Udaipur is the most romantic city in Rajasthan, built around the clear waters of Lake Pichola and backed by the ancient Aravalli hills. The white-walled buildings, the Lake Palace seemingly floating in the middle of the water, and the massive City Palace complex lining the eastern shore create a scene that has earned it the nickname "Venice of the East" — an overstatement, perhaps, but the city genuinely charms.
The old city is compact and best explored on foot. A boat trip on Lake Pichola is essential — the Lake Palace (now a luxury hotel, famously featured in a James Bond film) and Jag Mandir on their respective islands are beautiful from the water. The City Palace, one of the largest palace complexes in Rajasthan, houses a museum worth a half day. In the mornings, the ghats come alive with women doing laundry and devotees floating tiny oil lamps on the water — Gangaur Ghat is the busiest of them. In the evenings, the rooftop restaurants around Lal Ghat fill up with travellers watching the light change over the lake, while across the water Hanuman Ghat stays quieter and more residential.
Beyond the lake, the Monsoon Palace on the Aravalli ridge gives the best sunset view in town, and the gardens of Saheliyon ki Bari are a cool retreat in summer. The evening dance show at Bagore ki Haveli is the most accessible introduction to Rajasthani folk performance.
Udaipur also makes an excellent base for day trips. Kumbhalgarh Fort, with its 36-km wall (second only to the Great Wall of China in length), is about 85 km north. The Jain temples at Ranakpur, among the most intricately carved in India, are 95 km northwest. Closer in, Shilpgram, an ethnographic crafts village, and the Nathdwara temple dedicated to Lord Krishna (48 km) are worth a half day each, as is the great Mewar family shrine at Eklingji.