The Raffles Udaipur resort in India celebrates Diwali, Christmas and New Year 2026 on its lake island

On its private island in Lake Udai Sagar, in Rajasthan, Raffles Udaipur has unveiled three stays for the end of 2026: Diwali, Christmas and New Year’s Eve. India’s first Raffles hotel, opened in 2021, will set off fireworks over the lake on the evening of Diwali, 8 November, then host a gala dinner on 24 and 31 December. We checked the rates on the official website on 26 October: from €885 a night in November, breakfast and taxes included.

☰Contents

1. Diwali on 8 November: fireworks over the lake
2. What does ‘Season of Celebration’ include?
3. Christmas at the palace, Santa due at 8.30pm
4. New Year’s Eve: a gala and fireworks at midnight
5. €885 or €967 a night: the rates we found
6. An 8.5-hectare island, India’s first Raffles
7. Ten restaurants and bars, plus an Ayurvedic spa

Diwali on 8 November: fireworks over the lake

Diwali, the Hindu festival of lights, falls this year on Sunday 8 November 2026. To mark the occasion, the hotel will set off fireworks over Lake Udai Sagar. For the rest of the season, the Aarti ceremony, a Hindu prayer ritual with lamps, takes place by the water every evening, followed by Rajasthani folk performances.

What does ‘Season of Celebration’ include?

The ‘The Raffles Experience: Season of Celebration’ package includes breakfast for two and, every day, a lunch or dinner of your choice. On top of that come 15% off dining, drinks and spa treatments, a credit of 3,000 rupees (INR) per room per stay and a festive gift in the room on arrival. For bookings made until 15 December 2026, a festive thali, the traditional platter of Indian dishes served in small bowls, is offered once per stay.

From 5pm to 8pm, the Writers Bar and the Long Bar run a happy hour: buy two drinks, get the third free. Yoga, guided nature walks, pottery and a kids’ club fill the days; children under six stay free in their parents’ bed, and check-in and check-out can be moved subject to availability. At extra cost, a private car with driver takes guests to the temples of Shrinathji, in Nathdwara, and Eklingji, from 6,000 rupees before tax.

Christmas at the palace, Santa due at 8.30pm

The Christmas offer requires a two-night minimum stay including 24 December 2026. It includes breakfast, festive touches in the room and the Christmas Eve gala dinner in the Dining Room: buffet, live cooking stations, band and carols. Father Christmas visits the children from 8.30pm to 9pm, before a grand dessert buffet. On 25 December, the lakeside brunch is optional, at 5,000 rupees before tax per person.

New Year’s Eve: a gala and fireworks at midnight

The New Year stay follows the same rule: a two-night minimum including 31 December 2026. It features dinner on 30 December in the Dining Room, then the gala on 31 December, with international cuisine, premium spirits and live entertainment. At midnight, fireworks are due to light up the lake, subject to approval from the local authorities. On 1 January 2027, an optional brunch is offered at 7,000 rupees before tax per person.

€885 or €967 a night: the rates we found

These prices, checked on 26 October 2026 on the official booking engine for two adults, include breakfast and taxes. The terms of the Christmas and New Year rates mention a compulsory gala dinner, charged at 5,999 rupees before tax per person on 24 December and 22,000 rupees before tax per person on 31 December; nothing indicates whether it is included in the displayed price, so confirm when booking.

Both year-end offers are prepaid, non-refundable and non-changeable, and cannot be combined with other discounts. The lead-in prices apply to the rooms on the shore (Lakeshore); those on the island cost more. An extra bed with breakfast costs 10,000 rupees before tax per night, and children aged 6 to 11 pay half the gala price.

An 8.5-hectare island, India’s first Raffles

Opened in 2021, Raffles Udaipur occupies a private island of 21 acres, around 8.5 hectares, at the foot of the Aravalli hills. Its Indo-Saracenic architecture blends arches, domes and European influences. It has 137 rooms and suites: 101 on the island, opening onto Baroque-inspired gardens, and 36 at Raffles Lakeshore, on the shore. Guests arrive on the shore, 20 minutes from the airport, before crossing by private boat. The hotel holds two Michelin Keys, the guide’s distinction for hotels.

Ten restaurants and bars, plus an Ayurvedic spa

Sawai Kitchen revives forgotten recipes from the royal courts of Rajasthan. Rasoi, the Raffles Patisserie, The Writers Bar, the Long Bar, the Pool Bar, The Trellis Room, The Marble Hall, The Tea Room and Belvedere, on the rooftop, complete the ten venues. Raffles Spa, inspired by Ayurveda, India’s traditional medicine, has six treatment rooms including a couples’ suite, alongside a heated outdoor pool, a gym and tennis and badminton courts.

For comparison, see our calendar of festive celebrations at the palace hotels, from Christmas to New Year’s Eve. And to extend your trip in Rajasthan, read our pick of Oberoi lodges for a safari in India and the first season of the JW Marriott Ranthambore resort.