Monsoon Holidays: Bikaner - Forts, Palaces & Royal History

Take a trip down the history of the city through its historic monuments. Visit the imposing Junagarh fort reportedly to be one of the many forts that was never conquered; the magnificent Lallgarh Palace famous for its beautiful lattice and filigree work and get a glimpse on how the royals lived at the Lallgarh Museum. Prachina Museum and the Sadul Museum located within the precincts of the Junagarh fort are two other places of interest. Trace the antiquity of the region through the archaeological discoveries placed in the Ganga Singh Museum; Pay your respects at the Bhandeswari Jain Temple and the Shiv Bari Temple and salute the brave warriors at the royal crematorium of Devi Kund.

Places to see nearby
Witness the devotion and belief of the villagers of Deshnok at the Karni Mata Temple (30 km from Bikaner) – the only place in the world where rats are revered; get a glimpse of the ethnic rural and cultural life of the Jasnathjis - the fire dancers and marvel at the beauty of the sunset with the desert in its background at Katariasar Village; learn more about the ship of the desert and the life line of the people of region at the 2000 acres Camel Research Farm and if it is the adventure that you seek then head to the Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary, some 32 km away, which is home to nilgai, chinkara, black buck, wild boar, imperial sand grouse and migratory birds.

Since Bikaner is quite popular on the tourism map, there are plenty of hotels in Bikaner, which offer comfortable accommodation to tourists. Hotels in Bikaner range from luxury hotels to heritage hotels and budget hotels. Some popular hotels in Bikaner include Lallgarh Palace, Gajner Palace, Karni Bhawan Palace and RTDC hotel Dhola Maru. Check out hotels in Bikaner.

By Air: Two nearest airports are at Jodhpur (254 km away) and Jaipur (325 km away).

By Rail: Bikaner is well-connected to Delhi by the ‘Bikaner Mail’, to Mumbai by the ‘Jammu Tawi’ and to Kolkata by the ‘Howrah-Jodhpur Express’. The ‘Jaipur-Bikaner Intercity’ and ‘Jaipur-Bikaner Express’ trains are the best options to Jaipur. From there one can take an auto or hire a taxi to enter Bikaner City.

By Road: Bikaner is about 321 km from Jaipur and 243 km from Jodhpur. The roads are very good, and it takes around 8-9 hrs from Jaipur to reach Bikaner. Govt. and private Deluxe, Super Deluxe and AC buses ply between Bikaner and other major cities of the neighbouring states.

Check Driving Directions from Delhi to Bikaner

Location: Bikaner is in north-west Rajasthan, about 548 km south-west of Delhi. Bikaner is 243 km from Jodhpur and 321 km from Jaipur.

When to Go: Though October to March is considered the best time to visit Bikaner but experimenting the desert city during the rains is certainly something different.

Transport: RTDC Tourist Reception Centre, Bikaner House, Pandara Road, New Delhi Tel: 011-23389525