A Complete Guide to Jaisalmer (7 Best Things to Do)

3/17/2023

After spending a handful of days in Jaisalmer with our Intrepid Group during our month of travel India, we put together this post that includes all our best recommendations for things to do near the Jaisalmer Fort area! Scroll to the bottom to see our complete list of the best things to do near the Jaisalmer Fort - we recommend spending at least 3 to 4 days here - especially if you plan to spend a night in the desert! Check out the beginning of this post for recommendations on places to stay and eat in Jaisalmer!

Other posts you might be interested in :

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Where to Stay

Finding a place to stay in India can be difficult, especially with the onslaught of fake reviews and photos. Personally, we stayed at the Deepak Hotel, which was located in the walls of the fort and had a stunning rooftop overlooking the edge of the fort. We would highly recommend this lodging option, and according to our guide the Nachna Haveli that overlooks the house of the Royal Family is nice as well. If you're unable to book either of these we would highly recommend beginning by looking for a place inside the fort.

Places to Eat

Let's begin by saying there are SO MANY great places to eat around the Jaisalmer Fort! We've gathered our favorites below, but as long as you follow some simple rules (like not having tap ice or water and making sure it's a busy place that has food turnover rather than food just sitting out all day) then you should be fine for the most part! Read on for our list of our favorite places to eat in Jaisalmer!

Saffron Restaurant - located in the Nachna Haveli, this restaurant has a great rooftop with stunning views of the Jaisalmer Fort, if you're lucky some local musicians might even stop by!
Restaurant Sunset Palace - another great rooftop with wonderful takeout options as well
Le Lio's Pizza / A Marron Burger - by now you guys know Tyler always has to find a pizza place, Le Lio's was a great option near the fort with many types of pizza and fries if you're looking for something plain on your stomach
Killa Corner - a restaurant located right outside the Jaisalmer Fort with great panoramic views of the entire fort, it took a little while to get our food with our group of 10, but we can 100% say it was worth the wait
Deepak Hotel - although this was also our hotel, we loved their rooftop and the seating and views set up a great atmosphere, they also have great breakfast options!

Best Things to Do in Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer Fort

Local Musicians

Jaisalmer Fort

Jaisalmer Fort - take some time to explore the Jaisalmer Fort, it can be easy to get lost inside the walls of the fort with the many alleyways, however typically you'll find yourself back at the center or near the entrance to the fort
Explore the Havelis - Jaisalmer is known for the innumerous amounts of Havelis - traditional, elaborately carved houses made from sandstone - some of the best are the Patwon Ki Haveli, the Salim Singh Ki Haveli, and the Nathmal-Ki Haveli
Gadisar Lake - a manmade lake located about 1.5 kilometers from the Jaisalmer Fort that also used to be the only water source in Jaisalmer, now people go fishing here and have fun taking some of the swan boats around the lake
Bada Bagh - a series of Centographs that were used to house memorials of the Royal Family, located about 6 kilometers north of the Jaisalmer Fort
Thar Desert - undoubtedly one of our favorite experiences in India so far, we highly encourage you to spend a night to go camping or take a day trip to explore the nearby dessert (we had the most incredible time sleeping in our cots under the stars - and watching the sun go down and come back up again over the dunes was an experience we'll never forget!)
Listen to Local Musicians - Jaisalmer is known for it's local folk musicians, and if you simply walk around the fort you'll see musicians of all ages sharing their local music!
Shopping - much like the rest of India, there are always people out on the streets selling their crafts and small merchandise, however Jaisalmer is also known for their wonderful Co-Ops where multiple women work together to produce some of the finest rugs, wall hangings, and scarves around - we highly encourage you to check out KB Co-operative and remember when shopping on the street, make sure to always haggle!