Places to Visit
Jaisalmer is a historical city with a lot of beautiful monuments & enchanting topography. Here are a few key attractions you must explore.
Jaisalmer Fort
Jaisalmer Fort is one of the most lively monument of the world and is definitely worth a visit. It was founded in the year 1156 A.D. by Maharaja Jaisal Singh and is also the second oldest fort of Rajasthan. It is now a living urban center with over 3000 people residing within its walls.
Its structural excellence and web of narrow to wide lanes surely gives you a feeling of the begone Royal Era. The fort’s massive yellow sandstone walls are a tawny lion colour during the day, fading to honey-gold as the sun sets, thereby camouflaging the fort in the yellow desert.
Havelis in Jaisalmer
Being a trade center and a dynasty ruled city, Jaisalmer got some unique buildings and architectural monuments that defined the city as the city of Havelis. Build with either pure Rajputana architecture and a blend of Rajputana & Mughal architecture these havelis are definitely worth visiting.
The major Havelis of Jaisalmer in order of their build period are Patwo Ki Haveli, Nathmal Ki Haveli and Salim Singh Ki Haveli. All these Havelis are now converted into heritage museums and act as tourist attractions. They are open to the public during general visiting hours.
Gadisar Lake
The Gadisar lake was built to quench the thirst of the people in Jaisalmer. It is also referred to as the Oasis in the desert and is a major tourist attraction of Jaisalmer. The lake is extremely placid with temples & shrines doting and forming a great panoramic background for your memorable photographs.
You can enhance your staying experience in Jaisalmer by going to Gadisar for boating. is the ideal place to spend a romantic evening or to grab some extra peace. One can see the beautiful sunset while boating. The best time to visit lake is either before 11:00 AM or after 4:30 PM.
Bada Bagh
The Bada Bagh boasts of the royal cenotaphs of kings, nobel persons and brave warriors of Jaisalmer. On coming here, you will find the place calm and serene. To maintain the dignity and worthiness of this place, you will not find any description stones or inscriptions.
Bada Bagh basically means a big garden, a garden of cenotaphs of warriors. Vyas Chatari is a similar place with cenotaphs of nobel brahmins of the city. These places provide a taste of history and reminiscence of the bygone era. The best time to visit is either early in the morning or before sunset.
Amar Sagar
There is a small and beautiful lake near the 17th century palace build by Maharaja Akhai Singh to honor his predecessor Maharaja Amar Singh. The calm magical chimes of the water on the relaxing stairs of the lake brings the feeling of peace & solitude.
There is a Jain Temple dedicated to Lord Parshwanath, called Adeshwar Nath Jain temple, which is Located adjacent to the famous Amar Sagar Lake. It was built by Patwa Bafna Himmat Ram in 1928 and boasts of beautiful stone carvings. The best time to visit lake is again either early morning or during sunset.
Kuldhara
In the Era of kings and ministers about 200 years ago ‘Kuldhara’ was home to the Paliwal Brahmins. The legend goes that one of the king’s nobels. i.e Salim Singh looked at a Brahmin girl with bad intentions. So in order to save the honour of the Brahmins, 84 villages were abandoned overnight.
Kuldhara is one of those villlages and one would certainly notice the uncanny silence prevailing around. The place worth visiting specially for those who love thrill & fiction. The town is about 20 Kms away from Jaisalmer and the best time to visit it is during the daytime.
Khaba Fort
Khaba Fort was the old home of the maharaja who later shifted to Jaisalmer for strategic defense. If you don’t mind getting up early, it’s possible to have breakfast at the ruins of an old fort in the desert while marveling over the remarkable spectacle of a huge flock of peacocks coming in to be fed by a local boy.
The peacocks also arrive at sunrise in Khaba Fort or in an abandoned Paliwal village, about 40 minutes west of Jaisalmer (towards the Sam Sand Dunes). Apart from seeing the peacocks, you’ll get an evocative view over the village, and can explore the fort as well.
War Museum
The Jaisalmer War Museum covers the history and the journey of the Indian Army along with its contribution in the 1965 Indo-Pak War and the 1971 Longewala battle. The Museum displays war exhibits which include vehicles and equipment captured from Pakistan during the course of operations.
The museum pays homage to all those martyrs who lost their lives defending the country and the museum even has a memorial made from the murals of these soldiers. The memorial also has an audio-visual theater where a movie on the battle of Longewala is showcased.
Sam Dunes
The Sam dunes attracts hordes of tourists each day who come to witness the beauty of these amazing sand dunes. THe dunes are around 45 kms away from Jaisalmer and it takes around 40-50 minutes to reach here. The ideal time to visit Sam Dunes is in the evening to soak in the enchanting sunset.
One can also indulge in various events like a camel ride, a ride in a camel cart or choose to stay in a desert camp. Enchanting cultural performances with local dance and music happen in the evenings in these camps and witnessing them first-hand is definitely worth an experience.
Heritage Museum
Thar Heritage Museum is the ideal place for you if you’re eager to learn more about the history and the folklore of Jaisalmer. This small privately operated museum was set up by L N Khatri, who is also the owner of the Desert Handicraft Emporium, which is located near the museum.
The museum contains an eclectic assortment of artifacts, which include fossils, documents, portraits, photos, sculptures, coins, manuscripts, turbans, weapons, and kitchen equipment. There’s a 40 rupees entrance fee and puppet shows are often held here in the evenings, adding to the enchantment.
Tanot & Longewala
Anyone who’s grown up in India can not forget the 1996 blockbuster movie ‘Border’. Well it was the Longewala battle of 1971, which was showcased in the movie. There is a Longewala War Museum which showcases various vehicles and equipment captured from during the battle.
Then, there is the famous Mateshwari Tanot Rai Temple which is taken care of by the BSF. The legend says that Pakistan army dropped more than 3000 bombs till 19 November, but the temple of Tanot Mata remained unscathed. The Indian Army has built a Vijay Stambha to mark the victory of Longewala.
Let's go where the sun kisses the sand.
Let us be your guide to create unforgettable memories as you embark on an exciting journey to discover beautiful Jaisalmer.