Jaipur and Udaipur side by side: distance from Delhi, trip length, budget, best months, things to do, food and where to stay, plus a route for doing both and a note on Jodhpur.
Quick summary
Jaipur or Udaipur is the most common Rajasthan question from Delhi, and the answer depends mostly on how many days you have and what kind of trip you want. Jaipur is close, big and busy: three hill forts, a walled pink city, bazaars and some of the best street food in the state, all within a weekend's reach. Udaipur is much further and smaller, built around lakes and a palace, and rewards a slower trip of three or four days. Here is a side-by-side comparison to help you choose.
Jaipur vs Udaipur at a glance
| Jaipur | Udaipur | |
|---|---|---|
| Distance from Delhi | about 280 km | about 660 km |
| Drive time | about 5 hours on NH-48, 3–3.5 hours by expressway | 11–13 hours, best split over two days |
| Fastest train | about 4 hours | about 12 hours overnight |
| Ideal trip length | 2–3 days | 3–4 days |
| Typical budget per person | about ₹9,000 for three days | about ₹13,000–15,000 for four days |
| Best months | October–March | September–March; late September–November for full lakes |
| Feels like | A big, lively city of forts and bazaars | A smaller lake city that slows you down |
| Best for | Weekends, first Rajasthan trip, families, food | Couples, slow travel, views, a longer holiday |
Budgets are typical mid-range per-person figures from Delhi, with two people sharing a room, and include getting there. See the Jaipur trip cost and Udaipur trip cost guides for budget and premium bands and the line items behind them.
Choose Jaipur if…
- You have a weekend. At about 280 km, Jaipur is the one big Rajasthan city you can do properly in two nights from Delhi.
- You want forts. Amber, Jaigarh and Nahargarh sit on the ridges around the city, and Nahargarh is the classic sunset spot.
- You want a city with energy. The walled city's bazaars, the City Palace, Hawa Mahal and Jantar Mantar are packed into a compact old town.
- You care about food. Jaipur's street food is the strongest reason to visit after the forts.
- It is your first Rajasthan trip and you want the biggest sights for the least travel time.
Read the Jaipur travel guide and the best places to visit in Jaipur.
Choose Udaipur if…
- You have four days or more. The journey takes a night each way by train, or a short flight.
- You want a slower trip. The old city is walkable, and the best moments are a boat on Lake Pichola at sunset and quiet mornings at the ghats.
- You are travelling as a couple. Lake-view rooms, rooftop dinners and the lit-up City Palace make it a favourite with couples.
- You want views. The Monsoon Palace on its ridge looks over the lakes, the old town and the Aravallis.
- You want big day trips. Kumbhalgarh Fort and the Ranakpur Jain temple are a full, rewarding day out.
Read the Udaipur travel guide and the best places to visit in Udaipur.
Or do both
With six or seven days you can do both on one trip. Drive or take the train to Jaipur and spend two nights there. Then drive about 400 km south to Udaipur, breaking the journey at Chittorgarh for a few hours at the fort, about two hours before Udaipur. Spend three nights in Udaipur, including a day for Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur, and return to Delhi on the overnight train or a flight. This avoids doing the long Delhi–Udaipur drive twice. The trip planner can build this route with Udaipur as a second stop.
Getting there
- Delhi to Jaipur by road: about 280 km and 5 hours on NH-48, or 3–3.5 hours using the Delhi–Mumbai Expressway and its Bandikui–Jaipur link. NH-48 tolls in Rajasthan cost ₹395 one way for a car.
- Delhi to Jaipur by train: the Jodhpur Vande Bharat from Delhi Cantonment takes about 3 hours 50 minutes, and the Ajmer Shatabdi leaves New Delhi at 6:10 am and reaches Jaipur at 10:35 am. RSRTC Volvo buses leave from Bikaner House.
- Delhi to Udaipur by road: about 660 km via Jaipur, Kishangarh, Bhilwara and Chittorgarh; a full day's drive, safer with an overnight stop.
- Delhi to Udaipur by train: the Mewar Express leaves Hazrat Nizamuddin at 7 pm and reaches Udaipur City at 7:20 am; the Chetak Express leaves Delhi Sarai Rohilla at 7:40 pm and arrives just before 8 am.
- By air: non-stop flights from Delhi to Udaipur take about 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 40 minutes, and the airport is 22 km from the city.
Things to do compared
| If you want… | Jaipur | Udaipur |
|---|---|---|
| Forts | Amber, Jaigarh, Nahargarh | Kumbhalgarh and Chittorgarh as day trips |
| Palaces | City Palace, Hawa Mahal | City Palace, the largest palace complex in Rajasthan |
| Water | Jal Mahal from the road | Lake Pichola, Fateh Sagar, boat rides to Jag Mandir |
| Sunset | Nahargarh Fort | A boat from the ghats, or the Monsoon Palace |
| History and science | Jantar Mantar, Albert Hall Museum | City Palace museum, Bagore ki Haveli |
| An evening out | Bazaars, Masala Chowk, cafés in C-Scheme | The Dharohar folk show, rooftop dinners |
| Shopping | Johari and Bapu bazaars, block prints | Old-city lanes; Shilpgram crafts fair in December |
| Day trips | Abhaneri, Sambhar salt lake | Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur, Chittorgarh, Eklingji |
Crowds and season
Both cities are at their best from October to March, with cool mornings and warm, sunny afternoons. Jaipur is busiest on winter weekends, at Diwali, over Christmas and New Year and during the Jaipur Literature Festival in late January, when hotel rates rise sharply. Udaipur's peak runs from mid-December to early January, and lake-view rooms sell out weeks ahead. Udaipur is also worth a look from late September to November, when the lakes are full after the monsoon, the hills are green and crowds are thinner. From April to June both cities reach 40 °C or more by midday, so plan sightseeing for early mornings and evenings. For month-by-month detail, see the best time to visit Jaipur and the best time to visit Udaipur.
With family, with friends, or as a couple
- Families: Jaipur, for the shorter journey, the forts children enjoy and hotels with parking in Bani Park and C-Scheme.
- Groups of friends: Jaipur for a weekend of forts, food and bazaars; Udaipur for a longer trip with rooftop evenings and a road trip to Kumbhalgarh.
- Couples: Udaipur, for the lakes, sunset boats and lake-view rooms. Jaipur works for a short heritage break in a restored haveli.
Getting around
Jaipur is spread out. The walled city, Amber (about 11 km north) and the modern centre form a triangle about 15 km across, so you need app cabs, autos or a car with a driver. The Pink Line Metro runs from Mansarovar through the railway station into the walled city at Chhoti Chaupar and Badi Chaupar. Parking inside the walled city is very hard, so leave a car at your hotel.
Udaipur's old city around the City Palace, Jagdish Temple and the ghats is best walked, with e-rickshaws and autos for short hops and app cabs for longer rides. Cars cannot reach many old-city hotel doors, so drivers park at edge areas such as Chandpole and walk in. Hire a car for the day for Kumbhalgarh, Ranakpur or Chittorgarh.
Food
Jaipur is the better food city. Its street food, from kachori breakfasts to lassi and sweets, is a reason to go in itself, and Masala Chowk near Albert Hall gathers well-known local stalls in one place for a ₹10 entry. Udaipur's strength is setting more than street food: dal baati churma, gatte ki sabzi, ker sangri and the fiery laal maas are found across the old town, but the lake-view rooftops are better for the view than for the food. In both cities, eat where locals queue.
Where to stay
- Jaipur: the walled Old City for walking to the sights, Bani Park or C-Scheme for quieter streets and parking, or Amer Road for a heritage hotel near the fort. See where to stay in Jaipur and hotels in Jaipur.
- Udaipur: Lal Ghat and Gangaur Ghat for the old city on foot, Hanuman Ghat and Ambrai for palace views across the water, or Fateh Sagar and Ambamata if you are driving. See where to stay in Udaipur and hotels in Udaipur.
For a ready-made plan, the 2-day Jaipur itinerary and 2-day Udaipur itinerary cover the essentials in each city.
What about Jodhpur?
Jodhpur is the third name in most Rajasthan comparisons. It is about 590 km from Delhi, a 9–10 hour drive via Jaipur and Ajmer, or about 8 hours on the Vande Bharat from Delhi Cantonment, which also stops at Jaipur. The city is dominated by Mehrangarh Fort above a blue-painted old town, and it sits between the other two: drier and more dramatic than Udaipur, smaller and less hectic than Jaipur. It is about 260 km from Udaipur via the Ranakpur temple, so a Jaipur, Jodhpur and Udaipur loop works well on a trip of a week or more. On a weekend, though, Jaipur is the only one of the three that makes sense from Delhi.
FAQs
Which is better, Jaipur or Udaipur?
Jaipur is better for a short trip, forts, food and a first look at Rajasthan. Udaipur is better for a slower holiday of three or four days, lakes, views and couples.
Jaipur or Udaipur: which is better for a weekend from Delhi?
Jaipur. It is about 280 km away, five hours by road or about four hours by the fastest train. Udaipur needs an overnight train or a flight each way, so it suits a long weekend or more.
Is Udaipur better than Jaipur for couples?
Usually, yes. Sunset boats on Lake Pichola, lake-view rooms and a slower pace make Udaipur the more romantic choice, though Jaipur's haveli hotels suit a short break.
Which is cheaper, Jaipur or Udaipur?
Jaipur. A comfortable three-day trip from Delhi costs about ₹9,000 per person, against about ₹13,000–15,000 for four days in Udaipur, mainly because the journey is longer and lake-view rooms cost more.
Jaipur vs Udaipur vs Jodhpur: which should I choose?
Jaipur for a weekend, Udaipur for a relaxed lake holiday, and Jodhpur if you want a dramatic fort town and have the time for a longer trip. With a week, you can combine all three.
Can I do Jaipur and Udaipur in one trip?
Yes, with six or seven days. Spend two nights in Jaipur, drive to Udaipur via Chittorgarh, spend three nights there and return to Delhi by overnight train or flight.