Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer, nicknamed The Golden City, is a city in the north-western Indian state of Rajasthan, located 575 kilometres (357 mi) west of the state capital Jaipur, in the heart of the Thar Desert.
It serves as the administrative headquarters of Jaisalmer district. Jaisalmer is a former medieval trading center and the historic capital of the kingdom of Jaisalmer, founded in 1156 by Rawal Jaisal of the Bhati clan of Rajputs. Jaisalmer stands on a ridge of yellowish sandstone and is crowned by the World Heritage Site, Jaisalmer Fort, a sprawling hilltop citadel supported by 99 bastions. This fort contains a royal palace and several ornate Jain temples. Many of the houses and temples of both the fort and of the town below are built of finely sculptured yellow sandstone. The town has a population, including the residents of the fort, of about 78,000. Jaisalmer ranked 9th on Booking.com's Top 10 The Most Welcoming cities in the world. It is the only Indian city on the list.
Getting to Jaisalmer
- 01Jaisalmer Airport
- 02Jaisalmer
Buses from Jodhpur and Bikaner are available.
Worth seeing
One of the most magnificent attractions is the Jaisalmer Fort known as the "Sonar Kila" due to the yellow stone it was built out of.
- 01Jaisalmer Fort
Also known as the “Sonar Quila” or "Sonal Kella" or "Sonar Kila" as pronounced differently in parts of India.
- 02Gadisar Lake
This is a rainwater lake which supplies water to the city.
- 03Jaisalmer War Museum
A museum displaying India's modern military history.
- 04Jaisalmer Folklore Museum
- 05Sam Sand Dunes
These sand dunes are around 50 km from Jaisalmer city but one has to go there to have this altogether different experience.
Things to do
Just chill, Jaisalmer is a lovely and very relaxing place. Plan at least two days and add time you want to have in the desert. Go for a stroll, visit the palace and do the camel safari (trips available from a few hours to 14 days). If you do not feel remotely attracted to camels, try a jeep safari into the desert to see the scenery and watch the sun go down.
Where to eat
Lots of local eateries which offer sumptuous lunches and dinners for a measly ₹20.
- 01Anchal Sweets
Artist Hotel Restaurant Near the sunset view point - in the middle of the Jaisalmer artist colony.
Getting around Jaisalmer the local way
- Get inThe train does not leave from the Station New Delhi next to the Backpacker-Ghetto "Main-Bazar", but a 15-min auto-rickshaw ride north from the Delhi Jn - Station.
- Get inVarious tour operators and travel agencies offer chauffeured car-taxi services; these are charged on a per-kilometre, per-day basis.
- Get inDistance |- | Agra | 800 km |- | Ajmer | 440 km |- | Bikaner | 330 km |- | Jaipur | 570 km |- | Jodhpur | 300 km |- | Mumbai | 1140 km |- | New Delhi | 800 km |- | Udaipur | 575 km |} Another option is to arrive by camel; Jaisalmer is famous for camel trips.
- Get inThe most grueling is the 14-day trip from Bikaner.
- Get inWhen booking a few days in the desert on a camel, remember to shop around in order to get the quality you pay for.
- Get inIt is really a fun experience to wander around on a camel, as you can cover most of the locations which cannot be covered with a vehicle.
- Get aroundAuto rickshaw and bicycles are other commonly used transportation medium at Jaisalmer.
- Get aroundIf you are carrying enough cash then Auto rickshaw is better alternative, especially in congested areas.
From Wikivoyage: Jaisalmer, CC BY-SA. Not yet checked by us. Last edited 2026-09.
Text adapted from Wikipedia and Wikivoyage, CC BY-SA 4.0. Photograph: Vineethasara (CC BY-SA 4.0), Wikimedia Commons.
