Top Things to Do in Jaisalmer

Though during its earlier days, Jaisalmer city was limited within the Golden Fort (Jaisalmer Fort) but, now-a-days, it has expanded outside the ramparts, where there are bazaars, museums and hotels. Among top things to do in Jaisalmer are exploring the golden citadel, visiting intricately carved havelis (mansions), enjoying desert safaris, camping on sand dunes, participating in cultural activities, observing wildlife in Thar Desert, munching on tasty delicacies, observing Jain temples’ architecture, watching museums etc. Jaisalmer, the Golden City of Rajasthan, is a desert city. It is a cinematic city of Rajasthan that takes visitors back to the golden era of the Rajput. India's last inhabited fortress on western border, the second-oldest in Rajasthan, Jaisalmer continues to delight tourists. Jaisalmer majestically overlooks the Thar Desert. Located on the ancient Silk Route connecting to Persia, Arab countries and the West, Jaisalmer is a city primarily inhabited within Sonar Qila, built of golden sandstones retaining its medieval charm. The city has preserved its culture so well that every place in Jaisalmer still imparts a feel of immensely rich culture and heritage. The true spirit of Bhati Rajputs can be found in the sights and impressions of this city. Today, Jaisalmer is a labyrinth of ancient buildings, temples, modern guesthouses and colourful shops for the tourists. Large number of tourists, both Indian & foreign, keep coming to explore history, culture, traditions and heritage of more than 900-year-old Golden City of Rajasthan. While exploring, one would get to come across a lot of mysteries and see how the modern life dwells in the lanes of those gorgeous palaces, gargantuan fort and obviously the desert. Jaisalmer is one of the top tourist destinations in Rajasthan and people love exploring the dramatic side of the Rajputana life here. Yellow sandstone structures, huge fort dominating the skyline, tales of valour of the chivalrous Rajput kings and a never ending stretch of Thar Desert define the beauty of Jaisalmer. But, no amount of words can do justice for defining this beautiful city. There are so many more experiences to get in Jaisalmer. Once a year, during the winter, the arid lands of Jaisalmer come to life during the Desert Festival, an occasion to observe and experience folk dances and traditional music.

Explore City within Golden Fort: Jaisalmer Fort is called as the Golden Fort of Rajasthan. It is the most famous tourist attraction of the Golden City of Rajasthan. Though Jaisalmer Fort was built initially in 12th century but its presently visible ramparts date back to 15th century. The citadel of Jaisalmer is characterized by harmonious amalgam of Rajput & Jain architectural styles. Jaisalmer Fort is huge and finds mention in the list of world’s largest forts. The marvellous fort is made up of golden yellow sandstones and when the sun rays fall on Sonar Qila, it looks like a mirage in the desert. It is beautiful to say the least. It has 99 turrets and takes enough time to explore completely. Also, it is a paradise for the photographers because there are so many spots to click some gorgeous pictures.

Camel Safari during Sunset: Jaisalmer is situated amidst one of the most beautiful deserts, Thar Desert. And having a ride on the back of camel, popularly called ‘sip of desert’, is a worth experiencing activity. The desert is breathtakingly stunning with the view of sands spreading all across till the eyes can see. And getting on a bumpy ride on the back of camels through the sandy terrain is all fun. The best time for camel ride in Thar Desert is the sunset when the skyline looks like right out from another world. The hues of different colours in the sky make it a sight worth watching. Visiting villages of Jaisalmer either on ‘jeep’ or camel is a favourite activity of tourists. Camel safari in desert area of Jaisalmer is a must-do activity to enjoy.

Overnight Camping in Thar Desert of Jaisalmer: Spending time on a sand dune under mesmerising view of starry sky and staying in a tented camp is one of the most coveted activities while exploring & experiencing Jaisalmer. Camping in Thar Desert during winter season is one of the most fun experiences to have in life. Being somewhere in the middle of the desert with only signs of sand, sand dunes, and camps all over, sleeping amidst the smell of the sands, and waking up in the raw atmosphere under the sky instil a surreal feeling for sure. Spending a night like this is recommended when in Jaisalmer. There are various desert safari camps all over in the Thar Desert. Stay in a camp is followed by folk performances to make the night entertaining and memorable.

Visit the Jain Temples: Just like the other cities of Rajasthan, Jaisalmer is also known for being home to historically ancient and architecturally beautiful temples. Especially, the Jain temples in Jaisalmer are mostly loved for unique carvings, intricate engravings and sumptuous upkeep. The Jain temples are the most loved and visited temples of Rajasthan and taking a tour to all these gorgeous temples is a must while on Jaisalmer tour. There are seven prominent Jain temples in Jaisalmer Fort. Nearby Jaisalmer is a village called Lodurva, famous for highly revered Jain temples. These temples were built in during 12th and 15th centuries and are dedicated to various Jain Tirthankars. Each wall and corner of these Jain temples is embellished with frescoes, mirrors, carvings and other decorative things. Exploring them all is bliss.

Walk through Havelis: In addition to fort and palaces, there are few havelis in the city like Nathmal Ki Haveli, Patwon Ki Haveli, Salim Singh Ki Haveli and Fort Jaisal haveli. These havelis are true masterpieces of the most spellbinding architecture. Walking through these stunning havelis while adoring the architecture feels like being in the era of the brave & royal Rajput is purely a pleasure. It is advised to explore all these ancient havelis in deep from inside out and click pictures, have some good time there and return back with loads of knowledge and information. These havelis show how the life of the Rajput and rich businessmen was back then.

Watch Sunset from Vyas Chhatri: Vyas Chhatri, an epic cenotaph, dates back to an era of the great epic Mahabharata. The cenotaph is named after Sage Vyas who had written Mahabharata. It is a beautiful cenotaph and looks incredible by all means. The best thing to do here is to watch the sunset from Vyas Chhatri. Although, this is a cremation site for Brahmins but it’s worth exploring for its splendid architecture. The cenotaph is built of yellow sandstones on a raised platform and has intricately carved chhatris on the top of the finely chiselled pillars. The Rajasthani architecture of the cenotaph is worth noticing. The spot is a highly popular destination among lot of photographers, artists, models and architects to explore.

Enjoy a Boat Ride in Gadsisar Lake: Gadsisar Lake amidst vast expanse of Thar Desert is a pleasant sight to behold. It is a man-made lake to address the issue of water in desert city. It was built by the first ruler of Jaisalmer city. It is a historic lake having a marvellous entrance with yellow sandstone carved archway. There are carved chhatris throughout on the banks of the lake, making it a lot prettier. There are temples, shrines and ghats all over on the banks of the lake, making it an interesting place to be at. It’s a journey through the lanes of history and religiosity while exploring the shrines, chhatris and ghats of the lake. During sunrise and sunset, Gadsisar Lake holds special prominence for visitor as from here the Jaisalmer Fort looks golden. A boat ride here is a real fun and happens throughout the day.

Shopping in Jaisalmer: Being one of the top tourist destinations in Rajasthan, it obviously comes with the perks of some fabulous local shopping. Jaisalmer is known for its handicrafts. There are several famous markets with mindboggling variety of handicraft products. Bhatia Bazaar, Sadar Bazaar, Pansari Bazaar, Sonaron Ka Bas, Light of the East, Seemagram and Manas Chowk are some of the main markets of the city those are famous for souvenir shopping. A tourist can purchase some famous items like camel leather products, mirror work embroidery products, fossil stones and intricate Rajasthani jewellery. The local shopkeeper & sellers quote a bit high price, thus creating ample scope for bargaining. Shopping in Jaisalmer is enjoyed by a tourist due to exuberant market and a large repertoire of artistic handicraft articles.

Appreciate Wildlife in Desert National Park in Jaisalmer: The ever so serene Desert National Park is one of the largest national parks of the country. The presence of national park in the desert is a very exotic example of a perfect ecosystem on the planet. Having a contrasting effect of the desert and a lush green flora and fauna in the desert is bliss to explore by all means. Visiting this park and seeing the wildlife in its diversity is a lifetime experience. Taking a guided tour to the park is quite entertaining because one gets to know a lot of hidden secrets about the park and its wildlife.