Jaisalmer Travel Guide

Facts

Name: Jaisalmer
Area: 5.1 sq. km. (1.97 sq. mi.)
Population: 65,471
Language: Hindi, Rajasthani, English, Urdu, Marwari
State: Rajasthan
Currency: Rupee
Time Zone: UTC+5:30 (IST)
Religions and Beliefs: Hinduism, Muslims, Sikhism, Christianity, Jainism

Jaisalmer, known as the “Golden City”, is located on the edge of the Thar Desert in Rajasthan, 100 km (62 mi) from Pakistan and 575 km (357 mi) west of the state capital Jaipur. Jaisalmer is full of wild and natural charms and like a mirage rising from the sand. After entering the city, the exquisite buildings will be a big surprise, which were carved out of golden sandstone. Just seek for adventurous activities in the endless desert or quietly enjoy the golden architecture at sunset. Actually this city is home to Gypsies and Indian minstrels, preserving original musical forms of northern India. Here you can also enjoy many religious festival ballads, folk songs by minstrels and local classical Kathak dance.

Best Places to Visit

1. Jaisalmer Fort
2. Sam Sand Dunes
3. Patwon Ki Haveli
4. Gadisar Lake
5. Manak Chowk Market
6. Desert National Park
7. Bada Bagh
8. Jain Temples
9. Jaisalmer War Museum
10. Maharaja’s Palace

Jaisalmer is rich in cultural heritage, which is well reflected in its enchanting structures. As the first stop during Jaisalmer travel, Jaisalmer Fort is a massive sandcastle with Islamic and Rajputana styles, showing yellow sandstone during the day and honey-gold hues in the evening. At the edge of Desert National Park, Sam Sand Dunes is a perfect region for an adventurous desert safari on camels or jeep. Patwon Ki Haveli is a building complex of five distinctive palaces, famous for their unique mirror paintings and art works of ancient craftsmen. Gadisar Lake, Manak Chowk Market are also popular attractions in Jaisalmer.

Best Time to Visit Jaisalmer: October to March

Jaisalmer has a subtropical climate. Winter season from October to March is the best time for Jaisalmer travel. The maximum temperature in this period does not go beyond 24 ℃ (75.2 ℉) in the day. However, it’s much cooler in the evenings when the temperature can drop down to 5-8 ℃ (41-46.4 ℉). Do not forget to carry your hoodies or jackets for an evening tour. Situated in the heart of Thar Desert, the summer months from April to August are extremely dry and hot and must be avoided. Usually, the temperature goes up to 42 ℃ (107.6 ℉).

Ranking List of Jaisalmer Food

1. Murgh-E-Subz
2. Ker Sangri
3. Kadhi Pakora

During any city tour, foodies cannot miss the coveted local cuisine including Jaisalmer travel, in which you can taste the most authentic Rajasthan cuisine. Murgh-E-Subz is a wholesome dish made with boneless strips of chicken and fresh vegetables and loaded with local spices. Ker Sangri made up of special sangri beans and dried ker berry need to be slow-cooked together with various distinctive spices and lots of chilies. Kadhi Pakora is a Punjabi-style preparation made by using fried chickpea dumplings cooked in yoghurt, usually savored with rice. Also try more Jaisalmer food like Jalebi, Kachori, Gatte Ki Sabzi…

Best Restaurants in Jaisalmer

1. Pleasant Haveli: HainPura Street - Gandhi Chowk, Jaisalmer
Pleasant Haveli is a famous rooftop vegetarian-friendly restaurant offering continental and Indian Food along with nice beverages and the magnificent view of Jaisalmer Fort.

2. Suryagarh Restaurant: Kahala Phata Sam Road, Jaisalmer
It’s a bit expensive, but this restaurant provides a great quality of service, presentation and tasty food mainly including Indian and Asian food. Laal Maas and Phulgari Maas are must-try here.

3. Milan Restaurant: Main Road, Dhibba Para, Near Fort Parking, Jaisalmer
It’s a simply decorated restaurant offering different styled dishes from vegetables to kebabs. Tandoori chicken is a highly recommended food.

Where to Stay in Jaisalmer - 90% People Choose Hotels near the Jaisalmer Fort

1. Near the Jaisalmer Fort: 90%
2. Amar Sagar Pol
3. Sadar Bazar Area

As the most famous and popular spot in Jaisalmer travel, the hotels near the Jaisalmer Fort must be tourists’ first choice. Hotel Golden City, Hotel Shahi Garh and Hotel Victoria Jaisalmer are great places near the fort to stay. Near the Manak Chowk, Amar Sagar Pol provides picturesque views of Jaisalmer city, also a good place to stay. Hotel Tokyo Palace has a good view of the fort and easy accesses to the busy market and bus terminal. Sadar Bazar is Jaisalmer’s second busiest area and the Hotel Nachana Haveli is a good option here.

Transportation in Jaisalmer

Jodhpur Airport, located about 285 km (177 miles) away from Jaisalmer, is the nearest airport to Jaisalmer. So travelers usually arrive at Jodhpur Airport first and then transfer to Jaisalmer by car or train, which takes about 4.5-5 hours and 5.5 hours. Jaisalmer Railway Station (JSM) is Jaisalmer’s main train station, directly connected to cities like Delhi, Jodhpur and Jaipur respectively taking 17.5 hours, 5.5 hours and 11.5 hours by train. Besides, the Palace on Wheels, a luxury tourist train covering splendid decorations, eminent sights and delicious cuisine can reach Jaisalmer.

For inner Jaisalmer travel, auto-rickshaw is the most convenient and common way to get to a fixed destination. It costs around ₹50 from the train station to Gandhi Chowk (including luggage). Motorcycles are also available for renting on hourly or daily basis, ₹40/hour and ₹500/day. In addition, the taxis and cabs can also be hired directly to the tourist attractions or arranged hotels.

Top Shopping Markets

1. Sadar Bazaar: Sadar Bazar, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
As one of the busiest markets of Jaisalmer, this bazaar is packed with a variety of Rajasthani productions such as paintings, carpets and particularly leather goods.

2. Bhatia Bazaar: Bhatia Bazaar, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
Bhatia Bazaar is famous for its cotton and silk embroideries and leather items, also a perfect place to pick up some fine knickknacks and little gifts.

3. Manak Chowk Market: Fort Rd, Khejer Para, Manak Chowk, Jaisalmer
Outside the Jaisalmer Fort, Manak Chowk Market must be the first stop after touring the fort, where you can find wonderful handicrafts, ethnic jewelers and textiles.