The Golden City
Jaisalmer travel guide
Jaisalmer's fort is one of the very few in the world still lived in — around 3,000 people inside the walls. That is its charm and its problem: the drainage is fragile, so where you stay matters ethically, not just comfortably.
- Best time to visit
- November to February. Avoid April to June, when it passes 45°C.
- How many days
- 2 days including a desert night
Top things to do in Jaisalmer
Sonar Quila (Living Fort)
Walk it early. Stay outside the fort walls — conservation bodies ask visitors not to lodge inside.
Patwon ki Haveli
Five havelis in one cluster; the first is the only one with restored interiors.
Sam Sand Dunes
42 km out. Arrive by 5 pm; the dunes closest to the road are the most crowded.
Gadisar Lake
Sunrise, before the boats start.
Hidden places most visitors miss
- Kuldhara abandoned village at first light — eerie and empty before the tour vans.
- Khaba Fort's ruined settlement view over the desert.
- Lodurva's Jain temple, 15 km out, with the carved kalpavriksha.
Where and what to eat
- Ker sangri and gatte at Desert Boy's Dhani
- Makhania lassi at the fort gate
- Avoid the dune-camp buffets if you have a delicate stomach
Photography spots
- Fort from Gadisar's causeway at sunrise
- Dune ridgelines at Khuri, quieter than Sam
- Patwon ki Haveli's jharokhas in late afternoon