Jaisalmer

A yellow sandstone fort city in the Thar Desert, with carved havelis and sand dunes nearby.

FamousDesertHeritageCity

Jaisalmer has a fort that people still live in, merchant houses with fine stone carving, and sand dunes about 40 km away where you can ride a camel and sleep in a desert camp. It suits families, couples and first-time visitors to Rajasthan who are happy with a long journey to get there. Come in the cool months, because summer heat makes sightseeing hard.

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Photos from Wikimedia Commons. Select a photo for its author and licence.

Best time to go

When	What to expect
November to February	The best season. Days are mild, around 20 to 25 C, and nights are cold and can fall to single digits, so carry warm clothes. This is also the busiest time, and the Desert Festival is held in February.
October and March	Warm days and cool nights, with fewer visitors than mid-winter.
April to June	Very hot, often above 40 C and up to about 45 C. Most guides advise against visiting.
July to September	Hot and humid with occasional rain and hazy skies. Off season, with few crowds.

Sights and activities

Jaisalmer Fort (Sonar Qila)

A sandstone hill fort founded in 1156 and part of a UNESCO World Heritage listing. People still live inside it, along with a palace museum, Jain temples, shops and eating places.

Distance: About 1 km from the city centre
Entry: About 50 rupees for Indians and 250 for foreigners (sources differ on whether this is for the fort or only the palace museum); camera 50
Timings: About 9 am to 5 pm daily; some sources say 6 pm
Time needed: 3 hours

Map Wrong fee or timing?

Patwon Ki Haveli

A group of five merchant houses from the 19th century with detailed sandstone carving, mirror work and wall paintings. Part of it is a museum.

Distance: About 1 km from the fort
Entry: 10 to 20 rupees for Indians, 50 to 100 for foreigners (sources differ)
Timings: About 9 am to 6.30 pm
Time needed: 1 hour

Map Wrong fee or timing?

Nathmal Ki Haveli

A late 19th-century mansion built by two architect brothers, known for its carved front whose two sides do not quite match.

Distance: In the old city, a short walk from the fort
Entry: Free
Timings: About 10 am to 5 pm
Time needed: 30 minutes

Map Wrong fee or timing?

Gadisar Lake

A 14th-century man-made reservoir with temples and stepped banks. Boating is offered, and it is a popular sunset spot.

Distance: About 1.5 to 2 km from the fort
Entry: Free; boating about 100 to 300 rupees depending on the boat
Timings: About 7 or 8 am to 7 pm
Time needed: 1 hour

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Bada Bagh

A garden site with rows of domed stone memorials to the rulers of Jaisalmer.

Distance: About 6 to 8 km from the city
Entry: About 20 to 50 rupees for Indians, 50 to 100 for foreigners
Timings: About 8 am to 6 pm
Time needed: 1 hour

Map Wrong fee or timing?

Kuldhara

An abandoned village of ruined stone houses, known for the local stories about why it was deserted.

Distance: About 13 to 20 km from the city (sources differ)
Entry: 10 rupees for Indians, 100 for foreigners, 50 for a vehicle
Timings: About 8 am to 6 pm
Time needed: 1 hour

Map Wrong fee or timing?

Sam Sand Dunes

The main dune area for camel rides, jeep rides, folk music evenings and overnight tented camps.

Distance: About 40 km from the city
Entry: Free to enter; camel and jeep rides are paid separately
Timings: Open all day; most visitors come from afternoon to night
Time needed: Half a day, or overnight in a camp

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Desert National Park

A large protected area of desert, about 3,162 sq km, that is home to the great Indian bustard, chinkara and migratory birds.

Distance: About 40 to 45 km from the city
Entry: 100 rupees for Indians, 300 for foreigners
Timings: About 10 am to 5 pm
Time needed: 3 hours

Map Wrong fee or timing?

Getting there

By bus: Overnight private buses run from Jaipur, Delhi, Ahmedabad and Jodhpur. By road Jaisalmer is about 285 km from Jodhpur (5 to 6 hours) and about 570 to 600 km from Jaipur.
By train: Jaisalmer railway station is in the city, about 2 km from the fort, with direct trains from Delhi, Jaipur and Jodhpur.
By air: Jaisalmer Airport is about 12 to 13 km from the city but flights are seasonal, mostly October to March. Jodhpur Airport, about 285 km away, is the year-round choice.
Where to base yourself: Stay in the old city near the fort, which is about 2 km from the railway station, and spend one night at a desert camp near Sam.

Getting around

Auto-rickshaws cover the city and cost about 50 to 150 rupees a trip.
The old city and the fort are small enough to see on foot; streets are narrow and parking is limited.
Taxis within the city cost about 100 to 500 rupees a trip.
A car with driver for the day, useful for Bada Bagh, Kuldhara and Sam, costs about 1,500 to 2,500 rupees.
Scooters and motorbikes can be rented for about 300 to 500 rupees a day.
At Sam, a jeep ride costs about 1,200 to 2,500 rupees per jeep, and camel rides range from about 200 rupees for a short ride to 2,000 for a long safari.

Often combined with

Places people usually visit on the same trip, and how long it takes to get between them.

Jodhpur: Train or road, about 5 to 6 hours, about 280 km by road. See the Rajasthan: Jaipur to the Thar Desert trip

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Where to stay

Budget level	Type	Price per night
Budget	Hostels and guesthouses in the old city	₹500 to ₹1,500
Mid-range	Mid-range hotels and haveli-style stays; mid-range desert camps cost about 3,000 to 6,000	₹2,000 to ₹5,000
Luxury	Heritage and resort hotels, and luxury desert camps	₹6,000 to ₹15,000

Food

Street stalls around Manak Chowk and near Tazia Tower sell kachoris, mirchi vadas and sweets. A street-food meal costs about 100 to 300 rupees, and a meal for two at a mid-range restaurant about 500 to 1,000. Desert camps usually include dinner with the stay.

Try these

Dal baati churma (baked wheat balls with lentils and a sweet crumble)
Ker sangri (desert berries and beans cooked with spices)
Gatte ki sabzi (gram-flour dumplings in gravy)
Bajre ki roti (millet flatbread)
Laal maas (spicy red mutton curry)
Pyaz ki kachori and mirchi vada (fried street snacks)
Ghotua ladoo (a local sweet)
Makhania lassi (thick sweet yoghurt drink)

Most of the well-known local dishes are vegetarian and vegetarian food is easy to find.

Daily costs

Budget level	Stay per room	Food per person	Local transport
Budget	₹1,000	₹500	₹250 per vehicle
Mid-range	₹3,500	₹900	₹800 per vehicle
Luxury	₹10,000	₹2,500	₹1,200 per vehicle

Per day. Travel to and from your city is added in the planner above.

Paid once for the visit

Budget level	What	Cost
Mid-range	Sam dunes jeep and camel ride, one evening	about ₹3,000
Luxury	Sam dunes jeep and camel ride, one evening	about ₹3,000

Permits and documents

No permit is needed for Jaisalmer city, the fort, Sam or Kuldhara. One travel site says permits are needed for areas close to the border, such as Tanot; check locally before going. Carry a photo ID.

Safety

By day: Travel guides describe Jaisalmer as safe for visitors. The main risks are heat and sun, so drink plenty of water and use sunscreen. Avoid unofficial guides who approach you near the fort.
At night: One travel site describes the city as safe after sunset. Desert nights in winter are cold, so carry warm clothing for camps and night safaris.
Solo women: One travel site calls Jaisalmer among the safer places for solo travellers. Dress modestly at temples and in villages.
Roads: Highways to Jodhpur and Jaipur are described as well maintained. Distances are long, so most people travel overnight by bus or train.
Emergency numbers: 112 (all emergencies)

Practical

Mobile network: Airtel and Jio are generally reliable in the city but patchy in remote desert areas.
ATMs and cash: ATMs are available in the city. Carry cash for the dunes, villages and small vendors, who may not take cards or digital payments.
Fuel: There are several petrol pumps in and around town.
Medical: Hospitals are easy to find across the city. In an emergency dial 112, or 108 for an ambulance in most states. Carry your own medicines and a small first-aid kit.

Coverage maps: Jio · Airtel · Vi · BSNL. Report a problem

Accessibility

Seniors: The city sights are close together and can be reached by auto-rickshaw. Go early in the day to avoid heat and crowds.
Children: Camel rides, jeep rides and desert camps suit children in the cool months. Avoid April to June because of the heat.

Unless a sight is described as accessible, assume it is not step-free.

Culture and responsible travel

Dress modestly at temples and in villages.
Some temples and private properties do not allow photography, so ask before taking pictures.
The fort is a living neighbourhood with about 3,000 residents; treat it as people's homes.
Bargaining is normal at market stalls. Buying from local artisans supports traditional crafts.
For desert safaris, wear loose full-length clothes for protection from sun and sand.
Book desert camps and hotels early for the winter season and the Desert Festival in February.

What to pack

Photo ID (Aadhaar, passport or driving licence); hotels and permits ask for it
A scarf against sand and sun, sunglasses, and a warm layer for desert nights in winter
Some cash in small notes for autos, stalls and tips
Your regular medicines, plus basics for stomach upsets, headaches and cuts

Multi-stop trips that include Jaisalmer

Rajasthan: Jaipur to the Thar Desert, 7 nights

At a glance

State: Rajasthan
District: Jaisalmer
Altitude: About 229 m
Gateway: Jaisalmer
Best time: Oct-Mar
Ideal trip: 3 days
Difficulty: Easy. Reached by road, and the sights need little walking.

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About this page

Checked against online sources in October 2026. Not field-verified. ATMs, fuel and hospitals from OpenStreetMap, October 2026.

Could not be confirmed online:

The Rajasthan Tourism page opened but showed only its menu, so no fees or timings come from a government source; all fees and timings are from travel sites.
Jaisalmer Fort fee: most sites give 50 rupees (Indians) and 250 (foreigners), but one says the fort itself is free and the fee is for the palace museum. Closing time is given as 5 pm or 6 pm.
Patwon Ki Haveli fee is given as 10/50 rupees on some sites and 20/100 on others. Bada Bagh fee and the distances to Bada Bagh and Kuldhara also differ between sites.
Altitude (229 m) comes from a single source.
Whether flights to Jaisalmer Airport operate, and from which cities, changes by season; some sites say most visitors fly to Jodhpur instead. The Delhi flight fare is the midpoint of a wide quoted range (2,500 to 7,000 rupees).
AC 3-tier train fares were not found, so the mid options are AC sleeper buses. The Delhi sleeper-class train fare (450 to 600 rupees) comes from one travel site, not from Indian Railways.
The Ahmedabad AC sleeper bus fare and the Ahmedabad taxi fare are approximate, taken from broad quoted ranges.
The permit rule for border areas such as Tanot comes from one travel site and was not confirmed with an official source.
Nearest hospital, fuel stations and wheelchair access were not confirmed online.
Jain food availability was not confirmed.
Safety notes rest on travel-site descriptions, not police or government advice.
Daily food and local transport costs are estimates built from the meal, auto-rickshaw and car-hire price ranges quoted by one cost guide.

Cover photo: Wikimedia Commons

Sources: Incredible India - Jaisalmer, Rajasthan Tourism - Jaisalmer, Holidify - Jaisalmer, Travelfika - Jaisalmer trip cost guide, Tour My India - Jaisalmer, Indian Holiday - Jaisalmer travel guide, Trawell - Jaisalmer, Chokhi Dhani - Jaisalmer travel guide 2026, Travejar - Visit Jaisalmer, Rajasthan Places - Jaisalmer Fort, Jaisalmer Tourism - Jaisalmer Fort, Thrillophilia - Jaisalmer, Maps of India - Jaisalmer, EaseMyTrip - Jaipur to Jaisalmer buses, redBus - Ahmedabad to Jaisalmer buses, MakeMyTrip - Jaipur to Jaisalmer cab, Rome2Rio - Delhi to Jaisalmer, Rome2Rio - Ahmedabad to Jaisalmer