India guide
India is an explosion of colour. The Golden Triangle glistens with culture, Rajasthan has pink and blue cities, and Kerala has lush green Ghat Mountains...
Thar Desert tours in Rajasthan
Opportunities to grab some quiet time on a tour of Rajasthan’s cities can be in short supply; however, escaping into the Thar Desert is an altogether more restful experience. This is a fascinating land where camels and cattle appear at every turn and peacocks call from the branches of sacred village fig trees to announce the arrival of guests. Top tip: bring binocs to spot Indian gazelles and black bucks on the ground, and eagles, vultures and falcons overhead.
Our Rajasthan Holidays
Rajasthan desert adventure
Explore India's desert state, tigers and Taj Mahal
From
£1799 to £2399
14 days
inc UK flights
Horse riding tour in Rajasthan, India
Recce ride across Rajasthan's desert by Royal Marwari horse
From
£3935
11 days
ex flights
Adventure holiday in Rajasthan
Explore Rajasthan and cycle the country roads to Agra
From
£1760 to £1820
12 days
ex flights
Where is the Thar Desert?
Rajasthan encompasses more than 60 percent of the Thar Desert, with the rest of the 200,000km2 extending into the neighbouring regions of Gujurat, Punjab and Haryana, and over the border into Pakistan. The UNESCO World Heritage Site of Jaisalmer, named the ‘Golden City’ thanks to its yellow sandstone architecture, is Rajasthan’s gateway to the Thar. It features several Jain temples and a huge, sandstone fortress which emerges from the surrounding sands like a languorous honey coloured lion. Jaisalmer is 575km west of Jaipur and can be reached overland via overnight stopovers at the former trading post towns of Mandawa and Bikaner.What is it?
The Thar is the largest desert in India – but don’t expect just a sea of sand. Landscapes range from shifting dunes and sparse arid plains to fertile hillsides, acacia trees and plentiful jojoba plantations. Blackbucks, gazelles, caracal cats, long-legged bustards, eagles, kestrels, sand grouse and Bengal foxes all inhabit this wild landscape, especially within the boundaries of the Thar Desert National Park. There are also lots of small, traditional villages (dhanis) tucked amongst the dunes. In fact, the Thar Desert is the world’s most populated desert, with an estimated 40 percent of Rajasthan’s residents living between the Aravalli Hills to the south and the borders with Pakistan and Gujurat to the north and west.
Why go there?
Exploring the Thar Desert on your Rajasthan holiday gives you the chance to escape the car horns and chaos for at least a few hours – much longer if you’re camping out here. You’ll be able to watch the sunset over sand dunes with a hot cup of freshly poured chai. You’ll get to travel by Jeep or on the back of a camel in between villages, and share food around a fire. As the sun begins to set the sky turns the desert into an open air planetarium with just the crackle of the fire and the call of desert foxes the only soundtrack, as you count shooting stars before settling down for 1001 dreams.Our top Rajasthan Holiday
Rajasthan desert adventure
Explore India's desert state, tigers and Taj Mahal
From
£1799 to £2399
14 days
inc UK flights
Small group travel:
2019: 21 Dec
2020: 22 Feb, 7 Mar, 4 Apr, 3 Oct, 10 Oct, 7 Nov, 23 Nov, 20 Dec
2021: 9 Jan, 6 Feb, 20 Feb, 27 Feb, 6 Mar, 13 Mar, 27 Mar, 2 Oct, 9 Oct, 30 Oct, 6 Nov
2019: 21 Dec
2020: 22 Feb, 7 Mar, 4 Apr, 3 Oct, 10 Oct, 7 Nov, 23 Nov, 20 Dec
2021: 9 Jan, 6 Feb, 20 Feb, 27 Feb, 6 Mar, 13 Mar, 27 Mar, 2 Oct, 9 Oct, 30 Oct, 6 Nov
Travel Team
If you'd like to chat about Rajasthan or need help finding a holiday to suit you we're very happy to help.
THINGS TO DO IN THE THAR DESERT
Make the most of Jaisalmer
Winding along the desert road towards Jaisalmer really sets the scene, and on arrival you’ll discover a city criss-crossed with narrow corridors and alleyways leading to market stalls and intricately carved doorways. The vast Jaisalmer fort is the second oldest in Rajasthan and features the royal palace and intricately carved Jain temples. The folklore museum, on the banks of Garsisar Lake in the Mehar Bagh Garden, is definitely worth a visit.
Visit the local villages
To find out more about traditional lifestyles and rural Rajasthan’s passion for music, dancing and poetry, visit one of the desert dhanis. Learn about how the villagers manage agriculture and cattle rearing in often bone dry conditions, and discover how irrigation and wind erosion are both huge issues that affect these desert communities living off the land.Camel safaris
Riding a camel over untouched silken sands is quite an experience and definitely not to be missed on a visit to the Thar Desert. All across the highway you’ll see camel owners offering rides to tourists, but do book with a responsible tour operator who will ensure camels and owners are treated with respect. Typical camel rides last a couple of hours, with two riders per camel.
Overnight camping
This is the best way to truly appreciate the folds of the Thar Desert with campfires, food and star-filled skies adding to the sublime solitude far from the chaotic city streets. Temperatures can drop severely at sundown so pack long sleeves and layers to ensure you keep cosy by the fire.WHEN TO GO TO THE THAR DESERT
The best time to go to the Thar Desert is during the winter months of October to February. The heat is absolutely unbearable from the end of April, and most holiday companies won’t run tours into the Thar during May, June, July and early August.
More about Rajasthan
The best time to visit Rajasthan is between October to March as you’ll find less humidity and cooler nights.
Discover the delights of this northwest Indian beauty as you read our Rajasthan travel guide and find out how to make the most of your time in this parched, yet perfect, province.
Although it is well known as India’s desert state, it is far from culturally arid.
When seeking out things to do in Rajasthan, we represent some of the finest tour operators who can either tailor make you a trip or show you some of the most carefully crafted itineraries for travelling in a small group around the state.
Our top 10 things to do in Rajasthan lets you peer inside the Golden Triangle to discover what else is glittering alongside the tourist-packed highlights.
One of the best ways to find out more about the Mughal era of India is through its architecture.
Even if you can only do one night, it is always worth staying in one of Rajasthan’s palaces.
Seek out street food in Rajasthan and you might be surprised as to what lies in store.
There certainly are tigers shining bright, but there is also myriad other wildlife in Rajasthan, from birds to blue bulls to sloth bears.
Like so much of India, the responsible tourism in Rajasthan makes for a pretty long list as you can see below.
More relevant guides
protection
Photo credits: [Page banner: Murali K] [Camel and rider: Jack Wickes]
[Acacia tree: Dinesh Valke]
[Jaisalmer: Gwen Fran]
[Camel safaris: Thar Desert]
Back to the top
- Recently viewed
