Udaipur Lake City - Top Sights in Two days | DAY-1

Udaipur is one of the most beautiful cities in the western India which is known for rich history, culture and Rajputana Heritage. It doesn't only host one of the finest & most exotic properties in India but also known as  the "Venice of the East," for its scenic beauty. It used to be the capital of the great  Rajputana kingdom of Mewar and was founded by Maharana Udai Singh about 550 years ago when he had to shift from Chittorgarh due to Mughal Invasion. It is about 650 km from National Capital Delhi which mere 1.2 hour via flight. By India railway it is 11 hour Journey. It is 800 km from Mumbai which is also about an hour flight. It is located in the south Rajasthan with close proximity to the Gujarat border and is surrounded by Aravali Range of Western ghats that separates it from Thar Desert. Being in close proximity to state of Gujarat it also offers Gujarati cuisine apart from range of Rajasthani cuisines.

City Palace Udaipur

Taj Lake Palace

Let's start the Voyage -
For me it started from Delhi via low cost Indian domestic carrier Indigo from Terminal-1D of Indira Gandhi International Airport, Delhi. I'd recommend flight option to save time since there is not much difference in cost between IRCTC - AC second Tier/above. (Alternate options are private Buses/Taxis). I landed at Udaipur Airport around 08:30 in the morning from where it took about half an hour to reach my hotel in Gulab Bagh area. This area is recommended due to its close proximity to multiple city attractions. I had prior arrangements for an early check in and was ready to explore after an hour of unpacking and morning refreshments.
Day-1  

I left my hotel at 10:30 AM and hired a local auto as weather was fantastic and I didn't feel like hiring car/taxi(Though Ola & private taxis were readily available). I reached the first destination Lake Pichola even before I could settle my eyes around beautiful and serene locations.

Pichola lake

This lake is a treat to eyes due to exotic properties and beautiful lake at the backdrop of Aravali ranges. It is spread in an area of about 7 Sq. kms. City Palace, Taj Lake Palace,  Monsoon Palace, The Leela, Udai Vilas Palace and Jag Mandir Palace are few to name. I took a boat ride of 20 minutes (150/Rs/Person) and indulged in observing the beautiful locales all around.

Lake Pichola

Pichola Lake with the Leela Palace in the Background

After spending about half an hour more at Pichola Lake I started for City Palace which was again at 5-10 minutes distance and I wondered if I could have walked through to these locations but in reality I was better off with auto to conserve my energy ( Soon I realized after visiting the City Palace).

City Palace view from Lake Pichola

City Palace

It took close to three hours to see the entire city palace which had everything to showcase from the kings of Mewar and their rich cultural heritage. Palace Gateways (known as pols) are set to the east of city and provide access to this palace. Amar Vilas, Badi Mahal,Bhim Vilas,Chini Chitrashala, Durbar hall, Fateprakash Palace, Manak Mahal, Rang Bhavan and Sheesh Mahal are some noteworthy structures within this huge palace.

City Palace

Fateprakash Palace, which is now a luxury hotel, has a crystal gallery that consists of crystal chairs, dressing tables, sofas, tables, chairs and beds, crockery, table fountains which were never used. You also get a chance for boating inside the Palace but that is a bit costly (About 250-350 bucks). It costed me around 350 bucks for city palace tickets( You have to pay for Guide/camera extra apart from tickets). Though it was great for me as I have a keen interest in history but for some it may not be that great considering the high ticket prices & energy consuming ride. It also took a lot of energy as I had to climb through out the palace to explore it and thereafter had to take some refreshment after climbing down. You must carry a water bottle through out as you tend to get thirsty irrespective of weather condition. :)

Fateh Sagar lake

Fateh Sagar Lake & Nehru Garden

Now, it was three in the afternoon and I moved to another beautiful destination "Fateh Sagar Lake" which is an artificial lake named after Maharana Fateh Singh of Udaipur and Mewar which is stretched along 2.4 km with 4 sq km of overall area.Boating to "Nehru park" is absolute pleasure and having a tea/coffee in the cafeteria at Nehru Park (Amid Lake) was an awesome experience.

Cafe @ Nehru Garden

Nehru Garden

 After returning from the Nehru Park I made a quick visit to "Chaupati" at Sukhadiya Circle to grabb afternoon meal and the place was great with all kinds of food options. Though I didn't go to nearby boating but you may go and enjoy pedal boating and some good time with family at Sukhadiya Circle.

Sukhadiya Circle

Now it was time to set off for "Saheliyon ki badi".

Saheliyon ki Badi (Maidain's Garden) 
It turned out to be a lush green garden hosting wonderful water fountains all across. You fell in love with the place at the first glance due to its greenery and calmness and sound of fountains coming out of rock structures everywhere and icing on the cake is the cost which is only Rs 10/. We spent around half an hour clicking so many photographs. We also got ourselves clicked in traditional Rajasthani attire. Afterwards we were suggested by our guide to visit nearby "Rajasthali art & Museum" to see some fine local craft.

Inner Court of Saheliyon ki Badi

Now It was sunset and we moved towards Gangaur Ghat which was 15 minutes away. It was a mesmerizing experience to see the sunset and delightful shadows of the beautiful properties in the lake water.

Gangaur Ghat

Bagore ki Haveli & Dharohar Dance Show
While I was at Gangaur Ghat I was alerted to buy the tickets for evening show "Dharohar" to be held every evening at Bagore ki Hawaeli beside the ghat. I promptly went in bought the ticket ( 90/Rs for adult , 45 for kid & 150/Rs for camera) and came back to have soem tea & coffee at nearby stall adjacent to "Jagdish Temple". I returned to Bagore ki Haveli as show was about to begin at 07:00 PM and took my seat on the terrace of Haveli whose one part is converted as the museum. The Dharohar folk dance show was not only a treat to eyes but to mind, body & soul as well. It was a string of shows consisting of welcome song (kesariya balam padaro mhare desh), Tera taali dance, Gauri, Ghoomer and amazing puppet show. The entire tireness if there was any was taken away by this great cultural journey of an hour.

Bagore ki Haveli

Now it was post 08:15 while I came out of haveli and decided to visit "Jagdish temple" which was at walking distance. After visiting the temple I decided to go for dinner as I had a fantastic day with plethora of memories and hundreds of photographs captured. So, dinner time: As suggested by my guide cum driver I chose to go to "Natraj Dining" to taste Gugrati/Rajasthani Thali and to my pleasure it was worth of it. A thali of 220/Rs that offered home like food on top of unlimited quantity. Now it was time to be back to my hotel and catch some rest. I thanked my auto driver for keeping me in good company through out the day and decided to continue the voyage the next day!!

Day-2 ... ( Please go to Explore Udaipur Day-2 )

Tips:

• Book your air tickets at-least a month in advance to get best fares. 
• For info related to trains operated by Indian Railway please go to   https://enquiry.indianrail.gov.in/ntes/index.html or http://www.indianrail.gov.in
• Early check in would help you cover many locations within the city on the very first Day
• You don't have to hire auto/taxi to roam around the city as they are available at every point and if you want to spend more time at one place don't hire for the whole day. You can also choose to rent a bike/scooty for the day.
• Do instruct food stall/vendors in advance if you like less spicy or else by default you get a spicy food
•  If you want a photo to be clicked in Rajasthani Costume then "Lake Pichola" or "Saheliyon ki Badi" are the best places (About 100/Rs for a print)