This part of the Jaisalmer trip covered the living fort, old lanes, temples, shops, local crafts, lunch near the fort, evening tea, and a dhaba-style dinner.
Quick summary
- Good for: Jaisalmer fort memories, family travel notes, old lanes and local food stops.
- Food notes: Rajasthani thali, jalebi, tea, saffron milk, sutarfeni, jowar roti, ker sangri and gatte ki kadhi.
- Family note: the fort lanes are best explored slowly, with time for walking, resting and photos.
First impressions of Jaisalmer
Jaisalmer felt smaller and quieter than Jaipur, Jodhpur or Udaipur, but it had its own charm. The colours of the fort, the desert light and the narrow lanes made the city feel warm and memorable.
Lunch before the fort
We reached Jaisalmer around lunch time. Our first food stop was New Chandanshree Restaurant and Sweets, overlooking the fort, for a Rajasthani meal.
We had a Rajasthani thali here, with sev and laddu, and finished with hot jalebis. It was one of those meals that felt very local to Rajasthan, with dried berries, local vegetables, different flours and slow-cooked gravies with buttermilk and spices.
Jaisalmer Fort
After lunch, we headed to Jaisalmer Fort, also known as Sonar Killa. What I liked most was that it did not feel like a monument separated from daily life — people were still living, shopping, eating and working inside the fort walls.
Old lanes, crafts and temples
We wandered through narrow passages, jharokhas, old homes, artisan stalls and temple lanes. It felt less like sightseeing and more like walking through a small lived-in town.
Evening tea at Prabhu Tea Stall
We stopped at Prabhu Tea Stall in the main chowk, next to the bus stop. During the day it was a simple tea stop, and later at night they also served hot saffron milk.
It had small benches and the kind of no-fuss setup that is easy to remember from a trip. We had tea there during the day, and the saffron milk at night was especially nice after walking around Jaisalmer.
Dinner at Bishnoi Hotel
For dinner, we went to Bishnoi Hotel, opposite the police chowki. It was a simple dhaba-style meal with hot jowar rotis, ker sangri, gatte ki kadhi and chilled buttermilk — exactly the sort of local food I was hoping to try in Jaisalmer.
Vegetarian and vegan notes
This part of the Jaisalmer trip has strong vegetarian food notes. Vegan options are not confirmed because several items include dairy, such as buttermilk, saffron milk, ghee or sweets.
Family travel notes
The fort is best enjoyed slowly. The lanes, steps and shops can take time, so a slower pace works better than trying to cover everything quickly.
I also kept this wider photo from our older Jaisalmer trip. It captures the golden stone and desert light that I remember most about the city.
Jaisalmer trip video
We also made a short video from this trip, combining the fort, streets and food stops.