Jaisalmer Camel Safari: Overnight Sleep under Stars

Ride through silent dunes to sleep under the vast, starlit desert sky

An overnight camel safari from Jaisalmer takes you into the Thar Desert on a non-crowded route through villages and dunes, with two camel rides (90 minutes each), a traditional dinner cooked fresh at a bonfire, and a night sleeping under the stars on sand dunes with warm bedding. The safari departs at 1:30 PM and returns by 11 AM the next day; a live guide speaks English and Hindi, and children from age 1 are welcome.

The Experience

The safari starts with a jeep ride from Jaisalmer at 1:30 PM toward the dunes, passing through Khaba and a natural oasis before you meet the guides and camels. You get one camel per person for a 90-minute ride through varied desert landscape—scrubland, farms, rocky outcrops and dunes—where you'll see local wildlife and pass villages where people still live the traditional desert way. The route stays off the crowded tourist paths, which is the whole point: you're after the raw experience, not the postcard version.

At the dunes you stop to watch the sunset and eat fresh snacks, then gather around a bonfire for a traditional dinner cooked on-site using bottled water. The meal is vegetarian (mixed vegetables, rice, chapati, dal and chai), though non-vegetarian options are available for an extra fee. After dinner you sleep on the sand dunes in warm, cozy bedding—this is the centerpiece of the safari, the night under the stars that most people come for.

Morning brings a sunrise, a healthy breakfast of boiled eggs, wheat porridge, biscuits, bread, fresh seasonal fruit and tea or coffee, then another 90-minute camel ride before a jeep takes you back to Jaisalmer by 11 AM. The whole arc—departure to return—runs about 20 hours. A live guide in English or Hindi travels with the group; infants can sit on an adult's lap, and the safari suits all fitness levels, though it's not recommended for travelers with spinal injuries, pregnancy or poor cardiovascular health. There are no bathroom facilities in the desert, so plan accordingly.

What’s included

• Jeep transport from Jaisalmer to the dunes and back.
• one camel per person for two 90-minute rides.
• traditional vegetarian dinner cooked fresh at a bonfire with chai.
• breakfast the next morning with fresh fruit, eggs, porridge, biscuits and bread.
• tea, coffee and snacks.
• warm bedding for sleeping on the sand dunes.
• a live guide in English or Hindi.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfant seats availablePets welcomePublic transport nearbyNot for pregnant travelersNot for heart conditionsNot for back problemsInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Trotters Tours & Travels Camel Safari

Is this one for you?Most overnight desert safaris near Jaisalmer run on crowded routes with dozens of tourists and pre-made meals. This one keeps groups small, stays off the main tracks through actual villages and working farmland, and cooks dinner fresh at the bonfire so you taste what the guides eat—the trade-off is no bathroom facility, which is what keeps the desert real.

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Top questions

What's the camel riding like on this overnight safari?

You ride one camel per person for 90 minutes on each of two days, moving through scrubland, farms, rocky outcrops and sand dunes. The pace is steady and the route avoids the crowded tourist tracks, so you're riding through actual desert landscape and passing villages where traditional life continues.

What do you eat on the overnight camel safari?

Dinner is a traditional vegetarian meal cooked fresh at the bonfire—mixed vegetables, rice, chapati, dal and chai—with non-vegetarian options available for an extra fee. Breakfast the next morning includes boiled eggs, wheat porridge, biscuits, bread, fresh seasonal fruit and tea or coffee. Snacks and chai are served at the dunes before sunset.

Where exactly do you sleep on this safari?

You sleep on the sand dunes themselves in warm, cozy bedding, under the open sky. There are no tents or structures; the bedding is provided and the stars are your ceiling.

What time does the overnight safari start and end?

The safari departs Jaisalmer at around 1:30 PM on day one and returns by 11 AM the next day, making the full experience roughly 20 hours from start to finish.

Can children go on this overnight camel safari?

Yes, children are welcome from age 1. Infants can sit on an adult's lap during the jeep and camel portions of the safari.

Is there a bathroom on the overnight desert safari?

No bathroom facilities are available during the safari, so plan your water intake and personal needs accordingly before and after the experience.