Jaisalmer
Golden fort rising from the Thar dunes
Best time to visit Jaisalmer
- Jan, peak season
- Feb, peak season
- Mar, shoulder season
- Apr, best avoided
- May, best avoided
- Jun, best avoided
- Jul, best avoided
- Aug, best avoided
- Sep, best avoided
- Oct, shoulder season
- Nov, peak season
- Dec, peak season
peak shoulder off-season avoid
- Go: November to February
- Shoulder: March and October, quieter, and the weather is less of a sure thing
- Skip: April to September
Jaisalmer season by season
Winter December to February Prime time
Prime season: cold desert nights under the stars, comfortable dune safaris by day.
Summer March to May Shoulder
Among India's hottest towns, past 45C with sandstorms; genuinely avoid this window.
Monsoon June to September Do not go
Rain is minimal but heat lingers through the monsoon months with zero relief.
Autumn October to November Prime time
Temperatures start dropping by late October, dune camps become bearable again.
What Jaisalmer is actually like
Desert-camp bonfires and shared jeep safaris turn strangers into a travel crew fast.
Getting to Jaisalmer
Overnight train from Jodhpur (5h) or fly direct into Jaisalmer
Practical ways in: flighttrainroad
Trip facts
- How long to stay
- 4 days
- Budget
- Mid-range
- How busy
- Steady at its peak
- Solo travel
- Easy solo
- Altitude
- 225 m
- State
- Rajasthan
- Coordinates
- 26.9157, 70.9083
Common questions
When is the best time to visit Jaisalmer?
November to February is peak season in Jaisalmer. March and October is shoulder season: thinner crowds, a bit more risk in the weather. Avoid April to September. Temperatures start dropping by late October, dune camps become bearable again.
How many days do you need in Jaisalmer?
4 days is the usual stay. Desert-camp bonfires and shared jeep safaris turn strangers into a travel crew fast.
How do you get to Jaisalmer?
Overnight train from Jodhpur (5h) or fly direct into Jaisalmer. Practical ways in: flight, train and road.
Is Jaisalmer expensive, and does it get crowded?
Mid-range by Indian travel standards, and it runs steady at the busiest time of year. Easy solo.
Is there a festival in Jaisalmer?
Feb: Jaisalmer Desert Festival. Time a trip around it and you see the place at its loudest, but book beds early.
Nearby, and where to go next
-
Kiradu Temples
Rajasthan
Ruined 11th-century Solanki temples alone in the Thar
170 km from Jaisalmer, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Barmer
Rajasthan
Thar frontier town of hand block prints and Kiradu ruins
180 km from Jaisalmer, roughly about 3 h by road
-
Khichan (Demoiselle Cranes)
Rajasthan
Village that feeds 20,000 demoiselle cranes each winter
200 km from Jaisalmer, roughly about 4 h by road
-
Balotra & Tilwara
Rajasthan
Luni-river print town and the Mallinath horse and cattle fair
240 km from Jaisalmer, roughly about 5 h by road
-
Osian (Osiyan)
Rajasthan
8th-century Jain and Hindu temples in a Thar oasis
260 km from Jaisalmer, roughly about 5 h by road
-
Jodhpur
Rajasthan
Indigo lanes stacked under Mehrangarh's 120 m clifftop fort
290 km from Jaisalmer, roughly about 6 h by road
-
Kolayat
Rajasthan
Kapil Muni's ghats on a temple lake in the open Thar
300 km from Jaisalmer, roughly about 6 h by road
-
Deshnoke (Karni Mata Temple)
Rajasthan
Marble temple where 25,000 rats are fed as sacred kabas
340 km from Jaisalmer, roughly about 7 h by road
More places to visit in Rajasthan
- Abhaneri (Chand Baori) Rajasthan
- Ajmer Rajasthan
- Alwar Rajasthan
- Balotra & Tilwara Rajasthan
- Banswara (Mahi Backwaters) Rajasthan
- Barmer Rajasthan
- Bhainsrorgarh Rajasthan
- Bhangarh & Ajabgarh Rajasthan
- Bharatpur (Keoladeo National Park) Rajasthan
- Bikaner Rajasthan
- Bundi Rajasthan
- Chittorgarh Rajasthan
- Deshnoke (Karni Mata Temple) Rajasthan
- Dungarpur Rajasthan
- Garadia Mahadev (Chambal Gorge) Rajasthan
- Hanumangarh (Bhatner & Kalibangan) Rajasthan
- Jaipur Rajasthan
- Jawai Bandh (Bera) Rajasthan
- Jhalawar (Gagron & Jhalrapatan) Rajasthan
- Jodhpur Rajasthan
- Karauli Rajasthan
- Khejarla Rajasthan
- Khichan (Demoiselle Cranes) Rajasthan
- Kiradu Temples Rajasthan
- Kishangarh Rajasthan
- Kolayat Rajasthan
- Kumbhalgarh Rajasthan
- Mandawa (Shekhawati) Rajasthan
- Menal (Falls & Temples) Rajasthan
- Merta City Rajasthan
- Mount Abu Rajasthan
- Nagaur Rajasthan
- Nawalgarh (Shekhawati) Rajasthan
- Neemrana Rajasthan
- Osian (Osiyan) Rajasthan
- Pushkar Rajasthan
- Ranakpur Rajasthan
- Ranthambore Rajasthan
- Sariska Tiger Reserve Rajasthan
- Tal Chhapar Rajasthan