Jaisalmer in 3 days

The Golden City: a living sandstone fort and camel camps in the Thar Desert. Best time to visit: November-February. Average daily budget: $25 to $80 USD.

Day 1, Get oriented

Base: Jaisalmer Fort, The inhabited citadel: Jain temples, guesthouses, rooftop restaurants and narrow lanes.

Morning: Jaisalmer Fort at sunrise. Walk the ramparts and lanes before the shops and coaches wake up.

Afternoon: Explore Jaisalmer Fort, The inhabited citadel: Jain temples, guesthouses, rooftop restaurants and narrow lanes.

Evening: Overnight desert camp. Camel ride to the dunes, folk music, dinner and sleeping under the stars.

Eat: Ker sangri, the desert bean-and-berry Rajasthani staple

Day 2, Go deeper

Base: Around Gadisar Lake, Ghats, chhatris and quiet mornings a short walk from the old town.

Morning: Patwon-ki-Haveli. Five merchant mansions with the finest stone carving in Rajasthan.

Afternoon: Explore Around Gadisar Lake, Ghats, chhatris and quiet mornings a short walk from the old town.

Evening: Gadisar Lake. A 14th-century reservoir with temple gates, best at dawn or dusk.

Eat: Dal baati churma at a rooftop with a fort view

Day 3, Hidden side

Base: Haveli quarter, Patwon-ki, Nathmal-ki and Salim Singh havelis in the streets below the fort.

Morning: Kuldhara, an abandoned village said to be cursed, 18km out.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Afternoon: Explore Haveli quarter, Patwon-ki, Nathmal-ki and Salim Singh havelis in the streets below the fort.

Evening: Bada Bagh cenotaphs at sunset, with wind turbines behind them.. A local favourite most visitors miss, worth the detour.

Eat: Makhaniya lassi, thick, saffron-scented and local

Hidden gems

Kuldhara, an abandoned village said to be cursed, 18km out.
Bada Bagh cenotaphs at sunset, with wind turbines behind them.
Vyas Chhatri for the least crowded golden-hour view of the fort.
The Jain temples inside the fort, open only in the mornings.

Getting around

The old town is walkable and the fort is best on foot; auto-rickshaws cover the rest for a dollar or two. Trains link Jaisalmer with Jodhpur in about 5 to 6 hours and Delhi overnight in 17, and buses run to Jodhpur and Bikaner. Desert camps include jeep transfers from town in the package. A hired car with driver for the day, covering Kuldhara, Bada Bagh and the dunes, runs about $25 to $35.

Safety

Jaisalmer is safe by Indian standards, with the usual pressure from touts and commission-driven camel-safari touts at the station and bus stand: book camps through your hotel or a reviewed operator instead. Summer heat from April to June exceeds 45C and is dangerous for daytime sightseeing. Desert nights in December and January drop near freezing, so pack layers. Stick to bottled or filtered water and eat at busy places.

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