The road in brief
In one day: about five hours of driving. Leave Jodhpur after breakfast and a last look at Mehrangarh, lunch on the road, arrive for the evening light.
In two days: stop at Manvar for a desert night, then drive the last three hours the next afternoon.
- Jodhpur to Manvar
- About 110 km, two hours
- Manvar to Jaisalmer
- About 175 km, three hours
- The main town on the way
- Pokaran
- Road
- Good highway, long straight stretches
- After dark
- We never drive it at night
- The surface: a good highway, mostly straight, with long empty stretches. The challenge is not the road. It's the heat and the distance.
- Why not the train: trains run, but the drive through Marwar's villages is part of the journey. Our train or car post explains.
- Why not fly: Jaisalmer's airport has run seasonal winter flights, which we confirm each year, but most guests drive in and fly out, or drive on to Bikaner.
Leaving the blue city
A last morning in Jodhpur: see Mehrangarh at opening, or walk the blue lanes of Brahmpuri, then set off.
The first villages: fields of millet and sesame in season, cattle at the wells and women in bright odhnis, the long veils of Marwar.
- Bishnoi country: the Bishnoi community, who have protected trees and animals for five centuries, live in villages across this part of Marwar. Blackbuck graze near their fields.
- Stone villages: houses of sandstone and mud, with flat roofs for drying chillies and fodder.
- The first camels: usually within the hour, pulling carts or standing in the shade of a khejri.
- Our Jodhpur guide covers what to see before you leave.
Manvar, the night that splits the road
What it is: Manvar Desert Camp, a family-run group of camps and a small resort in the Shergarh area.
What you do: jeep and camel outings over the dunes, village walks, folk music by the fire and a night under a sky full of stars.
- Where
- Shergarh area, off the Jodhpur to Jaisalmer highway
- From Jodhpur
- About 110 km, two hours
- From Jaisalmer
- About 175 km, three hours
- Camp season
- Roughly October to March
- Nights
- One, or two for a slower pace
- Why stop: you get a real desert night without the crowds of Sam, and arrive in Jaisalmer fresh.
- Timing: reach Manvar for lunch and the afternoon on the dunes. Leave the next day after lunch to reach Jaisalmer for sunset.
- When: the camps open in the cool months only, roughly October to March.
Pokaran and the shrine at Ramdevra
Pokaran: a small fort town where the highway from Jodhpur meets roads from Bikaner and Phalodi. Most drivers stop here for fuel and chai.
Ramdevra: the village of the shrine of Baba Ramdev, a medieval folk saint revered by Hindus and Muslims alike across western India.
- The fair: in the monsoon month of Bhadrapad, usually August or September, pilgrims walk here from across Rajasthan and Gujarat. We confirm the dates each year.
- How to visit: dress modestly, remove shoes and leather, and go with your guide. A short visit is enough.
- Pilgrims on the road: in fair season, you'll pass groups walking with flags and drums. Your chauffeur slows down and gives them room.
The northern detour, via Osian and the cranes of Khichan
Osian, the temple town
Where: about 69 kilometres north of Jodhpur, about ninety minutes by road.
- What: Hindu and Jain temples built between the eighth and twelfth centuries, including the Mahavira temple of around 783 CE. See Osian.
- A night here: desert camps around Osian make a good first stop.
Khichan, the village of the cranes
Where: a village near Phalodi, further north-west.
- What: in winter, thousands of demoiselle cranes fly in from Central Asia, and villagers feed them grain each morning. Our post on the demoiselle cranes of Khichan tells the story.
- When: the cranes winter here, roughly from late August or September to March. Mornings at the feeding ground are best.
Then on to Jaisalmer
- The road: from the Phalodi side, roads lead west towards Pokaran and on to Jaisalmer.
- The pace: this route adds hours to the day. With Osian and Khichan, plan two days rather than one.
What to watch for in the desert
The khejri: a thorny, hardy tree, sacred to the desert. It feeds goats and camels, shades herders and fixes the soil. Every village guards its khejris.
Camels: working camels pull carts and ploughs, and herds graze in the scrub. Our post on camels of Rajasthan explains their place in desert life.
- Chinkara and blackbuck: the Indian gazelle and the blackbuck antelope graze near villages that protect them.
- Birds of prey: eagles, harriers and vultures circle over the open country in winter.
- The great Indian bustard: one of the world's rarest birds survives in the grasslands of the Desert National Park near Jaisalmer. Seeing one is a privilege.
- Village wells: stone wells and tanks where women draw water. We stop only with permission, and never for long.
- Wind farms: in recent years tall wind turbines have risen across parts of the desert. Some guests find them striking, others less so.
Eating in the desert
Ker sangri: dried desert berries and beans of the khejri tree, cooked with spices and oil. It keeps for months, which is why every desert kitchen has it. See our post on ker sangri.
Bajre ki roti: thick flatbread of pearl millet, the grain of the Thar, eaten with ghee, jaggery or garlic chutney.
- Kadhi: a thin, tangy curry of buttermilk and gram flour, for cooling the body.
- Makhaniya lassi in Jodhpur: thick, sweet and saffron-scented, before you leave the city. Our food of Jodhpur guide names the old shops.
- Dinner in a camp: at Manvar or near Jaisalmer, a meal by the fire of simple desert dishes, with folk music. Our food of Jaisalmer guide explains the rest.
- Lunch on the road: we plan it at a place we trust, because good stops are fewer in the desert.
Manners in desert villages
Ask before photographing: people, homes and especially women. A smile and a gesture first. Accept a no.
Accept tea if offered: and take a sip at least. Refusing outright can seem cold.
- Water is precious: never waste it, and don't ask to wash in a village well.
- Don't hand out sweets or pens to children: it teaches begging. If you want to help, we can suggest a local school or project.
- Dress modestly: cover shoulders and knees, especially at shrines such as Ramdevra.
- Don't stay long: a short, respectful visit is a gift. A long one is an intrusion. Our page on etiquette has more.
What most travellers miss on this road
The first dune: somewhere past Pokaran, the first true sand dune appears beside the road. Ask your chauffeur to stop, and walk up it barefoot.
A potter's yard: in some desert villages, potters still work on the ground with a hand-turned wheel. With permission, it is a quiet half hour.
- The silence: turn off the engine for five minutes on an empty stretch. The quiet of the Thar is unlike anywhere else in India.
- The light at four: the low sun on the scrub and sand, with long camel shadows, is the best hour for photographs.
- Stars at Manvar: with no city light for a hundred kilometres, the Milky Way rises over the dunes. Our stargazing page explains how we arrange it.
Arriving at the golden fort
The first view: time the last hour so the fort is lit by the low sun. It is the most famous arrival in Rajasthan.
The first evening: sunset from the cenotaphs of Vyas Chhatri or the royal chhatris of Bada Bagh, with the fort across the town.
- Founded
- 1156, by Rawal Jaisal
- UNESCO
- Hill Forts of Rajasthan, 2013
- Living fort
- Thousands of people still live inside
- First evening
- Sunset at Vyas Chhatri or Bada Bagh
- Nights
- Two in town, plus one in the desert
- The next morning: the Jaisalmer Fort, its Jain temples and lanes, before the day warms.
- The lake: Gadisar Lake, with its carved gateway and pavilions, is loveliest at dawn.
- The havelis: Patwon ki Haveli and the merchants' houses, carved like lace.
- More: our Jaisalmer guide and things to do in Jaisalmer.
Where to stay at the end of the road
The camp on the Jodhpur road: The Serai, SUJAN's tented camp on a private estate about 40 kilometres east of Jaisalmer, is reached before the town. A natural first stop.
The fort-style hotel: Suryagarh, about 13 kilometres west on the Sam road, built in Jaisalmer sandstone around courtyards.
- Inside the fort: small heritage guesthouses within the walls, for those who want to sleep inside a living fort. Simple, characterful, with steep stairs.
- On the dunes: desert camps near Sam or Khuri, for a night under the stars.
- Our comparison: the Jaisalmer luxury hotels guide and our desert camps page.
How we plan the desert drive
Carry identity: roads west of Jodhpur lead towards border areas, and checkpoints sometimes ask for documents. Hotels need your passport too.
Water and snacks: the car carries cold water, but bring fruit and snacks. Good lunch stops are fewer here than on other roads.
- Leave
- By late morning at the latest
- Fuel and stops
- Planned, as towns are far apart
- Water
- More than you think you need
- Documents
- Passport or a copy
- Light
- Arrive before sunset, always
- Sun protection: a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen for stops, even in winter. The desert light is strong.
- Scarves: for dust on the dunes and for temples on the way.
- No night driving: camels and cattle cross the road without warning, and slow trucks run without lights. We arrive in daylight.
- Road times: our road distances guide lists every desert leg.
The Thar through the year
October to March: the best months. Warm days, cold desert nights and clear skies full of stars.
December and January: coldest at night, sometimes near freezing on the dunes. Pack a warm layer and a hat.
- February: the Desert Festival in Jaisalmer, with camel races, music and turban-tying contests. Book well ahead.
- April to June: very hot, often over 40°C. If you must come, leave at dawn and rest through the afternoon.
- The monsoon: brief rain turns the scrub green and freshens the air, but the desert camps are closed.
- More: our guide to winter in the Thar and the best time to visit Jaisalmer.
After Jaisalmer, which way next
North-east to Bikaner: five to six hours, the third side of the desert triangle of Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Bikaner. See Bikaner.
Back to Jodhpur: about five hours, then on to Udaipur via Ranakpur. Our Udaipur to Jodhpur via Ranakpur post covers that road in reverse.
- South to Barmer: about three hours, for the embroidery and the Kiradu temples. See Barmer.
- Fly out: when Jaisalmer's seasonal flights run, a flight to Delhi saves a long day. We confirm schedules each season.
- Into the dunes: before you go, at least one night on the sand. Our post on Sam or Khuri helps you choose.
Families and older travellers
With children
- Split the drive: Manvar's dunes and camel carts make the middle of the journey the highlight, not the ordeal.
- Games for the window: count camels, spot the first dune, watch for the fort. Children always see it first.
With older travellers
- The most comfortable vehicle: with stops every ninety minutes and a long lunch.
- Fly when possible: when Jaisalmer's seasonal flights run, flying one way and driving the other halves the road time.
Journeys that cross the Thar
Under the Thar sky: our signature desert journey, with nights in the dunes and the fort. See Under the Thar sky.
- The desert triangle: Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and Bikaner. See the desert triangle journey.
- Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer: the lakes, the blue city and the golden fort. See the Udaipur, Jodhpur and Jaisalmer journey.
- The festival: our Desert Festival journey times the road for February.
Who will love this road
You'll love it if: wide skies, empty roads and a landscape that changes slowly suit your mood. Many guests call it their favourite day.
Families: children love the camels, the dunes at Manvar and the castle at the end. Keep the day short with the Manvar night.
- Photographers: the light at the start and end of the day, the camel carts and the fort at sunset.
- Think twice if: you dislike long drives. Five hours with few towns can feel long, so split it or fly when flights run.
- Not in summer: unless you love heat. The desert in May is extraordinary, and exhausting.