Why Udaipur is at its best in the rain
Our grandmother called the monsoon the season when Udaipur remembers it is a lake city. In May the water can drop and the hills are brown dust. Then the clouds come over the Aravallis, the streams run, and within weeks the city is ringed by green and full water again. People celebrate it like a festival.
Green hills: the bare Aravalli ridges around the city turn a deep, startling green, sometimes within days of the first heavy rain.
- Rains arrive
- Usually late June or early July
- Main rain
- July to September
- Typical day
- Heavy showers, then clearing skies
- Temperature
- Much cooler than May and June
- Humidity
- High, especially between showers
- Rising lakes: Lake Pichola, Fateh Sagar and their linked lakes fill. In a generous year the overflow becomes a sight in itself.
- Rarely all-day rain: more often heavy bursts that roll over the hills, then clear to washed skies, cool breezes and dramatic clouds.
- Quiet hotels: this is the low season for visitors, so palace hotels are calm and rates are kinder than in winter.
- Local life on show: families picnic in the hills, students sit on the embankment in the drizzle and the bazaars sell monsoon snacks you won't see in December.
- The trade-off: humid days, some grey skies, slippery ghats and plans that bend to the weather. If you need guaranteed sunshine, come between October and March.
Where we go to watch the rain
The Monsoon Palace, Sajjangarh
Why: Maharana Sajjan Singh began it in 1884 on the highest hill west of the city, partly to watch the monsoon clouds gather. Maharana Fateh Singh completed it.
- When: late afternoon, when the clouds break and the lakes below catch the light.
- On the road up: the palace stands in a wildlife sanctuary, and in the rains you may see langurs, peacocks and sambar in the wet forest.
The Fateh Sagar embankment
Why: this is where Udaipur comes to look at its lake. Maharana Fateh Singh rebuilt the dam in the late 1880s, and the long road along it fills with families after every shower.
- What to eat: roasted corn on the cob rubbed with lime, salt and chilli, sold from small carts along the water.
- When: early evening, when the sky clears and the hills reflect in the lake.
The ghats of Lake Pichola
Why: the old city meets the water at Gangaur Ghat and Ambrai Ghat, and in the rain the temples and havelis glow against grey skies.
- Best view: Ambrai Ghat on the western shore, looking back at the City Palace as the clouds move over it.
- Care: the steps get slippery. Wear sandals with grip and keep away from the edge after heavy rain.
A terrace with a roof
- Why: the most Udaipur way to watch a storm is under cover, with chai and pakoras, as the rain hammers the lake.
- Where: your hotel terrace, or one of the covered rooftops of the old city. Our rooftop dining page lists how we arrange a private table.
How we would plan a monsoon day
Morning, sights before the clouds
Early start: the City Palace and the Jagdish temple soon after opening, when the air is cool and the courtyards are quiet.
- On foot: walk down to Gangaur Ghat and Bagore ki Haveli while the lanes are still drying from the night's rain.
- Breakfast on the water: a terrace with a view of the lake, watching the clouds build over the hills.
Afternoon, rain plans
Indoors: a miniature painter's studio, a cooking class or the galleries of the City Palace museum.
- Rest: a long lunch and a nap. Heavy rain usually comes in the afternoon, and there is no better sound to sleep to.
- Spa: Kerala's Ayurvedic tradition favours the rainy months for treatments, and a long massage on a wet afternoon makes sense anywhere. Our spa and Ayurveda page explains what we arrange.
Evening, the clearing sky
Sunset: drive up to Sajjangarh if the sky is breaking, or walk the Fateh Sagar embankment.
- Boat: a short boat on Pichola if the services are running. They pause in very heavy rain or high wind.
- Dinner: a terrace or lakeside courtyard, with a canopy in case the next shower arrives early.
Watching the lakes fill
The chain: Pichola, Swaroop Sagar and Fateh Sagar are linked by channels and arched bridges, so water passes from one lake to the next.
All man-made: every lake around the city was dammed by the Maharanas over centuries, to hold the monsoon in a dry land.
- Pichola
- The old heart, with the Lake Palace
- Fateh Sagar
- Rebuilt by Maharana Fateh Singh, 1880s
- Swaroop Sagar
- The link between the two
- Udai Sagar
- East of the city
- Jaisamand
- A day out to the south-east
- The overflow: when a lake brims, water pours over its spillway, and families drive out just to watch it. It is one of the happiest sights of the year.
- After a weak monsoon: the lakes stay low, boat routes on Pichola can shrink, and the city worries. Nobody takes full lakes for granted.
- Udai Sagar: east of the city, the lake dammed in the time of Maharana Udai Singh II, Udaipur's founder, fills too. Raffles Udaipur sits on its own island in it.
- Jaisamand: about an hour south-east, the great lake of Jaisamand is a quiet monsoon escape, wide and grey-green under the clouds.
The festivals of the rains
Teej: the monsoon festival of married women, in the month of Shravan, usually July or August. Swings hang from the trees and women wear green leheriya, wave-dyed cloth. See our Teej festival page.
Hariyali Amavasya: on the new moon of Shravan, the city holds a two-day fair at Fateh Sagar and Saheliyon ki Bari to celebrate the green. On the second day, by tradition, only women and girls may enter.
- Teej
- Shravan, usually July or August
- Hariyali Amavasya
- New moon of Shravan
- Raksha Bandhan
- Full moon of Shravan
- Janmashtami
- Bhadrapad, often August
- Raksha Bandhan: on the full moon of Shravan, sisters tie threads on their brothers' wrists, and the sweet shops overflow.
- Janmashtami: Krishna's birthday, often in August, is celebrated with great devotion at Nathdwara, about an hour north. Our page on Janmashtami at Nathdwara explains the night.
- Dates move: these festivals follow the Hindu lunar calendar, so they shift every year. We confirm the dates each year when we plan your trip.
What Udaipur eats in the rain
Pakoras: onion, potato and chilli fritters in gram flour batter, fried the moment the first drops fall. Every family has a rain recipe.
Mirchi vada: a large green chilli stuffed with spiced potato, battered and fried. Hot in both senses.
- Dal pakodi: small lentil fritters with green chutney, sold in paper cones in the old city.
- Bhutta: roasted corn from the carts on the Fateh Sagar embankment, rubbed with lime and chilli salt.
- Kachori and jalebi: a rainy morning in the old city often starts with hot kachori and syrupy jalebi from a sweet shop, eaten in the doorway.
- Ghevar: the honeycomb sweet of the monsoon, made only around Teej and Raksha Bandhan. Our ghevar and Teej piece tells its story.
- Masala chai: strong, sweet and with ginger, drunk standing up under a shop awning while the street turns into a stream.
- Street food safety: eat where it is fried in front of you and served hot. Our Udaipur food guide has more.
Day trips that shine in the rains
Kumbhalgarh and its wall
Why: the great fort of Maharana Kumbha, with walls that run for kilometres over the hills, looks its finest wrapped in green and cloud.
- Care: the ramparts are slippery in rain. Wear shoes with grip.
- Drive: about two hours each way from Udaipur.
Ranakpur and its temple
- Why: the white marble Jain temple in a forested valley, cool and quiet under monsoon skies.
- Pair it with: Kumbhalgarh on the same long day, or as an overnight.
Eklingji and Nagda
- Why: the temple of Eklingji, the family deity of the Maharanas, about half an hour north, set among green hills in the rains.
- Nearby: the old temples of Nagda by a small lake.
Haldighati
- Why: the pass where Maharana Pratap fought the Mughal army in 1576, with a memorial to his horse Chetak.
- Read first: our piece on Maharana Pratap and Haldighati.
What most monsoon visitors miss
The peacocks: the monsoon is their season. Listen for the call at dawn from the hills around Sajjangarh and the gardens, and look for males dancing with their tails spread before a storm.
The first rain smell: the scent of wet earth after a dry spell is so loved here that perfumers in Kannauj distil it as mitti attar. Ask a perfume seller in the old city if he has some.
- The waterfalls: small seasonal falls appear on the hills around the city after heavy rain. Your driver will know which ones are running that week.
- Women's swings: in Shravan, look for swings hung from big trees in villages on the way to Eklingji or Nathdwara, with women singing the rain songs.
- Green leheriya: shop windows turn green and the wave-dyed cloth of the rains appears everywhere. A leheriya dupatta is the souvenir of the season.
- Dinner by lamplight: power cuts in a storm are less common than they were, but a candlelit courtyard in a thunderstorm is still Udaipur at its most romantic.
- Clouds on the Lake Palace: from the City Palace or Ambrai Ghat, watch low cloud drift across the white palace in the lake. It lasts minutes, then it is gone.
Photographing Udaipur in the rains
After the storm: the ten minutes after heavy rain stops give the clearest air of the year, with every hill sharp and the lake like glass.
Reflections: puddles on the ghats and courtyards become mirrors for the palaces. Get low and shoot across the water.
- Best light
- Just after a storm clears
- Golden hour
- Short, often behind cloud
- Bring
- Lens cloth, dry bag, rain cover
- Best spots
- Ambrai Ghat, Sajjangarh, Fateh Sagar
- Dramatic skies: stormy clouds over the City Palace make a picture no winter visit can match. Expose for the sky.
- People with umbrellas: the colours of umbrellas and saris in the bazaar on a wet day are a gift. Ask before photographing anyone up close.
- Protect your kit: humidity fogs lenses when you come out of an air-conditioned room. Give the camera ten minutes to warm up.
- Learn more: our photography tips cover etiquette, temples and the best hours across Rajasthan.
Where to stay, and which room to ask for
Taj Lake Palace: on its island in Pichola, watching the storm come across the water. Reached by boat, so ask how they manage heavy rain. See Taj Lake Palace.
The Oberoi Udaivilas: on the western shore of Pichola, with long views over the lake and the City Palace. See The Oberoi Udaivilas.
- Rates
- Generally lower than winter
- Crowds
- Low, except festival weekends
- Ask for
- Lake view, covered balcony
- Check
- Boat transfers in heavy rain
- The Leela Palace Udaipur: on the lake shore, close to the old city. See The Leela Palace Udaipur.
- Inside the City Palace: Shiv Niwas Palace and Fateh Prakash Palace put you in the Maharanas' own complex.
- Out of town: Devi Garh, a hill palace in Delwara, looks out over green fields and hills in the monsoon.
- What to ask for: a lake-facing room with a covered balcony or a window seat. In the rains, that is where you will spend the best hours.
- Compare: our guide to luxury hotels in Udaipur sets them side by side.
Before you go: packing and practical notes
Umbrella and a light rain jacket: both. The umbrella for the bazaar, the jacket for the boat and the fort.
Quick-dry clothes: cotton takes an age to dry in the humidity. Linen and quick-dry fabrics are easier.
Sandals with grip: for the ghats and temple steps, plus one pair of closed shoes for forts.
- Mosquito repellent: the rains bring mosquitoes. Our health and safety page has general advice, and your own doctor can say more.
- Dry bags: for your phone and camera on boats and in sudden showers.
- Flexible days: some boat services pause in very heavy rain, and hill roads can be slow. We build slack into every monsoon plan.
- How long to allow: three or four nights, so that at least one evening falls on a clear sky. Two nights in the monsoon is a gamble.
- Getting around: a private car with a driver who knows which lanes flood is worth more in the rains than at any other time of year.
- Flights: Udaipur's airport is about half an hour from the city. Monsoon delays happen, so we avoid tight connections.
- Full packing list: our packing guide covers every season.
Who will love Udaipur in the rains
Couples: misty lakes, quiet palaces and long evenings under cover. Our Udaipur romance journey works beautifully now.
Repeat visitors: if you know winter Rajasthan, the monsoon shows you a different country.
- Photographers: clouds, reflections and green hills. Bring a lens cloth and a dry bag.
- Slow travellers: anyone happy to read, eat and watch the weather from a palace window.
- Families: children love the rain, the boats and the peacocks, but plan indoor afternoons such as the puppet museum at Bharatiya Lok Kala Mandal.
- Less suited to: those with tight schedules, or a long list of forts to tick off in a few days.
- A wider trip: our Monsoon in Mewar journey links Udaipur with the green country around it, and our Rajasthan in August guide covers the rest of the state.