By road
~570-750 km from Delhi via Jodhpur or Jaipur
North India · Rajasthan
Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
A golden fort rising from the Thar · ~570-750 km from Delhi via Jodhpur or Jaipur
Getting there
By rail
Jaisalmer railway station (JSM), in the city
By air
Jodhpur Airport, ~275 km — Jaisalmer's own small airport has very limited seasonal service
Best time to visit
November to February — desert nights need the cold
Don't miss
Jaisalmer Fort (living fort)
Patwon ki Haveli
Gadisar Lake
Sam dunes
Things to do
Camel safaris
Overnight dune camps under stars
Fort lane wandering
Where to eat
What to pack
Warm layer for dune nights, scarf against sand, sturdy sandals
A quieter corner
Kuldhara, the abandoned village left overnight two centuries ago
About Jaisalmer
- Desert
Where it is
Jaisalmer is in far-western Rajasthan, deep in the Thar Desert near the border with Pakistan, its sandstone fort crowning Trikuta hill above the town.
History
Rawal Jaisal, a Bhati Rajput chief, founded Jaisalmer and its fort in 1156. The town grew rich on the camel caravans of the ancient trade routes across the desert, and its merchants built finely carved havelis; its trade faded as sea routes took over, and the 1947 Partition closed the old routes west.
People
Jaisalmer's people speak Hindi and Rajasthani dialects, and the Manganiyar and Langa communities of hereditary musicians keep the desert's folk songs alive. Stone carving, embroidery and camel herding are traditional livelihoods.
Known for
- Jaisalmer Fort, a living fort
- Patwon ki Haveli and carved merchant mansions
- Camel safaris on the Sam sand dunes
- The Desert Festival in winter
- Gadisar Lake
Did you know?
Jaisalmer Fort is one of the few forts in the world where people still live inside the walls, and it is one of six forts listed together by UNESCO as the Hill Forts of Rajasthan.
We haven't written a guide for this place yet — you can still plan a trip here.