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Talking about Indian deserts. The first name that springs to mind when talking about deserts in India is Rajasthan. is both right and wrong.
Correct,as there are no desert sites in Rajasthan. incorrect, as only 2/5 of Rajasthan's land is desert. This is Rajasthan's westernmost part, stretching from Pushkar to Jaisalmer and falls under Thar Desert.
Thar Desert
Thar desert ranks 18th in the world and is found in both India and Pakistan.
You will find many sand dunes with wild vegetation on India's website. There are still 7 desert dunes that are desert sites.
I refer to "HTMO_ authentic" as real desert sites in Rajasthan. You will find dunes up to 20-50m high, and many desert tourism activities such as Camel safari, Jeep Safari, Desert camping, and Paragliding.
These deserts also make for great places to capture sunrise or sunset with your mobile or camera.
In this Deserts post in Rajasthan, 7 desert sand dunes sites are shared in Rajasthan along with all the activities you can do there.
List of 7 desert spots in Rajasthan
1. Desert in Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer is the most beautiful city in Rajasthan's Thar Desert area. You will find large desert areas and the two most prominent desert dunes sites, Sam Sand Dunes and Khuri Sand Dunes.
Sam and Khuri have sand dunes that are 30-60 metres tall, which attracts tourists from across India, particularly from Gujarat.
Jaisalmer, together with the 2 dunes sites is a popular tourist attraction. The Golden Fort, also known by Sonar Quila, is one of the most visited attractions. It is also a great place to see other attractions like Gadisar Lake and Amar Sagar, Jaisalmer War Museum, etc.
You can also view the details below:
Desert Safari In Sam Sand Dunes
Khuri Sand Dunes
Sam Sand Dunes, Jaisalmer
desert dunes at Rajasthan
Jaisalmer is the most popular desert destination in Thar Rajasthan. The dunes, Sam Sand Dunes & Khuri Sand Dune, are very popular with travellers to Jaisalmer.
Sam is approximately 45 km from Jaisalmer City & Dunes. Here you'll find 30-60 metre high sand dunes within a 3 - 5 km desert area with very little vegetation.
Sam is the main area with no trees and only sand dunes. It's the ideal place for those looking for an authentic Rajasthani desert holiday.
How do you reach Sam Sand Dunes?
You will need to book a Taxi Service In Jaisalmer-to-Sam taxi. It costs around Rs 1500 to 2000 round trip and takes about 40-50 minutes.
You can do the following activities once you're here:
View of the best sunset in India
Parasailing Safari In Jaisalmer etc.
Khuri Sand Dunes (Jaisalmer)
You will find a popular sand dunes area called Khuri Sand dunes, located 33 km south from Sam sand Dunes and 45 km away from Jaisalmer.
Khuri is a popular safari spot in Jaisalmer. Here, travellers like to stay in small homes and take walks on the sand dunes.
How do you get to Khuri Sand Dunes?
Hire a taxi in Jaisalmer and drive to Khuri (50 km south-west of the city).
A trip can also be planned as:
Arrive in Sam in day 1 around 3-4 pm
Stay for one night at one of the many desert camps and enjoy Sam.
The next day, drive 45 minutes from Sam to Khuri just before sunrise.
You can also explore the sand dunes of Sam & Khuri by following the above-mentioned plan.
Although Khuri Sand Dunes are more tourist-friendly than others, it is this remote location that makes Khuri so appealing.
Please also see our post on Sand dunes at Jaisalmer
2. Desert in Jodhpur
Jodhpur, located 260km east of Jaisalmer, is the third most prominent Thar Desert region. Although most of the Jodhpur region is covered in greenery, there is one wonder: Jodhpur Jaisalmer has been rated a perfect desert. Its:
Osian desert (Jodhpur)
The desert of Osian, located about 70km from Jodhpur is known for its two temples (Osian Sachiya Mata Temple and a Jain Temple) as well as the desert dunes.
There are only a few desert camps at Osian sand dune. You will also find a few jeep and camel safari tour operators. These dunes are mostly visited by tourists who are visiting Jodhpur and want to experience authentic desert safari activities like Jeep Safari, Camel Safari, etc.
Osian's remote location makes it an attractive destination for peaceful nights in desert camps. This dune area is smaller than the Sam Sand Dunes of Jaisalmer.
How do you reach Osian?
You can either use the public transport system, such as Taxi from Jodhpur, or hire a taxi to get to Osian Sand Dunes. Osian is 67km from Jodhpur and will take you between 1 and 2 hours by taxi Service In Jodhpur.
Osian is best visited between 3-4 p.m., when you can first visit the Osian Mata Temple and then go on a camel or Jeep Safari.
You can also check out Jodhpur taxi services , if you want to hire a car hire in Jodhpur for Osian.
3. Desert in Barmer
Barmer is located 160km south of Jaisalmer. It is considered the 2nd desert city in Rajasthan. Jaisalmer is the 1st. The most famous desert area is:
Mahabar desert
This is the 3rd largest city in western Rajasthan, and it is known for its Barmer sand dunes. Mahabar Sand Dunes are located just 15 minutes away from Barmer.
Mahabar Sand Dunes, a beautiful, small desert area, is not where you will find safari tours or desert camps. However, it's ideal for travellers who want to ride their own SUVs or bikes on the dunes.
How do you reach Mahabar Sand Dunes
You have two options: either hire an auto-rickshaw in Barmer, which will cost around Rs 100-150, or you can book a taxi to Barmer and visit Mahabar Sand Dunes, along with other nearby sites such as Sanchal Fort , Mahadev Temple , and Kushal Vatika Jain Temple.
The best time to visit Mahabar Sand Dunes in Mahabar Sand Dunes at night is evening. At sand dunes the sunset is simply breathtaking.
4. Desert in Nagaur
Nagaur, located in central Rajasthan, is close to both Jodhpur and Jaisalmer. Although Nagaur is most well-known for its Cattle farms, 45 km south of Nagaur city you will come across Khimsar. You will find the following:
Khimsar desert Sand Dunes
Khimsar, a small town in central Rajasthan, lies between Jaipur & Jodhpur and is only 45 km from Nagaur city (closest train station).
You will first notice the large solar panel unit of Reliance and a sand dunes resort when you enter Khimsar. This is the main attraction, "Khimsar Sand Dune Resort".
Khimsar, unlike the desert dune site above, is extremely remote. Most travellers who visit Khimsar are guests of the resort. They have kept a dune region with village theme huts and offer camel rides at a dunes area that is maintained by them as shown in the photo above.
Khimsar's surrounding desert is flat, but it is home to rich wildlife such as Desert Fox, Blackbucks and Demoiselle Cranes.
How do you reach Khimsar Sand Dunes
You can either hire a taxi to get to Khimsar from Jodhpur, or Jaipur. This will take between 2 and 4 hours. Or you can train to Nagaur railway station which is 45km north of the dunes.
You can also visit nearby attractions like Khimsar Fort, Nagaur Fort, and other attractions, all within easy reach of Khimsar Sand Dunes.
5. Desert in Bikaner
Bikaner, located in central Thar desert and western Rajasthan, is a tourist destination. It is known for its Junagarh Palace, Karni mata temple (where more than 25000 rats can be found) and desert area outside of the city.
Bikaner To is a desert like all the other Rajasthani deserts. Although it has only a few sand dunes, it's spread over a large area and is well-known for its camel safari and camping activities.
You should also plan to visit the National Research Centre for Camels if you want to spend some time with camels and taste camel milk ice-cream. Check https://nrccamel.icar.gov.in/
for more details.
How do you reach the desert dunes of Bikaner?
The majority of desert camps and safari tours to Bikaner take place in Raisar, which is only 15 minutes drive from Bikaner city.
You can either take public transport to get there or rent a taxi in Bikaner and explore all the attractions. From 4pm to 11pm, you can stay in the desert.
6. Desert in Pushkar
Pushkar, which is surrounded by desert sands, is one of the holiest places for Hindus.
Although the sand dunes aren't as impressive as those around Jaisalmer are, they are still considered the best place to explore rural Rajasthan.
Here you can take a camel ride or go on a cart ride in the camel car to see undiscovered areas of Thar Desert. You will be accompanied by the caretaker of the camel, who will also share interesting facts about local villages.
How do you reach the Pushkar desert dunes
Ajmer junction is the nearest station to Pushkar (about 15 km) and is connected with major cities such as Jaipur, Delhi, etc.
For those looking for desert close to Jaipur and its 140km distance from Jaipur. You can reach it in 3 hours with our Jaipur-Pushkar taxi package.
Activities in Pushkar desert
Pushkar hosts an annual festival every year. It is the largest camel fair in the world. It is the Pushkar Camel Fair, or Pushkar Mela. It takes place in November.
All year round, tourists from India and abroad visit the Pushkar desert area to experience a camel safari (ride) and later a dinner & dancing program in either a desert camp, or in a village.
You can find more information about this camel safari in our Pushkar Camel Safari Package.
Enjoy these activities
In Rajasthan desert (Rajasthan desert tourism)
The state's Palaces, Forts, and Desert dunes have contributed to an increase in tourists visiting Rajasthan. You can enjoy many exciting activities at Thar Desert, such as:
Activities like the following can be enjoyed in Jaisalmer Desert Dunes Area of Sam & Khuri
Camel Safari
Jeep Safari
Dune bashing
Stay in desert camp In Jaisalmer, Tent Camp In Jaisalmer, Desert Camp Jaisalmer
Sam is the ideal location for all of these activities, since you have many safari and camping options.
You will need to first arrive in Jaisalmer and then hire a taxi to get to Sam. It takes 40-50 minutes to drive from Jaisalmer. Enjoy an evening desert safari tour to Sam's sand dunes, and then plan to visit a desert camp for music night. Our:
Jaisalmer desert safari package
Jaisalmer camel safari package
2. Camel safari in Pushkar
Pushkar Camel Safari's most unique feature is its ability to take a camel ride and see the interesting tourist spots around Pushkar from the back of a camel.
A short camel safari can be arranged for a one-hour duration, or you can opt to go on a longer ride with a camel. You can later explore the village and see how it is run. There are many stories about camels.
Pushkar's camel safari will give you an amazing variety of visuals. There are crimson sunsets and yellow dunes. There are also rustic hamlets and village life. Check out our:
Pushkar Camel Safari
Jaipur-Pushkar taxi
3. Desert Camping in Rajasthan Desert
The majority of desert camps are located in Jaisalmer Sam Sand Dunes. But desert camping isn't just restricted to Jaisalmer. You can stay in Rajasthan's desert camps in the following regions:
Sam sand dunes in Jaisalmer
Khuri Sand Dunes, Jaisalmer
Jodhpur, Osian sand dunes
Near Bikaner city.
For Luxury Camping (Glamping), check out desert resorts such as:
Khimsar desert village camp, Nagaur
Samsara Desert Camp & Resort, Dechu (near Jodhpur)
Manvar Desert Camp & Resort, Khiyasariya (near Jodhpur)
You can stay for one night in a desert camp at Sam sand dunes. These camps are open from 4 to 7 pm. After that, guests can go on a desert safari tour of Sam sand dunes. These camps also host a Rajasthan gypsy folk dancing & music program from 8-10 pm. This is the main attraction at these camps.
Luxury camps like the one above offer 5 star facilities such as Spa, fine-dining, and jeep safari.
4. Camel Safari in Bikaner
The National Research Centre for Camels has made Bikaner a popular destination for camel safari tours in the past decade. Many tourists visit Bikaner to see this centre. Many tour companies offer camel safari tours that include musical evenings.
Checkout our Bikaner desert safari tours for more details.
Jodhpur's Osian desert is a small, but very popular destination for desert safari tours. You can find camps, camel and jeep safari Osian tours all year round. You will need to first arrive in Jodhpur and then book a taxi to Osian. For more information, visit our Jodhpur car hire service.
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