7 Days in the Rajasthan Desert — Jodhpur, Jaisalmer, Bikaner

The Rajasthan desert circuit picks up where the Golden Triangle ends, taking you west into the Thar Desert through three of India's most photogenic fort cities. The three sit roughly in a triangle in western Rajasthan: Jodhpur ("the Blue City") with its towering Mehrangarh Fort; Jaisalmer ("the Golden City") with its still-living medieval fort; and Bikaner, the smaller third corner with the magnificent Junagarh Fort and the eccentric Karni Mata "rat temple." A 7-day loop visits all three with one night under canvas in the desert near Jaisalmer.

At a glance

• Total days: 7 (6 nights)
• Route: Jodhpur (2 nights) → Jaisalmer (3 nights, including 1 desert camp) → Bikaner (1 night) → home
• Distance: ~900 km loop on improving Rajasthan roads
• Best season: October–March. Avoid April–June (45+ °C in the desert) and the May sand-storm window.
• Permits: none required.

Day 1 — Arrive Jodhpur

Fly into Jodhpur (JDH) — direct flights from Delhi and Mumbai, indirect from elsewhere. Or take the overnight train from Delhi (Mandore Express, Jodhpur Mail).

Spend the afternoon getting your bearings in the Blue City. Wander the old town below the fort — the indigo-painted houses, narrow lanes, the Sardar Market centred on the Ghanta Ghar (clock tower), and the beautifully restored Toorji ka Jhalra stepwell. Sunset from one of the rooftop cafés near the fort with Mehrangarh lit up.

Stay: Jodhpur (the RAAS or Pal Haveli for character; budget options around the clock tower).

Day 2 — Mehrangarh Fort and Umaid Bhawan

The two big Jodhpur sights.

• Morning: Mehrangarh Fort — one of the most spectacular forts in India, perched on a 125 m sandstone cliff above the city. The well-curated museum inside covers Rajput history, costumes, weapons, royal cradles. The audio guide is excellent. Allow 3 hours including the courtyards and viewpoints.
• Lunch: in the old city below the fort.
• Afternoon: Jaswant Thada — the white marble cenotaph next to the fort, much quieter than the fort itself. Then Umaid Bhawan Palace — the Maharaja's 1944 art-deco palace; the museum wing is open to the public, and the Taj Hotel section is often visited for high tea.
• Evening: wander the old city, dinner at Indique (rooftop with Mehrangarh views) or Hanwant Mahal.

Day 3 — Jodhpur to Jaisalmer

A long but interesting drive across the Thar.

• Morning: drive to Jaisalmer via Pokhran (where India's first nuclear test was conducted in 1974) — 290 km, around 5–6 hours.
• Late afternoon: arrive Jaisalmer. Walk into the Jaisalmer Fort (Sonar Quila) — one of the very few living medieval forts in the world, with several thousand residents inside the walls. Sunset from the Tilon-ki-Pol gate area.
• Evening: dinner at one of the rooftop restaurants inside or just outside the fort. Eat outside the fort by preference — the conservation issues with hotels and restaurants inside the fort are real.

Stay: Jaisalmer outside the fort (heritage haveli hotels are best — see the Jaisalmer travel guide for the sustainability case).

Day 4 — Jaisalmer havelis and the desert

A combination of city and desert.

• Morning: the carved sandstone merchant havelis in the old city — Patwon-ki-Haveli (the most spectacular, a complex of five townhouses), Salim Singh-ki-Haveli, Nathmal-ki-Haveli.
• Late morning: Gadisar Lake — the artificial reservoir at the south edge of town, with a small temple and good bird life in winter.
• Lunch: quick early lunch in town.
• Afternoon: drive out to the Sam dunes (45 km west) for a camel safari at sunset. Most operators include a folk music dinner in a desert camp; the higher-end camps (some with full air-conditioned tents) cluster around the dunes.
• Overnight: stay at the desert camp.

Day 5 — Desert morning, back to Jaisalmer

A slow morning, then back to town.

• Morning: sunrise from the dunes, breakfast at the camp, drive back to Jaisalmer. Stop at Kuldhara, the famously abandoned village 18 km out, on the way.
• Afternoon: any Jaisalmer sights you missed on Day 4. Free time for shopping (mirrored embroidery, camel-leather goods, silver jewellery — but watch out for the heavy commission economy in the fort lanes).
• Evening: dinner back in Jaisalmer; relax.

Stay: Jaisalmer outside the fort.

Day 6 — Jaisalmer to Bikaner

Another long drive across the Thar.

• Morning: drive to Bikaner (330 km, around 6–7 hours). Mostly flat desert road, can do with audiobooks.
• Afternoon: check in. Junagarh Fort — built 1593, one of the few major Rajput forts that was never conquered. The interior palaces (Anup Mahal, Phool Mahal, Rang Mahal) are beautifully preserved. Allow 2.5 hours.
• Evening: Bikaner old town. The bhujia (the spicy fried snack invented here) is everywhere.

Stay: Bikaner (the Laxmi Niwas Palace or Narendra Bhawan for character).

Day 7 — Karni Mata, then home

A morning side trip and then return.

• Morning: Karni Mata Temple at Deshnok (30 km south of Bikaner) — the famous "rat temple," with about 25,000 black rats considered sacred and freely roaming the temple precincts. Glimpsing a white rat is considered especially auspicious. Whatever you make of it, it is unique. Allow 2 hours including the drive.
• Late morning: back to Bikaner.
• Afternoon: depart for home — drive to Delhi (440 km, 7–8 hours) for an evening flight, or fly out from Bikaner's small Nal Airport (limited Delhi service), or take an overnight train back to Delhi.

Practical notes

• Driving distances: the Rajasthan triangle's drives are long but on improving roads. A car-and-driver is the easiest way to do this trip.
• Desert camp choice: the Sam-area camps range from basic shared-tent backpacker setups to full air-conditioned permanent tents. The high-end camps are at Khuri (40 km from Jaisalmer, quieter than Sam).
• Camel safari touts: approach a reputable operator through your hotel rather than negotiating with street touts. Confirm what is included — camel, guide, dinner, transport, tent type.
• Heat: even in the "good" October–March window, midday sun in the desert is intense. Hat and sunscreen are not optional.
• Sand storms are most common in April–May. Avoid the desert in those months.

Variations

• 5 days: drop one of the cities — usually Bikaner is the cut, since Jaisalmer is the main draw and Jodhpur is the easiest entry.
• 10 days: add Pushkar (a stop between the Golden Triangle and the desert circuit) and Mount Abu (the cool-air break in the Aravallis on the southern edge of Rajasthan).
• 14 days: combine the desert circuit with the Golden Triangle Plus and Udaipur for the full Rajasthan tour.

Related guides

• Jaisalmer travel guide →
• Mount Abu travel guide → (for extending the trip south)
• Golden Triangle Plus → (for connecting from Delhi/Agra/Jaipur)
• All India Travel Itineraries →