Udaipur on a budget: how to do it well
Short answer
Yes, Udaipur is very good for budget travel: guesthouses, thalis and rickshaws are cheap, and the lakeside views are free. A realistic minimum is about ₹2,600 a day per person sharing a room — around ₹1,000 for a bed, ₹700 for food, ₹600 for sights and ₹300 for transport.
A realistic daily budget
| Budget | Mid-range | Comfort | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bed (per person, sharing) | ₹1,000 | ₹3,000 | ₹12,000 |
| Food & drink | ₹700 | ₹1,500 | ₹4,000 |
| Sights & tickets | ₹600 | ₹1,500 | ₹3,500 |
| Local transport | ₹300 | ₹1,000 | ₹2,500 |
| Per person, per day | ₹2,600 | ₹7,000 | ₹22,000 |
Approximate 2026 prices, two people sharing a room. From our Udaipur day-cost table.
Free things to do
- Jagdish Temple and its morning prayers (dress modestly)
- Walking the old-city lanes and the footbridge at Gangaur Ghat
- Sunset over Lake Pichola from Lal Ghat or Ambrai Ghat
- The Fateh Sagar Lake embankment, a local evening hangout
- Watching artists at the miniature painting workshops in the old city
- Browsing Bada Bazaar and Hathi Pol
Cheap eats
- Poha and jalebi at a morning stall — about ₹30–60
- Kachori or mirchi vada — about ₹20–50 a piece
- A Rajasthani thali away from the lake — about ₹250–500
- Dal baati churma — about ₹200–450
- Lassi or chaach (buttermilk) — about ₹40–100
Where to sleep for less
Budget travellers stay in guesthouses around Lal Ghat and the old city, many with rooftop cafés over the lake, at about ₹1,200–2,500 a night for a room. Book early for Diwali and the winter peak.
Getting around cheaply
Walk the old city and use auto-rickshaws (₹100–250) for the rest. From Maharana Pratap Airport, a taxi costs roughly ₹700–1,000. Trains are the cheapest comfortable way to arrive from Jaipur (about 6–7 hours) or Delhi (overnight).
A sample budget day
- Morning: poha and jalebi (about ₹50), then Jagdish Temple (free) and the old-city lanes
- Lunch: Rajasthani thali (about ₹350)
- Afternoon: rickshaw to Saheliyon ki Bari and Fateh Sagar (about ₹400 with entry)
- Evening: Dharohar show at Bagore ki Haveli (about ₹200) and a simple dinner (about ₹300)
- Total: about ₹2,600 including a shared guesthouse room (about ₹1,000)
More ways to save
- Watch the Lake Pichola sunset from a public ghat rather than a paid boat.
- Buy the Bagore ki Haveli ticket early and come back, rather than paying a tout.
- Use local buses for Chittorgarh or onward travel if you are not in a hurry.
- Ask for prices before ordering at unpriced snack stalls.
- Join a family-run cooking class directly rather than through a driver.
- Travel in the monsoon for lower rates and green hills.
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Common questions
Can you visit Udaipur on a budget?
Yes. Guesthouses, thalis and rickshaws are cheap, and the ghats are free. Plan on about ₹2,600 a day per person sharing a room.
How do I get from the airport to Udaipur city?
By taxi, about 30–45 minutes for roughly ₹700–1,000.
How much is the Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur day trip?
A car and driver costs roughly ₹3,500–5,500 for the day, plus entry fees. Sharing the car keeps it cheap.