Things to Do in Jaisalmer: The Complete Guide

Rising like a golden mirage from the sands of the Thar Desert, Jaisalmer is one of the most romantic and atmospheric cities in Rajasthan, famous for its living sandstone fort, its carved havelis and the great desert dunes at its edge. This guide from Delhi Agra Tour Packages walks you through the best things to do in Jaisalmer, from the fort and havelis to the sand dunes, lakes and abandoned villages, with advice on how long to stay, when to visit and how to fit it into a wider Rajasthan trip extended from a Golden Triangle tour.

I was born in Delhi and in more than 11 years planning trips across the region for Experience My India I have sent countless travellers out into the Thar and Jaisalmer never fails to enchant, a true desert city where history and sand meet. Here is everything worth doing.

Things to do in Jaisalmer at a glance

Is Jaisalmer worth visiting?

Jaisalmer is absolutely worth visiting and for many travellers it is the highlight of a Rajasthan trip, offering something no other city in India quite matches: a golden sandstone fort that is still a living town, carved merchant havelis of extraordinary beauty and the vast dunes of the Thar Desert right on its doorstep. It is remote, which is part of its magic and the journey out into the desert rewards you with a city and a landscape that feels timeless.

Two to three days is ideal to enjoy Jaisalmer properly, taking in the fort and havelis, a desert safari and camp and the lakes and sights around the city. It pairs naturally with Jodhpur, the nearest major city and the usual gateway to the desert and our things to do in Jodhpur guide covers that Blue City in full, while the two together make a wonderful desert leg of a wider Rajasthan journey.

Explore Jaisalmer Fort (Sonar Qila)

The first and greatest thing to do in Jaisalmer is to explore its magnificent fort, the Sonar Qila or Golden Fort, one of the very few living forts in the world, where thousands of people still live, work and trade within its ancient walls. Built in the 12th century and rising from a hill in golden-yellow sandstone, it glows spectacularly at sunrise and sunset and wandering its narrow lanes, past shops, havelis, temples and guesthouses, is an experience quite unlike any other fort in India.

Within the fort walls you will find the beautiful Jain temples, a group of intricately carved sandstone shrines that are among the finest in Rajasthan, as well as the old royal palace and sweeping views out over the city and the desert beyond. Because it is a living fort, exploring it feels less like visiting a monument and more like stepping into a medieval desert town that never stopped. Like Jodhpur's mighty Mehrangarh Fort, Jaisalmer Fort is the beating heart of its city, though the two could hardly be more different in character.

Marvel at the havelis

Jaisalmer grew rich over centuries as a trading post on the desert caravan routes and its wealthy merchants built astonishing mansions or havelis, carved from the same golden sandstone with a delicacy that has to be seen to be believed. Visiting the great havelis is one of the essential things to do in the city.

The most famous is Patwon Ki Haveli, actually a cluster of five richly carved mansions and the grandest of them all, with intricate facades, balconies and jharokhas. Nearby, Salim Singh Ki Haveli, with its distinctive arched roof and Nathmal Ki Haveli, with its beautifully carved frontage, are equally worth seeking out. Together they tell the story of Jaisalmer's golden age of trade and their stonework is among the finest desert craftsmanship anywhere in Rajasthan.

Take a desert safari on the Sam sand dunes

No visit to Jaisalmer is complete without heading out to the sand dunes of the Thar Desert and this is for many the highlight of the whole trip. The great dunes at Sam, a short drive from the city, are the most popular, offering classic rolling sand, camel and jeep safaris and the magical experience of a desert sunset.

Most visitors join an overnight desert camp, where you watch the sun set over the dunes, enjoy a dinner of Rajasthani food and are entertained with folk music and dance before sleeping in tents under a brilliant desert sky. For a quieter, more rustic experience, the dunes at Khuri are a lovely alternative to the busier Sam. Either way, a night in the Thar is an unforgettable part of any Jaisalmer trip.

Visit Gadisar Lake

For a gentle contrast to the fort and the dunes, Gadisar Lake is one of the loveliest spots in Jaisalmer, a historic man-made rainwater reservoir on the edge of the city, ringed by shrines, temples and ghats and once the main water source of the desert town. It is especially beautiful in the soft light of early morning and late afternoon.

You can take a gentle boat ride on the lake, watch the birds that gather here and admire the ornate yellow-sandstone gateway and the little temples around the water. It is a peaceful, atmospheric place and a favourite for photographs, making a perfect stop to slow down between the busier sights of the city.

See Bada Bagh and the cenotaphs

A short drive from Jaisalmer, Bada Bagh is a striking complex of royal cenotaphs or chhatris, set on a low hill amid the desert, built to honour the rulers of Jaisalmer. The rows of domed sandstone memorials, glowing golden against the arid landscape, are hauntingly beautiful, particularly at sunset.

Bada Bagh is one of the best places near the city to watch the sun go down over the desert and its photogenic cenotaphs make it a favourite with photographers. Combined with the nearby wind farms on the horizon, it offers a memorable mix of the historic and the elemental and is an easy and rewarding half-hour trip out from the city.

Discover Kuldhara and the desert sights

For something more mysterious, the abandoned village of Kuldhara, a short drive from Jaisalmer, is one of the region's most intriguing sights. Once a prosperous settlement of Paliwal Brahmins, it was, according to legend, deserted overnight centuries ago and its empty, roofless houses and quiet lanes have an eerie, atmospheric charm, with local tales of a curse adding to the mood.

Beyond Kuldhara, the desert around Jaisalmer holds other rewards for those with more time, from the Desert National Park, home to the rare great Indian bustard and other arid-land wildlife, to the sunset cenotaphs of Vyas Chhatri on the edge of the city. The remote Tanot Mata temple and the Longewala battlefield lie much further out towards the border and are a longer excursion, but add a fascinating dimension for those who wish to go deeper into the Thar.

How many days do you need in Jaisalmer?

Two to three days is the ideal length for Jaisalmer, enough to enjoy its highlights without rushing. Here is a simple way to think about it.

With two days you can comfortably see the fort, havelis and Gadisar Lake and spend an unforgettable night at a desert camp on the dunes, which is the classic Jaisalmer experience. A third day lets you add Bada Bagh, Kuldhara and more time in the desert at a relaxed pace. Jaisalmer combines beautifully with Jodhpur and our Jodhpur 2 day itinerary guide maps out the nearest city, so the two together make an excellent desert leg of a Rajasthan trip.

Best time to visit Jaisalmer

The best time to visit Jaisalmer is the cool season, from about October to March, when the desert weather is pleasant and the dunes, the fort and the sights are comfortable to explore and desert camping is at its most enjoyable. This is the peak season and includes the famous Jaisalmer Desert Festival, usually held in winter, a colourful celebration of Rajasthani culture in the dunes.

The summer, from April to June, is very hot in this desert region and best avoided, while the monsoon brings some relief but is the low season. The cool winter months are by far the best for a desert trip and the desert nights can be genuinely cold then, so warm clothing is essential for a dune camp. Because its seasons mirror the rest of the desert, the same winter window suits a combined trip with Jodhpur, as our best time to visit Jodhpur guide explains.

How to reach Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer sits deep in western Rajasthan and reaching it is part of the adventure. The city is most commonly approached from Jodhpur, the nearest major city and transport hub, by road or the scenic overnight train and it also has its own airport with seasonal connections and a railway station.

Most travellers reach Jaisalmer via Jodhpur, so the two cities pair naturally on a desert itinerary and a private car with a driver is the most comfortable way to make the desert journeys and get around the sights. From the wider Rajasthan circuit, the routes in from the main cities are covered in our Jaipur to Jodhpur distance and Udaipur to Jodhpur distance guides, as Jodhpur is the stepping stone on to Jaisalmer.

Tips for visiting Jaisalmer

• Allow two to three days to enjoy the fort, havelis and a desert safari without rushing.

• Do not miss an overnight desert camp on the dunes, the classic Jaisalmer experience.

• Visit the fort and Bada Bagh around sunrise or sunset, when the sandstone glows golden.

• Choose Sam dunes for the full experience or Khuri for a quieter, rustic alternative.

• Visit in the cool season, October to March and pack warm clothes for cold desert nights.

• Combine Jaisalmer with Jodhpur, the nearest city and the usual desert gateway.

• Travel the desert routes with a private car and driver for comfort and flexibility.

What to expect

A trip to Jaisalmer is a journey into the romance of the Thar Desert, a golden city of sandstone where a living fort, carved havelis and the great dunes come together as nowhere else in India. You can expect to wander the lanes of the inhabited Sonar Qila and its exquisite Jain temples, to marvel at the stonework of Patwon Ki Haveli and its neighbours, to drift on Gadisar Lake, to watch the sun set over the cenotaphs of Bada Bagh and, above all, to ride out onto the Sam dunes for a camel safari and a night under the desert stars.

As a destination Jaisalmer is remote, atmospheric and utterly distinctive and two to three days there, ideally paired with Jodhpur, give you a desert experience that most travellers remember as the highlight of their Rajasthan trip. With the right planning, a knowledgeable guide and a comfortable car for the desert journeys, the Golden City is pure magic.

Plan your trip with us

Jaisalmer and the Thar Desert are remote, so a trip here is far easier and more rewarding when the travel, the stays, the desert camp and the guiding are all arranged for you. That is what we do, well-chosen stays in the city or a quality desert camp, a comfortable private car and an experienced driver for the long desert journeys, a knowledgeable guide to bring the fort and havelis to life and the whole itinerary planned around you, with the dune sunsets timed just right.

Tell us your dates and group size and we will price it honestly around your standard rather than a fixed figure. Jaisalmer slots into a wider Rajasthan journey on our Golden Triangle tours and our full range of Delhi Agra Tour Packages and pairs beautifully with the lake city of Udaipur, mapped in our Udaipur 2 day itinerary guide and with Agra, whether as a dawn visit on our Sunrise Taj Mahal tour or a relaxed Agra overnight tour from Delhi. The whole region fits into our one week North India itinerary and you can browse more trip ideas in our travel guides.

Want your Jaisalmer desert trip planned around you? Message us on WhatsApp and Experience My India will build it for you.

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