Eklingji, Nathdwara and Haldighati by Bike: A One-Day Ride from Udaipur

01The ride at a glance

02Darshan timings and tickets

Fees and timings checked October 2026. Foreign visitors pay more where shown. Rates change from time to time, so check at the counter.

Shrinathji’s darshan times shift a little with the season and on festival days. Ask us the day before and we will check them for your date.

03Why we ride it in this order

Most plans start with Eklingji because it is the closest. On a bike we do it the other way round, and here is why.

• Eklingji is shut until 10:30 AM, and Shrinathji’s Rajbhog darshan ends around 12:15 PM. Start at Eklingji and you reach Nathdwara with minutes to spare. Miss Rajbhog and the next darshan is late in the afternoon.
• Haldighati has no such clock. It is open from the morning, and the pass and the battlefield are at their best before the sun is high.
• So we go Haldighati first, reach Nathdwara well before Rajbhog opens, and stop at Eklingji on the way home, when it is still open and the highway brings you straight back to Udaipur.
• The quiet road comes first. You ride the village road while you are fresh and finish on the wide highway.

04The route from Udaipur, turn by turn

• 1Udaipur to Iswal, ~20 kmTake the Gogunda highway out of the city. At Iswal, turn left off the highway, go under the bridge, and turn right onto the Haldighati road. Slow down as you reach Iswal, because this turn is easy to miss.
• 2Iswal to LosingA quiet two-lane road through villages and low hills. At Losing the left road goes to Kumbhalgarh. Stay on the Haldighati road.
• 3Losing to HaldighatiA few kilometres on, the road cuts through the narrow pass with its yellow soil. About 40 km from Udaipur in all.
• 4Haldighati to KhamnorRakt Talai, the field where much of the battle was fought, is at Khamnor on your way to Nathdwara.
• 5Khamnor to Nathdwara, ~18 km from HaldighatiAn easy half hour past fields and low hills into the town.
• 6Nathdwara to Eklingji, ~26 km, then Udaipur, ~22 kmSouth on NH-48, a wide four-lane highway in excellent condition. Trucks are heavy here, so keep left and watch your mirrors. Riding from Nathdwara, the Kailashpuri turn for Eklingji comes first; leave the highway there, and the temple is in the village. The lunch stop comes after it.

05The day, if you leave at 8 AM

These times are a guide for a normal weekday. On Sundays and festival days, give Nathdwara more time.

06At Haldighati

Chetak Samadhi, the memorial to the horse of Maharana Pratap at Haldighati · Photo via Wikimedia Commons

Haldighati is the narrow pass where Maharana Pratap faced the Mughal army under Man Singh in June 1576. The name comes from the yellow, turmeric-coloured soil. His horse Chetak carried him out of the battle wounded and died soon after; Chetak’s memorial stands nearby.

• The pass itself is on the road. Stop, walk a few steps and look at the colour of the rock.
• Chetak Samadhi is a short ride from the pass.
• The museum has a short film, models and paintings about Maharana Pratap and the battle. The ticket is about ₹100–120 for adults and ₹50–60 for children.
• Rakt Talai at Khamnor is the field where much of the fighting happened. It is on your way to Nathdwara.
• Rose products: the villages here grow the Chaitri rose, and the stalls sell gulkand, rose water and rose sharbat. A glass of sharbat is the local break.

07At Nathdwara

• Phones, cameras and leather (belts, wallets, gloves) are not allowed inside Shrinathji. Use the paid cloakrooms near the temple.
• Parking: don’t ride into the temple lanes. Use the paid parking on the main road and walk.
• Be in the queue before the doors open. The darshan itself is short and crowded, so keep your group together.
• Dress modestly. No shorts or sleeveless tops.
• Crowds: Sundays, Ekadashi and festivals bring long queues. Weekdays are much calmer.

08At Eklingji

Eklingji is the Shiva temple of the Mewar rulers, who saw Eklingji as the real king of Mewar and themselves as his dewans. The complex has a four-faced black-stone Shiva and more than a hundred small shrines inside its walls.

• Midday darshan runs from about 10:30 AM to 1:30 PM, and the evening one from 5 to 7:30 PM.
• No photography inside. Keep your phone switched off and away. If the guards ask, deposit it at the counter by the gate.
• Sas-Bahu temples at Nagda are a few minutes away, with some of the finest carving around Udaipur. Add 20 minutes if you have the energy.

09Breakfast and lunch on the way

• Breakfast: eat something in Udaipur before 8 AM, or stop for chai at Iswal or Losing.
• At Haldighati: rose sharbat and snacks at the stalls near the museum.
• In Nathdwara before darshan: the lanes near the temple are known for pudina chai in clay cups, poha, khaman and rabdi.
• Lunch, our pick: Old Hotel Jammu Himachal Dhaba, on the highway about 4 km after Eklingji on the way to Udaipur. It is well known on this road for its Punjabi food. Have darshan at Eklingji first, then stop here. See it on Google Maps.
• Which one? Several dhabas on this road use the Jammu Himachal name. The original is the one called Old Hotel Jammu Himachal Dhaba, on your left as you ride towards Udaipur. Don’t cross over or ride on the wrong side to reach one on the other side.
• Lunch in Nathdwara instead, if you are not rushing to Eklingji: Toran Thaal, Neelam Dining Hall, Maharaja Dining Hall and Shree Vallabha Dining Hall all serve unlimited vegetarian thalis.

10Riding tips

• Don’t drink and ride. There are wine shops along these roads and the police check riders at many points. A drink can cost you a heavy fine, the bike and your licence.
• Helmets for both riders. Ask us for a second helmet for the pillion when you book.
• On NH-48, keep left, don’t race the trucks and watch for vehicles coming the wrong way near villages. Never ride on the wrong side yourself to reach a dhaba or a turn. Go on to the next gap and come back.
• Fuel: fill up in Udaipur. There are pumps at Nathdwara and on the highway.
• Carry your licence, water and a small bag for phones and belts at the temples.

11If you have more time

• Statue of Belief: the 369 ft Shiva statue on the edge of Nathdwara adds about 1.5 hours. If you add it, have lunch in Nathdwara and see Eklingji at the 5 PM darshan.
• Kumbhalgarh is too far to add to this day. Do it on its own: see our Kumbhalgarh and Ranakpur bike ride.

12Which bike for this ride

This is an easy ride on good roads. A Honda Shine 125, Yamaha FZ-S or Royal Enfield Hunter 350 is plenty, even for two. Riding alone on a tight budget? A Splendor is fine for 110 km.

See all our bikes on the bike on rent in Udaipur page. With elderly parents, our Udaipur to Nathdwara taxi plans the same day around the darshan times.