Rajasthan Motorcycle Tour | Thar Desert Forts

The Experience

The Rajasthan most international riders plan is Jaipur–Jodhpur–Jaisalmer in a straight line. Those three cities earn their reputation. The riding between and around them — across Shekhawati, down NH-15's 330 km (205-mile) desert run, and west on the BRO roads toward Longewala — is what separates a CraftedMoto expedition from a standard itinerary.

The Shekhawati belt — Nawalgarh, Mandawa, Fatehpur — contains over 1,000 19th-century painted havelis covering full exterior walls and interior courtyards in frescoes commissioned by merchants in the 1800s. The 180 km (112-mile) ride from Jaipur on NH-52 then SH-8 takes around 3 hours and ends in a town with almost no foreign tourists. We overnight inside a working haveli conversion — breakfast in a courtyard that has been continuously used since 1870.

West of Jaisalmer, the BRO maintains the desert roads toward Longewala to a consistent standard: flat tarmac, well-signed, holding 100 km/h (62 mph) through open desert with almost nothing else on the road. We ride out to Tanot Mata Mandir — 120 km (75 miles) from Jaisalmer — a temple standing on this site since 1965, maintained by army personnel based at the post nearby. I cut the engine about 20 km past Tanot at around 9:30am. The wind was audible. That 20-km stretch is the quietest riding we do in Rajasthan.

Between Jodhpur and Pali on NH-62, the Bullet Baba Temple — Om Banna — is a roadside shrine to a Royal Enfield Bullet that reportedly returned to its crash site overnight after being recovered. Riders place garlands, incense, and chain offerings on the actual motorcycle under a small shelter. Every motorcycle rider in Rajasthan stops here. Not stopping would be like riding the American Southwest and skipping Monument Valley.

South of Jodhpur, the Bishnoi village circuit runs 40 km (25 miles) through active farmland where blackbuck and chinkaras (Indian gazelles) move freely among the fields. The Bishnoi community has not harmed an animal or cut a green tree since 1778 — 12 generations of practice with no exceptions. Nowhere else in India does wildlife move through working agricultural land this openly.

Why This Route?

Because the Rajasthan between Jaipur, Jodhpur, and Jaisalmer is what most tours skip entirely. We ride the Thar sand tracks, the Shekhawati painted haveli belt, the BRO desert roads west of Jaisalmer toward Longewala and Tanot Mata Mandir, and the Bullet Baba shrine on NH-62 that every motorcycle rider in Rajasthan knows.

Expedition Stats

Best Season: October – March
Duration: 10–15 Days
Difficulty: Beginner to Intermediate
Terrain: 80% tarmac highways including BRO-maintained desert roads. 20% sand-covered Thar tracks and Aravalli hill roads. Max altitude ~1,200 m (3,937 ft) at Kumbhalgarh — no AMS risk. The challenge is heat and dehydration, not technical terrain.

Sample Itinerary Outline

Note: All our journeys are entirely custom. This is merely a taste of what your expedition could look like.

Days 1–2: Jaipur — Orientation and Amber Fort Loop

Bike handover in Jaipur. Short orientation through old city lanes, then the Amber Fort loop on Amer Road — leave by 7:30am. Traffic on Amer Road is manageable before 9am and gridlocked after.

Days 3–4: Jaipur → Shekhawati — Mandawa, Nawalgarh (180 km / 112 miles)

NH-52 then SH-8. Painted haveli walls appear in villages before Mandawa town. Overnight in a heritage haveli conversion — one of the few genuine 19th-century stays on this route.

Day 5: Shekhawati → Bikaner (170 km / 106 miles)

Straight desert highway, road opens completely after Fatehpur. November–February: 8 km (5-mile) detour to Khichan Village for Demoiselle Crane feeding at 7am — hundreds of birds, no other tourists present.

Days 6–7: Bikaner → Jaisalmer (330 km / 205 miles, NH-15)

The longest and best riding day in Rajasthan. Fuel at Pokhran — 165 km midpoint, next station is Jaisalmer 110 km further. Arrive at golden hour. Jaisalmer Fort turns ochre-gold at 5:30–6:00pm. Plan accordingly.

Days 8–9: Jaisalmer Desert — Longewala Road and Tanot Mata Mandir

BRO roads run west from Jaisalmer through open Thar desert — empty tarmac, no settlements for 40–50 km (25–31 miles) at a stretch. Tanot Mata Mandir at 120 km (75 miles) out. Fill to full before leaving Jaisalmer — there is no fuel on this road. Khuri Dunes camp for the night, 45 km (28 miles) south of Jaisalmer — family-run, far less traffic than Sam dunes.

Day 10: Kuldhara and Khaba Fort Ghost Villages

30–40 km (19–25 miles) west of Jaisalmer. Two villages abandoned overnight in 1825 by 1,500 Paliwal Brahmin families. The ruins are completely intact. Sand tracks between Kuldhara and Khuri — carry a 2L jerry can, no fuel on this section.

Days 11–12: Jaisalmer → Jodhpur (285 km / 177 miles, NH-125)

Pokhran fuel stop at midpoint. Arrive Jodhpur. Mehrangarh Fort the following morning — 120 m (394 ft) cliff face above the Blue City. Bishnoi village circuit as a 40 km (25-mile) afternoon loop south of town.

Day 13: Jodhpur → Bullet Baba Temple → Ranakpur → Kumbhalgarh (150 km / 93 miles, SH-62)

Om Banna Bullet Baba shrine on NH-62 between Jodhpur and Pali — mandatory stop. Ranakpur Jain temple complex: 1,444 individually carved marble columns, each one different. Kumbhalgarh fort wall (36 km circumference) visible from the approach road for 10+ km — the second longest continuous fortification wall in the world.

Day 14: Kumbhalgarh → Udaipur (100 km / 62 miles)

Aravalli Hills descent via Nathdwara. Fill fuel at Ranakpur — no petrol on the fort road or the mountain stretch into Udaipur. The road between Nathdwara and Udaipur is the best technical riding in southern Rajasthan.

Day 15: Udaipur → Pushkar via Chittorgarh (260 km / 162 miles)

Chittorgarh Fort stop — 700 acres (283 hectares), the largest fort complex in India by total enclosed area. Pushkar finish on the lake. World's largest camel fair runs here in November (Kartik Purnima).

What's Covered

Royal Enfield Himalayan 450
Expert Mechanic & 4x4 Support Vehicle
All Fuel Costs
Heritage Hotels & Desert Camps
Border Area Permits & Route Clearances

Where We Stay

Jaipur: Boutique havelis in old city merchant neighborhoods.
Shekhawati (Mandawa/Nawalgarh): 19th-century haveli conversions — family-operated, interior courtyards intact.
Bikaner: Heritage property near Junagarh Fort.
Jaisalmer: Khuri camp (45 km south) — family-run, quieter than the Sam dunes strip.
Jodhpur: Blue City heritage stays below Mehrangarh Fort.
Kumbhalgarh/Ranakpur: Forest-edge lodge near the fort approach road.
Udaipur: Lake-facing guesthouse in the old city quarter.

For a natural western extension into Gujarat's salt desert, the Rann of Kutch expedition connects directly to the Rajasthan desert circuit. To plan your Rajasthan motorcycle expedition, contact us with your preferred window.

Last updated: November 2025 - Route information verified by our team on the ground.

Common Questions

What makes a Rajasthan motorcycle tour different from a car tour?

On a motorcycle the desert heat, dust, and road surface are immediate. The pace also changes entirely — you stop at Bullet Baba's shrine, wait for cranes at Khichan at 7am, and eat dal baati churma at a coal-fired dhaba after Fatehpur. None of those happen on a scheduled car tour.

What is the best season for the Rajasthan motorcycle tour?

November to February is the most reliable window. Days run 20–28°C (68–82°F), nights 8–12°C (46–54°F), zero rain, and clear desert skies. October works but runs noticeably warmer at 32–36°C (90–97°F). Avoid June–September — monsoon flash floods affect normally dry desert riverbeds.

What is the Bullet Baba Temple and do we stop there?

The Bullet Baba Temple (Om Banna) is a roadside shrine on NH-62 between Jodhpur and Pali dedicated to a Royal Enfield motorcycle. It is the only motorcycle temple in the world. Yes, we stop — it takes 15 minutes and it belongs on this route.

What is the Longewala road like, and do we need permits for the western desert?

The BRO-maintained road running west from Jaisalmer toward Longewala is better tarmac than most riders expect — flat, consistent surface, and almost completely empty. The section approaching the border restricted zone requires a permit. We handle all paperwork as part of the expedition.

How technical is riding the Thar desert sand tracks?

Main highways (NH-15, NH-125, NH-62) are standard tarmac — accessible for beginner riders. Sand tracks between Kuldhara and Khuri require basic sand technique: weight back, momentum maintained, no sudden braking on loose surface. We brief this fully before the first sand section.

Rajasthan Motorcycle Tour — The Thar Desert