Jaipur to Udaipur by car: the essentials
Udaipur is about 395 km south-west of Jaipur, typically six and a half to seven hours by road via Ajmer and Nathdwara, or a little longer via Bhilwara and Chittorgarh. A chauffeur-driven sedan from RutzIndia.com is Rs 14,220 Pay Now to Reserve one way and an Innova Crysta Rs 22,510 Pay Now to Reserve, before 5% GST, with tolls and parking at actual cost.
Udaipur has a way of slowing everyone down. Founded in the sixteenth century by Maharana Udai Singh II after the fall of Chittorgarh, the capital of Mewar spreads around a chain of artificial lakes ringed by the Aravalli hills. White palaces rise straight out of the water, ghats step down to the shore, and in the evening the lanes of the old city fill with the smell of incense and frying kachori. It is India's favourite setting for destination weddings, and one of its most romantic cities for anyone.
By road from Jaipur, the journey is part of the reward. Whichever route your chauffeur takes, you pass through Mewar heartland: the temple town of Nathdwara, marble quarries around Rajsamand, or the great fort of Chittorgarh. This guide explains both routes, what to see in Udaipur and nearby, the best time to go, and the chauffeured services RutzIndia.com offers.
What to do in Udaipur
City Palace and Lake Pichola
The City Palace stretches along the eastern shore of Lake Pichola, a succession of courtyards, balconies, mirrored rooms and cupolas built over several centuries by the Maharanas of Mewar. Much of it is now a museum run by a heritage foundation; the Eternal Mewar website covers the palace, its museums and the boat services on the lake. From the palace jetty, boats cruise past the Lake Palace hotel to Jag Mandir, the island palace where Prince Khurram, later Shah Jahan, once took refuge. The sunset cruise is the classic Udaipur experience.
The old city
- Jagdish Temple, a seventeenth-century Vishnu temple with richly carved walls, just up the lane from the palace gate.
- Bagore ki Haveli, an eighteenth-century mansion on Gangaur Ghat, now a museum with an evening programme of Rajasthani folk dance and puppetry.
- Ambrai Ghat and Hanuman Ghat, across the water, for the famous view of the City Palace lit up at night.
Lakes, gardens and viewpoints
- Fateh Sagar Lake, livelier than Pichola, with a promenade, boats and snack stalls.
- Saheliyon ki Bari, a garden of fountains and marble elephants built for the ladies of the court.
- Sajjangarh, the Monsoon Palace, on a hilltop in a wildlife sanctuary west of the city. Cars go up the winding road to the palace for sunset over the lakes.
- Vintage and classic car collection of the former royal family, a must for anyone who loves old Rolls-Royces and Cadillacs.
- Shilpgram, a rural arts village on the edge of town, with crafts and performances, especially during its December festival.
Eating in Udaipur
Rooftop restaurants overlooking the lake serve everything from dal baati churma and gatte ki sabzi to wood-fired pizza. In the old city, try kachori and mirchi vada in the morning, and look for Mewari thalis at lunch. Evening chai on a ghat, watching the lights come on across Pichola, is free and unforgettable.
The Udaipur district portal lists tourist places around the city and the wider district.
The road from Jaipur: two good routes
Route 1: via Ajmer, Beawar and Nathdwara (about 395 km)
The most common drive heads south-west on NH48 past Kishangarh, the marble town, skirts Ajmer and continues through Beawar and Bhim into the hills of Rajsamand district. Here the road winds through the Aravallis, past Rajsamand Lake with its marble ghats, to Nathdwara, home of the revered Shrinathji temple, about 48 km before Udaipur. Pilgrims time the drive to reach Nathdwara for one of the darshan windows. From there it is under an hour into the city, passing Eklingji, a complex of ancient Shiva temples.
Route 2: via Bhilwara and Chittorgarh (roughly 420 km)
The alternative follows the wide six-lane highway south from Kishangarh through Bhilwara to Chittorgarh, then west to Udaipur. It is slightly longer but fast, and it lets you stop at Chittorgarh Fort, the vast hilltop citadel of Rani Padmini and Mira Bai, one of India's great sights. Our Chittorgarh by road guide covers the fort in detail; with a two-hour visit, the day becomes nine or ten hours, so leave Jaipur early.
Both routes have good dhabas and fuel stations. Tolls are billed at actual cost. For the exact fare and timings, see the Jaipur to Udaipur taxi route page.
Getting around Udaipur
The old city's lanes around the City Palace and Jagdish Temple are narrow and busy. Your driver will drop you near the palace gates or at designated parking and meet you there. For viewpoints like Sajjangarh and Fateh Sagar, the car is essential.
When to visit Udaipur
September to March is the best period. The lakes are full after the monsoon, the weather is warm by day and cool by night, and December to February brings crisp, clear evenings perfect for rooftop dinners. This is also the peak of the destination wedding season, when palace hotels are booked out and luxury cars must be reserved well ahead.
July and August bring the monsoon, when the hills turn green and the lakes fill; Udaipur is at its most beautiful, though boat trips may be cancelled on stormy days. April to June is hot, but mornings and evenings on the water remain pleasant and hotels are quieter.
Festivals:
- Mewar Festival, held alongside Gangaur in March or April, with women's processions to the ghats and boats on the lake.
- Holi, including the traditional Holika Dahan ceremony at the City Palace.
- Shilpgram Utsav, a crafts festival usually in late December.
- Diwali, when the palaces and ghats glitter with lights.
Rajasthan Tourism's official site, tourism.rajasthan.gov.in, publishes festival calendars and monument information.
RutzIndia.com services and fares for Udaipur
From one-way transfers to week-long Mewar circuits and wedding fleets, every booking follows our published rate card. Prices in the grid exclude 5% GST. Highway tolls and any parking fees are passed on exactly as paid. If the car stays with you overnight, add a chauffeur's allowance of Rs 1,500 a night, and note that a return journey is charged for a minimum of 250 km on every day it spans.
| Mewar journey or package | Dzire-class sedan | Ertiga MUV | Innova | Tempo (12-26 seats) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jaipur to Udaipur one way (395 km) | Rs 14,220 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 16,590 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 22,510 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 30,810 Pay Now to Reserve |
| Jaipur–Udaipur–Jaipur, 2 days (790 km) | Rs 28,440 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 33,180 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 45,030 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 61,620 Pay Now to Reserve |
| Udaipur local 8 hr / 80 km | Rs 7,200 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 9,000 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 12,600 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 19,500 Pay Now to Reserve |
| Udaipur airport (UDR) transfer | Rs 3,960 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 4,950 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 6,930 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 10,740 Pay Now to Reserve |
Udaipur local fares use the standard national rate. For weddings, a Mercedes E-Class or BMW 5 Series is Rs 37,500 Pay Now to Reserve for an 8-hour local day, and vintage cars and Rolls-Royce are quoted on request.
What you can book:
- Jaipur to Udaipur transfers, one way or with the car staying on.
- Airport pickups and city sightseeing through our Udaipur taxi service, with the flight watched and a named placard at the exit.
- Wedding guest logistics in a Tempo Traveller in Udaipur, shuttling between the airport, hotels and venues.
- Luxury and vintage cars for the couple, from our luxury car rental in Udaipur fleet.
- Mewar day trips to Kumbhalgarh, Ranakpur, Chittorgarh or Mount Abu, and full Rajasthan tours by car.
All cars are within four model years, with Rolls-Royce, Bentley and Maybach up to seven. Pay by card or UPI in the booker; companies and wedding planners receive GST invoices.
Itineraries by car
Day 1: Jaipur to Udaipur (about 400 km)
Leave Jaipur at 7 am, tea near Kishangarh, lunch at Rajsamand, and Shrinathji darshan at Nathdwara if the timing fits. Reach Udaipur by late afternoon and take the sunset boat on Lake Pichola.
Day 2: Udaipur in depth (about 50 km)
City Palace museum in the morning, Jagdish Temple and the old city lanes, lunch on a rooftop, Saheliyon ki Bari and the vintage car collection, sunset at Sajjangarh and the folk show at Bagore ki Haveli.
Day 3: Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur (about 220 km)
A classic day trip: the immense walls of Kumbhalgarh Fort in the morning, lunch in the hills, and the marble Jain temple of Ranakpur in the afternoon, returning to Udaipur by evening. Or drop to Jodhpur via Ranakpur, about 260 km; see Jodhpur by road.
Practical tips
- Boat tickets for the City Palace jetty can sell out at sunset in season; buy them early in the day.
- Nathdwara timings. Shrinathji's darshan windows are short and fixed; your driver will plan the stop around them.
- Parking is tight around the City Palace and Gangaur Ghat. Let the driver drop you and wait at a designated lot.
- Hill roads. The Aravalli stretches around Rajsamand and Sajjangarh are winding; tell us if anyone in the family gets car-sick.
- Wedding season. Road closures and baraats can slow traffic near palace venues in the evenings.
- Entry fees for the City Palace museum, boat rides and monuments change periodically; check the official sites.
Planning a lakeside wedding? We can station a car and chauffeur for the couple throughout, run guest shuttles and bring a vintage car for the entry. Talk to the travel desk.
Booking and cancellation
Book through the RutzIndia.com booker with your pickup point, date and the route you prefer. The chauffeur's details arrive the evening before. Change your mind three days or more before the trip and you pay nothing. Closer in, the charge is a tenth of the fare once you are inside the three-day window, half once inside two days, and the entire fare on the last day or if nobody turns up. Read the cancellation policy and see every rate on the fares page.
