If you ask us about our favorite destination in Rajasthan, it is Jaisalmer. Be its living fort, Thar Desert, haunted stories, or proximity to the border, the trip to Jaisalmer still has an old-world charm.
Partly because of its connectivity and partly because of the weather, Jaisalmer is still not approachable to many and hence not very commercialized, which is the best thing we liked about this Golden city.
This 10 minute read is sure to make your trip to Jaisalmer an unforgettable one.
Table of Contents
How to reach Jaisalmer
By train – There are a limited number of direct trains from Delhi to Jaisalmer. It takes around 19-21 hours to reach from Delhi by train. We went through Ranikhet Express from Delhi to Jaisalmer. As we were traveling with a group of our friends, we found the journey very comfortable and joyful.
Direct trains to Jaisalmer are also available from major cities of Rajasthan.
Note : Book your train well in advance.
By Air – Direct flights are available from Delhi to Jaisalmer. It takes around 1 hour to reach Jaisalmer from Delhi.
Best time to visit Jaisalmer
If you want to avoid the hot weather, November to February is the best time to visit Jaisalmer.
We visited in the last week of November. The weather was perfect for roaming around, even in the Sun. Mornings and Evenings were cold.
Where to stay during trip to Jaisalmer
Accommodation in Jaisalmer City
To explore Jaisalmer City, consider staying inside the Jaislamer Fort itself for an experience of a lifetime. Jaisalmer Fort is one of the few living forts in the world which means people still live inside the Fort. There are several stay options inside the Fort for every budget. We stayed in Zostel which is kind of a luxury hostel. You can either book a bed in their dormitory or get yourself a private room. It is a very beautiful and well-maintained historic property. We loved our stay in Zostel.
Accommodation in Sam Sand Dunes
If you want to explore Sand Dunes in Jaislamer, consider spending a night in the camps to get a complete feel of the desert. We stayed in Country Side Resort Camps in Sam Sand Dunes. The camps were nice and clean with an attached bathroom and supply of hot water. The food they serve is delicious, especially the dinner. They also host a cultural program in the evening. Undoubtedly, it was the best cultural program we have ever seen. They also have a pool area which is quite unbelievable in the desert. The overall ambiance of the property is very nice.
How to Roam around in Jaisalmer
You can book a taxi, rent a bike or use public transport for roaming around in Jaisalmer.
We were traveling with a group of friends, so a taxi seemed the most convenient option.
We booked a taxi for our 3 days stay in Jaisalmer. It cost us around INR 10000 for 3 days for visiting places in and around Jaisalmer. If you want to book a taxi you can contact Abdul @+91-9928025372.
If you are not traveling in a group, use local autos for roaming around in Jaisalmer as most of the places are within 10-12 km. For Sam dunes, you can use shared Jeeps. But it is recommended to hire a taxi for your visit to Tanot Mata Mandir and Longewala. You can ask your place of stay to arrange one for you.
Our itinerary of this trip to Jaisalmer
Day 1: Reach Jaisalmer from Delhi
Day 2: Explore places on the outskirts of Jaisalmer like Tanot Mata Mandir, LoC, and Longewala. For a complete Desert Experience, stay in a camp in Sam Sand Dunes.
Day 3: After experiencing Sunrise in Sam Sand Dunes, visit Kuldhara. Stay inside the Jaisalmer Fort and explore places around the fort.
Day 4: Explore Jaisalmer Fort and other places in Jaisalmer.
Day 5: Left for home
Food options to explore during trip to Jaisalmer
Desi D Aroma
Café de Kaku
The Traveler’s Cup Premium Coffee Shop
Fateh Kachori
Its a stall just outside the Jaisalmer Fort and you will find it only in the morning.
Dal Pakwan
Just in front of Fateh Kachori Stall, there is another stall where you can have this delicacy.
Day wise breakdown for a trip to Jaisalmer/ Things to do in Jaisalmer
Day 1: Reach Jaisalmer
- We took an early morning train from Delhi and reached Jaisalmer in the midnight.
- Check in your hotel, have dinner and call it a day.
Day 2: Into the Desert
- After breakfast, leave for Tanot Mata Mandir. It is around 120 kms from Jaisalmer. The drive is scenic, with desert on both sides of the road. The temple is considered sacred and it is believed that during the Indo-Pak War nearly 3000 bombs were dropped by Pakistan in the premised of the temple but none of them explode.
- From Tanot Mata Mandir, take permit to visit the Indo Pak border. Though we had our taxi to take to the Indo Pak Border, but we hired an open jeep to and fro border for an adventurous experience. The 20 kms drive up to the border is one of the bests we ever had. The endless desert on both sides of the road, winds blowing at its peak and a speedy open jeep are sure to give you Goosebumps. It was the first time that went so close to a border marked by a fencing.
- Visit Longewala. It is a war memorial commemorating the valor and the supreme sacrifice of our brave soldiers. Here, we saw the real Pakistani tanks that came to Indian territory during the 1971 Indo-Pak war.
- Here you can have lunch at Border Café or Longewala Café. The cafés are small with limited food options. But the food was delicious.
- Reach Sam Sand Dunes in the evening. Book a stay and Safari Package. We stayed in Countryside Resort and Camps. We went for an evening Safari and witnessed a sunset in the Thar desert.
- Watch a cultural program in the evening. The cultural program of the Country Side Resort & Camps was the best.
- Savor delicious Rajasthani Food in dinner and retire for the day.
Day 3 : Into the Fort
- Go for Sunrise in the desert.
- After breakfast, we left from Sam Sand Dunes.
- Visit Kuldhara Village. Kuldhara is an abandoned village 17 kms from Jaisalmer. It is considered to be one of the most haunted places in India during the night.
- Come back to Jaisalmer. Check-in at your hotel. We stayed in Zostel, inside the Jaisalmer Fort.
- After Lunch visit Gadisagar Lake in the evening. Boating there at the sunset feels good.
- Dinner at Café de Kaku.
Day 4 : Explore Jaisalmer main town
- Go for a morning walk inside the fort. There are hardly any tourists in the morning time. Visit 600 years old Jain Temples inside the fort as their marvelous architecture will sure to leave you spellbound.
- Breakfast at the Fateh Kachori stall just outside the Fort. If you are a coffee lover, stop at a small and cozy café cum bookshop inside the fort – The Traveler’s Cup Premium Coffee Shop.
- Visit Bada Bagh. Bada Bagh is an ancient cemetery full of picturesque cenotaphs. It is 7kms from the fort.
- Lunch at Desi D’ Aroma. We found it to be one of the best restaurants in Jaisalmer.
- Visit the famous Havelis of Jaisalmer. We visited Salim ki Haveli and Patwon ki Haveli. Patwon ki Haveli with its finest carvings completely blew our minds. It is the best Haveli of Jaisalmer.
- We then went for a night walk inside the fort organized by Zostel Jaisalmer. Zostel not only shared stories of the fort with us but also showed us a few places around the fort, we would have missed otherwise.
Day 5
Journey back home
Budget for a trip to Jaisalmer
Accommodation
We stayed for 1 night in Country Side Resort in Sam Sand Dunes and 3 nights in Zostel in Jaisalmer.
Country Side Resort range between INR 3500 – INR 5000 per day (Including all activities like camel, jeep safari) depending on the season you are visiting and Zostel’s private room cost around INR 2000 – 2500 per day, a bed in its dormitory cost around INR 600-800 per person per day. We stayed in a dormitory.
So, for a 5 day and 4 Night trip to Jaisalmer, expect to spend around INR 7000 – 9500 (for two people) on accommodation if you choose your stays in a similar range.
Pre-book well in advance for the best deals and securing your space inside the fort as it really gets filled up in season.
Transport
We were traveling in a group of 8 people during our trip to Jaisalmer. So, we hired a taxi for our entire duration there and it cost us around INR 10,000 in total. We also hired a semi-open Jeep from Tanot Mata Mandir up to the border to make the ride adventurous. It cost around INR 1200 – 1500 per Jeep.
Expect to spend around INR 3000 (for two people) on your Jaisalmer trip, if you also choose to travel in a group as we did.
Food
If you are on a budget, you can easily get local food (Kachori, Dal Pakwan, and Lassi) for INR 200 – 250 per person in Jaisalmer. And if you are a foodie and love exploring cafes/ restaurants, expect to spend around INR 800 – 1000 per meal for two people.
We had breakfast and dinner included in the package of Country Side Resort Camps in Sam Sand Dunes.
No meal was included in the package of Zostel.
So, for 4 days and 5 Nights trip to Jaisalmer, expect to spend around INR 5000 – INR 6000 (for two people) on food if you choose to follow our itinerary.
Others
There are a few activities that you can do in Sam Sand Dunes like Jeep Safari, Camel Safari, Para-Sailing, Mud biking, etc. While Jeep Safari for Sunrise / Sunset and Camel Safari was included in our package of Country Side Resort Camps, a few in our group did Para Sailing, Mud Biking etc. Para Sailing cost around INR 800 – 850 per person, Mud Biking cost around INR 600 – 800 per person.
There is a ticket price for visiting a few historical places in Jaisalmer including Havelis. It cost us a total of INR 300 – 400 per person which included Patwon ki Haveli, Salim Singh ki Haveli etc.
Virtual Tour to Jaisalmer
Before actually visiting Jaisalmer, you can take a virtual tour through our youtube videos.
Hope you find this guide helpful in planning an ultimate trip to Jaisalmer.
You can also checkout our articles on Jodhpur and Jaipur in Rajasthan.