Month: May 2025

Sushi is one of Japan’s most famous culinary exports and one of its most-consumed foods; that the salmon-and-tuna sushi has a permanent place in the emoji lexicon points to its importance in Japanese cuisine as well as food culture at large. Understand sushi’s history, the etiquette to eating it, and the best places to try it in Tokyo with this guide.

History of sushi

Japanese sushi historians consider Southeast Asia to be the birthplace of the earliest form of sushi; while others note that the earliest references to sushi (flavored with orange peel and “wine” made from grains) appear in 6th-century China. Regardless, what we do know is that sushi first appeared in Japanese historical records during the 8th century as a luxury item, as tribute offerings to the court or as payment for skilled artisans. 

Early sushi in Japan was made with lactic-acid fermentation, notably nare-zushi and funa-zushi. What we recognize as sushi today – nigiri-zushi, or hand-shaped vinegared rice topped with fish – dates back to the early 19th century in Edo (present-day Tokyo), when sushi became a popular street food eaten while standing. The early modern period saw a number of innovations: the development of “fast sushi” or “haya-zushi,” in which sake, kōji, and vinegar were added to speed up fermentation; as well as the use of nori (seaweed) in commercially-made sushi from the latter half of the 18th century. 

After WWII, sushi transformed from a cheap street snack into more of a sit-down meal. It was around this time that the term “Edomae” (literally “before Edo”) became synonymous with nigiri-zushi. Kaiten-zushi – conveyor-belt sushi restaurants – began to pop up, offering inexpensive sushi by the plate. Today, sushi is consumed at a wide range of price points. Rarefied high-end establishments are for special occasions, but supermarket sushi and conveyor belt restaurants are ideal for quick, convenient meals. 

Chefs working in a sushi restaurant, Tokyo. VTT Studio/Shutterstock VTT Studio / Shutterstock

Understanding Japanese sushi etiquette

There are a few pieces of etiquette to keep in mind, but eating sushi shouldn’t be a daunting experience. Enjoy your meal without worries with these pointers.

For starters, it’s entirely acceptable to use either your hands or chopsticks to eat at all sushi restaurants. When seasoning with soy sauce, dip the fish side of the sushi, not your rice! Rice soaks up soy sauce far too easily – it’ll be too salty and the whole piece will fall apart. Restaurants occasionally provide soy sauce brushes to prevent this issue. If you’re visiting a higher-end establishment for an omakase (chef’s choice), each piece will already have been seasoned. There’s no need to add more soy sauce. 

Other behavioral etiquette depends on the restaurant. High-end restaurants make more demands on the diner than more casual spots. The number one rule at these establishments, especially those with only a handful of counter seats, is to honor your reservation. At the very least, avoid no-shows and cancel early if needed – it’s considered rude to not show up at all. 

It’s also best to avoid smoking beforehand or wearing strong perfumes, especially at more expensive sushi restaurants – this interferes with being able to taste the sushi, and is also unpleasant for other diners. Lastly, it’s impolite to leave a freshly-made piece in front of you for longer than a few seconds, so resist the temptation to photograph each piece of sushi. If in doubt, look to other diners for cues on how to behave. 

Fresh nigiri-zushi in Tsukiji fish market, Tokyo. Stray Toki/Shutterstock ©Stray Toki/Shutterstock

Types of sushi you’ll find in Tokyo

• Nigiri-zushi: The quintessential “Edomae” Tokyo-style sushi consisting of hand-pressed rice, topped with fish or other seafood. 
• Maki-zushi: Rolled sushi with ingredients wrapped in seaweed and rice. 
• Temaki-zushi: Imagine an ice-cream cone, but with a nori cone filled with rice and raw fish. It’s fun to eat! 
• Chirashi-zushi (scattered sushi): Essentially vinegared sushi rice with various toppings, most commonly different types of raw fish and thin slices of omelette. 
• Gunkan-maki: Nori wrapped around rice, with a mound of seafood on top. Named for its resemblance to a battleship, or “gunkan”. 

Most restaurants in Tokyo, particularly those offering omakase courses, tend to serve nigiri-zushi with one or two types of temaki- or maki-zushi. Chirashi-zushi is a popular lunch option. Kaiten-zushi restaurants offer most if not all of the above styles. 

Mid-range and mass-market kaiten-zushi generally have a wide range of seafood on the menu; seasonal specialties will be highlighted. You will almost always see various types and cuts of tuna, salmon, squid, freshwater eel, conger eel, shrimp, mackerel, scallop and octopus. Seared wagyū (Japanese beef) sometimes appears as a sushi topping – gimmicky, yes, but tasty. 

High-end establishments serve whatever is freshest and in season that day. A good indicator of a restaurant’s calibre is the quality of hikarimono (silver things) or blue-backed fish. Toppings like aji (horse mackerel), iwashi (sardine), sanma (pike mackerel) and kohada (gizzard shad) are utterly transformative in the hands of a skilled chef.

A note for salmon lovers: salmon is usually considered a low-quality, inferior topping at high-end Edomae-style establishments, and you’re unlikely to see it served there. Then again, overfishing has led to the likes of the once-common sanma (pike mackerel) becoming a sought-after fish. Who knows what we’ll see at high-end sushi shops in future?

A sushi conveyor or belt buffet inside a Japanese restaurant. kckate16/Shutterstock ©kckate16/Shutterstock

Top sushi restaurants in Tokyo

Uobei, Shibuya

At Uobei, prices start at ¥110 (US$0.77) and hover around the ¥150 (US$1.05) mark per pair of nigiri, making this Shibuya kaiten-zushi restaurant the very definition of cheap and cheerful. The multilingual touchscreen menu has hundreds of choices – there are 11 nigiri variations for salmon alone – so it’s ideal for people who prefer choosing exactly what they want to eat. Families with young children, take note of the kids’ menu. 

Practical info: 2-29-11 Dogenzaka, Shibuya, Tokyo; Mon–Fri, 11am–11pm; Sat-Sun, 10:30am–11pm

Pintokona, Roppongi Hills

Great cost-performance is the selling point of this basement sushi restaurant. Lunch sets start at ¥1480 (US$10.35), and while ¥480 (US$3.35) per piece of wild salmon nigiri might seem a little steep next to conveyor-belt sushi, the price is shockingly reasonable for the quality, freshness and portion size. It’s also family-friendly, and therefore a useful option to have in your back pocket.

Practical info: Metro Hat B2F, 6-4-1 Roppongi, Minato, Tokyo; 11am–3pm, 5–11pm, Sat and Sun 11am–11pm

Sushi Azabu, Azabudai Hills 

While we’re discussing cost-performance, lunch at Sushi Azabu is good value for money. A 14-piece omakase set for ¥4800 (US$34) in Azabudai Hills, including its signature black sesame tofu? That’s a steal. Are there better sushi places in Tokyo? Yes, but those other restaurants aren’t in the same complex as the teamLab Borderless, making this a logistically sound choice for tourists in Tokyo. 

Practical info: 3F Hills Tower Plaza, 1-3-1 Azabudai, Minato, Tokyo; 11am–4pm, 5:30–10pm

Sushi chefs preparing to serve an omakase lunch at Manten Sushi Marunouchi, Tokyo. Jina Ihm/Shutterstock Jina Ihm / Shutterstock

Manten Sushi Marunouchi

A favorite with locals and tourists alike, this restaurant serves close-to-high-end sushi at mid-range prices. It’s raised its prices recently, but ¥4400 (US$31) for the lunch omakase and ¥8800 (US$62) for the dinner course continues to be excellent value for the quality of the offerings, which often includes abalone and sea urchin, and you’ll actually feel full afterwards. Reservations through TableCheck are necessary if you don’t want to spend two hours waiting in line.

Practical info: Marunouchi Brick Sq, 2-6-1 Marunouchi, Chiyoda-ku, Tokyo; 11am–3pm, 5–11pm

Sushi Kyubey, Ginza

Kyubey is one of Tokyo’s most famous high-end sushi institutions. With consistent quality, it’s fairly relaxed and tourist-friendly, making it a good choice for those trying high-end sushi for the first time. Walk-ins are often possible at lunch as the restaurant is unusually large for Tokyo – it has multiple floors, with the ground floor alone seating 14 at a counter.

Practical info: 8-7-6 Ginza, Chuo, Tokyo; 11:30am–2pm, 5–10pm (closed Sun and Mon)

A high-end sushi restaurant in Ginza, Tokyo. Picturesque Japan/Shutterstock Picturesque Japan / Shutterstock

Best areas for sushi in Tokyo

Some parts of Tokyo are better for sushi than others. Areas with high foot traffic from white-collar workers tend to have more in the way of good food, including sushi. Areas where business people entertain their clients will also have a higher concentration of high-end sushi establishments – glitzy neighborhoods like Ginza, Roppongi, and Azabu-Juban are prime examples. 

For sushi on the mid to lower end of the price spectrum, the Tsukiji area is a solid bet, with at least a dozen sushi restaurants within five minutes’ walking distance from the Outer Market (itself home to several decent if touristy sushi restaurants). Then there’s Toyosu Market. While it’s unabashedly tourist-oriented and accordingly overpriced, sheer proximity to the world’s freshest fish means that you’ll find sushi that’s anywhere from at least okay to sublime.

Unique sushi experiences in Tokyo

The beauty of sushi is that there are so many ways to experience it beyond the glamorous omakase. For a casual snack in the Edo fashion, head to a standing sushi bar for a few nigiri. Feeling peckish at midnight? Head to a 24-hour supermarket or convenience store and pick up some discounted sushi. Conveyor-belt sushi restaurants are fantastic for families or anyone who enjoys a bit of novelty – it’s just fun when your food whizzes straight to your table. If you’re a dab hand in the kitchen, you could even try a sushi-making class at a place like Tamasushi near Tsukiji Market.

The world of sushi is constantly evolving. One recent trend in the Tokyo scene is the “mellowing” of the shari (vinegared rice in nigiri-zushi). For several years, shari with a more acidic kick (thanks to the copious use of red vinegar) was popular among many restaurants, but appears to have become less so in the last two years. 

Heavy use of social media, particularly TikTok, has also encouraged many restaurants to create more “Instagrammable” sushi with mass-market appeal – for example, fatty tuna sushi heavily loaded with sea urchin and salmon roe. Then there’s the colorful and divisive “sushi cakes” that resemble sponge cakes but aren’t, such as those made by No.Sushi. (These must be reserved before pickup in its Ginza shop.) Social media-friendly sushi is unlikely to go away, but consumers may become more discerning going forward.

Octopus sushi, Shinjuku. Anthony Plummer/Lonely Planet ©Anthony Plummer/Lonely Planet

How to order sushi like a local

Conveyor-belt sushi restaurants often have multilingual menus on touch-screen tablets. Other restaurants might have menus with photographs, while more old-fashioned ones might have handwritten menus or placards on the wall. But fish is fish wherever you go, and these days, Google Translate is able to handle much of the heavy lifting when it comes to communicating with Japanese speakers.  

Here are a few phrases that should come in useful at any sushi restaurant: 

• xxx wa arimasu ka? – do you have xxx? 
• xxx, hitotsu kudasai – one xxx please 
• Sabi nuki kudasai – no wasabi, please
• Shari sukuname kudasai – less rice, please 
• Okawari kudasai – one more of this item, please. 

At a high-end sushi restaurant that serves omakase courses, you’ll need to specify what you do and don’t eat. For example, if you’re allergic to shellfish or you keep kosher, it’s up to you to inform the chef of your dietary requirements beforehand, either at the time of your reservation, or directly before the meal starts. You may wish to print out a translation of what you want to communicate and show this to the serving staff.

Practical tips for your sushi adventure

Planning is key to making the most of eating in Tokyo, especially if you want to squeeze in a few special sushi experiences. For popular establishments – especially high-end places – you’ll need to book at least 1–2 months in advance. Even a kaiten-zushi chain like Kura Sushi merits advance reservations online if we’re talking about the permanently-crowded Harajuku branch. On the extreme end of the spectrum, restaurants like Sushi Saito are introduction-only, meaning you’ll need magnanimous friends in the know to even get your foot in the door. 

Sushi doesn’t have to break the bank. That being said, even conveyor-belt sushi can get expensive if you don’t keep an eye on the running total, so make sure you’re checking the e-tablet from time to time. If an omakase dinner at a high-end place feels a little too pricey, omakase lunches are an unbelievable steal. What it lacks in volume it makes up for in fabulous cost performance.

Modern interpretations of sushi

Sushi has become a global food, as we can see in the many ways it’s been interpreted around the world. Even within Japan, sushi innovation is ongoing. Besides No.Sushi’s aforementioned sushi cakes, there are now a small handful of restaurants in Tokyo that cater to vegetarians with plant-based sushi. For instance, the famed Udatsu in Nakameguro serves a gorgeous vegetarian set, which must be ordered at the time of reservation.

For a most unusual high-end sushi experience, try Sushi Sugahisa in Toranomon Hills, where Chef Kan Masahiro dishes up creative Thai-inspired versions of traditional sushi. Think cumin-spiced sauce on a piece of tuna nigiri, or savory egg custard infused with the flavors of green curry.

It’s perfectly feasible to eat your way around Sicily. Spaghetti ai ricci di mare (sea urchin) tucked into a corner table at a trattoria, swordfish carpaccio on a seafront terrace, primeval offal at a market, veg-spiked arancini at practically any corner – whatever the time, place or occasion, this Mediterranean heavyweight’s traditional dishes and street snacks burst with seasonal flavor and top-quality produce.

Fish and shellfish abound in sun-spun kitchens across the island archipelago. Over centuries, successive waves of invaders, poverty and deprivation spiced up dishes with foreign flavors and smart tricks. And in the face of a changing climate, innovative Sicilian farmers and winemakers are experimenting with new ways to grow old crops – and find new crops to replace old ones.

Pair all this with the island’s feisty lineup of cooks – Michelin-starred chefs to wizened nonnas (grandmas) – and the culinary experiences in Sicily are an earthy, honest, foodie heaven.

Share traditional Sicilian dishes in a Slow Food trattoria

Each town, village and even mountain has its own specialties and traditional dishes mirroring the land, season and ancestral heritage. Celebrate the differences with pasta alla Norma (pasta with eggplant, ricotta, basil and tomatoes) in a traditional trattoria in Catania, pasta con le sarde (pasta with sardines, pine nuts, raisins and wild fennel) in Palermo and agghiotta di pesce spada (swordfish with pine nuts, sultanas, capers, olives and tomatoes) in Messina.

Where to try it: Visit Slow Food member Me Cumpari Turiddu in Catania, Buatta and Ferro di Cavallo in Palermo, and Casa & Putia in Messina.

Cassata. Wead/Shutterstock © Wead / Shutterstock

Indulge your sweet tooth with Sicilian desserts

Sicily’s enticing array of sweets and cakes crafted from homegrown almonds, pistachios, spices and centuries of know-how is reason enough to never leave.

Top prize for instant seduction goes to minne di vergine (virgin’s breast), an individual white cake that’s iced and has a cherry on top. Other naughty-but-nice bites sold at pasticcerie (pastry shops) include torte di ricotta (ricotta cake), exquisitely sculpted marzipan fruits and cassata, an insanely sweet cake made with ricotta, vanilla, green icing and candied fruit.

Where to try it: Dig into Sicily’s centuries-old tradition of convent pastry making at I Segreti del Chiostro, in a 14th-century Palermo monastery, and old-world Pasticceria di Maria Grammatico in Erice. In the baroque showpiece town of Noto, creative third-generation pastry chef Corrado Assenza keeps things edgy at historic Caffè Sicilia.

Explore world flavors with couscous alla trapanese in Trapani

In western Sicily, Trapani‘s unique position on the sea route to Tunisia has made couscous a local specialty. Ladle the aromatic broth of seafood, garlic, chili, tomatoes, saffron, parsley and wine over a heap of couscous as a primi (first course), or order it as a meal in itself.

Where to try it: At modern Osteria la Bettolaccia, reservations are essential.

Pani ca meusa. FVPhotography/Shutterstock FVPhotography / Shutterstock

Seek out a Sicilian street food specialty in Palermo

Sicilian street food doesn’t get cheaper or more spectacular than Palermo’s signature pani ca meusa – a soft bun stuffed with boiled and lard-fried calf spleen, lung and trachea. The other gut-busting old-timer is stigghiola (veal, lamb or goat intestines wrapped around a spring onion or leek), brought to Palermo by the Greeks 2000-odd years ago. The grilled offal is always served in chunks, salted and with a wedge of lime.

Where to try it: For monster-sized pani ca meusa in Palermo, go to celebrated sandwich shops Nni Francu u Vastiddaru and Porta Carbone. At Mercato della Vucciria, track down Rocky Basile, one of Palermo’s last-remaining mèusari, who hawks pani ca meusa from a hand-pushed cart loaded with a steaming stainless steel vat of boiled beef. For grilled-while-you-wait stigghiola, join the line at Mercato di Ballarò’s El Bocadillo.

Cannoli. Anna Pekunova/Shutterstock Anna Pekunova / Shutterstock

Crunch into creamy cannoli

A raft of unspoken rules surround Sicily’s cannoli, the iconic crispy pastry shells filled to order with velvety ricotta cream. Avoid anything prefilled; left to sit, the shell becomes soggy, destroying the blissful crunchy-creamy contrast of the cannoli experience. Ditch cutlery – eating is strictly hands only. Alternate ends between bites.

Where to try it: For classic cannoli, try Pasticceria D’Amore in Taormina. For gourmets, the deconstructed version at Kalòs in Agrigento is out of this world. In Syracuse, order a cone at Cannoli del Re.

An aracini vendor in Palermo. Marco Frino Fotografo/Shutterstock Marco Frino Fotografo / Shutterstock

Satisfy a snack attack with arancini

If Sicilians aren’t nursing a gelato (in a cone or brioche bun) during Sunday’s sacrosanct passeggiata (afternoon stroll), they’re popping arancini. The deep-fried rice balls – roughly golf-ball sized – are coated with breadcrumbs and filled with meat, sausage, cheese, herbs, veg and nuts of all sorts; pistachios, harvested in fall, are a die-hard favorite.

Where to try it: Flavors are wild and seasonal – swordfish and eggplant perhaps, or curried chicken and apple? – at arancineria Cantunera in Ragusa and Modica. Wash them down with local craft beer for maximum effect.

Granita. JannHuizenga/Getty Images ©JannHuizenga/Getty Images

Keep cool with granita

Beat Palermo’s city heat with an old-school beaker of grattatella – ice shavings scratched by hand from a huge block of ice wrapped in a cloth and served with fresh fruit syrup. Islandwide, granita (crushed ice made with fresh fruit) is cool any time of day. Go local: buy a brioche to dunk in the crushed ice. Mulberry, pomegranate, pistachio and watermelon are hot August flavors.

Where to try it: Piero Caccamo scratches ice to order behind his Grattatella all’antica no Zu’ Vicè cart at Palermo’s Mercato del Capo or in front of Teatro Massimo. On the Aeolian island of Salina, Da Alfredo by Lingua‘s pebble beach is famed for its granita. Ricotta granita with candied capers and toasted capers at Pa.Pe.Ro’ in fishing hamlet Rinella, on Salina’s southern coast, is celestial.

Taste Sicilian wines with the makers

Predictably, Italy’s second-largest wine-producing region is worth a tipple. Native Catarratto, Grillo and Inzoli grapes fuel elegant whites, and Nero d’Avola, Nerello Mascalese and Frappato yield robust reds. Don’t miss Sicily’s only DOCG wine, Cerasuolo di Vittoria, blending Nero d’Avola and Frappato.

Get the inside story over a degustazione (tasting) with local wine growers in sumptuous noble villas on the volcanic, vineyard-clad slopes of Mt Etna and in 19th-century wine cellars in the sweet wine town Marsala.

Where to try it: In Marsala, Cantine Florio serves spectacular grassroots Sicilian cuisine at Ciacco. Get around Catania on a road trip by bicycle or car along the Strada del Vino e dei Sapori dell’Etna. The village- and vineyard-hopping narrow-gauge Etna Wine Train is pretty cool too. To overnight in an abandoned village-turned-winery, Tenuta di Fessina fits the bill.

Fried seafood in Palermo. Viliam.M/Shutterstock Viliam.M / Shutterstock

Feast on swordfish and the ocean flavors of the Aeolian islands

Mediterranean fish and shellfish – particularly swordfish, tuna, mackerel and delicate fingernail-sized clams – are lasting foundations of Sicilian cuisine: frittura mista (a battered, deep-fried mix of shrimp, squid and fish), carpaccio di spada (raw marinated swordfish) and tonno scottato al pistachio (seared tuna in pistachio crust) are practically staples.

But it is in the eco-sourced kitchens on Sicily’s seven-island Aeolian archipelago that fresh produce and flavors peak. Hand-picked figs, pomegranates, capers and caper flowers, honey-sweet Malvasia wine, mountains of wild herbs and mulberry granita appear in spades.

Where to try it: Trendy Kasbah in Lipari does creative spins on local swordfish (fresh from May to September). Vulcano’s Il Cappero celebrates island produce with a 10-course tasting menu and sea views. On Marettimo, reserve at least 24 hours in advance to feast at Il Veliero’s.

Vegetarians and vegans

The natural abundance of top-quality, sun-fueled produce has lead to plenty of classic Sicilian antipasti, pastas and contorni (side dishes) that feature just vegetables.

Vegetarians can’t go wrong with caponata (Sicily’s emblematic appetizer of eggplant, tomatoes, olives and capers) and busiate alla trapanese (hand-twirled, spaghetti-like pasta from Trapani, with tomato, basil, garlic and almond pesto). Pane cunzato (open sandwiches), piled high with a choice of toppings, are meals in themselves (those at Malvasia on the Aeolian island of Vulcano and in Milazzo are legendary).

It’s a rockier ride for vegans: many island dishes feature butter, eggs or another animal product. When buying cannoli, check what oil the shell was fried in – traditionally it’s pork lard, though many pastry chefs these days use vegetable oil.

Extravagant royal palaces seem to pop up on every street corner in Rajasthan, but the City Palace in Udaipur is perhaps the grandest of them all. It’s certainly the largest, taking up half a kilometer of the lakeshore in the center of Rajasthan’s legendary White City.  

Crowned by a fabulous collection of turrets, terraces and domes, this gleaming, creamy white palace dominates the eastern bank of Lake Pichola, the royal reservoir carved out of the desert by the rulers of the Mewar Kingdom in the 14th century. 

Maharana Udai Singh II founded the City Palace two centuries later, filling its courtyards and palaces with murals, mirrored mosaics and carved marble. It still serves as a residence for the Mewar royal family, but several wings are open to visitors as part of the City Palace Museum. 

Even by the lavish standards of India, the treasures of the Mewar rulers are truly something to behold. Here’s everything you need to know about visiting Udaipur’s City Palace. 

What’s the history of Jaipur’s City Palace?

The House of Mewar, Udaipur’s ruling clan, is the oldest serving dynasty in the world, founded by the Rajput warrior Bappa Rawal in the 7th century. Its maharanas (princely rulers) were responsible for building most of Udaipur’s monuments, and they were also pivotal in limiting – temporarily, at least – the expansion of the Mughal empire.

The City Palace was founded by Maharana Udai Singh II in the 1550s, after a chance meeting with a sage who advised him to build a city here, but the complex was expanded and remodelled repeatedly over the following centuries.

Udaipur became Mewar’s power base after the capture of Chittorgarh in 1568, and Maharana Pratap famously held back the vast armies of Akbar at Haldighati in 1576 before the Mewars and Mughals finally agreed a peace treaty in 1615.

Most people associate Mewar with the Sisodia family, who ruled the kingdom from the 14th century to the present day. The current head of the House of Mewar, Dr Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, is a successful tourism entrepreneur and holder of seven Guinness World Records for his charitable, social and environmental work.

When should I go to the City Palace?

Try to enter as soon as possible after the palace gates open at 9am – the crowds swell quickly, and the crush of visitors can make it difficult to stop and study the exhibits in some parts of the museum. The palace stays busy right up until closing time at 5:30pm. 

The best time to visit Udaipur’s City Palace is just after the rainy monsoon, from October to November, when the skies are clear and sunny. The weather stays mostly dry until March, but mornings and evenings can be chilly from December to February. It’s best to avoid Rajasthan in April and May, when temperatures can soar above 33°C (91°F). 

Birdcages on display in the City Palace’s royal apartments. Joe Bindloss for Lonely Planet Joe Bindloss for Lonely Planet

How much time should I spend at the City Palace?

You’ll need at least half a day to explore the City Palace, or a full day if you also plan to visit associated sights such as the Crystal Gallery and Vintage & Classic Car Collection and also take the boat trip to Jagmandir Island.  

If you stay anywhere close to Lake Pichola, you can reach the palace easily on foot – taxis are not permitted to enter the historic center of Udaipur during the day, and autorickshaws can only navigate certain streets (and often get stuck in autorickshaw jams). 

What’s the best way to see the City Palace?

The City Palace is a maze of interlinked courtyards and palaces, but navigating is fairly straightforward as visitors follow a linear route through the complex. You’ll start and end at Manek Chowk, which you can enter from the north via the Badi Pol gate, or from the south via the Sheetla Mata gate. 

Official guides can be arranged at the palace ticket desks, and it’s definitely helpful to have a detailed commentary while exploring this vast residence. If you’d rather explore at your own pace, audio guides are available in Hindi, English, French, German and Spanish for an extra ₹200 (US$2.35). 

How much do tickets cost?

Tour agencies can make bookings, but it’s just as easy to buy tickets on arrival at the Badi Pol or Sheetla Mata gates. Entry costs ₹400 (US$4.70) for adults, or ₹150 (US$1.75) for children, and entry is free for the under-fives and people with disabilities. 

There’s also a ₹50 (US$0.60) entry fee to enter the palace compound, a ₹50 (US$0.60) fee for the Government Museum, a ₹500 (US$5.90) fee for the Crystal Gallery, and a ₹330 (US$3.90) fee for the Vintage & Classic Car Collection. 

What should I eat and drink at the City Palace? 

With the downtown location, many of Udaipur’s best restaurants are close at hand in the Lal Ghat area, or across Lake Pichola at Hanuman Ghat. However, the palace is so vast that you may prefer to spend the whole day inside the compound.

Filling set meals of dhal bhatti churma (Rajasthani-style wheat rolls with lentil curry) are served at the museum restaurant in the Zenana Mahal, and at higher prices at the museum restaurant in Manek Chowk. For something more upmarket, enjoy spectacular Indian gastronomy with lake views at Sunset Terrace, the restaurant at the Taj Fateh Prakash Palace hotel.

Chequerboard courtyards divide the chambers of the City Palace. Manoej Paateel/Shutterstock Manoej Paateel / Shutterstock

What are the City Palace’s must-sees?

Rajasthan’s largest palace is a sprawling maze with a massive floorplan. To make the most of your time, enter via the northern Badi Pol gate and exit via the southern Sheetla Mata gate, also visiting the Crystal Gallery, Jagmandir Island and the Vintage & Classic Car Collection just east of the palace grounds.

Manek Chowk

Whichever gate you enter through, you’ll emerge into the huge open courtyard known as Manek Chowk, once the setting for royal elephant fights. Near the Badi Pol, look out for the eight arches just outside the Tripolia Gate, commemorating the eight times the maharanas were weighed and their weight in treasure distributed to the populace. 

Beside the main courtyard are giant, mousetrap-like devices used to catch tigers and leopards. A fun sound-and-light show takes place in Manek Chowk in the evenings, telling the story of the fort – check timings locally as the show is sometimes paused. During Holi, the courtyard hosts a massive ceremonial bonfire and processions attended by the Mewar royal family. 

City Palace Museum

The City Palace Museum covers the heart of the palace, centered on the Rai Angan (Royal Courtyard), where Maharana Udai Singh II met the sage who told him to build the city of Udaipur. Note the sun-topped royal crest of Mewar as you pass through the Darikhana ki Pol gate to enter the museum.

The Armoury

Bear right as you enter to reach the astonishing armory, full of whistle-tooting guards trying desperately to keep the crowds in order. You find everything from chain mail trousers to swords, battleaxes, warhammers, flintlock rifles, spears, shields and katar punch daggers – almost all of them lavishly inlaid and engraved. Look out for the crescent-shaped arrows designed to maximize injuries – a gruesome tool in the medieval Rajput arsenal.

Elegant interiors inside the Bhim Vilas. Joe Bindloss for Lonely Planet Joe Bindloss for Lonely Planet

Ganesh Chowk & Government Museum

Moving beyond the armory, you’ll pass into open Ganesh Chowk, with a gateway leading on to the often overlooked Government Museum, accessed on a separate ticket. The museum’s dusty collection includes ivory models, carved temple deities, moth-eaten taxidermy, jewel-like miniature paintings from the Mewar School, regal portraits of maharanas with twirly mustaches, and a collection of turbans, including one worn by Shah Jahan, creator of the Taj Mahal.

Rai Angan

Passing through the mirror-mosaic-covered Ganesh Deodi hall, you’ll reach the chequerboard-paved Rai Angan (Royal Courtyard). Rooms along one side contain historical paintings, including several of the Battle of Haldighati (1576), where Mewar forces gallantly fought the army of the Mughal emperor Akbar. Look out for the bowl of genuine Haldighati battlefield dirt.

The Royal Apartments

Continue through a chain of apartments reserved for the royal household. Of particular note are the Baadi Mahal from 1699, ringed by open pavilions containing fountains and colorful stained glass, and the Kishan Vilas, with intricate miniature paintings from the time of Maharana Bhim Singh (r 1778–1828).

Executed in a Mewar-meets-baroque style, the turquoise Bhim Vilas is one of the most beautiful spaces in all of Rajasthan. Note the ornate arched doorways and royal swing-seat, and the lace-like patterns painted on the ceilings.

Lavish mirror mosaics adorn the walls of the Mor Chowk. Sanga Park/Shutterstock Sanga Park / Shutterstock

Mor Chowk & Surya Choupad

A sequence of mirror- and painting-adorned chambers leads on to the achingly beautiful courtyard known as Mor Chowk – with its gasp-inducing mosaics of peacocks, flowers and maharanas – and the mural-filled Surya Choupad, dominated by a huge metal mask of Surya, patron deity of the Mewar dynasty.

Zenana Mahal

The southern end of the museum comprises the 17th-century Zenana Mahal, the royal ladies’ quarters. Devote some time to the interesting displays on life in the women’s quarters, the collection of ornately decorated musical instruments, and the brilliant Picturing Place exhibition, exploring Udaipur’s long history using paintings and old maps.

The palace’s central courtyard, Laxmi Chowk, contains a beautiful white pavilion and displays of royal outfits, howdahs (elephant saddles), palanquins and other posh people carriers. This is also where you’ll find the more budget-friendly of the palace’s two restaurants. 

Crystal Gallery

Inside the City Palace compound, south of Manek Chowk near the Fateh Prakash Palace Hotel, the Crystal Gallery displays an extravagant collection of crystal-handled cutlery and place settings, chandeliers, crystal-framed chairs and even a crystal bed. 

Maharana Sajjan Singh placed a massive order with English crystal maker F&C Osler & Co in 1877, but he died before it arrived, so the delivery was packed away, unopened, for 110 years. You’ll need to leave cameras and phones with the guard. 

The relatively hefty admission fee also includes entry to the downstairs Durbar Hall – a lavish space full of weaponry, royal portraits and dangling chandeliers. You can visit both without entering the City Palace Museum, but you’ll have to pay the small City Palace entry fee to enter the compound.

Boats run to the Jagmandir Palace from the City Palace’s Rameshwar Ghat. Bule Sky Studio/Shutterstock Shutterstock / Bule Sky Studio

Jagmandir Island

Before you leave the palace compound, walk down to Rameshwar Ghat on the eastern bank of Lake Pichola, where boats leave regularly for Jagmandir Island, with its own elegant palace, built by Maharana Karan Singh II in 1620. Today, the island hosts a swish hotel with a restaurant, cafe, bar and spa that are open to day-trippers. You’re also welcome to just stroll and enjoy the gardens. 

It’s a more accessible alternative to an expensive stay at the famous Taj Lake Palace hotel, set on another private island at the north end of Lake Pichola. The gorgeous views back toward the City Palace are reason enough to invest in a boat ticket; return fares start at ₹600 (US$7). 

Jagmandir Island boat trips run hourly from 10am until around sunset, and prices increase in the middle of the afternoon. After taking a turn around the lake, you can linger as long as you like on the island before taking any boat back to shore. 

Vintage & Classic Car Collection

It’s worth making one more detour before you step back from the lavish lives of Mewar’s first family. Proudly displayed at the Garden Hotel on Lake Palace Rd, a 10-minute walk east from the City Palace’s southern gate, the private car collection of the Mewar royal family will make auto-enthusiasts go weak at the knees. 

Among the elegant motors in the Vintage & Classic Car Collection are the beautiful 1934 Rolls-Royce Phantom II used in the Bond film Octopussy and the Cadillac convertible that whisked Queen Elizabeth II to the airport during the British royal visit in 1961. The royal garage even has its own petrol station with cute vintage pumps.

Is the City Palace accessible? 

The City Palace is partly accessible for wheelchair users and those with restricted mobility and there are special displays designed for neurodivergent people. Wheelchairs are available for use by visitors, there are accessible toilets and an elevator inside the Toran Pol gate leads to the first floor of the Mardana Mahal (within the City Palace Museum). However, some sections of the palace can only be reached via steps or stairways. 

This article was adapted from Lonely Planet’s India guidebook, published in November 2024.