Route library · Outstation · Desert & forts
Delhi to Bikaner
Bikaner, deep in the Thar, is a desert-fort city that most riders skip on the way to Jaisalmer. Its Junagarh fort was never conquered and is unusually intact; the old walled city is a warren of carved sandstone havelis; the Karni Mata temple at Deshnok is home to thousands of revered rats; and the government camel research farm and the Jorbeer vulture and raptor ground sit just outside town.
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At a glance
- Round trip
- About 850–950 km
- Riding time
- 8–9 hours each way — best split at Sikar or Nagaur
- Nights
- Three nights
- Start point
- Delhi (via Rewari, Sikar and Nagaur)
- Highest point
- Flat Thar plain — around 240 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate. Flat, fast, non-technical riding; the challenge is the distance and the open desert heat outside winter.
- Surface
- Good four-lane / state highway via Sikar and Nagaur to Bikaner; the Deshnok and camel-farm roads are quiet sealed roads
- Best season
- October to March. Winter is comfortable; the Jorbeer raptor congregation peaks in the cold months; April–June is brutally hot in the open desert.
The ride
Delhi → Sikar → Fatehpur (a Shekhawati fresco stop) → Nagaur → Bikaner. Flat, fast Thar riding, with Nagaur's restored fort a good overnight.
In Bikaner: Junagarh fort, the old city and the Rampuria havelis, the Lalgarh palace, and Bhandasar Jain temple. Ride out to Deshnok for the Karni Mata rat temple (30 km south), the NRCC camel farm for the sunset herd, and Jorbeer for the wintering vultures, eagles and kites. Katni—no; the Gajner palace and lake is a short ride west.
Day by day
Delhi to Bikaner
Delhi → Sikar → Fatehpur → Nagaur → Bikaner (8–9 hours). Split at Nagaur if the light is going. Settle near the old city.
Bikaner city
Junagarh fort, the old city and the Rampuria havelis, Bhandasar temple, the Lalgarh palace. Evening at the camel farm for the herd.
Deshnok and Jorbeer
The Karni Mata rat temple at Deshnok, then Jorbeer for the raptors, and Gajner lake. Overnight Bikaner.
Bikaner to Delhi
Retrace via Nagaur and Sikar. First light to keep the day manageable.
Fuel & services
- Fuel is easy the whole way — the Sikar highway, Fatehpur, Nagaur and Bikaner are all well served.
- No real gap; top up in Bikaner before the Deshnok, Jorbeer and Gajner roads.
- Bikaner has heritage-haveli hotels in and around the old city and plenty of standard hotels. Carry cash for temple areas and the smaller places. Winter desert nights are cold.
Road & conditions
Flat and easy. The Rewari–Sikar corridor and the Sikar–Fatehpur–Nagaur–Bikaner road are good two- to four-lane roads with the usual plains traffic, camels, and unmarked breakers. The Deshnok, Jorbeer and Gajner roads are quiet sealed roads. The main hazards are winter-morning fog and livestock — ride the early legs in daylight.
Bike, fuel & getting help
- Suggested bike
- Fine on a well-maintained 150–200cc commuter.
- Fuel gap
- Longest dry stretch is short — a normal tank covers it with margin.
- Spare fuel
- None needed for this route.
- Emergency & logistics
- Well-equipped hospitals in Bikaner; good signal; winter desert nights are genuinely cold.
Best time to ride
October to March for comfortable riding and the best light on the sandstone, with the Jorbeer raptor congregation at its peak in the cold months. April to June is brutally hot in the open desert. The monsoon is humid but brief out here.
What to add to your kit
Beyond the standard ride kit: a warm layer for the cold desert nights, sun cover and water for the day, socks for the rat temple (you go barefoot), binoculars for Jorbeer, and cash. Basic tools and a puncture kit.
Ride this with a group
We run Bikaner as a three-night Thar ride to a fort city almost nobody visits — the intact fort and the haveli lanes, the rat temple and the camel farm, the wintering raptors at Jorbeer, and a temple-approach and raptor-ground clean-up as the service action.