Bikaner travel guide

Best time

October to March

Nearest airport

Nal Airport (about 13 km)

Nearest railway station

Bikaner Junction, Lalgarh Junction

Festival

Camel Festival in January

What to see

Junagarh Fort, built in the late 16th century under Raja Rai Singh, a general in Akbar's service, is the highlight. Behind its walls are palaces of red sandstone and marble with painted rooms, courtyards, balconies and carved windows. The fort was never taken by force.

Lalgarh Palace was built for Maharaja Ganga Singh in the early 1900s to designs by Sir Samuel Swinton Jacob, blending Rajput, Mughal and European ideas. Part of the complex, Laxmi Niwas Palace, now operates as a heritage hotel. The Ganga Government Museum displays finds from Harappan and Gupta sites along with weapons, carpets, pottery and coins.

Camels and Karni Mata

About 8 km from the city, the National Research Centre on Camel is a government farm where you can see large herds, learn about the different breeds and try camel-milk products. It is one of the largest facilities of its kind.

At Deshnok, about 30 km south, the Karni Mata temple is home to thousands of rats that are fed and protected by devotees. It is not for everyone, but it is a genuine and much-loved place of pilgrimage.

Best time to visit

October to March is the most comfortable period, with sunny days and cold nights. The Bikaner Camel Festival, held each January, brings parades, camel races and folk performances. Summer temperatures are extreme and best avoided.

How to reach and get around

Bikaner Junction and Lalgarh Junction are the two main railway stations, both close to the city centre. Nal Airport lies about 13 km away; Jodhpur has a bigger airport roughly 250 km south. Roads are good, and autorickshaws cover the city easily. We can fit Bikaner into a Rajasthan circuit with Jaisalmer, Jodhpur or the Shekhawati towns.

Places to see in Bikaner

Also nearby