2 day Jaisalmer Itinerary: Best Things To Do & Where To Stay
Nestled amongst the vast Thar Desert, Jaisalmer Fort protrudes like a giant sandcastle. Often called the ‘golden city’, Jaisalmer is a must-visit on any Rajasthan itinerary.
While the city itself is compact, there is so much to explore. From hidden bazaars and markets to intricately decorated havelis and temples and of course, the opportunity to take a camel safari into the depths of the surrounding desert.
Based on our own experience in this amazing city, this 2 day Jaisalmer itinerary will help you to plan your trip, including the top things to do in Jaisalmer, where to stay, how to get there and extra Jaisalmer travel tips
Day 1 of your 2 Day Jaisalmer itinerary
Today will mainly be spent taking in the best of the fort and the city, satisfying yourself with glorious food and finding the greatest views of the unique landscape.
Explore Jaisalmer Fort
If there’s any place in India you wouldn’t mind getting lost it’s here.
Jaisalmer Fort is the only living fort in India. It feels like a whole village inside its gigantic golden walls. Best of all, that also means it’s free for you to enter and you can even stay in hotels within.
Spend the morning wandering around the labyrinth of streets inside the fort. Unlike most cities in India, there are no cars here (and so no constant horns), meaning you’ll be free to relax and take in all the sights.
Walk through narrow alleyways, shop at the many bazaars, and pass intricately decorated Jain temples and sandstone havelis steeped in history.
Also, make sure you find your way to the top of the fort walls to get the best views over the surrounding city and seemingly infinite desert.
Jaisalmer Jain Temples
If you’ve travelled through India, and especially Rajasthan, you may feel like you are getting temple fatigue, such is the plethora of temples that are ‘must visit’. We certainly did by the time we arrived in Jaisalmer.
However, do visit these temples if you get the chance. Unlike most others, these are intricately carved Jain temples rather than Hindu ones, and they’re truly stunning.
Located inside the Jaisalmer Fort, they are up to 900 years old and are made from the same golden sandstone that gives the city its glow. The detailed architecture, quiet atmosphere, and spiritual energy make them stand out, even if you’ve seen dozens of temples already.
💡Tips:
- It can be quite difficult to find. Look on Google Maps for ‘Chandraprabhu Jain Temple’ for directions.
- You will have to remove your shoes to enter so make sure you have socks with you if you don’t want to be barefoot.
Maharaja’s Palace
Also known as the Jaisalmer Fort Palace Museum, it is located just above the main courtyard of the old fort and gives a great insight into the history of the city and the region.
For us, it wasn’t as impressive as the city palaces in the other Rajasthani cities of Jaipur and Udaipur, but it did have its own unique charm. It is also a great place to escape the midday heat while still taking in the Marwari culture.
It takes about 60-90 minutes to walk around, you can expect to see ornate balconies with great views over the surroundings, as well as a look into the life of the former kings who ruled over this land.
💡Tip:
- We’d advise you to get an audio guide, they’re relatively cheap (including in foreigner’s ticket price) and help you get the most out of your visit.
Lunch with Fort Views
It’s time to leave the fort and venture out into the surrounding city. The great thing about this is that you can now see the majestic fort, rising above the golden cityscape — the perfect backdrop while you indulge in a delicious lunch at a nearby rooftop restaurant.
There are plenty to choose from but we loved Restaurant Romany.
Located only a 5-minute walk from the fort entrance, the rooftop restaurant gives one of the best fort views in Jaisalmer. It is super relaxed (there was only one other family there when we visited) and most importantly does outstanding Rajasthani food. We HIGHLY recommend the Lal Maas, which was rich and delicious.
Patwon Ki Haveli (aka Kothari’s Patwa Haveli)
This haveli (mansion) demonstrates the best of the architecture you’ve come to expect in Rajasthan and is one of the top places to visit in Jaisalmer.
Beautifully intricate craftsmanship on the exterior, with carvings, balconies and, of course, sun-kissed golden sandstone the city is synonymous with. While the interior is full of interesting history as it looks into the lives of those who lived in the over the previous centuries.
What is known as Patwon Ki Haveli is actually part of a complex of five havelis, built over 200 years ago by a wealthy merchant for his five sons. We saw many havelis in India but this was the best-maintained and probably the most tourist-friendly too.
💡Tips:
- We recommend getting an official guide, you can get one outside the front entrance for around ₹500, they will help you to understand the place and they know the best photo locations too.
- Make sure you go up to the rooftop for views of the fort and the encircling city.
Head for a drink with the best sunset view of Jaisalmer Fort
This place was a bit of a struggle to find but it was absolutely worth it!
Cafe The Kaku offers panoramic views over the whole city, as well as the clearest view of the fort itself, perfect for sunset when the Golden City gets even more golden.
This is the perfect place to relax, grab a drink and a snack and watch the glorious sunset at the end of a long day of exploring.
You could eat here if you wanted as the food looked good but we had somewhere else in mind…
Indulge in a luxurious dinner with ANOTHER fort view
Normally we’re not the kind of people to have a cuisine not from the country we’re visiting when we’re travelling – especially in India where the food is so incredible. But for this place, we made an exception.
1st Gate Home Fusion does do pretty good Indian food but it is the Italian food which is the standout. Unlike a lot of restaurants in India, when they say Italian food here, they mean authentic, not overly spiced or Indo-Italian fusion, which makes a nice change after having heavy North Indian curries for the past week.
The pizzas smelt and looked incredible but we went for a delicious gnocchi dish, the BEST chocolate mousse we’ve ever eaten and washed it down with a glass of red wine and a Kingfisher. All while taking in the wonderful view of the fort lit up at night to end day one of the 2 day Jaisalmer Itinerary.
Day 2 of your 2 Day Jaisalmer itinerary
Today is all about one thing – the desert.
Start your day with a filling breakfast from the fort walls
You’ll want to make sure you have energy for the adventure you’ll be embarking on today and there’s no better way to wake you up than yet another stunning view from the fort itself.
The hotel we stayed at, Hotel Garh Jaisal, had its own rooftop cafe that was perfect.
Grab yourself a masala chai, aloo paratha and fresh juice and we’re ready to head off.
Head off on a Jaisalmer Desert Safari
This is absolutely the #1 thing to do in Jaisalmer. It was the highlight of our whole trip to Rajasthan. We’ll cover it briefly here but if you want a more detailed guide with more tips, check out our Jaisalmer Desert Safari & Camel Ride Guide.
We advise you to book your desert safari in advance. We went with Trotters and couldn’t recommend them more. They took care of everything including jeep travel, food and camping – it was perfect.
Khaba Fort and Khuldara abandoned village
Once a thriving community inhabited by wealthy Brahmins (members of the highest Hindu caste), this village is now abandoned and surrounded by legend about its history.
No one knows for sure why such a prosperous place was abandoned, but the most commonly discussed is that a tyrannical ruler caused all the villagers to flee in one night to avoid persecution. The story continues that they placed a curse on the place and now no one can spend the night there and survive – spooky!
It certainly does have an eerie aura when visiting and the history and myth are certainly interesting but you won’t stay here too long as there isn’t much to do. Though you might see a family of peacocks flying around.
Camel Ride in the Thar Desert
The jeep will drop you off deep in the desert with nothing around but your new friends: the camels.
Riding camels isn’t easy but it’s quite a fun experience once you get the hang of it, plus you’ll have incredible views over the rolling golden dunes from up there.
You’ll normally get to ride the camel for around 90 minutes before you reach the most beautiful place amongst the dunes, which will be your stop for the night.
Take in the sunset and sleep under the stars
After disembarking your camel, enjoy golden hour on the sand dunes and take in the most gorgeous sunset in all of India as the giant sun disappears into the desert horizon.
You’ll then be treated to a tasty dinner cooked over an open campfire. Expect daal, roti and veg, cooked home-style and so moreish.
Finally, if you choose the overnight option, you’ll sleep beneath a thousand stars out in the open in the desert. It feels like a once-in-a-lifetime experience to be completely at one with nature. No light pollution, no other people, just you the stars and the sand.
Alternatively: Glamping in the desert
If the idea of sleeping out in the open doesn’t appeal to you, you can take the more luxurious option of staying at a desert camp.
Expect ‘glamping-style’ tents, comfy beds, working electricity and a proper toilet. It’ll feel more like you’re in a hotel than camping – but you’ll still be in the desert.
You’ll still get the chance to partake in some desert activities including a camel ride although this may not take place in as quiet a location as the dunes if you did the full safari.
In the evening, expect a wide choice of dining options and to watch a traditional Rajasthani cultural programme including folk dancing and singing.
For more information from someone who has been to one see: Jaisalmer Camping review.
💡Tips:
- Pack for both extreme heat during the day as there’s no shade (hat, sunscreen etc.) as well as cold nights (jackets, extra blanket) as the desert can get to near freezing after dark
- Book your safari in advance, especially if visiting Jaisalmer in peak season (November – January)
- Make sure your safari provider has a track record of treating their camels well. We did our research and found Trotters did, which is why we chose them.
Is 2 days in Jaisalmer enough?
By following this 2 day Jaisalmer itinerary, we found it was the perfect amount of time. It allowed us to take in the culture of the city, have amazing food and go on a desert camel safari, while not feeling like we were too rushed.
If you were to stay longer, there are other things to do in Jaisalmer, such as:
- Bada Bagh (See guide here: Thirdeyetraveller – Bada Bagh)
- Gadisar Lake
- Jaisalmer War Museum
- Tanot Mata Temple
But from our research we decided that they were not worth an extra day – you might if you have more time than we did.
How to get to Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer isn’t the easiest place to get to as it is located right in the most western part of Rajasthan.
If you have been following our 7-Day Rajasthan Itinerary, you’ll be arriving here from Jaipur. This is ideal as there is a direct overnight train between the 2 cities. This is our favourite method of transport in India as it is relatively cheap and comfortable and you don’t spend any time travelling in the day, which eats into your exploring time.
Note there are no direct trains from Udaipur so we recommend going Udaipur -> Jaipur -> Jaisalmer if you can.
Alternatively, Jaisalmer does have a small airport with direct flights to/from Delhi, Mumbai and Jaipur if that suits your travelling style more.
Where to stay in Jaisalmer
As mentioned, we stayed at Hotel Garh Jaisal and it’s the only place we would recommend, it was perfect.
The rooms are spacious and have a heritage haveli feel to them. The views from the rooftop cafe are amazing, looking at the fort walls or out over the city. The breakfast itself was also brilliant.
Plus, they will look after your bags for you while you head out on your desert safari!
Best time to visit Jaisalmer
The best time to visit Jaisalmer is, similarly to elsewhere in Rajasthan, in the winter months of November – February. December is probably the busiest month so it might be best to avoid then if you want the tourist sites more to yourself.
Early ‘spring’ in March and April will be a lot quieter but with the temperatures creeping up to nearly 40 Celsius, it might make your desert safari experience quite uncomfortable if you’re not used to that heat.
What to wear in Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer gets really hot in the day, even in winter but quite cold at night, especially when out in the desert.
You’ll definitely want a hat or head covering and plenty of sunscreen for that midday sun as well as a thick jacket or hoodie for the desert safari.
It’s worth keeping in mind that although Jaisalmer is touristy, it is still a little conservative, especially for women. Avoid low-cut tops and make sure you bring clothing to cover your knees and shoulders if you plan on visiting the Jain temples.
For more tips, see our What to Wear in India as a Female tourist guide.
Heading elsewhere in Rajasthan? See our other guides:
What do you think of this 2 day Jaisalmer itinerary? Have you been r would like to one day? Let us know in the comments below:
