Kumbhalgarh/Ranakpur daytrip from Udaipur

I assume its possible to visit both places as a daytrip from Udaipur, albeit a long one.

The LP is a little sketchy on bus info, it just says that buses are "frequent". Just how frequent is frequent?

Maybe the RTDC does a daytrip there. Yes?

I don't think you'd want to. They are so different. And Ranakpur is definitely a full day, if you want to stay for evening puja. Even if not, it takes hours to soak the place in.
But then, some people go a lot faster than me

At this stage, I just want to know if is logistically possible, rather than aesthetically possible.

I only have one day to spend, so it means missing out otherwise. And really its better to be rushed than to miss out, isn't it? Also, I am a bit of a guerilla traveller, ie get in, take the photo, get out (okay I'm not quite that bad, haha).

I was thinking:
7am bus to Kumbhalgarh (from Udaipur), 3-4 hours in Kumbhalgarh;
rickshaw to Ranakpur (am I right in thinking they are no more than 10km away from each other); a couple of hours in Ranakpur, then bus back to Udaipur.

No it's only about 12 KM as the crow flies but the bus takes a more circuitiuos route, which is more like 35 kms about and hour and a half (with a chai stop of course)

Nice drive though!!
If you decide to stop, The Castle in Ranakpur was nice as was the (with swimming pool)Kumbhalgarh Castle at Kumbhalgarh (the only cheap option!!!)

The food at the temple itself is great by the way 100% veggie and all you can eat for 25 rupees!

Hi Kiwi razz, If you want to visit both place in a day then you have to hire taxi from Udaipur otherwise very difficult to manage or you can go only Ranakpur, on this road you can get State bus services easily and forget about Khumbalgarh.

ya, if you must.
get a very early start and hire a vehicle- you could do it

The eternal problem of India is that there are so many great places to go to, that you have to keep making decsions about what to cut from you itinerary.

Oh well, I guess I will see when I get to Udaipur.

Any idea what a car and driver for the day would cost me?

You can take Ambassador for day trip to Khumbhalgarh and Ranakpur and it will cost you about 1300 INR/30USD

Of course, depending on which way you are travelling, you could consider hiring a car & driver from Udaipur to Jodhpur taking these spots in on the way. I have a quote of 2800 R for a non-arconditioned car, 3500 R for an airconditioned from the place I'm to stay in Udaipur - the Kankarwa Haveli. Previous feedback from experienced IMers indicated this was a good price as it has to cover the driver's return journey and with the current cost of fuel.
Hope this helps

I'm thinking now that perhaps I might just stop off in Kumbhalgarh or Ranakpur overnight on my way through from Udaipur to Ajmer instead of doing it as a daytrip.

The LP says (okay it could be wrong) that Udaipur to Ajmer is 7 hrs by bus, but that Ranakpur to Ajmer is 7.5 hrs!! Is this correct??

yes it's a little further west & you have to sort of loop round,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

Yeah it took me about 5 hours in a jeep taxi so that would seem about right by bus!!
The roads were pretty good though!!
Where are you stopping for the night Razz???

Ranakpur offer a better choice of budget places, Kumbhalgarh has mainly upmarket hotels though it is the nicer palce to stay!! (kumbhal castle is around 750 but they have a dormitory which no one uses and you could have it to yourself!!)

When you go through the main gate to the fort there's a little shop to your right he has a little terrace with tables and chairs out back. I had a great thali there MMmmm. I ordered before we went exploring the fort and arranged a time for dinner I'm glad I did, a great meal and enough for a small army!!

I was thinking that I'd stay in K. 750Rs/night is okay for me budgetwise.

Ok Suggest a walk up to one of the fort gates, come out of the Kumbhal Castle hotel and turn right, walk a hundred meters or so and take the dirt track on the right walk to the top of this old road and you come to an old gate from the days when the old road used to pass this way.
Great view down to the tank and a great view of "the palace in the clouds" a brisk 10 minute walk but well worth it.
You never know you might see a wolf!!

Enjoy yourself, we loved it here and spent 5-6 days just walking around in the beautiful countryside.

Kumbalgarh has hotels?
Dag, I'm so behind the times!