1. Desert in Jaisalmer

Jaisalmer is one of the best cities in the whole Thar desert area of Rajasthan. Here you will find vast desert land and two prominent desert dune sites Sam sand dunes and Khuri Sand Dunes.

Both Sam & Khuri are blessed with 30-60 meter tall sand dunes, which attract travelers from all over India, especially from Gujarat

Along with these 2 dunes sites, Jaisalmer is a very popular tourist attraction and its Golden Fort, also known as Sonar Quila is a must-watch attraction, along with many other sites like Gadisar Lake, Amar Sagar, Jaisalmer War Museum, etc.

And view below for details on

• Sam Sand Dunes
• Khuri Sand Dunes
• Places to visit in Jaisalmer.

Sam Sand Dunes (Jaisalmer)

#1 of 7 desert dunes in Rajasthan

Jaisalmer is the best desert destination in Thar Rajasthan & the dunes here, Sam sand dune & Khuri sand dune, are quite popular among travelers visiting Jaisalmer.

Sam is around 45 km away from Jaisalmer city & dunes here you will find 30-60 meter tall sand dunes in a 3- 5 km of a pure desert area with very little vegetation.

The main area of Sam, which has no trees; just sand dunes, is the perfect place for travelers searching for an authentic desert holiday in Rajasthan.

How to reach Sam sand dune?

To reach here, you need to book a Jaisalmer to Sam taxi, that cost around Rs 1500-2000 (round trip) & takes 40-50 minutes.

Once you are here, you can enjoy activities like:

• Jaisalmer Camel safari
• Jaisalmer Jeep Safari
• View of the best sunset in the whole of India
• Dune bashing with Quad bikes
• Paragliding, etc.

Khuri Sand Dunes (Jaisalmer)

#2 of 7 desert dunes in Rajasthan

33 km south of Sam sand dune & 45 km from Jaisalmer city, you will find another popular sand dune area by the name of Khuri Sand dunes.

Khuri is a popular village safari destination in Jaisalmer, where travelers prefer to stay in small homestays & enjoy walks at sand dunes which are less crowded.

How to reach Khuri sand dune?

You need to hire a taxi from Jaisalmer & drive towards Khuri, which is 50 km southwest of the city.

You can also plan a trip like:

• Arrive in Sam on day 1 around 3-4 pm
• Enjoy & explore Sam & stay here for a night, at one of many desert camps
• The next day, arrive at Khuri, 45 minutes drive from Sam, just before sunrise.

So with the above-suggested plan, you can explore both sand dunes of Sam & Khuri.

It’s no doubt, Khuri sand dunes are less filled with tourists, but it’s this isolated location that’s what makes Khuri such a temptation to visit.

Also, check out our post on Sand dunes of Jaisalmer

2. Desert in Jodhpur

Jodhpur is 260 km east of Jaisalmer and is one of the three top prominent desert regions in the Thar Desert. Though the most region of the jodhpur district has green vegetation, you will find one marvel, that is now rated as the perfect dessert in Jodhpur Jaisalmer. It:

Osian desert (Jodhpur)

#3 of 7 desert dunes in Rajasthan

The desert of Osian is quite close to Jodhpur, around 70 km, and is famous for two temples (Osian Mata Temple & a Jain temple) along with the desert dunes.

At Osian sand dunes, you will find only a handful of desert camps, along with a few camel & jeep safari tour operators. Mostly these dunes are visited by travelers who are in Jodhpur & want to enjoy authentic desert safari activities, like Jeep Safari, Camel safari, etc.

The remote surroundings of Osian make it a prime attraction for a peaceful night stay (in desert camps) as this dune area is less crowded in comparison to Sam Sand Dunes in Jaisalmer.

How to reach Osian?

To reach Osian Sand Dunes, you can use public transport like Bus from Jodhpur or hire a private taxi. In a taxi, it will take between 1-2 hours to reach Osian, as it’s 67 km away from Jodhpur.

The best time to visit Osian is between 3-4 pm, as 1st you can visit the Osian Mata Temple & then go by camel or Jeep Safari.

Also, checkout out the Jodhpur taxi service if you are interested to hire a cab in Jodhpur to visit Osian.

3. Desert in Barmer

Around 160 km south of Jaisalmer, is the city of Barmer which is rated as the 2nd desert city of Rajasthan (Jaisalmer being 1st) where you will find a vast desert area. And the most prominent desert region here is:

Mahabar desert

#4 of 7 desert dunes in Rajasthan

The 3rd city in western Rajasthan is famous for its sand dunes area in Barmer. And just a 15-minute drive from Barmer, you will find Mahabar Sand Dunes.

Mahabar Sand Dunes is a small, but the very beautiful desert area where you won’t find desert camps or safari tours, but it’s perfect for those travelers who either want to drive their own SUV or bike on dunes and for travelers who are driving on Jaisalmer Ahmedabad route, as Mahabar Sand Dunes are on route.

How to reach Mahabar Sand Dunes?

You can either take an auto-rickshaw from Barmer city, which will charge around Rs 100-150, or book a taxi from Barmer and visit Mahabar Sand Dunes along with more nearby sites like Sanchal Fort, Mahadev Temple & Kushal Vatika Jain Temple.

The best time to visit Mahabar Sand Dunes is evening and at sand dunes, the sunset is simply stunning.

4. Desert in Nagaur

Nagaur is in central Rajasthan & close to both Jodhpur & Jaisalmer. Though Nagaur is mostly known for its Cattle farms if you travel 45 km south of Nagaur city, you will come across a village name Khimsar. Here you will find:

Khimsar Desert Sand Dunes

#5 of 7 desert dunes in Rajasthan

Khimsar is a small town in central Rajasthan that lies between Jaipur & Jodhpur and is just 45 km away from Nagaur city (the closest railway station).

So once you enter Khimsar town, you will 1st notice a big solar panel unit from Reliance & a sand dune resort, which is the major attraction “Khimsar Sand Dune resort”

Unlike the above desert dune site, Khimsar is very remote and the majority of travelers visiting Khimsar are the guests of this resort, who have maintained a dune area with village theme huts, and offer camel rides at a dune area which is maintained by them, as shown in the image above.

The surrounding area of Khimsar is a flat desert area but is full of rich wildlife like Desert Fox, Nagai, Blackbucks, Demoiselle Cranes, Partridges, and other species in wildlife sanctuaries around this region.

How to reach Khimsar Sand Dunes?

Either you can hire a taxi from Jodhpur or Jaipur to reach Khimsar which will be a 2 to 4-hour drive, or you can catch a train to Nagaur railway station, which is 45 km north of the dunes.

There are some attractions close by like Khimsar Fort, Nagaur Fort, and others, which you can visit close to Khimsar Sand Dunes.

5. Desert in Bikaner

#6 of 7 desert dunes in Rajasthan

Bikaner is a popular tourist city, in the middle of the Thar desert & in western Rajasthan, which is famous for its Junagarh Palace, Karni Mata temple (where you will find more than 25000 rats), and the desert area just outside the city.

Like all other deserts in Rajasthan, Bikaner has a few sand dune area that isn’t very high but is spread across a large area & quite famous for their camel safari & camping activities.

Plus, when you are in the Bikaner desert, do plan to attend the Bikaner camel festival in January and do visit the National Research Centre on Camels, if you want to enjoy some time with camels, taste camel milk ice cream, etc. Check nrccamel.icar.gov.in for more details.

How to reach the Bikaner desert dunes?

Most desert camps & safari tours in Bikaner are conducted in the Raiser area, which is just a 15-minute drive from Bikaner city.

To reach here, you can either use public transport or hire a cab in Bikaner for a full day & explore all attractions of Bikaner city & from 4 pm to 11 pm, stay in the desert area.

6. Desert in Pushkar

#7 of 7 desert dunes in Rajasthan

Pushkar is one of the holiest cities for the Hindus & a major tourist destination of Rajasthan, surrounded by desert sands.

The sand dunes here are not as spectacular as that around Sam sand dunes Jaisalmer, but they are rated as the best places to go for exploring the rural village in Rajasthan.

You can go on a camel ride here, or drive around in a camel cart to explore unseen regions of the Thar Desert. The caretaker of the camel will be your guide & will share interesting facts about villages with you.

How to reach Pushkar desert dunes?

The nearest train station from Pushkar is Ajmer Junction (around 15 km away) which is connected with all major cities like Jaipur, Delhi, etc.

And for travelers searching for a desert near Jaipur, Pushkar desert is the best option as it’s just 140 km away from Jaipur, which you can cover in less than 3 hours, with our Jaipur to Pushkar taxi package.

Activities in the Pushkar desert

Every year, an annual festival is organized in Pushkar, which is rated as the biggest camel fair in the whole world. It’s the Pushkar Camel fair or Pushkar mela & is planned for the month of November this year.

And all year round, travelers from all over India & abroad visit this desert area (Pushkar) to enjoy a rural camel safari (ride) & later enjoy a dinner & dance program, either in a desert camp or in a village.

Check more details on this camel safari at our Pushkar Camel Safari package.

Activities to enjoy

In the Rajasthan desert (Rajasthan desert tourism)

The increase in tourists visiting Rajasthan is because of the Palaces, Forts & Desert dunes in the state. At the Thar Desert, you can plan many thrilling activities like:

1. Desert safari in Jaisalmer

In the Jaisalmer desert dunes area of Sam & Khuri, you can book & enjoy activities like

• Camel Safari
• Jeep Safari
• Dune bashing
• Stay in desert camps

The ideal place for all these activities is Sam, as here you will get many options for safari & camping tours.

To reach Sam, you 1st need to arrive in Jaisalmer city & then hire a cab to reach Sam from Jaisalmer, a 40-50 minute drive. And enjoy an evening desert safari tour at sand dunes of Sam & later plan to visit a desert camp for a musical night. Checkout our:

• Jaisalmer desert safari package
• Jaisalmer camel safari package
• Jaisalmer Jeep safari package
  
  

2. Camel safari in Pushkar