Driving to Jaisalmer from Jodhpur: distance, time and price
Jaisalmer is about 285 km west of Jodhpur across the Thar, typically five hours by car via Balesar and Pokaran. A RutzIndia.com sedan with chauffeur is Rs 10,260 Pay Now to Reserve one way and an Innova Crysta Rs 16,250 Pay Now to Reserve, with 5% GST on top and tolls and parking reimbursed at the receipted amount. A Fortuner for the desert highway is Rs 23,940 Pay Now to Reserve.
Jaisalmer rises out of the desert like a mirage. Rawal Jaisal founded it in the twelfth century on Trikuta hill, and for centuries it prospered as a stop on the camel caravan routes to Central Asia and Sindh. Its yellow sandstone fort, the Sonar Qila, is not a museum piece but a living neighbourhood, with homes, temples, guesthouses and shops inside its walls. Below it, merchants built havelis carved so finely they look like fretwork, and beyond the city the dunes of the Thar roll towards the border.
Getting there by road is part of the adventure. The highway from Jodhpur crosses flat, silent desert, past camel herds, Bishnoi hamlets, wind farms and the fort town of Pokaran. A chauffeur who knows the route, the fuel stops and the desert camp tracks makes the journey easy, and the car stays with you for the dunes, the abandoned villages and the long drive to Tanot. Here is everything you need to plan it.
What to see in and around Jaisalmer
Sonar Qila, the Golden Fort
Enter through a series of massive gates and climb into a maze of lanes. Inside are the Raj Mahal, the former royal palace now a museum with views over the whole city, and a cluster of beautifully carved Jain temples dating from roughly the twelfth to the fifteenth centuries. Families have lived inside the fort for generations. Walk slowly, respect people's homes, and be aware that the fort's fragile foundations are a conservation concern; many visitors choose to stay outside the walls to reduce the load on them.
The havelis
- Patwon ki Haveli, a group of five adjoining mansions built by a wealthy trading family in the early nineteenth century, with extraordinary jharokhas and a museum in one of the houses.
- Salim Singh ki Haveli, with its distinctive upper storey flaring out like a peacock's tail, once home to a powerful prime minister of the state.
- Nathmal ki Haveli, carved, according to local lore, by two brothers who each worked on one half, which is why the two sides are subtly different.
Gadisar Lake and Bada Bagh
Gadisar Lake, a fourteenth-century reservoir, is fringed by small temples and entered through the ornate Tilon ki Pol gateway. Early morning, with birds on the water and the fort glowing behind, is the time to go. Bada Bagh, a few kilometres north, is a hillside of royal cenotaphs that makes a classic sunset photograph.
Into the desert
- Sam Sand Dunes, about 40 km west, are the best-known dunes, with camel rides, jeep safaris and desert camps with evening folk music. Expect crowds at sunset in season.
- Khuri, about 45 km south-west, has quieter dunes and village-style camps.
- Kuldhara, an abandoned village of the Paliwal community, wrapped in legends about why its people left overnight.
- Lodurva, the old capital, with a rebuilt Jain temple about 15 km from the city.
- Tanot Mata Temple and Longewala, roughly 120 km north-west near the border, known for their role in the 1965 and 1971 wars. The road is good but empty; check the current access rules for your nationality with the district administration before you go.
- Desert National Park, a protected landscape important for the endangered great Indian bustard; access to parts of it is regulated.
The Jaisalmer district portal carries tourism and administrative information for the area, including notices about border-zone travel.
Food
Try ker sangri, a tangy dish of desert beans and berries, with bajra roti and dal baati. Ghotua laddoos are the town's traditional sweet. In the camps, dinners are usually generous Rajasthani thalis.
The desert highway: Jodhpur to Jaisalmer and other approaches
From Jodhpur (about 285 km)
The chauffeur leaves Jodhpur to the north-west and follows the highway through Balesar and Dechu to Pokaran, where the red-sandstone Balagarh fort sits beside the town. A short detour north leads to Ramdevra, the shrine of the folk saint Baba Ramdev, busy with pilgrims during its annual fair in August and September. From Pokaran, the final stretch runs west to Jaisalmer. The road is two to four lanes, generally in good condition, with occasional wind-blown sand, stray cattle and camels to watch for. Fuel and food stops are fewer than elsewhere in Rajasthan, so our drivers fill up in Jodhpur and plan breaks at Balesar or Pokaran.
Parts of the region around Pokaran are military areas; photography near defence installations is prohibited and the driver will tell you where to put the camera away.
From Bikaner (about 330 km)
Coming from the north, the drive runs south-west across open desert, via Kolayat or via Phalodi depending on your chauffeur's choice, to meet the Pokaran road for the final run into Jaisalmer. It is lonely but atmospheric. Our Bikaner by road guide covers the northern desert city.
Flying in
Jaisalmer's airport has limited and sometimes seasonal flights. Many travellers fly to Jodhpur instead and drive, which gives a more reliable schedule and a first look at the desert on the way. We meet flights at either airport, track arrival times and hold a name board at the exit; waiting is free for 30 minutes on domestic arrivals.
When to go to Jaisalmer
October to February is the season. Days are pleasant, desert nights are cold (bring warm layers for the camps, especially in December and January), and the skies are brilliant with stars. March is warming but still manageable.
April to September is extreme: summer temperatures in the Thar regularly climb well above 40°C, and many desert camps close for the season. If you travel in this period, keep sightseeing to early morning and late evening.
The highlight of the calendar is the Jaisalmer Desert Festival, held over a few days in January or February around the full moon of Magh, with camel races, turban-tying contests, folk music and a final evening on the Sam dunes. Book cars and rooms early. The winter holiday period from Christmas to New Year is also extremely busy. Rajasthan Tourism publishes the fair and festival calendar on tourism.rajasthan.gov.in.
Chauffeured cars for a Jaisalmer trip
RutzIndia.com can bring you to Jaisalmer on a one-way fare, keep the car for your whole desert stay, or include Jaisalmer in a larger Rajasthan loop. The amounts below leave out 5% GST. Tolls and parking go on the bill at exactly what the receipts show. When the chauffeur stays overnight with you, there is a night allowance of Rs 1,500. Returns are charged for whichever is higher: the kilometres driven, or 250 km for each calendar day of the trip.
| Desert trip | Sedan (4 seats) | Ertiga (6) | Innova Crysta (6) | Fortuner (6) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jodhpur to Jaisalmer, one way (285 km) | Rs 10,260 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 11,970 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 16,250 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 23,940 Pay Now to Reserve |
| Jodhpur–Jaisalmer–Jodhpur, 2 days (570 km) | Rs 20,520 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 23,940 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 32,490 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 47,880 Pay Now to Reserve |
| Jaisalmer local 8 hr / 80 km (dunes, havelis) | Rs 7,200 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 9,000 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 12,600 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 22,500 Pay Now to Reserve |
| Day trip to Tanot and Longewala (about 300 km) | Rs 10,800 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 12,600 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 17,100 Pay Now to Reserve | Rs 25,200 Pay Now to Reserve |
Groups of 10 or more can travel in a Tempo Traveller at Rs 78 per km, which puts the Jodhpur to Jaisalmer leg at Rs 22,230 Pay Now to Reserve.
Services available:
- One-way drops from Jodhpur, Bikaner or Udaipur to your Jaisalmer hotel or desert camp.
- Car at disposal for the fort, havelis, Kuldhara and a sunset drop at Sam or Khuri; camp jeeps and camel rides on the dunes themselves are run by licensed local operators.
- SUVs for the long desert drives; see Fortuner on rent.
- Group transport in a Tempo Traveller for wedding parties, reunions and school trips.
- Jodhpur pickups from the airport or railway station through our Jodhpur taxi service.
- Multi-city Rajasthan tours linking Jaipur, Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Udaipur, as on our Rajasthan tour by car page.
Cars are no more than four model years old. You pay by card or UPI in the booker, and corporate or event bookings receive a GST invoice.
Book a Jodhpur to Jaisalmer car
A three-day Jaisalmer plan by car
Day 1: Jodhpur to Jaisalmer (about 295 km)
Depart Jodhpur at 7:30 am, tea at Balesar, lunch in Pokaran with a look at the fort. Reach Jaisalmer by mid-afternoon and head to Bada Bagh for sunset.
Day 2: the Golden City and the dunes (about 100 km)
Morning in the fort: Raj Mahal and the Jain temples. Lunch, then the havelis and Gadisar Lake. In the late afternoon, drive via Kuldhara to Sam or Khuri for sunset on the dunes and a night in a desert camp, or return to your hotel after dinner.
Day 3: Tanot or onward
Either a long day to Tanot Mata and Longewala (about 300 km), or depart for Jodhpur, Bikaner or back towards Jaipur. See our Jodhpur by road guide for the return leg.
Desert travel tips
- Layers. Scorching days and near-freezing winter nights are common. Pack a warm jacket for the camps.
- Sun and dust. Sunglasses, a scarf and lip balm make dune evenings far more comfortable.
- Camp checks. Confirm what your camp includes (dinner, cultural show, safari) before you go; your driver will drop you at the gate at the agreed time.
- Fort etiquette. Remember people live inside Sonar Qila. Keep noise down and ask before photographing residents.
- Border area. Carry photo ID on the Tanot road and follow any instructions at checkpoints.
- Entry fees for the fort palace museum and havelis change periodically; check the official portals or ask at the gate.
Planning a desert wedding or a big celebration at a camp? We can shuttle guests from Jodhpur, run cars between hotels and the venue, and station a driver on call through the night. Ask the travel desk.
Booking and cancellation terms
Book with your pickup city, dates and camp or hotel name in the RutzIndia.com booker, or WhatsApp the desk. We send the chauffeur's details the evening before. If your plans change, you can cancel for free as long as departure is more than 72 hours away. After that the fee is a tenth of the fare, rising to half once you are within 48 hours and to the whole fare in the last 24 hours or if the car goes unused. The complete wording is on the cancellation policy page, and all vehicle rates are on the fares page.
