Best time to visit
March to OctoberOpen hours
24 Hrs.Things to do
History tours, photographyBudget
FreeBest Months
September - FebruaryTraveller Types
Families, Couples, FriendsRank
4 out of 68 attractions in Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer Fort
This is an 800 year old fort and is also known as the Golden Fort of Rajasthan. This is one of the most magnificent fortifications of the state and is the second oldest also after the Chittorgarh Palace. The title given to this fairytale fort complex is because of its light color which almost merges with the color of the desert sand like a mirage coming out of it. Jaisalmer City is located in the interiors of the Thar Desert and the King Jaisal planned to make this place his capital. The intricate designs on the sandstone base of the fort buildings make them look even more heavenly. It is also the only living fort of the country. This means almost half of the whole city resides inside the fort complex even today. This includes rich merchants, artisans and other common people as well. Earlier, the whole population of the kingdom lived inside but a part had to move out given the constraint of increasing population. From earlier times onwards, Jaisalmer has been a very important trade connection especially with the Muslim kingdom. Till today you will find a number of Muslim merchants dwelling here. An interesting legend about the history of this fort complex says that Lord Krishna, the leader of the Yadav clan once dreamt of setting up his kingdom in this area and his wish was fulfilled by King Jaisal, who also belonged to the Yadav clan. The fort crowning the Trikut Hills looks no less than a dreamland. You can come here in the month of February and enjoy the famous Annual Camel Fair and other festivals too.
Places to stay near Jaisalmer Fort
Reviews • 31
Next I headed to the India only living and the largest fort , Jaisalmer Fort with around 3000 people residing in it . Also declared as the World Heritage Site and rightly so ; this ' Sonar Quila" is the centre of attraction of the city .
Jaisalmer Fort built in 1156 AD by Rawal Jaisal, a Rajput ruler, is one of the largest fully preserved fortified Fort in World. Like Hampi in Karnataka, this is also a World Heritage Site. This Fort majestically stands on the Trikuta Hill overlooking the vast expanse of the sands of the Thar Desert. This Fort is also called as the Golden Fort, because the walls built with the sandstone change colors during the day and turn golden honey during the sunset, which camouflages the Fort.
Jaisalmer, the gateway to the Thar Desert and a popular tourist destination in India that is notable for its incredible yellow stone architecture. We arrived Jaisalmer from Jodhpur in morning (overnight journey). We were staying in a hotel (The Royale). The hotel staff did let us do early check-in. Jaisalmer fort could be seen from their restaurant. We stayed there for 1 night. We had booked a cab for 2 days to explore the city (Rs 3500 for 2 days).Our cab picked us and we started for Jaisalmer Fort which stands tall and proud displaying the Rajasthani architecture. Though I was surprised to see people still living inside. It is honeycombed with narrow winding lanes, lined with houses and temples along with a large no.of handicrafts shops, guesthouses and restaurants. Cleanliness and maintenance is at all time low. Do not miss the Jain Temple inside the fort.
The city stands on the ridge of a yellowish sandstone, crowned by the fort, which contains a palace and several Jain temples. Its massive sandstone walls are a tawny lion colour during the day, turning to a magical honey-gold as the sun sets. The Fort houses many museums that showcase its history.
Nostaljia at Sonar Kella (Jaiselmerh Fort)For any bong movie freak, Satyajit Ray is god and Jaiselmerh Fort has a special place due to the same. So we were super excited for the same. The fort is build up over a mountain and has the main Jaiselmerh city within. Everything outside the fort wall is the result of modern development.Will not share much about the structure or architecture of the fort as it is quite similar to others, but it consist of very well guided and tagging of each place to look-around which make very easy to maneuver. The view from the roof is outstanding. One can see the hole city from it.Later after completion, we moved to a Govt. store for some shopping. One can get to buy the yellow stone materials such as glass to drink water, curd making plates, etc. It is the similar stone which is used in the Golden Fort.
Jaisalmer fort is a like a kingdom in a fort itself! Its so huge that there are almost 10000 people residing in the fort, 30-40 hotels, 7-8 restaurants and just small part of fort is open for public for sight seeing! We hired a guide who was very informative. He went an extra mile and also escorted us to the Gadisar Lake and Rajputana Hotel.
9. Visit The Jaisalmer Fort
Next day, after our complimentary delectable breakfast at the hotel we set out to explore the city & the first place we destined towards was the ever famous Golden fort of Jaisalmer – the living fort!The beautiful yellow-golden colored Jaisalmer fort is a wonder in itself.
Take in the glory of the Jaisalmer Fort by day, and indulge in some Sam Dune bashing at night
Featured in Satyajit Ray's Bengali classic, Sonar Kella, the Jaisalmer Fort is an ethereal urban centre with around 3000 residents even today. It was built in 1156 AD by the Rajput ruler, Rawal Jaisal, from who the city gets its name. You enter the fort near the Gopa Chowk and make your way around its winding lanes, temples, handicraft shops, eateries and even guesthouses! The fort walls are made of red sandstone, which change colour depending on the position of the sun. The fort is open from 9am to 6pm.Once you've had your fill of the golden fort, make your way to the Sam Sand Dunes for a stunning view of the sunset. Located around 40km away from Jaisalmer, spend the evening touring the dunes on a jeep and then settle down at a camp to enjoy some classical music and the golden sand.
This beautiful fort is made of yellow colored stones .So when there is sunrise sunrays light up this fort it looks as if fort is made up of golden so its also called golden Fort.
8. Jaisalmer Fort, Rajasthan – A magestic structure struggling with modernityOne of the largest fortifications in the world, the Jaisalmer Fort in Rajasthan is a pride of the Rajputs in India. Amazingly, several families still live within the premises of the fort and it is also a major tourist attraction. Due to rising population and the introduction of modern plumbing (something that could not have been taken into account when the fort was built in the 12th century), the fort is deteriorating. And yes, this too is on that WMF watch list.
We ended our trip with a memorable visit to the Golden Fort, Bada Bagh and Gadisar Lake, but the evening out in the desert was left us with a new found revelation.
Unpacked at the hotel and Had Kal guksu (Thai Dish), veg poa, bread toast and tea at rooftop restaurent there.
Its an experience to explore the fort and city around it. For the explorer, walking around the city, interacting with the locals especially the elderly who give a glimpse of how life used to be when they were young is so interesting. Jaisalmer has had a rich royal past - literally. The stories of Rajasthani valour and affluence add to the aura of the place.
Brilliant. Just my favorite fort of all the ones I saw. It feels like a desert fort (unlike jaipur and agra which are just way too commercialized). To top things off it's clean and the little streets are wonderful to walk around.
Very crowded place as it is in the middle of city, but good to visit to witness the complete view of city from the top.
Loacated on the Thar desert, this fort was built in 1156 A.D by the Rajput ruler Rawal Jaisal.
Constructed from yellow sandstones, the massive fortress glinted off the sunlight offering a
visual treat. However, the fort was too crowded for our liking with two wheelers relentlessly
racing past us. Finding a place to park our car in the congested city lanes was a big task.
Finally trusting the handbrake, we were able to park on a steep slope nearby.
An Ode to a King's benevolence to build a citadel this big for His subjects.
The only 'golden' fort in the world, thanks to the yellow sandstone it was built with. The centre of Satyajit Ray's famous thriller 'Sonar Kella' (The Golden Fort).
The beautiful Golden Fort, immortalized as "Sonar Kella" by the ace Filmmaker Satyajit Ray stands as a tribute to Rajput Architecture. Built by Raja Jaisal over the Trikuta Hill, the sandy coloured fort is a living fort, now classified as a UNESCO world Heritage site under "Hill Forts of Rajasthan"
