Udaipur to explore Royal Palaces ,rock solid Forts , clean Lakes and humble culture

Tripoto
14th Dec 2016
Day 2

Don't worry on hotels , Udaipur has loads of them and mostly within 3 Kms of station . Depending on your budget you can get a basic hotel to a five star hotel. Dump the belongings ,get ready and check out Jagdish temple,city palace ,lake pichhola in the first half .Take lunch nearby (bawarchi at Delhi gate is good option) and for second half visit lok Kala mandal (puppet museum and puppet shows) and saheliyon ki baari .On the way check out boating option near sukhariya circle ,enjoy local snacking and local rides (kids).Wind up the day with shopping at Bapu bazaar and a dinner at Nataraj (thali only ,it's in Bapu bazaar).

Local autos are available in abundance and the rates are reasonable too.if still worried ,try ola or uber ,both give a very good coverage in Udaipur.

Day 3

Start your day with ropeway at karni Mata temple (cable car ride to temple) . Temple is currently being renovated ,yet it is one of the best places to get a hilltop view of the city of lakes.after this head to lake pichhola for boating and soak in the beauty of the place. take a cab to shilpgram .A colourful and vibrant place (similar to Delhi haat or surajkund Mela) .enjoy lunch at shilpgram dhaba (inside shilpgram),do try local curries like tomato sec,papad ki sabzi ,besan ke gatte etc .Check out their local performances of folk dance from Rajasthan and Gujarat . Visit various local stalls for souvenirs and adventure park for some fun.
Take an auto/cab and proceed to fateh sagar lake .Relax in a boat or get into a speed boat and shake the lake .Check out Maharana pratap memorial and then enjoy some snacking by the lakeside.
On the way back enjoy dinner at Nataraj Dining hall (station road).Amazing food and a good variety to choose from.

Day 4

Pack you lunch and leave early for kumbalgarh and enjoy the journey.the hills on the  way to kumbalgarh will remind you of Nanital and pratapgarh.
It's a long drive of approx 90 km .Best way is to  book a cab for a day to cover both kumbalgarh and ranakpur in a day (approx 2400 for the car).
Enjoy the trekking to kumbalgarh fort top from the gates ,check out the temple ,walk along the walls of the fort,climb the fort boundaries .The view from here is absolutely stunning. Avoid if travelling with old age people who cannot walk much ,since the climb is a bit hectic.Enjoy your packed lunch in kumbalgarh.
Head onto Ranakpur for the 600 year old Jain temple,around 35 km from kumbalgarh.the temple  building is actually an architectural marvel .The work on the temple building is beyond what any words could describe .Take food in temple bhandara or enjoy evening snacks and tea at temple canteen. do check the canteen for various snacks and pickles.
Return to Udaipur .Try dinner at santosh bhojanalya ,all variety amazing food at very reasonable prices .

Day 5

Start your day with a breakfast of local dishes (poha ,dhokla ,jalebi ).Head onto Gurdwara sahib at Sikh colony .From here move on to gulab Bagh and vintage car museum.
Take lunch nearby and proceed to Hathipole market  for shopping. It has all that you could think of buying from Udaipur,from colourful jackets to bandhini suits/sarees to local perfumes to jootis to bags to paintings to jewellery .Just spend some time and you will not want to leave the place.
Pack all your bags and move to station to board your evening train

Day 6

the train will drop you in Gurgaon before sunrise.

Travel lessons for Udaipur:
1.ola and uber available in abundance,and autos also very reasonable.
2. Auto can be a bit overpriced for places around Udaipur ,check with local travel companies and get a car for a day (approx 2400 per car for kumbalgarh + ranakpur)
3.ola also provides for cabs to all near and far places around Udaipur and my experience has been very good with it
4. If booking hotels online ,do check the photos posted by actual travellers before deciding on one
5.if going to eating place for thali (eg: Nataraj thali) only go if you want to have food there  ,don't take people who dont want to eat there .It may become humiliating.
6. kumbalgarh fort involves a bit of trekking,elderly people may have difficulty climbing it.
7. most of the places of interest have a charge on mobile and cameras ,check their timings and entry prices before starting for it.
8.enjoy ,enjoy and enjoy