Is a Desert Safari in Jaisalmer Worth it? Everything You Need to Know

If you're heading to the Golden City of India, then chances are you may have heard of the different desert adventures offered there. But is a desert safari in Jaisalmer worth it?

This overnight trip to the desert outside Jaisalmer will take a good chunk of your time, and while some people absolutely love it, some others are a bit underwhelmed.

We're here to be comepletely transparent about the experience so that you can decide if a desert safari in Jaisalmer is right for you - and if it is, we have all of the details for doing one!

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📍 Where is the Desert Safari in Jaisalmer?

The desert safaris are located in the sand dunes of the Thar desert, which are about 40 km outside of the city of Jaisalmer, near the border of Pakistan.

There are two types of desert safari tours in Jaisalmer. There is the "touristic" one and the "local one". One of the differences is the area of the desert that they bring you, although we can't imagine it being wildly different, as well as the experiences included.

Is a Desert Safari in Jaisalmer Worth It? A Breakdown of the Experience

Now it's time for the golden question - is a desert safari in Jaisalmer worth it? Well, here is a breakdown of what the experience looked like.

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Our desert safari tour started from just outside the fort of Jaisalmer (we did the non-touristic one). The drive was about an hour in a safari-style truck, playing music, and getting to know our guides.

🏜 The Desert Town Visit

Our first stop was a tiny town in the desert. Of course each tour is a bit different, but we stopped at one of the friends' houses of the guides to enjoy some local tea and snacks, while learning about the village.

🐫 Camel Rides in the Desert

One of the top highlights of all desert safaris tours in Jaisalmer are the camel rides. Honestly, we don't enjoy riding animals, and are against supporting this type of tourism. Instead, we told our guide we'd prefer to go straight to the desert.

🌅 Sunset on the Dunes

Upon arriving in the desert, you'll have some time to enjoy roaming the dunes, and to catch a beautiful sunset! In the meantime, your guide will be starting to get dinner ready and set up the beds for everyone.

🍴 Desert Dinner

After sunset we all made our way back to the guides who prepared us an incredible dinner! They cooked everything on site, and made local specialties for us to enjoy. The amount of food we had was enough to put us in a coma for the night.

We spent the evening telling stories, playing music, and hanging out by the fire.

We also would have done some astrophotography, but the sky was hazy and unfortunately we couldn't really see the stars, so instead we headed to bed early.

🛏 Sleeping in the Desert

While we've had many camping experiences in the desert before, we truly loved the desert safari in Jaisalmer because we got to be on a bed! The beds are big enough for two people, and have a comforter, making it a really fun way to sleep under the night sky.

We wanted to enjoy solitude and also take some amazing pictures in the morning, so we moved our bed to the top of the dune. But boy was that a mistake!

We woke up in the middle of the night completely covered in sand, and barely able to move. The wind really picks up at the top, so make sure to stay with the group. The guides of course know best!

☀️ The Morning in the Desert

Our alarms were set early so we could enjoy a magical sunrise in the desert. Waking up surrounded by dunes and watching the sky light up with colors truly was a beautiful experience.

Our guides got up shortly after and started preparing breakfast, while we had some fun shooting content.

We had an incredible breakfast by the campfire, and then got our stuff ready to head back to Jaisalmer. It was a really nice getaway from the noise of the city, and by midday we were back to explore what else the Golden City of India had to offer!

The Non-Touristic Jaisalmer Desert Safari Tour vs the Touristic Desert Safari Tour

While we love experiencing things in a more local way, we honestly think it also would have been nice to do the touristic experience. We think that depending on what type of person you are, will depend on which tour you should choose

The non-touristic desert safari tour is better for those that want a more relaxing and authentic experience, deeper into the desert. Our favorite part of this was sleeping under the stars in a bed, and getting to really connect with our guides.

The touristic experience is the more comfortable option, and certainly has more going on. This tour is closer to Jaisalmer and has more groups, as well as a show they put on, making it a more social experience.

We recommend checking out the details of each tour, so that you can choose which Jaisalmer desert safari experience is right for you.

Other Things to Keep in Mind for Your Desert Safari in Jaisalmer

Now you know almost everything you need to know for going on a desert safari in Jaisalmer! But before you go, here are a few final details to keep in mind.

☀️ Weather in the Desert of Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer is considered the hottest city in India! But while the city itself is scorching hot, the desert only stays like that during the day, and drastically cools off at night.

We visited in March, and it was over 100 degrees during the day, and dipped down to the 50's at night. It also was incredibly hazy and windy, to the point we actually woke up with an entire blanket of sand over us! 

Don't worry - this shouldn't happen to you though. We were feeling ambitious to take cool photography and put our bed at the top of the dunes. As long as you stay in an area that is protected you won't have nearly as much wind as we did.

🧳 How to Prepare for Your Desert Safari in Jaisalmer

Here are some of the things you should bring with you to you night in the desert:

• Sunscreen 
• Hat to protect yourself from the sun
• Long skirt or dress for visiting the small town in the desert
• Shawl for the small town in the desert
• Sweater or light jacket for the night
• Flash light 
• Chapstick
• Lotion
• Power Bank (we use Anker power banks as they are super long lasting and durable)
• Camera (we use the Sony A7Riii)
• Wide lens with a low aperture for astrophotography (we use Sony GM 14mm 1.8)
• Drone (We use the DJI Mavic Mini Pro 3)
• Brush
• Travel toiletries (our favorites are from Sheer Alternatives because they're all natural and 100ml)
• Tissues/toilet paper (you'll have to go out in nature)
• Ziploc bag (to keep your tissues and trash)
• Wipes to freshen up
  

Is a Desert Safari in Jaisalmer Worth it?

The desert safari in Jaisalmer is one of the top activities for tourists visiting the Golden City of India. 

We had a great time on our desert safari, and we loved having a bed in the middle of the desert! We also had a nice group, so we all simply bonded and had a nice time disconnecting from the chaos and noise that we had the two weeks leading up throughout India.

That being said, if you've been to a lot of deserts, this one isn't really mind-blowing. We also opted not to do the camel ride, as we try to only do ethical animal excursions. So really without the camel ride, there isn't a whole lot to do in the desert let's say.

If you're looking for a quiet getaway to disconnect, then this excursion may be for you.

Tips for Your Desert Safari in Jaisalmer

So what do you think? Is a desert safari in Jaisalmer worth it? We'd love to hear your thoughts below!

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