Desert Camps in Jaisalmer: An Honest Guide to Choosing One

Camp types and prices

Desert camps cluster along the road to Sam, with a smaller group at Khuri. They fall into four broad tiers. Prices are per night for two people and usually include dinner, breakfast and the evening programme.

The name "Swiss tent" simply means a large canvas tent on a raised platform with a bathroom at the back. Quality varies widely inside each tier, so compare photos of the actual bathroom, not just the entrance.

What a typical camp evening looks like

1. Arrival, mid-afternoon: check in, tea and snacks. Many guests stop at Kuldhara on the way.
2. Camel ride to the dunes: a short sunset ride, often included in the stay.
3. Jeep safari: optional dune-bashing, usually paid extra (about ₹1,000–2,500 per jeep).
4. Folk show: after dark, musicians and Kalbeliya dancers perform around a central stage.
5. Dinner: a Rajasthani buffet with dal baati, gatte and bajra roti at most camps.
6. Bonfire and stargazing: once the music stops, step away from the lights and the sky opens up.
7. Sunrise: walk up the nearest dune before breakfast. It is the quietest hour of the stay.

Check-out is usually mid-morning, which leaves time to drive back to the city or on to other sights.

The programme is much the same at most camps, so the real differences are the setting, the food and the noise. A camp with its own dunes lets you walk out to the sand after dinner. A camp on flat ground by the road means a jeep ride to see any dunes at all. Ask where the nearest proper dune is, and how long it takes to walk there.

If you arrive after dark, you will miss the sunset ride but can still enjoy the show and dinner. Tell the camp your arrival time so they keep a meal for you.

What is usually included and what is not

Usually included: the tent, dinner, breakfast, evening tea, the folk show, a bonfire and often a short camel ride.

Usually extra: jeep dune-bashing, quad bikes (about ₹500–1,000), parasailing, alcohol, lunch, transfers from the city and GST where it applies. Some camps charge for a heater in winter.

Always ask whether the price is per person or per couple. Many listings quote per person, which looks cheap until you double it. See the full list of add-on prices in our desert safari guide.

Toilets, hot water, cold nights and heat

Most standard camps have attached bathrooms with Western toilets. Hot water usually comes from a geyser or solar heater and may run only in the morning and evening; ask. Budget camps may share a toilet block.

Winter nights are cold. In December and January, lows are typically around 9–8 °C and can dip lower on the open sand. Canvas does not hold heat, so pack thermals, socks and a warm hat, and confirm your camp provides quilts or a heater.

Shoulder months are warm. In October and March, afternoons reach about 36 °C and 33 °C. A tent with an air cooler makes a real difference then.

The noise problem and how to find quiet

The main Sam strip is lined with camps that face each other. In peak season, several may run their folk shows and DJ music at the same time through loudspeakers, and the sound carries across the sand. If you want a peaceful night, plan around it:

• Choose a camp set back from the main road or on its own patch of dunes, such as the quieter areas around Kanoi or beyond Sam.
• Consider Khuri, where there are fewer camps and less amplified music.
• Ask the camp directly what time music ends and whether a DJ is played.
• Avoid Christmas and New Year's Eve if silence matters; those nights are party nights.

Checklist for choosing a camp

• Is the price per person or per couple, and does it include GST?
• Recent photos of the bathroom and the bed, not just the entrance arch.
• Is the camel ride included, and how long is it?
• Heater or quilts in winter; cooler in warm months.
• How far is the camp from the actual dunes? Some "dune camps" sit on flat scrub.
• What time does the music end?
• Pickup from the city: included, extra, or arranged by you?
• Cancellation terms in writing.
• Vegetarian or Jain meals if you need them.

Browse camps by area on our stays page. Listings marked as samples are placeholders while we onboard partners, so ask us to confirm details before you book.

Camp season

Most dune camps run from about October to March. Peak months are November to January. Christmas–New Year and the Desert Festival week see the highest prices; book 4–8 weeks ahead.

Camps are generally open this month, so you can book with confidence. In the hot months and monsoon, many travellers visit the dunes for sunset and sleep in a city hotel with air conditioning instead.

Stay in a camp or a city hotel?

This is the "inside or outside the city" question. A camp gives you sunrise on the dunes, a dark sky and no evening drive back. A city hotel or haveli puts you near the fort for an early start and offers more reliable plumbing, heating and Wi-Fi.

Most first-timers do both: one night in the city, one at the dunes. That is exactly how our 2 nights, 3 days package is built. If you only have one night, stay in the city and do a sunset trip to the dunes; you will see more of the fort and havelis. Families with small children may prefer a family desert holiday with a comfortable base.