25% of the total population & 1/3rd tourist sites of Jaisalmer, is at the “Jaisalmer Golden Fort“. Here you must visit sites like:

– 4 huge entry gates
– Heritage Haveli’s (see point 3)
– Laxminath Temple
– 500 years old Jain temples

Jaisalmer Fort is a Unesco world heritage site & its local bazaars are full of colourful handicrafts & rooftop restaurants.

Gadisar/Gadsisar lake is a 600-year-old artificial lake built by Rawal Jaisal, to store rainwater. Here you can enjoy activities like:

– Enter through Tilon Ki Pol
– Explore beautiful temples, ghats & chhatri’s.
– Enjoy boat ride (at evening)
– Take pictures of migratory birds

The timing of Gadsisar lake is from 9 am to 8 pm & there is no entry fee here. You only need to pay Rs 10 to 50 for the boat ride.

At Jaisalmer, you’ll find beautiful Haveli’s which were once the residence of Jaisalmer royal family. Now, they have been turned into Museums & some must-visit ones are:

– Patwon Haveli
– Salim Singh Haveli
– Raja ka Mahal
– Nathmalji Ki Haveli

Apart from these, you should also visit Badal Mahal, a 5 storey palace turned hotel & museum.

Bada Bagh or Bara Bagh is a memorial built by Jaisalmer royal family to remember their kings, especially Jaisal Singh. Here you will find:

– Yellow sandstone Chhatris
– An artificial water tank & dam
– Sandstone built domes
– Square Pavilions

The entry fee here is Rs 50, & Bada Bagh is open from 8 am to 6 pm. Plus, it’s advised to carry a water bottle, as this site is 6 km outside Jaisalmer city.

Vyas Chhatri is named after Ved Vyas, the writer of Mahabharat. Vyas Chhatri is open from 8 am to 7:30 pm & here you will find:

– Beautiful cenotaph
– Wall cravings & statues
– Sandstone built domes
– Square Pavilions

Vyas Chhatri is a popular site to capture a beautiful sunset & from August to March, you’ll find many local musicians playing Algoza (wooden flute) over here.

Sam sand dunes, is one of the most popular sand dunes areas in Jaisalmer district. Sam is 45 km west of Jaisalmer city and here you can enjoy activities like:

– Camel safari & kart ride
– Jeep safari or Dune bashing
– Tribal dance at desert camps
– Night stay at desert camps.

The best to visit Sam sand dunes is from August to March & you can view our list of Top 10 desert camps in Jaisalmer for more details.

Jaisalmer War Museum (JWM) is a popular tourist attraction, which is just 8 km east of the city & it presents an impressive collection of:

– Captured war vehicles of 1965 war
– Captured tanks of 1971 war (Indo-Pak)
– Captured arms ammunition of 47, 48, 65, 99 war
– And a cafeteria + souvenir shop.

You will find Jaisalmer War Museum unique & interesting & the timings here is from 9 am to 7 pm and entry is free.

This is a private museum run by Mr NK Sharma (historian, writer, teacher). You must come here in evening to enjoy:

– Evening puppet show
– Information about Jaisalmer culture
– And many souvenirs

The museum timing is from 10 am to 8 pm, but the best time to visit is 6:30 pm or 7:30 pm & the entry fee of Rs 50 per person.