India journey · The Udaipur chapter

After Delhi, Varanasi and Pratapgarh, our journey continues in Rajasthan with rooftop dinners, palace views, morning chai and time with our local hosts.

Set among Rajasthan’s Aravalli Hills, Udaipur is known for its lakes, royal palaces, and historic waterfronts. Once the capital of the kingdom of Mewar, the City of Lakes draws visitors with its striking architecture, colorful bazaars, Rajasthani cuisine, and romantic setting. It is easy to understand its appeal for travelers and wedding celebrations alike: a rooftop dinner or an evening by the water can feel like an occasion in itself.

We came looking forward to its famous sights, but some of our favorite moments would turn out to be much simpler—a morning walk, ginger chai, and the warmth of our local hosts.

A Rooftop Welcome to Rajasthan

Our Air India flight from Delhi landed on time after a short journey of about an hour. Clear skies, lovely weather, and our local hosts waiting at the airport made for an easy welcome.

Staying with people who call a place home adds something special to a trip. Alongside the sightseeing comes the pleasure of their company, familiar conversations, and the chance to experience a city through everyday moments.

After settling in, we headed to the rooftop restaurant at Acacia, where the lake and city provided a beautiful backdrop for dinner.

The restaurant was packed with locals and visitors, all enjoying the food, atmosphere, and view. We settled into our chairs and quickly understood why nobody seemed in a hurry to leave.

Dinner introduced us to some Rajasthani favorites: Laal Maas, a rich, fiery red meat curry, and Gatte ki Sabzi, made with gram-flour dumplings in a spiced gravy, accompanied by bread and rice. Together, they offered two different expressions of the region’s cooking—one bold and meaty, the other a reminder of how much character can come from humble ingredients.

Between bites, our attention kept drifting back toward the city. Udaipur was making a strong first impression, and we had barely begun.

Eventually, the next day’s sightseeing persuaded us to leave. A full day lay ahead, and even a lovely rooftop dinner has to make room for sleep.

Sunrise, Ginger Tea, and Everyday Udaipur

We began the next morning with a long walk.

Before the palaces and sightseeing crowds, there was another Udaipur to enjoy: a cat watching us from a terrace, beautiful horses walking down the street, and the sunrise gradually bringing the neighborhood into view.

The cat, in particular, seemed to regard us as the morning’s entertainment.

We stopped for ginger tea along the way. There is something deeply satisfying about a morning walk in India that ends with a hot cup of chai. Beside the tea shop stood an old hand pump, the sort of familiar object that can unexpectedly pull your attention away from everything grander around it.

We also made a brief stop at a local Jain temple before heading home to get ready.

These small encounters gave the morning its character. The city’s famous landmarks would fill our afternoon, but a terrace cat, an old hand pump, and ginger tea had already earned their place in the story.

Neemach Mata Temple: A View Worth Pausing For

Our afternoon began at Neemach Mata Temple, on Dewali Hill overlooking Fateh Sagar Lake.

Dedicated to Neemach Mata, revered as a form of Goddess Durga, the temple is an important place of worship for local devotees. It is also traditionally associated with the Mewar royal family, whose household goddess she is believed to be. (incredibleindia.gov.in⁠)

The setting gives the visit another dimension. From above, the city’s buildings, hills, and water begin to fit together, offering a perspective that is difficult to appreciate from the streets.

Fateh Sagar Lake spread out below us, with the surrounding city forming a broad panorama. We spent time taking in the view, looking across the rooftops toward the more distant lakes and palaces.

After the street-level details of our morning walk, seeing Udaipur from this height was a lovely change of scale. It was a place to pause, enjoy the surroundings, and let the afternoon unfold.

A Detour Through the Old City Bazaar

From the temple, we headed toward the old city bazaar near City Palace for a little souvenir shopping.

Fabric shops, leather bags, and local crafts offered plenty of reasons to stop. Browsing here became part of the sightseeing: colors, textures, and small objects competing for attention as we moved from shop to shop.

We had intended to make a brief stop. Of course, “brief” becomes a flexible word once you start looking at souvenirs.

There is always another shop worth entering, another fabric worth unfolding, or something small that suddenly seems essential to bring home.

Taj Lake Palace: Udaipur’s Floating Landmark

Our next stop brought us a closer view of Taj Lake Palace, sitting in the middle of Lake Pichola.

Some buildings are so familiar from photographs that you wonder whether seeing them in person will make much difference. This one did. Its white marble façade, surrounded by water, creates the remarkable impression of a palace floating on the lake.

Originally known as Jag Niwas, it was built between 1743 and 1746 by Maharana Jagat Singh II as a royal summer retreat. Its roughly four-acre island setting provided both seclusion and a spectacular outlook. Taj assumed management in 1971, beginning another chapter in the palace’s life. In 2026, the palace marks 280 years since its completion—a remarkable journey from royal retreat to celebrated heritage hotel. (tajhotels.com, tata.com, ir.ihcltata.com)

We could easily see the appeal of staying there. Had we not been enjoying the hospitality of our local hosts, this would have been our preferred choice.

For this visit, however, we were quite content to admire it from across the water—and quietly add an overnight stay to the list for another trip.

Lunch With a Palace View

We paused for lunch at a restaurant at City Palace, where more local cuisine arrived with another beautiful view of Taj Lake Palace.

By now, Udaipur had established a pattern: sit down for a meal, look up, and discover a view that makes you forget what you were about to say.

Lunch also gave us a welcome chance to slow down before exploring the palace complex. Between the morning walk, temple visit, and shopping, we had already covered a fair amount of ground.

A leisurely meal overlooking Lake Pichola felt entirely justified.

City Palace: Centuries Behind the Façade

Our afternoon continued at City Palace, overlooking Lake Pichola.

Maharana Udai Singh II laid its foundation in 1559, and successive generations added to the complex. That long evolution is part of its appeal: what appears from a distance as one commanding palace is the work of many rulers over centuries. (citypalacemuseum.org⁠)

As we explored and listened to its history, the scale of royal life in Mewar became easier to imagine. This was a place of residence, ceremony, and government, with architecture intended both to serve daily needs and to make an impression.

The pleasure of visiting a palace like this is in moving between the grand scale and the smaller details. You admire the whole complex, then find yourself slowing down to look more closely at a doorway, a decorative feature, or the way a view is framed.

There was plenty to absorb, but the lake views kept drawing our attention back outside. After seeing the palace from the city and looking toward it across the water, we were now enjoying the reverse perspective.

Most of the afternoon slipped away here. We stayed to watch the light soften toward sunset, when the city and lake took on a different mood.

Udaipur rewards that kind of patience. A view you enjoyed an hour earlier can become worth studying all over again as the light changes.

Gangaur Ghat and Tripolia After Dark

Our final stop was Gangaur Ghat, where the triple arches of Tripolia and neighboring Bagore Ki Haveli created a memorable lakeside scene.

The haveli dates to the 18th century and was built by Amar Chand Badwa, a prime minister of Mewar. Maharaj Shakti Singh later added to the complex in 1878, including work associated with its distinctive Tripolia frontage. Today, the restored haveli serves as a museum preserving aspects of the region’s art, culture, and historic domestic life. (wzccindia.com⁠)

We enjoyed it from outside, illuminated against the night. After an afternoon spent exploring royal history, this was a fitting place to end: old architecture, the lake beside us, and one last reason to keep the camera out.

By then, however, our feet were beginning to have a stronger opinion than our cameras.

Leaving the Lakes for the Hills

We had covered a great deal in a day: a morning walk and chai, temples, bazaars, palace views, local food, and a long afternoon inside City Palace.

Yet some of my favorite memories were the smallest ones—the cat on the terrace, horses in the street, the old hand pump beside the tea shop, and time spent with our hosts.

The palaces gave Udaipur its grandeur. Those everyday moments made the visit feel personal.

We headed home tired and happy, ready for sleep before the next morning’s road trip to Mount Abu. The lakes and rooftops would soon give way to hills, winding roads, and another chapter of our Rajasthan journey.

Coming Soon on Triyana Diaries

Our Rajasthan journey continues with Mount Abu, trading Udaipur’s lakeside views for a change of scenery in the hills.

And there is much more to come from the City of Lakes: A Big Fat Indian Wedding in Udaipur—with celebrations, festive outfits, and the joy of coming together for a very special occasion.

Two new chapters, plenty more stories. Coming soon on Triyana Diaries⁠.