Last Updated on: 22nd December 2025, 09:16 am
A visit to Kumbalgarh Fort and Ranakpur Temple from Udaipur is one of Rajasthan’s most essential day trips. In a single day, you can enjoy one of India’s most impressive fortresses and one of its very finest temples.
With no public transport going to either site, hiring a private driver is a must. But be forewarned that despite only including two locations, this is a long and exhausting trip. Meeting our driver around 9:00 in the morning, we wouldn’t return until after 20:00 at night!
While your driver should make stops for snacks, the selection is not always the greatest at rural roadside stops, so it would be wise to show up prepared.
After a detailed description of each site, be sure to check the end of the article for practical information on exactly how to do this day trip from Udaipur and where to stay in town.
Kumbalgarh Fort
Your tour will (or at least should) begin with Kumbalgarh, the reason being that photography at Ranakpur Temple is only allowed in the afternoons.
But the fort is 3-4 hours from Udaipur, and with numerous tourists staying at nearby hotels, don’t expect to have it to yourself.
I just so happened to be visiting Kumbalgarh a few days before New Year’s and the place was jam-packed. But that didn’t stop me from appreciating this remarkable fort.
Firstly, just getting to the entrance was a challenge. Cars were parked on either side of the narrow street at the fort’s base, and so our driver dropped us off fifteen minutes away and told us to walk.
After pushing through the crowds and traffic, we finally made it to the ticket gate. At the time of writing, entry to Kumbalgarh Fort costs Rs 600 for foreigners.
We only had about two hours to explore, but I imagine that with unlimited time, one could easily spend half a day or even a full day seeing all there is to see at Kumbalgarh Fort.
I decided to begin my explorations by walking up to the fort’s highest point, the Badal Mahal. While I wouldn’t find much inside the palace itself, the views from the top were outstanding.
The fort was named after Rana Kumbha (r. 1433–1468), the ruler of the Mewar Kingdom which was then based at Chittorgarh.
Kumbha, with help from his architect Mandan, is responsible for many of that fort’s (India’s largest) highlights, such as the Vijaya Stambha and the Mewar royal palace. And it was Mandan who designed Kumbalgarh Fort as well.
Speaking of Chittorgarh, that fort is so large that it essentially feels more like a town atop a hill, with a modern road network connecting the various attractions. But Kumbalgarh feels much more like a proper fort, that, while still huge, one can easily explore on foot.
During Rana Kumbha’s reign, Kumbalgarh essentially served as Mewar’s second city. And from the top, you’ll see its walls which stretch out to a staggering 36 km! Appropriately, Kumbalgarh has been dubbed ‘The Great Wall of India.’
One of the reasons for such heavy fortifications was that the fort lie near the border with the mighty Marwar Kingdom, centered around Jodhpur.
From the other side, meanwhile, Rana Kumbha’s arch-rival, Mahmud Khalji, attempted to sack Kumbalgarh fort multiple times but was never successful.
The fort was, however, finally captured by Mughal Emperor Akbar in 1578 – the same emperor who conquered Chittorgarh.
Kumbalgarh Fort is home to a whopping 360 temples belonging to Hinduism as well as Jainism.
After coming down from the palace, I stopped in some of them (many are inactive) before exploring Kumbalgarh’s famous walls.
Despite the heavy holiday masses, the crowds gradually began to dissipate the further I walked along the walls. And for a few moments, I even found myself alone.
As mentioned earlier, one could probably spend an entire day exploring all that Kumbalgarh has to offer. I could spot a plethora of temples far off in the distance, though I simply wouldn’t have time to make it over.
It’s unclear how much of the former walls visitors currently have access to. But someday in the future, I’d like to return to return to Kumbalgarh Fort for a longer visit to find out.
Before long, it was time to meet up with my travel companion and make the long walk back to our driver. It would be another few hours in the car before reaching our next destination.
Ranakpur Temple
After a surprisingly long journey down twisting rural backroads, we finally made it to Ranakpur.
The temple costs Rs 200 plus an extra Rs 100 for photos. This is a rare site in India that makes no distinction between smartphone cameras and DSLRs, so pretty much everyone is going to pay the extra 100.
Interestingly, ‘No tips to staff’ was printed on the ticket, but people did come up to me to offer an explanation in exchange for a ‘donation.’ Furthermore, the woman outside of the bathroom was also asking people for tips, but don’t feel obligated to pay.
Aside from that, however, you’ll mostly be able to admire the temple and its beautiful carvings in peace. Just note that visitors cannot access the main shrine, while photos of any idols is strictly prohibited.
This is a common rule at Jain temples, though I would later visit some Jain temples around Jaisalmer that had no photography restrictions at all.
I’d originally assumed that Kumbalgarh and Ranakpur were unrelated historically, and that they only happen to be visited in tandem thanks to their geography.
But as it turns out, Ranakpur Temple was commissioned by none other than Rana Kumbha! (Hence the name Ranakpur). But the original idea came from his minister Darna Shah, who was told to build a temple in a dream.
Jainism long enjoyed patronage by the various Rajputs in this part of India. Jain temples are often among India’s most eye-catching ancient structures, and Ranakpur is arguably the most stunning Jain temple of them all.
The architect who designed this masterpiece was not Mandan, but a man named Dwepa. And the temple is largely dedicated to Adinath (also known as Rishabanatha), the first Jain Tirthankara.
While lots of foreigners are familiar with the basic tenets of Hinduism and Buddhism, Jainism often gets lost in the shuffle. It does indeed share lots in common with those faiths, but there’s plenty that makes it stand out as a unique religion.
Perhaps ‘religion’ is not even the proper term, as Jains don’t believe in or worship a creator god. Instead, they direct their worship toward Tirthankaras, or enlightened beings who come to earth to teach people how to escape the endless cycle of death and rebirth.
According to Jain belief, each era has twenty-four tirthankaras, and Adinath is said to have been the first of this era. But by era, we’re talking about an extremely long period of time, as Adinath is said to have lived millions of years ago!
Despite sometimes being dubbed as an atheistic tradition, Jains do indeed believe in a complex metaphysical hierarchy that governs the universe. And that really shows in their art.
Carved of white marble, Ranakpur Temple contains 1,444 pillars in total, most of which are carved in psychedelic floral motifs and images of various divinities. One could easily spend hours getting lost in all the details.
Simply put, this is one of the most remarkable religious structures you’ll encounter in all of India – a country with an estimated 650,000 temples!
But technically, Ranakpur is the name of the nearby village, and the main temple structure here is called Chaumukha. There are also several additional smaller temples throughout the complex.
During my visit, it seemed like the only other temple open for visitors was Parshvanatha Temple. Situated atop a large platform, it’s much smaller and only consists of a single main shrine situated behind a pillared portico.
It too is entirely carved in vivid imagery, often described as somewhat erotic.
The temple is dedicated to the 23rd Jain Tirthankara, Parshvanatha, who was said to have lived around the 9th century BC.
During my visit, a woman outside let us into the shrine and demonstrated what to do. The ritual involved taking an incense stick and waving it around in a circular motion in front of the various idols. While I’d presented offerings at numerous Hindu temples, this experience was a first for me.
Finally, as the sun was beginning to set, it was time to track down our driver and make the long return trip to Udaipur.
Additional Info
A day trip to Kumbalgarh Fort and Ranakpur is Udaipur’s most popular excursion, and you’ll find plenty of tour agencies around town that offer it.
But the standard price at tour agencies is typically Rs 4-5000. Therefore, it would be better to arrange things through your hotel or guest house.
I stayed at Black Pepper (more below), and they helped connect me with a driver for Rs 3700 (entrance fees not included). Better yet, they informed me when another guest was interested, so we were able to split the cost.
You can also book this tour online for around the same price.
Udaipur can be reached directly by train from Jaipur, Ajmer (near Pushkar), and Chittorgarh. You can also find direct long-distance trains from cities like Agra and Delhi.
Unfortunately, there are no direct trains between Udaipur and Jodhpur or Jaisalmer, so you’d have to make a transfer in Ajmer.
If you’re doing a long trip through India, it’s best to create an account on the official Indian Railways (IRCTC) website. But that’s much easier said than done!
If you’re just doing a shorter trip, it’s best to book train tickets through 12GoAsia. You’ll pay a significantly higher fee, but it’s a much smoother experience.
The above link is an affiliate link, but I did use 12GoAsia a few times before I got my IRCTC account set up and I had no issues.
When choosing accommodation in Udaipur, you’ll want to stay as close to the lakes as possible, specifically Pichola Lake. That’s where the city’s most important sites, its top views, and most of the tourist-oriented establishments can be found.
Not realizing at first how historical Udaipur was centered around that one area, I made the mistake of booking a hotel about 30 minutes east on foot. While there are indeed many hotels in that area, there’s little else of interest.
Luckily, on my first day around Lake Pichola, I happened to run into one of the family members running the guest house Black Pepper. I negotiated a good deal with them and then spent the rest of my two-week Udaipur stay there.
The rooms are simple but have a private bathroom with good internet (in my room, at least – other guests told me otherwise). Since I was staying in winter, it was really important to have hot water, and Black Pepper had one of the best showers I encountered in India.
I also liked that the rooftop was a great place to eat and mingle with other travelers, but the rooms themselves were really quiet. It was easily one of my top stays in the country.
And as mentioned above, they can set you up with an affordable day trip to Kumbalgarh Fort and Ranakpur.
Other affordable options in the area, meanwhile, include Kotra Haveli A Boutique Hotel, Baba Palace, and Madri Haveli. And if you’re REALLY looking to splurge, stay somewhere right by the City Palace, such as Shiv Niwas Palace.