you can easily slow these places do and add other places to visit in Udaipur in 3 days. But, if you start your day early, then you can easily see all these awesome places to visit in Udaipur in 2 days.
You will see this advertised in all the tour agents in Udaipur, and it can be done as a full or half day trip. It’s a fabulous fort and it looks very interesting. We didn’t have time, and you would only be able to do it if you had 3 days in Udaipur.
You can get to Udaipur via bus, plane or train.
Flights: You can get flights to Udaipur from all major airports, such as Mumbai and Delhi. Bradley and I flew from Mumbai and it cost around £35. It was only an hour flight, and I had enough of doing overnight train journeys, so it was totally worth it. From the airport, you can get an Uber to your hotel in Udaipur. Check Skyscanner for the best deals.
Train: You can get a train from all over the country to Udaipur. I recommend travelling in 2nd Class AC (although 3rd class AC is also doable, just no privacy). Buy your tickets at the station or a ticket agent to get the best price, and if a train is sold out online, then go to the train station as they typically have some seats left.
Bus: Buses are frequent around India and you can easily book a bus online with red bus. There is no need to print anything and you can track your bus which is quite convenient. Buses will be similar to a train price, if not cheaper.
We suggest using 12GoAsia for travel needs across India!
The best time to visit Udaipur is during the winter season. The temperature is more comfortable and it’s actually the peak tourist season for both locals and foreigners making their way through the cultural triangle. So, this makes the best months to visit as September, October, November, December, February and March.
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Well this a two-day post, so naturally I would say two days it quite adequate, especially if you are on a strict timeline. You couldn’t see it all in a day, actually, a day would be wasteful because Udaipur is most beautiful when you explore outside of the city. You could easily stay here 3 days or more, depending on your itinerary. But India is a big country and if you’re taking it all on, then two days is where it’s at!
If you're looking for places to visit in Udaipur in 1 day, then I would recommend just choosing 4 things from this list and focusing on that.
Udaipur has got a good variety of ATMs. If you use a Revolut card ( a travel card that gives you the best exchange rate on the market- so why not!?) then use the Bank of Baroda, as it doesn’t charge you for withdrawals. There is one or two in Udaipur. Most restaurants and hotels take card too and even the markets, but it’s best to have some small change for haggling or tuk-tuk fares.
If you’re heading towards the cultural triangle, then I recommend hitting up Jodhpur next. It’s an easy bus ride away and there is a great guy in Udaipur who can organise buses and trains for the rest of your trip. He takes a 50 pence commission, so it’s worth the convenience, plus he can find you trains which are a nightmare to find anyway. Trains book up super quick. He’s a super friendly guy and the one we used, so I shan’t complain!
The bus he booked us to Jodhpur was super comfortable, clean and modern.
I hope you’ve enjoyed my post on the 12 awesome places to visit in Udaipur in 2 days. If you’ve got anything else you think I should add to the list, then let me know. Happy travels!
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