Jaisalmer Fort ticket price and every other entry fee

How tickets work in Jaisalmer

There is no single city pass. Each site is run by a different body — the royal family’s museum trust, temple trusts, private haveli owners, the state archaeology department, the forest department or the Army — and each sells its own ticket at its own counter.

Three things are worth knowing before you start:

• The fort itself is free. It is a living fort with homes, shops and hotels inside, so the gates stay open. You only pay for the Fort Palace Museum and, if you are a foreign visitor, the Jain temples.
• Indian and foreign rates differ. Foreign visitors usually pay two to three times more. Student discounts exist at a few places only.
• Camera fees are separate. Phones are normally fine without one; the fee is for a proper camera, and video can cost extra.

All figures below are approximate. Rates change without much notice, so treat them as a planning guide and check the board at each counter.

Fort Palace Museum and Jain temples

The Fort Palace Museum (Raj Mahal) is the main paid sight inside the walls. Indian adults pay about ~₹200 and foreign visitors about ~₹600. Students with a valid ID have usually paid around ~₹50 — ask at the window, as this is not always advertised.

The foreigner ticket usually includes an audio guide. Indian visitors can normally hire one at the counter for a small extra charge. Allow one to two hours; the rooftop views over the town are the highlight.

The seven Jain temples a short walk away are free for Indians and about ~₹200 for foreign visitors, with a camera fee of about ~₹100. Visitor hours are mornings only, and leather items (belts, bags, wallets) must be left outside.

Haveli tickets (and the Patwon puzzle)

Patwon ki Haveli confuses many visitors because it is not one building. It is a row of five merchant houses, and they are run by different owners. Two sell tickets:

• The private museum haveli (often called Kothari’s Patwa Haveli) is the most furnished. It charges about ~₹150 per person.
• The government-run haveli next door has a separate, cheaper ticket. It is emptier inside but the carving is just as fine.

You do not need both. If you only have time for one, the private museum gives the fuller picture of how the traders lived. The street view of all five facades is free.

Salim Singh ki Haveli costs about ~₹20 for Indians and ~₹100 for foreign visitors. Nathmal ki Haveli is privately owned; the facade is free, and the family may ask a small fee to see inside.

Gadisar Lake, cenotaphs and museums

Gadisar Lake is free to walk around. Boating is paid per boat, for a short ride:

Bada Bagh, the royal cenotaphs just outside town, and Vyas Chhatri, the sunset point near the city, each charge a modest ticket. The Desert Culture Centre has a small museum; its evening puppet show is usually ticketed separately. Akal Wood Fossil Park, on the Barmer road, is run by the forest department and also charges a vehicle fee.

Kuldhara, Khaba, Lodurva and the desert sites

Most day-trip sites are cheap but add up, because there is often a vehicle charge as well as a per-person ticket.

• Kuldhara charges about ~₹10 for Indians and ~₹100 for foreign visitors, plus a vehicle fee at the gate. Entry closes at sunset.
• Khaba Fort is about ~₹50 and is usually paired with Kuldhara on the Sam road.
• Lodurva temple is free to enter; the temple trust charges for cameras.
• Desert National Park needs a forest department permit — about ~₹100 for Indians and ~₹300 for foreign visitors, plus vehicle and camera charges.
• Longewala and Tanot are free. Longewala has a short, ticketed film show. See our border permit guide for ID rules.

Indian, foreign, student and camera rates

Indian rate applies to Indian citizens. Keep an ID handy; counters rarely ask, but they can. Foreign rate applies to other passport holders, including OCI card holders at some sites — ask if unsure.

Students: the palace museum has offered a student rate; most other sites have not. Carry your college ID anyway.

Children: small children are often let in free, but there is no common rule. Budget for the full rate and be pleasantly surprised.

Cameras: expect about ~₹100 at the palace museum and similar at the Jain temples and Lodurva. Several sites charge nothing. Drones are a different matter — do not fly one near the fort, cantonment or border belt without permission.

How to pay and what to carry

Most counters take cash. Many now also accept UPI, but the network drops and card machines are not universal, so carry small notes for the day. This matters most at rural sites like Kuldhara, Khaba and the border belt.

• Buy tickets only at the official window of each site, and keep them until you leave — some are checked twice.
• Nobody outside a counter needs to "arrange" a ticket for you. A licensed guide can buy them with your money, but should show you the receipt.
• A licensed city guide for half a day usually costs about ₹800–1,500 per group, separate from tickets.

If you are hiring a car for the day, entry fees are almost never included in the fare. Our local sightseeing cab page explains what is.

Worked example: what a day of tickets costs

Here is a full sightseeing day — fort museum, one Patwon haveli, Salim Singh, Bada Bagh, Kuldhara, Khaba and a row boat on Gadisar. We count children at the adult rate to be safe.

Tickets are rarely the big cost of a Jaisalmer trip — transport and the desert camp are. Try the budget tool below to see the whole trip.