Udaipur to Jaisalmer: Mehrangarh Fort & Desert Drive

A 250km drive splits into two halves: fort, then desert

You travel from Udaipur to Jaisalmer in a private air-conditioned car with an English-speaking driver who handles all fuel, tolls and parking. The journey includes a full stop at Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, where you explore courtyards and palaces and take in views of the Blue City, with time for lunch on your own. Hotel pickup in Udaipur and drop-off in Jaisalmer bookend the 9–10 hour day, so you don't arrange transport or timing yourself.

Step-by-step itinerary

Transfer from Udaipur to Jaisalmer via Jodhpur

• Pickup from hotel in Udaipur
• Drive toward Jodhpur with stops
• Visit Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur
• Explore fort and enjoy Blue City views
• Free time for lunch in Jodhpur
• Drive from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer
• Arrive and drop off at hotel in Jaisalmer

The Experience

The car pulls up to your hotel in Udaipur before dawn or mid-morning, depending on what you've arranged. Your driver is waiting with the engine running and the air-conditioning already on. From here, the road to Jaisalmer is not a straight line — it's a stop-and-turn through Rajasthan that takes the better part of a day, but the route itself is the point. The first 250 kilometers roll toward Jodhpur, and that's where the real stop happens.

Mehrangarh Fort sits above Jodhpur like something that refused to come down. You'll spend two or three hours there after the 4.5-hour drive from Udaipur, walking through courtyards that open onto each other, past royal palaces with carved stone screens, and up to the ramparts where the whole Blue City spreads below you in that particular shade of indigo-gray that the limestone gives it. The fort is not small, and the museum inside is worth the time — weapons, textiles, manuscripts, the kind of detail that makes a place feel lived-in rather than just old. Your driver will wait, and you'll have free time for lunch at a restaurant in Jodhpur's old town or near the fort itself, so you're not eating on a schedule.

After lunch, the landscape changes. The drive from Jodhpur to Jaisalmer is another 280 kilometers or so, and it takes 4.5 to 5 hours depending on traffic and the road. This is where the desert starts to show itself — the villages get smaller, the fields thin out, and the light gets harder. You'll pass through quiet stretches where the only movement is a truck or a motorcycle, and the color of the earth shifts from brown to gold. By evening, you're in Jaisalmer, and your driver drops you at your hotel or wherever you've asked to go. The whole day is one transfer, but it's not a transfer that makes you sit still — it's a transfer that moves you through something.

What’s included

• Hotel pickup in Udaipur and hotel drop-off in Jaisalmer.
• private air-conditioned vehicle for the entire journey.
• English-speaking driver.
• all fuel charges, tolls, parking fees and interstate taxes.
• entry to Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur.
• free time for lunch in Jodhpur.

Good to know

Easy physical levelInfants must sit on laps

Operated by Udaipur Private Tour Taxi

Is this one for you?Book this if you need to get from Udaipur to Jaisalmer without renting a car or arranging your own transport — the driver handles the route, the timing and the logistics, and the Mehrangarh Fort stop turns a long drive into a day with a destination in the middle.

Top questions

How long is the drive from Udaipur to Jaisalmer?

The total journey is 9 to 10 hours, split into two legs: Udaipur to Jodhpur (4.5 hours, 250–265 km) and Jodhpur to Jaisalmer (4.5–5 hours, 280–285 km). The Mehrangarh Fort stop in Jodhpur adds 2–3 hours.

What's included in the transfer?

Hotel pickup in Udaipur, drop-off in Jaisalmer, private air-conditioned vehicle, English-speaking driver, fuel, tolls, parking fees, and interstate taxes. Entry to Mehrangarh Fort is also included.

Do I have time for lunch?

Yes. After exploring Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur, you have free time to eat at a local restaurant. Lunch is not provided, so you choose where and what you eat.

Is the vehicle air-conditioned?

Yes, the entire transfer is in a private air-conditioned vehicle, which helps during the long drive through Rajasthan's heat.

What happens at Mehrangarh Fort?

You'll explore the fort's courtyards, royal palaces, and museum, and walk the ramparts for views over Jodhpur's Blue City. The stop is unguided, so you move at your own pace.

Can I stop anywhere else along the way?

The itinerary includes short stops to relax and refresh during the drive, but the main sightseeing stop is Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur.

What if I'm traveling with an infant?

Infants must sit on an adult's lap during the transfer.