Things to do in Bikaner
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Bikaner
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best season, warm dry days and cold nights that can fall to about 5 degrees C in mid winter.
Bikaner Camel Festival in January, in 2026 from 9 to 11 January, with the desert day at Raisar.
Shoulder month heating up fast, workable only with early starts and no midday desert trips.
Genuinely punishing summer, highs regularly 43 to 47 degrees C with hot winds and dust. Avoid if you can.
Monsoon in name but still hot, with little rain, added humidity and dust rather than cool weather.
Kolayat Fair on Kartik Purnima and Diwali crowds in the old city and sweet shops.
What's on
- Bikaner Camel Festival Usually January; dates move each year
Heritage walk, camel dance and races at the camel centre, folk nights and a desert day at Raisar.
- Kolayat Fair Kartik Purnima, October or November
Bathing in Kolayat Lake, evening lamps on the water and a cattle fair including camels at Kolayat.
Best things to do in Bikaner
Junagarh Fort
A plains fort never taken by siege, where the palace interiors at Anup Mahal and Phool Mahal are the real reward.
Rampuria Havelis
Red sandstone merchant mansions best seen on an early morning walk, when the old city lanes are cool and quiet.
Bhandasar Jain Temple
A small Jain temple covered in mirror work, gold leaf and frescoes, with a tradition that ghee filled its foundations.
Karni Mata Temple
A working temple at Deshnok where thousands of sacred black rats move freely and visitors enter barefoot.
Ganga Government Museum
A low cost state museum of sculpture, painting and Bikaner state history that gives context for Junagarh Fort.
Sri Sadul Museum
The museum wing of the 1902 Lalgarh Palace, covering the later maharajas through photographs and palace material.
Where to stay in Bikaner
Central Bikaner
design led luxury in the city
Home to Narendra Bhawan Bikaner, with a pool and spa that matter in the desert climate.
Lalgarh Palace area
heritage splurge and quieter nights
Home to The Laxmi Niwas Palace and Sri Sadul Museum, with palace gardens away from the old city crush.
Junagarh Fort area
first visit and easy sightseeing
Best for a fort first morning and fort side dining, with a mid range heritage hotel nearby.
Bikaner Railway Station area
budget stays and train arrivals
Practical for early trains and lower prices, with a simple family hotel under 1 km from the station.
Think twice about
- Old City lanes as a hotel base
Narrow, noisy lanes with difficult car access. Visit on foot in the morning rather than sleeping there.
- Desert areas west toward the India Pakistan border
Do not approach the border away from an official crossing. The 10 km border zone is barred.
Best restaurants in Bikaner
Gallops Restaurant and Coffee House
The reliable fort side sit down restaurant opposite Junagarh, best for a Rajasthani thali after a fort visit.
Heeralal's
A long running local name for a fuller Rajasthani meal, including dal baati churma and gatte ki sabzi.
Chhotu Motu Joshi Sweet Shop
The classic Station Road sweet shop for kachori, jalebi, rasgulla, lassi and a traditional Rajasthani thali.
Bhikharam Chandmal Bhujiawala
A famous bhujia house for tasting Bikaneri bhujia before buying sealed packets to take home.
Kote Gate
The old city gate and bazaar junction, and Bikaner's best cheap grazing for fresh kachoris, samosas and bhujia.
Outdoor things to do in Bikaner
National Research Centre on Camel
A government camel research farm best in late afternoon, with herds of four breeds, a museum and camel milk ice cream.
Devi Kund Sagar
The quiet royal cenotaph ground east of the city, with painted chhatris beside a reservoir, best in late afternoon.
Raisar Sand Dunes
Bikaner's nearest dune area for a sunset camel ride and desert evening, gentler than the high dunes near Jaisalmer.
Gajner Palace
A lakeside royal hunting retreat in a sanctuary estate, and Bikaner's genuine luxury excursion or overnight stay.
Kolayat
A quiet oasis lake town for Kapil Muni Temple, transformed each autumn by the crowded Kolayat Fair on Kartik Purnima.
Best hotels in Bikaner
Narendra Bhawan Bikaner
The last maharaja's residence reworked as a design led heritage hotel with a spa and a rooftop pool.
The Laxmi Niwas Palace
A 1902 palace hotel in the Lalgarh complex, with filigree stone screens, large gardens and a pool.
Hotel Bhairon Vilas
A family run heritage hotel near Junagarh Fort, with a courtyard pool and rooms full of family antiques.
Hotel Jaswant Bhawan
A simple, well kept family hotel near the railway station, with a garden, terrace and restaurant.
Is Bikaner expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | ₹2,200 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | ₹5,000 a person |
| Splurge | ₹9,500 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Raisar Sand Dunes: a few days ahead
- Gajner Palace: weeks ahead
- Narendra Bhawan Bikaner: weeks ahead
- The Laxmi Niwas Palace: weeks ahead
- Book heritage hotels ahead for December, January and the Camel Festival dates.
- Book a car and guide ahead for a combined Junagarh Fort and Deshnok day in peak winter.
Is Bikaner safe?
- In April to June, sightsee only at dawn and rest indoors from late morning to late afternoon.
- At Karni Mata Temple you are barefoot among rats and offerings, so wash feet and hands afterwards.
- Do not head west into desert border areas or approach the border away from an official crossing.
Bikaner travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Agree safari duration, inclusions and return transport before paying, as quoted prices vary widely.
- Agree any temple or haveli guide or donation amount before accepting help.
- At Kote Gate choose busy stalls frying fresh food and drink sealed bottled water.
Getting around Bikaner: public transport and more
- Hire a car for Deshnok at about 30 km, Gajner at about 32 km and Kolayat at about 50 km.
- Use auto rickshaws and tongas inside the city and agree fares before you ride.
- Bikaner Junction links well by rail to Delhi, Jaipur and Jodhpur, while Nal Airport flights are limited.
Who Bikaner suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Good |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Bikaner your trip
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