Route library · Outstation · Desert & forts
Delhi to Osian
Osian, about 65 km north-west of Jodhpur on the edge of the Thar, was a major trading and religious centre a thousand years ago, and it kept the temples to prove it — a cluster of 8th to 12th-century Jain and Brahmanical shrines, richly carved, sometimes called the ‘Khajuraho of Rajasthan’. The hilltop Sachiya Mata temple is still a busy living shrine, and there are low dunes and camel camps on the town's desert edge. It is a quiet, deep-history stop that the Jodhpur–Jaisalmer traffic skips entirely.
Send to WhatsApp Download GPX Plan this trip Notes verified September 2026 · something changed?
At a glance
- Round trip
- About 1,250–1,350 km
- Riding time
- 2.5 days each way
- Nights
- 3 nights
- Start point
- Delhi (via Jaipur, Ajmer/Beawar and Jodhpur)
- Highest point
- Flat Thar-edge desert — about 300 m
- Difficulty
- Moderate. Fast highway to Jodhpur, then open desert two-lane to Osian; the temples are a walk, the dunes a short camel or 4x4 ride.
- Surface
- Sealed throughout; the Jodhpur–Osian road is two-lane with broken edges and drifting sand near the verges.
- Best season
- October to March. Winter days are pleasant, nights cold; the light on the sandstone temples is best low. April to June is severe Thar heat; the monsoon is brief.
The ride
Delhi → Jaipur → Ajmer / Beawar → Jodhpur over two-and-a-half days, then the desert road north-west to Osian. Base at an Osian desert camp or in Jodhpur.
Walk the temple cluster — the Mahavira Jain temple, the Sachiya Mata hill complex, the Surya and Harihara temples — ideally early or late for the light. Add the dunes and a camel evening, and, on the way in or out, a day in Jodhpur for Mehrangarh and the old blue city. Khimsar fort and dunes are a short hop east if you want another stop.
Day by day
Delhi to Jodhpur
Highway via Jaipur and Ajmer to Jodhpur (10–12 hours over the two days; night en route at Jaipur or Ajmer). Night in Jodhpur.
Jodhpur to Osian
Mehrangarh in the morning, then the desert road to Osian (1.5–2 hours). Temples in the late light; a dune evening; night at an Osian camp.
Osian temples + return leg
The temple cluster in the cool morning, then start the ride back — night at Ajmer / Jaipur.
To Delhi
The final highway run home.
Fuel & services
- Fuel is fine to Jodhpur — the highway, Jaipur, Ajmer, Beawar, Jodhpur.
- The Jodhpur–Osian road is short (65 km) with a pump or two en route; a normal tank covers it easily. No spare needed unless you push on to Khimsar or the deeper desert.
- Osian has several desert camps (tents, dune dinners) and a couple of guesthouses; Jodhpur has every price range. Food is Marwari. Carry cash for the camps and temple donations; card acceptance is patchy at Osian.
Road & conditions
Highway to Jodhpur is fast four-lane with the standard truck and fatigue hazards over the long days. The Jodhpur–Osian road is ordinary two-lane with broken edges and sand near the verges — easy but exposed. Ride in daylight; cattle, goats, camel carts and dogs use the road near villages, and the desert wind and grit build in the afternoon. The temples and the town are explored on foot.
Bike, fuel & getting help
- Suggested bike
- Fine on a well-maintained 150–200cc commuter.
- Fuel gap
- One long stretch without a pump — fill up before it and top off where you can.
- Spare fuel
- None needed for this route.
- Emergency & logistics
- District hospitals in the route towns; generally good signal; long gaps between towns on the rural link roads — carry a puncture kit and water.
Best time to ride
October to March, with November to February the most comfortable — warm days, cold nights, and low sun that makes the carved sandstone glow. The Sachiya Mata temple is busiest during Navratri (Sep–Oct and Mar–Apr). April to June is brutal Thar heat with no shade at the temples. The monsoon is short and the roads hold up.
What to add to your kit
Beyond the standard ride kit: a warm layer for cold desert nights, a dust buff and eye protection, sun cover and water for the shadeless temple walk, modest clothing for the shrines, and cash. Nothing technical.
Ride this with a group
We run Osian as a 3–4 day outstation ride — highway to Jodhpur, then a desert town of thousand-year-old temples the Jaisalmer traffic skips, a dune evening, and a temple-precinct clean-up as the service action.