Agra or Udaipur?

Neither city has a beach or anywhere to swim outdoors. Agra's Yamuna is a river to admire from the Taj gardens, and Udaipur's lakes are for boat trips, not bathing. The difference is in the hotel pool: in Udaipur it often looks out over Lake Pichola or the hills, while in Agra it is mostly an escape from the afternoon heat.

The two eat equally well for a few days, but in different traditions. Agra is Mughlai country: kormas, biryani and tandoor breads, bedai and jalebi for breakfast in the lanes around Kinari Bazaar, and petha, the candied ash gourd, as its own sweet.

Udaipur cooks Rajasthani and Mewari food: dal baati churma, laal maas and refillable vegetarian thalis, with kachori and poha in the morning. In both cities, restaurants near the Taj and around Lake Pichola sell the location more than the cooking, so the better meals are a few streets back.

Agra has the greater monuments. The Taj Mahal alone justifies the journey, and Agra Fort, the fine inlay of Itimad-ud-Daulah and Akbar's tomb at Sikandra add a run of Mughal buildings of world rank.

Udaipur's pleasure is different. It centres on one great complex, the City Palace, with the Lake Palace and Jag Mandir on the water and havelis and the Jagdish Temple behind. As a whole townscape it is more romantic, but no single building has the presence of the Taj. Either city is well covered in two or three days.

Neither is a place for a night out, but Udaipur has a little more to its evenings. A sunset drink above Lake Pichola, a handful of lounge bars and some music at weekends make a gentle routine after dark.

Agra ends earlier still, because most visitors are up before dawn for the Taj. A hotel bar or a rooftop with a view of the dome is about as far as it goes, and alcohol is harder to find.

Udaipur has the landscape Agra lacks: lakes ringed by the Aravalli hills, the forested Sajjangarh sanctuary below the Monsoon Palace, short hikes and cycle routes through hill villages, and jungle walks at Kumbhalgarh further out.

Agra sits on a flat, dusty plain with no trails. Its strength is wildlife. Keoladeo at Bharatpur, an hour away, is an outstanding bird wetland in winter, and the Chambal sanctuary has gharials and river dolphins. Birdwatchers may lean towards Agra, but most people will find more time outdoors in Udaipur.

Both are fine bases for day trips, but the trips are of different kinds. From Agra the great outing is Fatehpur Sikri, about 40km west. Mathura and Vrindavan's Krishna temples lie to the north, and Gwalior's hilltop fort is a train ride south.

From Udaipur the trips go into Mewar's hill country: the long walls of Kumbhalgarh paired with the marble Jain temple at Ranakpur, the fortress of Chittorgarh, and the temple towns of Eklingji and Nathdwara. These are longer road days that need a car and driver, while some of Agra's best trips can be made by train.

Both are hard work with children, but Udaipur is the easier of the two. Boat rides on the lake, puppet shows and the cable car to the hill viewpoints give children something of their own, and lakeside hotels with pools make a calm base.

In Agra there is little beyond the monuments, the crowds and touts at the Taj gates wear families down, and the heat lasts from spring well into autumn. The bear rescue centre on the Mathura road is a real treat for animal lovers, but most families keep the stay short.

In both cities you rely on autorickshaws, app taxis and a hired driver, but they are used differently. Agra's sights are spread along and away from the Yamuna on roads with poor or missing pavements, so almost every move is a ride, and only the last stretch to the Taj is done on foot, by electric cart or by cycle rickshaw.

Udaipur's old city around the City Palace, Jagdish Temple and Gangaur Ghat is compact enough to walk, though its steep lanes are shared with motorbikes. You need a driver only for the hilltop sights and the day trips.

Udaipur offers the better browsing. There are miniature painting workshops near the City Palace, block-printed and bandhani textiles, silver jewellery and puppets, and old bazaars around Hathi Pol and the clock tower that serve locals as much as visitors.

Agra's speciality is pietra dura, the marble inlay used on the Taj, along with leather, shoes and carpets, and Kinari and Sadar bazaars are cheap and lively. Beyond the inlay work the range is narrower, and much of the trade is steered through commission showrooms. In both cities, shop where you choose rather than where a driver takes you.

Both are very cheap day to day, with street food, thalis, rickshaws and simple guesthouses costing little. The big expenses fall in different places. In Agra it is the high entry fees foreigners pay at the Taj and the other monuments. In Udaipur it is the temptation to stay in a lake palace or heritage haveli, where rooms reach international luxury prices.

Udaipur gives you a reason to go out in the evening: the folk dance show in the courtyard of Bagore ki Haveli with its pot-balancing dance, puppet shows kept alive by Lok Kala Mandal, and folk musicians at the December crafts fair at Shilpgram.

Agra's evenings rely on staged retellings of the Shah Jahan and Mumtaz Mahal story and dance or music nights in the larger hotels. Its one big event is the spring Taj Mahotsav, with crafts, folk dance and music.

Udaipur is far the better place to unwind. Ayurvedic massage and yoga classes are easy to find across the old city, the lake hotels run full spas, and an evening on a terrace above the water restores you as well as any treatment.

In Agra, rest happens inside the hotel: a spa and a pool after the dawn visit to the Taj. Outside, the walled gardens of Itimad-ud-Daulah and Sikandra are the only quiet corners in a city of horns and haze.