- Best time
- October to March
- Nearest airport
- Jodhpur
- Nearest railway station
- Jaisalmer
- Also known as
- The Golden City
Jaisalmer Fort (Sonar Quila)
The fort dominates the skyline and is one of the few in India where people still live inside the walls, among shops, homes, guesthouses and temples. Bengali readers know it from Satyajit Ray's Feluda story and film Sonar Kella. Inside, a group of Jain temples dating from the 12th to the 15th centuries honours the Tirthankaras Rishabhanatha and Sambhavanatha, with fine carving in local yellow stone.
Havelis and palaces
The town's merchant mansions are its other great draw.
- Patwon Ki Haveli, a cluster of richly carved mansions with painted interiors
- Salim Singh Ki Haveli, dating from the early 18th century, with an arched roof resting on brackets carved as peacocks
- Badal Mahal, the five-storey Cloud Palace, topped by the pagoda-style Tazia Tower with carved balconies
- Jaisalmer Government Museum
Gadisar Lake
Maharawal Gadsi Singh created this reservoir in the 14th century to supply the town with water. Today it is lined with small temples and shrines and is both a place of worship and a peaceful spot for an evening walk or a boat ride, with good views of the fort.
Best time to visit
October to March is the season to go, with warm days and cool to cold nights that suit desert camps and sightseeing. Summer is extremely hot and best avoided. Pack a warm layer for winter evenings in the dunes.
How to reach
Jaisalmer railway station has direct trains including the Delhi–Jaisalmer, Howrah–Jaisalmer and Jodhpur–Jaisalmer services. By road the usual route runs via Jodhpur, and many travellers break the journey there or in Ajmer. Jodhpur airport is the most common gateway by air. We can put together a Rajasthan circuit that includes a night in a desert camp.
Places to see in Jaisalmer
SightJaisalmerJaisalmerJaisalmer FortJaisalmer Fort, the Sonar Qila: a living fort of yellow sandstone with palaces, Jain temples, havelis and desert views, plus visit tips.
Best: October to FebruaryRead guide →
SightJaisalmerJaisalmerPatwon Ki HaveliPatwon Ki Haveli in Jaisalmer is a row of five carved sandstone merchant mansions near the fort; see what's inside, timings and tips.
Best: September to FebruaryRead guide →
SightJaisalmerJaisalmerTanot Mata TempleTanot Mata Temple, deep in the Thar near the border west of Jaisalmer, is famed for shells that failed to explode here during the India-Pakistan wars.
Best: October to MarchRead guide →Also nearby
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