Udaipur city, also known as the 'City of Lakes' and 'Venice of East', is a very popular tourist destination in Rajasthan, India. The capital of the former princely state of Mewar, and considered as one amongst the most romantic cities of India, Udaipur is a land around the azure water lakes, hemmed in by the lush hills of the Aravalis. The city is a blend of sights, sounds and experiences.With its kaleidoscope of fairy-tale palaces, lakes, temples, gardens and narrow lanes, the city carries the flavor of heroic past, epitomizing valor and chivalry.

Udaipur was founded in 1553 by Maharana Udai Singh II as the new capital of Mewar Kingdom. It is located in the fertile, circular Girwa Valley to the southwest of Nagda, which was the first capital of Mewar.

Tourist Places to visit In Udaipur

Ahar Cenotaphs
The Ahar Cenotaphs are a group of royal cenotaphs of the Maharanas of Mewar, located about 2 km east of Udaipur. It has about nineteen cenotaphs of various Maharanas cremated, including one of Maharana Amar Singh, who reigned from 1597 to 1620. Nearby is also Ahar Museum, where on display is limited but very rare earthen pottery, as well as some sculptures and other archaeological finds. Some pieces date back to 1700 BC, and a tenth-century metal figure of Buddha is a special attraction.

City Palace Udaipur, a 400-year-old palace, is located on the east bank of the Lake Pichola. It comprises a series of vilas, halls, gateways, courtyards, overlapping parations, terraces, corridors and gardens. Monuments like the Lake Palace, Jag Mandir, Jagdish Temple, Monsoon Palace, and Neemach Mata temple, are all in the vicinity of the palace complex. City palace was also used for shooting of movies like Octopussy and Goliyon Ki Raasleela Ram-Leela. A 1991 documentary film called Jag Mandir consists of footage of an elaborate theatrical performance for the Maharana Arvind Singh Mewar at the City Palace staged by André Heller.

Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal, a cultural institution, is engaged in studying folk art, culture, songs and festivals of various regions of India, including Rajasthan, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh. It also aims at popularizing and propagating folk arts, folk dances and folk literature.

Jag Mandir Palace is built on an island in Lake Pichola and is known for its beautiful interiors and grand style of architecture. It is also known as the "Lake Garden Palace". This palace is now the Jagmandir Island Palace, a heritage hotel

Bagore ki Haveli
This is an old building built right on the waterfront of Lake Pichola at Gangor Ghat. The haveli now stages Rajasthani traditional dance and music.

Doodh Talai Lake, a small pond located adjacent to the Lake Pichola, is surrounded by small hillocks which hosts Deen Dayal Upadhyay Park, and Manikya Lal Verma Garden (or Rock Garden or Musical Fountain Garden). It provides few options for fast food centers, camel and horse rides and boat ride.

Jagdish Temple is a splendid example of either Māha Māru or the Māru-Gurjara architecture[8] decorated by beautiful and ornate carvings. A short walk from the city palace will bring you to this temple. The temple sanctum has an idol of the deity Lord Jagannath.

Fateh Sagar Lake is an artificial lake situated to the north of the Lake Pichola, in the north-west of Udaipur city, around 6 km from Udaipur City Railway Station. It was named after Maharana Fateh Singh of Udaipur and Mewar.

Lake Palace (formerly known as Jag Niwas) is a luxury hotel, which has 83 rooms and suites featuring white marble walls. The Lake Palace is located on the island of Jag Niwas in Lake Pichola, Udaipur, India, and its natural foundation spans 4 acres (16,000 m2). Built between 1743 and 1746 under the direction of the Maharana Jagat Singh II (62nd successor to the royal dynasty of Mewar) of Udaipur, the private summer resort of the erstwhile royal family has been turned into a luxury hotel. The hotel has been ranked as amongst the best luxury heritage hotels in the country.

Gulab Bagh and Zoo
A rose garden laid out by Maharaja Sajjan Singh is situated near the palace on the east side of Lake Pichhola. A library in the garden has a collection of ancient handwritten manuscripts and books. Some of the part of the Satyarth Prakash have been written in this library. Styarth Prakash stup is situated in Gulab Bagh. Within the garden, there is a zoo which used to have tigers, leopards, Chinkara gazelle, birds, and many wild animals, but now most of these animals have been moved to Sajjangarh Biological Park. Children can still enjoy a mini train, the track of which covers the main part of the garden and the zoo.

Lake Pichola
Picholi was the name of a village that lent its name to the lake. The islands of Jagniwas and Jagmandir are housed in this lake. Along the eastern banks of the lake lies the City Palace. A boat ride in the lake around sunset offers a breathtaking view of the Lake and City Palace.

Monsoon Palace was built in 1884 by Maharana Sajjan Singh of the Mewar Dynasty giving it the name Sajjangarh. The palace is near Fateh Sagar Lake. The palace was also used in the 1983 James Bond film Octopussy.

Moti Magri
Atop the Moti Magri or Pearl Hill, overlooking the Fatah Sagar Lake is the memorial of the Rajput hero Maharana Pratap with a bronze statue of the Maharana astride his favourite horse, "Chetak".

Sajjangarh Biological Park, a zoological garden, is situated just beneath the Monsoon Palace (also known as Sajjajgarh Garh Palace), around 4 km from the city center. The zoo houses vast varieties of animals and birds brought in from different parts of the world. At present, it has more than 60 animals of 21 species including tigers, panthers, lions, ostriches, alligators, and rhesus monkeys. Within two months of its inauguration, the park received more than 46,000 visitors in a month, generating a revenue of Rs 14 lakh for the forest department, which is a record in itself.

Saheliyon-ki-Bari or 'Courtyard of the Maidens' is a garden and a popular tourist destination. With fountains, kiosks, a lotus pool and marble elephants, this garden was built from 1710 to 1734 by Maharana Sangram Singh for the royal ladies. This renowned garden is located on the banks of Fateh Sagar Lake and also has a small museum with the collection of royal households.

Shilpgram is a rural arts and crafts complex, situated 3 km west of the city of Udaipur. The center is spread over an undulating terrain of about 70 acres, surrounded by the Aravali mountains. The complex was established with a purpose to depict the lifestyles of the folk and tribal people of the region. With an objective of increasing awareness and knowledge about the rural arts and crafts, the Shilpgram provides opportunity to rural and urban artists to come together and interact through camps and workshops.

How to reach Udaipur

By Air: Dabok Airport, also known as Maharana Pratap Airport is the closest at about 25 km northeast of the city centre. There are daily flights from Delhi and Mumbai on Jet Airways, Air India and SpiceJet.

By Road: Udaipur is easily accessible by road from every major destination in India, including Chittorgarh, Ahmedabad, Jodhpur, Ajmer, Sawai Madhopur / Ranthambore, Jaipur, Bikaner, Agra, Delhi, Mumbai and Khajuraho.

By Train: Udaipur is connected by rail to several major cities in India including Chittorgarh, Ahmedabad, Ajmer, Sawai Madhopur, Jaipur, Agra, Delhi, Mumbai and Khajuraho.