Bikaner Travel Guide: 7 Places to Visit, How to Reach & Best Time

Places to visit in Bikaner

7 places, grouped by kind. Each one shows how well it is verified: an official source, two independent sources, or not yet verified.

District headquarters 1

Bikaner (district headquarters) Two sources

Location: Bikaner · district headquarters

Headquarters of Bikaner district; formed date to confirm.

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Forts and palaces 1

Junagarh Fort Official source

Highlight · Location: Bikaner · city

Founded as Chintamani in 1478 by Rao Bika; present fort completed 17 February 1589 (Incredible India).

On the map · Directions ↗

Temples and shrines 2

Karni Mata Temple, Deshnoke Official source

Highlight · Location: Deshnoke

Temple where thousands of rats are revered (Incredible India).

On the map · Directions ↗
Kolayat Lake Official source

Location: Kolayat · 51 km

Holy lake with an annual fair (Incredible India).

On the map · Directions ↗

Museums, havelis and culture 2

National Camel Research Centre Official source

Location: Bikaner

Central institute established 1984 (Incredible India).

On the map · Directions ↗
Rampuria Haveli Official source

Location: old city · city

Red sandstone merchant mansion (Incredible India).

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Lakes, wildlife and nature 1

Gajner Palace and Wildlife Sanctuary Official source

Location: Gajner

Lakeside palace of Maharaja Ganga Singh on 6,000 acres; former royal hunting ground (Incredible India).

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In depth: Junagarh Fort

Bikaner, a desert city of red sandstone, is known for Junagarh Fort, camels and the rat temple of Karni Mata at Deshnoke (Incredible India).

At a glance

Type: Fort-palace (Incredible India) Official source
Founded: 1478, Rao Bika (Incredible India) Official source
Completed: 17 February 1589 (Incredible India) Official source

History and significance

1478: Fort founded (Incredible India). Official source
1589: Present fort completed (Incredible India). Official source
1984: Camel research centre (Incredible India). Official source

What to see

Junagarh Fort: Founded as Chintamani in 1478 by Rao Bika; present fort completed 17 February 1589 (Incredible India).
Karni Mata Temple, Deshnoke: Temple where thousands of rats are revered (Incredible India).
Gajner Palace and Wildlife Sanctuary: Lakeside palace of Maharaja Ganga Singh on 6,000 acres; former royal hunting ground (Incredible India).
Kolayat Lake: Holy lake with an annual fair (Incredible India).

Visiting

Timings, fees: Not published on the pages read. Confirm locally. Not yet verified

Festivals

Kolayat fair: Annual (Incredible India); date to confirm. Official source

Visitor guidelines

Border areas: carry photo ID and follow BSF and police instructions (estimate).
Remove shoes at temples, dargahs and Jain shrines and dress modestly; Jain temples may have further rules at the gate (estimate).

How to reach Junagarh Fort

By rail: Bikaner station (BKN) (Incredible India). Official source

Month by month

Month	Temp °C	Sunrise	Sunset	Verdict
Jan	2.2-29.2	07:29	18:01	Good: cool days, cold nights
Feb	5.8-33.1	07:15	18:27	Good: clear and mild
Mar	11.3-39.0	06:48	18:45	Warming; Holi
Apr	17.3-43.6	06:13	19:01	Hot
May	21.4-46.1	05:47	19:18	Very hot: avoid midday
Jun	22.6-45.9	05:39	19:34	Hottest; dust storms possible
Jul	24.6-43.2	05:49	19:36	Monsoon; humid
Aug	24.5-40.4	06:06	19:17	Monsoon; lakes fill
Sep	22.4-40.7	06:21	18:43	Rain easing
Oct	15.9-39.4	06:36	18:09	Good: post-monsoon
Nov	9.2-35.2	06:58	17:45	Good; Pushkar Fair season
Dec	4.0-31.0	07:20	17:43	Good: cool; cold desert nights

Suggested plans

One day: Junagarh, old-city havelis, camel centre.
Two days: Add Deshnoke and Gajner.

How to reach Bikaner

By train: See the sources for the nearest station.
By air: Jaipur International Airport (JAI) is the main gateway (Incredible India).
By road: National and state highways; route details to confirm.
Headquarters: Bikaner
Coast: Border district (Pakistan)

Find trains, flights, buses and tours to Bikaner

Best time to visit Bikaner

Best time: October to March (estimate).
Climate: Hot, dry summers (above 40 C in May-June in Incredible India's tables), short monsoon July-September, cool winters with cold desert nights (estimate).

Dates to plan around in Rajasthan

Pushkar Fair — Pushkar, Ajmer: About seven days around Kartik Purnima (Wikipedia); Kartik Purnima is 24 Nov 2026
Jaipur Literature Festival — Hotel Clarks Amer, Jaipur: 14-18 Jan 2027 (The Telegraph, 9 Oct 2026)
Desert Festival — Jaisalmer and Sam dunes: Three days; 2027 dates to confirm (Incredible India)
Thar festival — Barmer: March (Wikipedia)
Mallinath cattle fair — Tilwara, Balotra: April, about two weeks (Wikipedia)

Where to stay in Bikaner

No stays have been verified for Bikaner yet — our guide lists a stay only after checking it with an official source.

Quick answers about Bikaner

What is Bikaner known for?

Junagarh Fort, Karni Mata at Deshnoke, Gajner, Kolayat and the camel research centre.

What is the one place not to miss in Bikaner?

Junagarh Fort. Founded as Chintamani in 1478 by Rao Bika; present fort completed 17 February 1589 (Incredible India).

Which is the nearest railway station to Bikaner?

See the sources for the nearest station.

Which is the nearest airport to Bikaner?

Jaipur International Airport (JAI) is the main gateway (Incredible India).

When is the best time to visit Bikaner?

October to March (estimate).

How many places are there to visit in Bikaner?

Our guide lists 7 places in Bikaner district, Rajasthan, across district headquarters, forts and palaces, temples and shrines, museums, havelis and culture, lakes, wildlife and nature.

Bikaner travel guide