I went on a 4-day trip to Jaisalmer and Jodhpur covering the major spots in both cities. The trip started off on Dec 15, on an afternoon flight from Delhi to Jaisalmer. A train journey would take around 18 hours while a bus would take 13 hours.
Only one flight is available in a single day between Delhi to Jaisalmer so you don’t have many options for choosing a flight time that suits your plan.
You have to plan your trip according to the available flight. I booked my flights through Agoda (Spice jet, Delhi to Jaisalmer) and MakeMyTrip (Air India, Jodhpur to Delhi). The process was quite smooth on their apps.
Make sure to check the flight with your VPN on and preferably in incognito mode so that the prices don’t shoot up when you check the prices repeatedly.
For me, it’s important to cover as many places as possible in a budget. Because I was going with a group of 4 people, we booked hotels that were a bit luxe but still not too expensive.
I chose the hotels carefully, keeping in mind that the places I want to see are not very far away. You wouldn’t want to spend half the time-traveling to-and-fro.
My trip to Jaisalmer and Jodhpur was a bit short, it was a 4-day trip. I would recommend that you keep atleast one day extra for yourself.
Let me explain my trip’s itinerary to you! If you’re planning on a quick getaway, this is going to come in handy for you.
Plan your trip to Jaisalmer and Jodhpur
Table Of Contents
Day 1: Jaisalmer
- Delhi-Jaisalmer flight, reach the hotel and rest for an hour or so
- Stroll around local city around the hotel
- Back to hotel in the evening for dinner at the rooftop restaurant
Day 2: Jaisalmer > Desert Camp
- After the breakfast at the hotel, check out and be ready by 10:00 AM (We kept our luggage at the hotel itself)
- Visit Patwaon ki Haveli (1.2km from hotel) and Jaisalmer Fort (730m from Patwaon ki Haveli)
- Have lunch outside and be back at the hotel around 2:00 PM, and leave for The Captain Desert Camp (It takes around 40 minutes to reach the camp 40km away from the hotel)
- Spend the remaining day & night at the camp in activities, cultural performances, etc.
Day 3: Desert Camp > Jaisalmer > Jodhpur
- After early morning breakfast at the camp, leave for Jaisalmer hotel around 9:00 AM
- My Jaisalmer hotel let me keep my luggage at their hotel while I explored Jaisalmer till 3:00 PM
- Visit Gadisar Lake & nearby market (2.9km from hotel)
- Pick up the luggage from Jaisalmer hotel and take a cab to Jodhpur hotel around 3:00 PM (Costs anywhere between Rs. 3500 – Rs. 4500, 4-5 hours journey)
- Visit Jaisalmer War Museum on the way
- Reach the Jodhpur hotel by 8:00-9:00 PM and have dinner at the hotel itself
Day 4: Jodhpur
- After the breakfast at hotel, be ready by 11:00 AM
- Visit Mehrangarh Fort (15min, 8km away from Mandore Guest House) and the blue city near it (Take a local auto or an Uber)
- Back to hotel for dinner
Day 5: Jodhpur > Delhi
- Have breakfast at the hotel, pack the luggage
- Leave for an afternoon flight back to Delhi
What is Jaisalmer famous for?
Jaisalmer is famous for its mirrorwork embroidered garments and carpets, and shawls. Hats, carpets made from camel skin & hair, tapestry, oil lamps, finely cut antiques, old stonework, silver jewellery and silk and cotton textiles.
Some of the top tourist attractions in Jaisalmer are:
- Jaisalmer Fort
- Gadisar Lake
- Longewala War Memorial
- Jaisalmer War Museum
- Tanot Mata Temple
- Patwaon Ki Haveli
- Sadar Bazar
- Desert National Park
- Bada Bagh
- Desert Safari
And places to see in Jodhpur:
- Mehrangarh Fort, Phool Mahal inside it
- Blue city behind the Mehrangarh Fort
- Toorji ka Jhalra
- Jaswant Thada
- Umaid Bhawan Palace Museum
- Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park
- Ghanta Ghar
- Sardar Market
- Balsamand Lake and Garden
- Mandore Garden
How to reach Jaisalmer Fort?
I chose a hotel that was very close to Jaisalmer Fort. We literally ate breakfast and walked all the way. We stayed at the Hotel Swan Haveli, it is a beautiful hotel you should definitely try it out.
Patwaon ki Haveli comes before Jaisalmer Fort, so we walked to Patwon ki Haveli from hotel using Google Maps and directions from the locals around the city.
If you’re interested in knowing about the history of the havelis you can hire a guide for Rs. 200. You’ll see how the Maharajas used to live, their lifestyle, etc.
Depending on how many havelis you visit, it can take anywhere from 40 minutes to 1.5 hours to see the whole place.
Jaisalmer Fort is barely about 700 metres away from Patwaon ki Haveli. We walked that distance as well. But after seeing the fort, we took an auto back to hotel that charged Rs. 20 per person.
How to reach Jaisalmer from Delhi?
There are 4 options:
- Car – 13 hours
- Bus – 16 hours
- Train – 13-15 hours
- Flight – 1.5 hours
We went from Jaisalmer to Jodhpur by a cab that cost us Rs. 4,000 and took about 4-5 hours.
Why is Jaisalmer called the Golden City?
You will get the answer to this question as soon as you enter the city.
The entire city’s buildings and other architecture is made of yellow sandstone, inlcuding the tourist spots such as forts and havelis.
Its called the Golden City because it literally looks gold-like in the sunlight.
Summary
When you’re choosing a hotel for your trip, it’s important to check that the places you want to visit are close by. So that you don’t spend a lot traveling to and from the hotel. It’s the best thing if the hotel is in the city center.
Although Uber works in most cities, whenever possible, you should prefer to take local modes of transport like auto or local taxis since it gives a chance for the local people to earn a living.
Pack a strong sunscreen with you because the sun is pretty harsh in Jaisalmer. I kept this one – Neutrogena Ultrasheer Sunscreen, SPF 50+. Choose a sunscreen according to your skin and its sensitivity.
Stay tuned for the upcoming blog posts to know more about the hotels and the activities (Quad biking, parasailing, jeep safari) I did in the desert camp 🙂
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