Solo Travel in Udaipur

The waterfront steps on the western shore of Lake Pichola, also known as Hanuman Ghat, with Udaipur's classic postcard view across the lake to the City Palace. Come at sunrise, when locals bathe and wash clothes, or after dark, when the palace is lit and its reflection shimmers on the water. It's free and open at all hours.

📍Hanuman Ghat, Chandpole, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001, India

A lakeside restaurant at Amet Haveli on Hanuman Ghat, open since 1998, with one of Udaipur's best views: across Lake Pichola to the City Palace, the Lake Palace and Jag Mandir. Tables sit under old trees by the water, lit by lanterns at night. It serves Indian and continental dishes and is popular, so book a lakeside table for sunset.

📍Amet Haveli, Hanuman Ghat, Chandpole, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001, India

A reservoir about 12km north-west of Udaipur, built by Maharana Raj Singh I in the 17th century and ringed by the Aravalli hills. There are small pavilions along the dam and hilltop viewpoints, and it's far quieter than the city lakes. Go for sunset by auto-rickshaw or taxi, and arrange your ride back before you set off.

📍Badi, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313011, India

An 18th-century haveli on Gangaur Ghat built by a prime minister of Mewar, now a museum of restored rooms, costumes and puppets. Its nightly Dharohar folk-dance show, around 7pm in the courtyard, features Rajasthani dances including the pot-balancing bhavai. Arrive early for a good seat; tickets are sold at the door.

📍Gangaur Ghat Road, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001, India

A small German-style bakery café near Gangaur Ghat, open since 1999 and said to be Udaipur's oldest coffee shop — it was the first in town with an Italian espresso machine. Bread, croissants, cinnamon rolls and apple strudel are baked on the premises every day. Handy for a proper coffee and breakfast before exploring the old city.

📍73 Gangaur Ghat Road, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001, India

A huge palace complex rising above the east bank of Lake Pichola, built over nearly 400 years by the Maharanas of Mewar. The City Palace Museum winds through courtyards, balconies, peacock mosaics and mirror-work rooms, with wonderful lake views from the upper floors. Allow at least two hours; part of the complex is still the royal family's home.

📍City Palace Complex, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001, India

Udaipur's second big lake, north of Pichola, named after Maharana Fateh Singh and surrounded by hills. The lakeside promenade is where locals gather in the evening for snacks, roasted corn and the breeze, and boats run to Nehru Park on an island. Less touristy than the old city, and a relaxed place to walk alone at dusk.

📍Fateh Sagar Lake, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001, India

A whitewashed 17th-century haveli on the shore of Lake Pichola at Lal Ghat, now a heritage hotel. Many rooms look over the water, and its rooftop restaurant, with open-air alcoves, faces the lake and the City Palace — worth a visit for dinner even if you're staying elsewhere. An atmospheric mid-range choice in the old city.

📍23–25 Lal Ghat, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001, India

A large Vishnu temple in the old city, built in 1651 by Maharana Jagat Singh I. A steep flight of steps flanked by stone elephants leads up to the main shrine, and the walls are covered in carvings of dancers, musicians and animals. It's an active temple, busiest at the morning and evening aarti — dress modestly and remove your shoes.

📍Jagdish Chowk, City Palace Road, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001, India

A 17th-century palace on an island at the southern end of Lake Pichola, begun by Maharana Karan Singh II and completed by Jagat Singh I. Its courtyards, marble pavilions and gardens are reached by boat — boat trips from the City Palace jetty stop here — and its café is a lovely spot for a drink while looking back across the water at the city.

📍Jag Mandir Island, Lake Pichola, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001, India

A café in Hotel Jheel right beside Gangaur Ghat, with views over Lake Pichola. Open since 2011, it's known for ginger drinks — ginger coffee, tea and ale — as well as cakes, wood-fired pizzas and all-day breakfasts. Several floors of seating, including a rooftop, make it a relaxed place to linger, though service slows when it's busy.

📍Hotel Jheel, 52–56 Gangaur Ghat Marg, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001, India

The artificial lake at the heart of Udaipur, first created in 1362 and later enlarged by Maharana Udai Singh II, founder of the city. Its island palaces — the Lake Palace and Jag Mandir — and the ghats and havelis along its shores make a sunset boat ride the city's defining experience. Boats leave from the City Palace jetty and elsewhere.

📍Lake Pichola, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001, India

A pure-vegetarian restaurant near Hanuman Ghat built around local millets and wholesome cooking, with plenty of vegan options. The menu mixes millet thalis and Mewari dishes with salads, smoothies and bowls — a welcome change from heavy curries. The relaxed, unhurried atmosphere suits solo diners, and it's a short walk from the lake.

📍16 Bhim Parmeshwar Marg, Hanuman Ghat, outside Chandpole, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001, India

A hilltop palace built in 1884 by Maharana Sajjan Singh, originally planned as an observatory to watch the monsoon clouds. It stands inside the Sajjangarh Wildlife Sanctuary, about 5km west of the city, and has the best sunset view over Udaipur's lakes and hills. There are separate fees for the sanctuary and the palace, with a road up to the top.

📍Sajjangarh, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001, India

A garden built in the 18th century by Maharana Sangram Singh II for the royal ladies-in-waiting, with fountains, lotus pools, marble elephants and shady lawns just south of Fateh Sagar. The fountains are fed by the lake. It's small but peaceful, and pairs well with an evening walk along Fateh Sagar's promenade.

📍Saheli Marg, Panchwati, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001, India

A rural arts and crafts village about 3km west of Fateh Sagar, set up to showcase the crafts, architecture and performing arts of western India, with traditional huts from Rajasthan, Gujarat, Goa and Maharashtra. Artisans and folk performers are often on site, and it hosts the big Shilpgram Utsav craft fair every December.

📍Shilpgram, Hawala, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313011, India

A white-marble palace built in the 1740s on an island in Lake Pichola as a royal summer retreat, now a Taj luxury hotel reached only by boat and famous from the 1983 Bond film 'Octopussy'. Access is for guests and diners with reservations, so book a meal if you want to see it without staying. For most people, the view from the ghats is the draw.

📍Lake Pichola, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001, India

The Maharanas of Mewar's collection of classic cars, displayed in the old royal garage at the Garden Hotel and including Rolls-Royces, a Cadillac and a Mercedes. It's small and can be seen in under an hour, but it's a fun contrast to the palaces and temples, and it sits right by Gulab Bagh, Udaipur's largest garden, for a walk afterwards.

📍Garden Hotel, Lake Palace Road, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001, India

A branch of Zostel, India's biggest backpacker hostel chain, by the ghats of Lake Pichola in the Chandpole area of the old city. Dorms, private rooms and a sociable common area make it easy to meet other travellers, and the lake, the City Palace and the old-town cafés are all within walking distance. A practical budget base.

📍Imli Ghat, Purohit Ji Ka Khurra, Chandpole, Udaipur, Rajasthan 313001, India