Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer Fort, Part Of The UNESCO World Heritage Site Hill Forts Of Rajasthan (2013); Gateway To The Thar Desert · Jaisalmer, Rajasthan
A desert city in the far west of Rajasthan, close to the Pakistan border, built around a twelfth-century fortress of yellow sandstone that glows gold in the late sun. Jaisalmer Fort, founded in 1156, is one of very few living forts in the world: several thousand people still live inside its walls, in houses, temples, shops and guesthouses, and it is part of the Hill Forts of Rajasthan World Heritage Site. The city grew rich on the camel caravan routes, and its merchants built havelis of extraordinary carved stone, above all Patwon ki Haveli. Outside the town is the Thar Desert, and the classic trip is a camel ride into the dunes at Sam or the quieter Khuri for sunset, often with a night in a desert camp. Kuldhara, a village abandoned centuries ago, lies on the way. The fort is under real strain from the water and weight of its tourism, and conservationists ask visitors to stay outside the walls. It is very hot from April, and cold at night in winter. The Desert Festival is held in February.
Fort Road, Manak Chowk, Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, 345001, India
NO OPENING TIME HERE WAS CHECKED; confirm before planning. The usual pattern: the fort is inhabited and open at all times, but its palace museum keeps daytime hours, roughly 8 or 9 am to 6 pm, and the Jain temples admit non-Jain visitors only in a morning window, closing to them around noon. The havelis open roughly 8 or 9 am to 6 pm. Desert safaris run from mid-afternoon to after sunset, or overnight. Many desert camps close from about April to September in the heat. The traps: reaching the Jain temples after noon, doing the dunes at midday, and booking a sunset package that turns out to be a crowded roadside show.