JAISALMER TRAVEL GUIDE: TIPS, SIGHTS AND PRACTICAL INFORMATION

The fairytale town of Jaisalmer is located in the middle of the Thar desert and seems to come from Aladin. When you wander through the atmospheric streets, you come across holy men with huge turbans, decorated camels and even snake charmers. In addition, Jaisalmer is the perfect base for an adventurous and especially beautiful journey through the Thar desert. In this article I share the best tips and absolute must-sees for your trip to Jaisalmer.

Sights

Jaisalmer is actually one big attraction - wherever you walk, there is something to see everywhere. Whether you are in the fort, outside the fort or in the desert; you will look your eyes out. You should definitely not skip these sights:

Fort Jaisalmer

The gigantic Fort Jaisalmer seems to have come from a fairy tale. The fort is full of richly decorated havelis and is made of yellow sandstone, giving it a beautiful golden glow during sunrise and sunset. In the complex you will also find a few beautiful Jain temples, a royal palace and of course a lot of nice restaurants and cafes.

Practical information

The fort is free and open 24 hours a day. A visit to the jain temples costs 200 rupees per person (2017) and the Ray Mahal (Royal Palace) costs 300 rupees per person (2017). The temples are open from 8 a.m. to noon and the palace from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.

The havelis

In Jaisalmer there are a number of beautifully decorated havelis, one more beautiful than the other. You will find these old, traditional houses inside and outside the fort. The best known havelis are the Patwon Ki Haveli, the Salim Sing Ki Haveli and the Nathmal Ki Haveli. You can view the first two from the inside for 50 rupees per person (2017) and you can visit the latter for free. All three havelis are outside the fort and are open until 6 p.m.

Vyas Chattri

This old crematorium is located in the northwest of the city, against the desert. It is a special place, where you will find countless beautiful grave monuments and gravestones. Vyas Chattri is especially popular at sunset, because from here you can see the sun disappear behind the desert. The entrance costs 50 rupees per person and 50 rupees per camera (2017) and it is open daily from 8 a.m. to 7.30 p.m.

Desert safari

Most tourists come to Jaisalmer for a desert safari, where you go into the Thar desert by jeep or camel. You can book tours for a day, but you can also spend the night in the desert or even go on an excursion for several days. More information and our experience with a desert safari can be read in the article Discovering the desert in Jaisalmer by camel .

Also read: Top National Parks of Rajasthan

Sleeping and eating

What makes Jaisalmer so special - and above all very cool - is that you can spend the night in the fort. There are numerous small hotels and guest houses in the old castle, where you can book a beautiful room for a small fee. We also slept in the fort, in Hotel Himmat Niwas , which was really fantastic. The location was perfect, the room was beautiful and the breakfast was delicious!

If you also want to spend the night in the fort, Hotel Himmat Niwas and Hotel Garh Jaisal Haveli score highest. Outside of the fort, Hotel Lal Garh Fort and Palace and Deja View Guest House receive the best ratings. Do you prefer to sleep in the desert? Then you can for example go to Nomads Eco Farm or Aapno Resort.

There are plenty of restaurants and cafes in Jaisalmer, both inside and outside the fort. In the fort we had a delicious meal at Shanti The Peace and outside the fort at Romany, a rooftop restaurant with a beautiful view of the fort. We have the tastiest coffee at Kuku Coffee House, a small cafe in the fort with the best view of the city.

Transport

Since late 2017, you can fly from Delhi to Jaisalmer in just under two hours. Yet most people come by train from Jodhpur (6 hours), Bikaner (5.5 hours) or Jaipur (12 hours) to Jaisalmer. It takes 5 hours by car from Jodhpur and 5.5 hours from Bikaner.

Get your best taxi service in udaipur

Jaisalmer is a small city, certainly by Indian standards, so you can see everything on foot. If you don't feel like walking, you can also rent a taxi for a day or grab a rickshaw. When you book a tour to the desert, transportation is included.

Good to know

It can be very hot in Jaisalmer from April to October, so drink plenty of water and lubricate well, especially if you go into the desert.

In winter the weather can be a little cooler in the evenings, so bring some warm clothing. If you spend the night in the desert in the winter, you should definitely bring a thick sweater or cardigan.

Although Jaisalmer is so remote, the city is very touristy. Normally I don't like this very much, but I have to say that it was not disturbing in Jaisalmer and it created a cozy atmosphere.

Jaisalmer is really paradise if you like handmade things. Here you will find the most beautiful jewelry, rugs, shirts and statuettes for a few rupees. So keep some space in your suitcase!