Rajasthan · India
Taj Lake Palace
A white marble palace of 1746 that appears to float on Lake Pichola
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Maharana Jagat Singh II built this palace on an island in Lake Pichola in 1746 as a summer retreat, and from the shore it still looks like it is resting on the water rather than anchored in it. Guests arrive by launch from the City Palace jetty, which sets the tone for everything that follows.
The sixty-five rooms and suites occupy the original marble structure, many of them small and intricate in the way that eighteenth-century royal apartments were, with inlaid stone, coloured glass and cusped arches. Courtyards, a lily pond and a lotus-shaped pool sit at the centre; the Jiva spa operates partly from a boat.
Dinner might be at Neel Kamal for Rajasthani cooking or in a courtyard under candlelight, and the hotel arranges private boat cruises around Jag Mandir at sunset. The Aravalli hills close the view in every direction, and the City Palace and Jagdish Temple are a short crossing away.
At a glance
What to expect
- Private boat transfer
- Lake-facing marble suites
- Jiva spa and floating spa boat
- Courtyard pool and lily pond
- Rajasthani fine dining
- Sunset lake cruises
- Royal butler service
- Heritage palace tours
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